Canon Service experiences

I've never had to deal with sending something in to be repaired, but the lens hood on my Canon 400 5.6L has been stuck. A rubber o-ring is visibly sticking out a tiny bit in one spot. Started on a very cold day, and I presume the rubber ring contracted. I probably forced it too much then, and now it's not where it should be, and is jammed between the hood and lens body.

Upon initiating the repair through Canon's online dialogue, I received shipment information, packaged it up nicely, and shipped it to the Canon Service Center in Irvine, CA. I did delivery confirmation and insurance. It was delivered on Monday morning at 10:35 AM.

In the message I got back through the initiation of the online repair dialogue, it said I'd get an e-mail when the lens was received. Seeing it was delivered Monday, I thought an e-mail would be coming. It hadn't, so I called today, directly to the Irvine facility.

The person answering said "that's odd", and that if it arrived Monday, it should have at least been entered into the system as being received. She then went snooping while I was on hold for 20 minutes. She came back, saying they hadn't been able to track it down yet, but because of the holidays, they might be behind in opening and recording packages received. She said she was "sure it would turn up", and if I don't get the e-mail confirming receipt of the lens by late Tuesday (next day they're open), then call back.

I'm just wondering if this is an unusual experience with Canon repair. The tone of surprise when calling didn't exactly boost my confidence. She did ask for the delivery confirmation number from the shipper, which I gave her. That didn't boost my confidence either, as it was almost like she didn't believe me.

Am I being paranoid, or is this just a slow process? How long does it usually take to get stuff back? And no, I'm not a "Canon Professional Services" member, even with my 3 "L" lenses and 2 DSLR's.

I've had three experiences w/ Canon repairs, 1 from California, and two from New Jersey. My experience w/ CA was terrible. I sent away my 1-400mm IS because the autofocus and IS were having issues. They never confirmed receiving my lense either. The repair took weeks and I had to contact them for status every time. All in all, very poor service.
The second two times I sent it away, it was to New Jersey. They were fast and professional. One of the those two times, it was to repair the same damn thing the CA had fixed a few months earlier.

I feel your pain.

Terry, did you use registered post? That way you have confirmation that the item was received by the person you sent it to.

About Canon - in Montreal, my only experience was when I decided to send in my 24-105 for focus and sharpness testing. I was told that it would take about 3-4 weeks. 2 months later, I received a call from my dealer saying that Canon had lost my lens but had decided to provide me with a completely new lens and filter (obviously free of cost).

My 30D is currently in CA for a second time to fix the same thing which wasn't fixed the first time. Neither time have I rec'd an e-mail letting me know that it arrived. The first time it was there for over a month and this time so far it is a month. According to their web info, if they can't fix something they will replace the item. When I told the person that I talked to (after being shuttled about to several different people) that if they couldn't fix it please replace it (!) she said that they DO NOT replace Canon items. This camera is still under warranty and will be until the end of July. This camera has never worked properly! Any suggestions as who to call at Canon for help with this?

I have two experiences with the NJ shop. Both were reasonable. The first was a warranty repair on my EOS1DMkIIN where the exposure PBC bricked (everything was f22 1/8000). The other was to repair a 24-70 L lens that a party guest knocked off of a table. Both repairs took between three and four weeks.

I have one experience with Canon service. I sent my 100-400L back on warranty because of "error 99" issues with all three of my camera bodies (film and digital). This was before I joined CPS. It went to New Jersey. I begged them to hurry. They dismantled it and replaced two or three key components. I had it back eight days after I shipped it, and it's been perfect ever since. I've heard other bad reports of the California center.

I have one experience with Canon service and repair.I started by requesting a repair order online. I was e-mailed an authorization number and instructions and address for shipping. I recieved an e-mail when my camera was at the facility and another when it was evaluated for repairs. I was informed that it would be returned within seven days.A day later I got an e-mail informing me of a two day delay for parts that were not on hand. I then recieved notification that my camera was done and was being shipped overnight in order to comply with the seven day promise. When I got my camera back I also got a voucher for one hundred dollars toward any out of warrenty repairs in the future. I got one final E-mail to inquire if I was happy with the service and if my needs had been met.I sure don't have any negative feelings about Canon in New Jersey. The day after I had my camera back I got an answer for California as to my repair request, They wanted a credit card number and informed me of a charge to evaluate the camera! Wow what a difference in service cennter opperations. My advice is stick with New Jersey.

Gee, I thought NJ was bad. Sounds like CA is even worse! My 100-400 is currently in NJ for the third time to fix the original problem. When my 20D first needed the sensor cleaned, I took off from work and drove 3 hours to the NJ facility for their complimentary walk-in sensor cleaning. When I got back home, I found out that the sensor was no better than before they "cleaned" it. For me, NJ is 0 for 3. I am interested to see if someone has a reply to Grace about where to go next.