Rifle Scopes Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10x44 unrepairable

[JohnK454]

Had this Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10 on a M700 in 308 and had been quite happy with it for introducing friends and family to shooting steel at my range. Think I bought it around 2013. Picked it up recently and thought "The lenses really need cleaning" - but whatever is wrong with it is internal. It still functions fine, but is quite annoying.

Contacted Zeiss Customer Support with a description and pictures; they said it was not repairable, but if I sent it in they would evaluate and likely replace it with a V4.

Anyone have experience along these lines? Curious if they would they let me upgrade to a turret model if I paid the difference?

Thanks,

 

[Odindad]

Zeiss is very accommodating. I bet they will upgrade you for a fair price.

 

[JohnK454]

Zeiss is very accommodating. I bet they will upgrade you for a fair price.

Thanks! Having never dealt with their CS before, I wasn't sure what to expect.

 

[PinesAndProjectiles]

Had this Zeiss Conquest 3.5-10 on a M700 in 308 and had been quite happy with it for introducing friends and family to shooting steel at my range. Think I bought it around 2013. Picked it up recently and thought "The lenses really need cleaning" - but whatever is wrong with it is internal. It still functions fine, but is quite annoying.

Contacted Zeiss Customer Support with a description and pictures; they said it was not repairable, but if I sent it in they would evaluate and likely replace it with a V4.

Anyone have experience along these lines? Curious if they would they let me upgrade to a turret model if I paid the difference?

Thanks,

View attachment 7420063

Why not ask them?

 

[JohnK454]

I did. They didn't reply, so it is a throw-it-over-the-fence-and-see-what-happens situation. Thought perhaps someone here had some experience in this direction.

 

[Kbh]

I bought a pair of conquest binoculars about 10-12 years ago for i believe about $400. Recently something in the focus assembly broke. I contacted zeiss who advised I send them in for inspection. They had them for a couple of days and sent an email advising they could not be repaired and so would be replaced by a comparable set since that model has been discontinued. They offered the option to upgrade to the current conquest 10x42 model, which sells for $1000, for $350. Needless to say, I'm very satisfied with zeiss cs. New binos are excellent, btw.

 

[JohnK454]

I bought a pair of conquest binoculars about 10-12 years ago for i believe about $400. Recently something in the focus assembly broke. I contacted zeiss who advised I send them in for inspection. They had them for a couple of days and sent an email advising they could not be repaired and so would be replaced by a comparable set since that model has been discontinued. They offered the option to upgrade to the current conquest 10x42 model, which sells for $1000, for $350. Needless to say, I'm very satisfied with zeiss cs. New binos are excellent, btw.

That is exactly the type of experience I was hoping to hear! Thanks,

 

[mecher50]

I had a 4.5-14 scope that the parallax stopped working on sent it in was told is was unrepairable. I was given a list of comparable scopes to choose a new one from for free.

 

[longrange454]

I had a 4.5-14 scope that the parallax stopped working on sent it in was told is was unrepairable. I was given a list of comparable scopes to choose a new one from for free.

I went through the same thing with Burris. I told them no thanks and bought a Nightforce.

 

[hlee]

I went through the same thing with Burris. I told them no thanks and bought a Nightforce.

Wait, you didn’t take the offer of a free, working scope? Then spent money to buy a different brand? Well, you showed them...

 

[Sharpy300]

I had a Burris Black Diamond that was damaged elk hunting. Slipped and hammered it on a rock. Totally MY fault. Burris said it was unrepairable. They sent me a new Veracity in the box. Like their warranty states, “No questions asked”.

 

[308pirate]

I did. They didn't reply, so it is a throw-it-over-the-fence-and-see-what-happens situation. Thought perhaps someone here had some experience in this direction.

How long ago has it been since you contacted them?

I can understand a day or two in delay. Much more than that and I start to question their level of customer service.

 

[frankxtc]

I have a Zeiss Diascope 85mm spotting scope.
Had not used it in a few years.
It worked when I put it away.
Next time I went to use it, nothing could be seen through the lens.
Guessed that something internal came apart.
Sent it in to Zeiss for warranty repair, they sent me a new one.
It’s a $3,300 scope, like those guys!

 

[JohnK454]

I have a Zeiss Diascope 85mm spotting scope.
Had not used it in a few years.
It worked when I put it away.
Next time I went to use it, nothing could be seen through the lens.
Guessed that something internal came apart.
Sent it in to Zeiss for warranty repair, they sent me a new one.
It’s a $3,300 scope, like those guys!

That would make me happy also!

 

[JohnK454]

I had a Burris Black Diamond that was damaged elk hunting. Slipped and hammered it on a rock. Totally MY fault. Burris said it was unrepairable. They sent me a new Veracity in the box. Like their warranty states, “No questions asked”.

I have several Burris scopes, and while I have never needed to send one in it is very good news that they will also make things right.

 

[BLJ]

I was in the same boat this spring. 3x9x40 conquest with specs inside. Contacted Zeiss and mailed it in. Email or phone call (can't remember) 2 days later stating it was unrepairable. Offered a 3x12 v4 as a replacement. Offered available upgrades with prices. 3 days later I had a brand new 3x12 v4. Very accommodating with fast responses.

 

[spife7980]

Wait, you didn’t take the offer of a free, working scope? Then spent money to buy a different brand? Well, you showed them...

 

[CrabsandFootball]

I bought a pair of conquest binoculars about 10-12 years ago for i believe about $400. Recently something in the focus assembly broke. I contacted zeiss who advised I send them in for inspection. They had them for a couple of days and sent an email advising they could not be repaired and so would be replaced by a comparable set since that model has been discontinued. They offered the option to upgrade to the current conquest 10x42 model, which sells for $1000, for $350. Needless to say, I'm very satisfied with zeiss cs. New binos are excellent, btw.

The Conquest HD 10x42 shoot way above their weight class. Awesome Binos.

 

[JohnK454]

I was in the same boat this spring. 3x9x40 conquest with specs inside. Contacted Zeiss and mailed it in. Email or phone call (can't remember) 2 days later stating it was unrepairable. Offered a 3x12 v4 as a replacement. Offered available upgrades with prices. 3 days later I had a brand new 3x12 v4. Very accommodating with fast responses.

After seeing these positive responses, I am confident this will be handled well.

 

[JohnK454]

Update on this thread. Sent the scope back to Zeiss on 9/10 via USPS Priority Mail. It finally arrived at Zeiss on 9/28 - it sat at the Cincinnati distribution center, ten miles from its destination, for 13 days. After the 10am delivery, Zeiss sent an email at 2pm stating they had received it that day. By 2:30pm they sent another email stating they would warranty the scope. Today, 9/29, they contacted me about the replacement scope (4-16x44) and I called to upgrade to the 6-24x50 with the illuminated T20 reticle. There was an acceptable fee to upgrade and it shipped today. Zeiss handled their end of the entire process in about 24hrs.

As indicated elsewhere in this thread, Zeiss customer service is top notch! Plenty of emails keeping the customer notified of status and easy to get someone on the phone. In contrast, USPS is impossible to get a human on the phone, and one email was answered ten days later with nothing more than the tracking info and stating I could file a claim in 30 days...

 

[Jumper]

Good for Zeiss! Sightron did the similar thing for me. USPS also does the same thing TO me routinely. It seems like getting anything, especially something firearm related, through the Detroit sorting facility is like trying to escape a black hole. I had a rifle upper sit there for 15 days . A vehicle registration sat there for 2 weeks to. Sorry to derail your thread.
Yeah Zeiss is a good company.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

Update on this thread. Sent the scope back to Zeiss on 9/10 via USPS Priority Mail. It finally arrived at Zeiss on 9/28 - it sat at the Cincinnati distribution center, ten miles from its destination, for 13 days. After the 10am delivery, Zeiss sent an email at 2pm stating they had received it that day. By 2:30pm they sent another email stating they would warranty the scope. Today, 9/29, they contacted me about the replacement scope (4-16x44) and I called to upgrade to the 6-24x50 with the illuminated T20 reticle. There was an acceptable fee to upgrade and it shipped today. Zeiss handled their end of the entire process in about 24hrs.

As indicated elsewhere in this thread, Zeiss customer service is top notch! Plenty of emails keeping the customer notified of status and easy to get someone on the phone. In contrast, USPS is impossible to get a human on the phone, and one email was answered ten days later with nothing more than the tracking info and stating I could file a claim in 30 days...

I remember a friend years ago, had a Zeiss scope that gassed out on a hunt.
He went in to his local shop on the next Monday.
The retailer phoned the distributor and they immediately said that , due to distance and turn around time , they would send a new replacement scope, rather than mess around during the hunting season.
The shop owner gave him a new one from the display, and arranged for a gunsmith to fit and boresight it that day.

The price for quality is high, but companies like Zeiss protect their reputation.
I've never heard of anyone have a bitch about Zeiss or Swarovski, Kahles, and their customer service.
I have been told by people in the industry, the high end manufacturers have little or no sense of humour about dealers that don't adhere to their customer service standards.

As a footnote, I saw the same customer service in play at my local firearms dealer the other day for a Vortex scope.
One call, and the scope was replaced rather than repaired.

 

[JohnK454]

I remember a friend years ago, had a Zeiss scope that gassed out on a hunt.
He went in to his local shop on the next Monday.
The retailer phoned the distributor and they immediately said that , due to distance and turn around time , they would send a new replacement scope, rather than mess around during the hunting season.
The shop owner gave him a new one from the display, and arranged for a gunsmith to fit and boresight it that day.

The price for quality is high, but companies like Zeiss protect their reputation.
I've never heard of anyone have a bitch about Zeiss or Swarovski, Kahles, and their customer service.
I have been told by people in the industry, the high end manufacturers have little or no sense of humour about dealers that don't adhere to their customer service standards.

As a footnote, I saw the same customer service in play at my local firearms dealer the other day for a Vortex scope.
One call, and the scope was replaced rather than repaired.

It is sad when you think about it - we are shocked when we receive the service that ought to be expected.

 

[GrumpyOleFart]

It is sad when you think about it - we are shocked when we receive the service that ought to be expected.

It is indeed.