I was reading the thread from 'blue-bazooka' with much interest, as I now face the problem of getting my VX-11 fixed (main tube bent at eyepiece) after chasing donkeys over sand-dunes in my toyota and stupidly having my rifle in a soft case in the back of the ute.
What should I do? send it direct to states? or drop it in at my LGS? who will no doubt send it to the monopolising pricks at Nioa who will send it the states and probably get it back at christmas... Sound like I might have to buy another scope in the meantime
No, its bent for sure Kenny. You can still look through it as long as its not mounted to the rifle! The eyepiece probably sits 5-6mm further toward the action than it should, and i can't unscrew it or the locking ring.
feralbuster wrote:I was reading the thread from 'blue-bazooka' with much interest, as I now face the problem of getting my VX-11 fixed (main tube bent at eyepiece) after chasing donkeys over sand-dunes in my toyota and stupidly having my rifle in a soft case in the back of the ute.
What should I do? send it direct to states? or drop it in at my LGS? who will no doubt send it to the monopolising pricks at Nioa who will send it the states and probably get it back at christmas... Sound like I might have to buy another scope in the meantime
Since you have a problem with the "monopolising pricks", why don't you send it yourself? You will save time that way.
Write a letter explaining the problem, put it inside the box , wrap it up and take it to the post office. You will have to sign a Customs dec (green tag on box) and post it to Leupold. Cost is about 20 bucks. You are actually supposed to have clearance forms from the Dept of Defence which you have to arrange through Canberra. Many people don't bother, and the worst thing that will happen is that your scope will be confiscated when it comes back.
Of course you could always send it to the"monopolising pricks" who will do it all for you for nothing - even though you broke it and it's not really a warranty thing.
Thanks WSSM, I'll follow your suggestion.
Jimbo, do you work for Noia? The reason i call them 'monopolising pricks' is I've seen how that company has managed to 'take' a lot of product lines from other small business', including getting exclusive rights to leupold, HS precision from Lightforce and Kimber/Barnes X from Toy for big boys. Maybe thats 'just business', but as a small business operator myself it hits a nerve (i also despise woolworths for that reason).
You are right, I broke it, but I wasn't whinging about them not wanting to fix it for free...
No, I do not work for Nioa. Actually I am a retired Bank Manager.
If you haven't guessed, I'm Brendan Atkinson, so I do know a bit about the trade and how things work.
Have you considered that some of the shifts in agency (distributor) could have been initiated by the US maker, who might have been unhappy with the way the existing Australian distributor was handling the product.
I just get annoyed by the way a family company (and that applies to Nioa, Raytrade, Fullers/Highland, Westfire and a few others) get shit poured on them by anonymous posters for running a successful company. Some of these companies started off in a "tin shed" and worked their way up.
It's not a crime to build your business and make a profit. Problem is that once you do you get shit canned for doing it.
Last edited by jimbo on Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
feralbuster, just put it in the post and send it back to Leupold direct.
A few years ago I sent three scopes back and had them repaired, cleaned and target turrets fitted and the scopes were back in my hands in 20 days from when they left. That was via standard post. My postmaster told me the biggest chance of losing the scopes in the mail was only while they were in Australia.
I received an email from Leupold, saying they had arrived, another email some days later telling me the problem, and another email telling me the jobs were completed. I rang the next morning, to give the girl a credit card number, ( two were warranty work and one had target turrets fitted ) and the girl said " we posted those yesterday". I said " I have to pay for the turrets" and the girl said " we know you Aussies are honest, we knew you would ring or email your card"
You can't beat the yanks for service
Malcolm
There seems to be a lot of bitching about Nioa and Leupold pricing. Things like I can buy it for x dollars in the US and they pay the freight.
Is this supporting Auatralia , Nioa does . They pay GST , the money that goes towards our hospitals,roads,schools etc. They employ staff ,use local freight , sell local products. They probably pay three lots of freight on most of their products ,factory to ship, ship to Australia and ship to warehouse. So the direct from US scopes , GST free , freight free are supporting the US so they can build roads , hospitals etc.
So the latest thing is to bitch about a business that is willing to invest money and have a go.
Sent a leopold to Nioa for repairs who onsent it to Leopold - returned to Nioa who posted back to me - total time 28 days - the only cost my postage up to Nioa.Your in for a big shock if you try to send direct to Leopold. You could in the good old days - not now.
RobH.
I have sent 2x scopes back myself,six weeks was the longest wait of the two sent,no paper work or forms as at the time I knew no better.
The level of service was good,sent registered mail and had no dramas,I now think that I may have been a little bit lucky that it went so smoothly.
Also had a spotting scope that I was dissapointed in opticaly,thought that it would have had better resolution than it showed.I rang nioa and was told the following options, they would provide another unit to compare it to and keep if better,send it to them and they would send it to the states,or I could send it myself,so they were willing to stand behind the product and be accountable,having said that I would be dissapointed if they did not.
To answer your question,even though you think that they are pricks,swallow hard and let them organise the repair for you,you dont have the worry of will it get there,will it make it back and at the end of the day you paid for the life time warranty.
I guess you have to defend Nioa 'jimbo', otherwise you wouldn't have any rifles to test...
I'm not a proponent of the tall poppy syndrome either, but there is being successful in my book, and then there is just being plain greedy
Like you know all there is to know about Nioa's business and
buy prices and whether they are just "successful" or "greedy" ?
Get real.
And as for Jimbo not saying anything negative against Nioa
"because he may not get any guns to test", I've never met
Jimbo but I'm sure as hell he doesn't pull punches when they
are needed but getting on with the industry is a two way street.
I guess you have to defend Nioa 'jimbo', otherwise you wouldn't have any rifles to test...
Mate I have to say that IMHO that sort of comment is not appropriate.
I do not know either yourself or jimbo personally but I think that we should, on this forum at least, try to stay above the name calling and such .. it lowers the standards that the site has attained.
jimbo has opinions as do you, we dont have to agree on everything. God wouldnt that be boring.
By all means both of you should put your case and argue strongly if you feel the need but lets be adult about it.
Remember at the end of the day we are all shooters and if we are going to really chop in to anyone it should be politicans and gun control nuts not each other.
500Nitro & Rinso, yes you are right, and I apologise for over stepping the mark. One of the great things about this forum (over some of the others) is the mature and courteous outlook of those who regularly post.
It turns out I know 'Jimbo' personally, and I was just trying to get a bite out of him (otherwise I wouldn't have posted again on this thread). I'll continue any discussion with him if required when I see him at my next SSAA branch meeting that we both belong to.
As far as Nioa, no I don't know them or their business, but I do know Alec Wilson (TFBB) and members of the Dennis family (lightforce) and I was coming from their perspective (which I concede is only one side of the story).
