I phoned consumer advice today and was told that as the law stands I was not entitled to a new camera which is annoying as the DL2 was faulty the moment it was assembled and I was the unfortunate one who bought it. I will write to Jessops and tell them I want the 18-55 lens I didn’t get and also to Pentax to tell them I am not satisfied with their appalling “repair” service that did the least it possibly could for me. I hope nothing else goes wrong because if it does I just won't be able to use them again.

I’m seriously thinking of changing brands now although it will mean selling up at a loss, because I have had unsatisfactory service from the DL2 camera and Pentax repairs and I really do regret buying the DL2 last year.

Actually Kim the correspondence I got back from Jessops told me it was Pentax who had agreed to replace the camera with a K100D and 18-55 lens. In fact I didn't get the lens but that didn't matter because I've got one anyway but yes I will go back this week to question the serial number with Jessops. The thing is, I've signed for the camera now so that's probably in their favour, although I've also signed for a lens I didn't get so that's an inaccuracy anyway.

And the latest news is...

I picked up a K100D from Jessops today, it came in a box that looked like it had been around a bit. When I got home I noticed three things: no connect lead to download, no eyepiece cover and more importantly, the serial number card had a number on it that didn't match the one on the camera.

The box has obviously had bits taken out and not put back or other bits that don't match put there instead. It makes me think I've got something that has been in for repairs, and after the problems I had with the temporary repairs made on the DL2, can I take this camera away with me for a week or even just a day out. :

I phoned the DTI number on Mannesty’s attachment and they said to write to Jessops giving them the history of my case and send it via recorded delivery, which I have. With the letter went copies of my receipts and VISA statement from when I bought the camera, and all the correspondence to and from Pentax. With three repairs already there was quite a bit, which shows how much of a problem this has all been so I am looking forward to their response. I have said that I would not consider the offer of a repair and return so hopefully they won’t even think about trying that one.

Thanks for the advice, I DID take it back to Jessops when it first got a fault, after four months, but they claimed to have none in stock. It was sent to Pentax and although Jessops asked on the despatch note if it could be replaced with a new camera, Pentax did a repair on the original, which turned out to be the first of three temporary repairs. I should have told Jessops to keep the original and get me a new one but the way they phrased the note led me to think I would get a new one anyway. I feel like Jessops have cheated me and in turn Pentax have cheated Jessops but I'm the only loser in all this. I'll see what I can get from Jessops but under no circumstances whatsoever is the camera going for another repair. If somebody asks for it then I'll send it but after what has happened there is no way it can be repaired to last for years. Minutes, maybe.

What do they do down there in Langley? I used the hopeless DL2 that has now been to Pentax three times for repair at the weekend and it broke down again. As usual the display screen packed up and it is unrepairable and in this condition I wouldn’t even be able to sell it. I even requested in my letter to Pentax the last time I sent it back: “Please can a repair technician contact me if a long term solution cannot be found. I would prefer it not to be returned if it is going to break down again because I would then consider it to be beyond repair.”

I hoped they might see the situation the same as me: it’s junk, not worth the cost of repairing it, customer has had serious misfortune in buying a dud, send a new replacement. But no, they give it another temporary repair which only breaks down again. Well this time the whole lot is going back, camera, manuals, connecting leads, everything, and if Citylink bring a parcel to me in the next two or three weeks the guy will have to wait while I look to see what is in it, and if it’s this thing again I will not accept it under any circumstances.

Problems. I know them. My DL2 was faulty after 4 months, strange spider’s web-like fibres under the LCD screen. I posted a message about it a while ago. I returned it to Jessops and asked if I could change it for another. We haven’t got any in stock, they said, so off it went for repair with a request from Jessops to replace. That did not happen; instead I got the original camera back which I used on two holidays and another this year when there was an internal electrical burn-out three days into my two week trip. It stopped working - the LCD screen would come on when switched on but it faded out immediately, and it didn’t take pictures. I wanted something asap but not an Optio-type so I bought a K100D for about £300 and sent the DL2 off when I got home. It was “repaired” and sent back, only when I put the batteries in and fitted a lens the LCD screen was blank. This meant I couldn’t change any settings even though it was now taking pictures again. It’s now been sent for repair number three but I wish I’d said no to the first repair and insisted on a new one when it first went wrong because this has really cost me £300 already in repairs, because I bought the K100D. I no longer trust the DL2 so if I get it back again it won’t go for a fourth repair and will be used at home only, and the K100D will be the one for taking on holiday and days out.

It is starter edition so no RAW option then?

When I plug the camera in, Photoshop opens straightaway. It seems to override Pentax Photo, and I can't get the RAW pictures to go on there either.

A problem here loading RAW onto Photoshop 3.2.

On a Friday night last month my pc crashed and I lost everything. I was going on holiday the next morning so had no time to do anything about it. On return I set the pc up again myself, not my dayjob so it wasn't a simple task, and found that when loading Adobe I could have Photoshop 3.2 as well, which I did not have before. I loaded it up and saved 175 of my JPEG holiday photos, plus three RAW tests I did. I plugged the camera in but only the 175 JPEGS were saved. I tried again and it did the same thing, I got 175 JPEGs but not the other 3. This meant I had all the JPEGs twice, 350 holiday photos, so I deleted the lot and tried again and got the same result, 175 holiday photos.

How do I save the RAW pictures? Everything is still on the memory card so I can have another go if someone has the answer.

I've probably misunderstood this. If you mean a thin sheet of clear plastic that sticks like clingfilm and just peels off then there was nothing like that on the screen so I must have removed it originally.