Pentax repair times

My new K20d has developed the dreaded vertical banding syndrome as experienced by a few others. I'm just about to send it to Johnsons Photopia. Pentax claim an average return time of five days which past bitter experience doesn't allow me to believe.

Do any of you have any recent experience of warranty repair times?

I must say that in 35 years of Pentax buying this is the first fault I've ever had but it is still disappointing.

Sorry to hear that Ken, I hope it's turned around for you as quickly as possible.

Touch wood, I haven't had to experience Pentax repair times so far but I know some have been pleased and others been frustrated by the contracted out service in the past.
Best of luck

Been waiting two weeks so far and not heard anything.... Reckon I'll wait another week and then phone to see what's happening. I guess things may have taken time to catch up after Christmas and the snow.

I think it took pentax 3 months to return a hot shoe mount repair and I had to remind them they had it.(My cleaner knocked it over and it had a flash on it)

They said they had been moving and that's why it took so long

Hope you get your camera back sooner than then end of April

You have noted the serial number down ??

James

I've got my serial number. And I know it was received and sent on by SRS so I'm hoping that if necessary they will be able to do some nagging on my behalf (it's a warranty repair).

so was mine but I sent it in my self as i bought it from camera warehouse and lost the info from them.(it was my K10d but as I had the K100d I was not in a hurry to get it back)

James

From my experience since Johnsons have taken over the repairs and the time the service has taken have not improved.

For example SRS sent my K-7 off in August to have the sensor replaced due to it being damaged (I purchased it in July). A month or so later it had been sent back to SRS claiming the sensor had been cleaned. However it was returned with the same fault so it went off again...and again it was sent back to SRS claiming the sensor had been cleaned with the same marks on the sensor with no other explanation. BTW all of this under warranty as well.

In the meantime Chris has kindly lent me a demo K-7 to use instead but I am due to pick up a brand new K-7 from SRS tomorrow.

So I would be very dubious about any times that Pentax have quoted you.

Flippin' ages is my experience. I hope you have a back-up.

K.

Sorry to hear about these repair times but in my case it was the complete opposite.
Maybe I have been very fortunate with the repairs but I had problems with both my sdm zooms 16-50 and 50-135. They were under warranty and I sent them via the dealers SRS and Mathers and I needed them back quickly for a wedding. I explained this to the dealers. Both lenses were repaired and returned within a week including a bank holiday w/e. I thought that was excellent.- I thanked both dealers and assumed they had some influence on Johnsons
the faults were a sticking motor on the 50-135mm and a lost contact on the mount of the 16-50 lens. Maybe these were easier repairs.
This shouldn't happen on expensive 'pro' lenses but that's another issue

Paul

Paul your repairs where on lenses and not camera's

James

Ken If you don't have a backup K20d, I can lend you mine (backup k20D)

Mine was a lens on both occasions. Still pants. The first time was a fault with the SDM motor, the second time was my fault

K.

ken have you had any news about your camera

James

Thanks for the reminder! I just phoned them and it should be back tomorrow or Thursday which is encouraging and certainly within Pentax's 'five working days' claim.

Less encouraging is to be told that they've 'just installed the latest firmware', it had the latest firmware installed. We'll see.

Hey, maybe this is the "screw drive AF" firmware fix for SDM lenses that so many Pentaxians have been demanding

I'm very happy to say that the K20D has just been delivered, Photopia received it on the 21st so that is a pretty good turnaround, just three days in the workshop.

All that has been done is "reprogrammed camera and reset. General clean, check and test". I hope that does the trick.