- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:48 am
It's a shame that my first post in this forum should be a negative one, but unfortunately my camera didn't last long enough for me to become an active part of this community. You see, I recently purchased the pocket camera (which I have rented before and loved), and the micro HDMI port snapped off in less than a month of use. I didn't drop the camera or bang it into anything; the port just broke from having a cable plugged into it multiple times.
After going online to see what I could do about this situation I discovered it was a common problem with the camera and that some companies now sell accessories to prevent this kind of damage. I found several cases where people sent the camera back and Blackmagic repaired or replaced the unit. Apparently this isn't policy any more. Here is the email correspondence I had with Blackmagic support:
Is this an acceptable policy for ANY company??? I was disappointed to find that my camera would not be repaired cost-free for something that is a structural flaw of the product itself, but to not offer repair for a service fee, and to not even recommend a reputable service that can help me is outrageous. I can't think of a single manufacturer that has so much disregard for the consumer.
I get it. I'm not a high-end client, and I purchased an entry-level camera that would be considered a throwaway for plenty of DP's. But for me this was an expensive investment, and I spent a total of about $2,000 on top of the camera price for pocket-specific batteries, media, lenses, and other accessories needed to make it useable. Buying another $1,000 camera because a 10 cent part snapped off the pcb board isn't a solution for me. I don't even have the option of using the camera with SD cards now because there is a metal part rolling around in the body that could cause a circuit to short.
So the question now is... Does Blackmagic respect or value their customers? Can a company that won't so much as recommend a paid solution to problems with their product be considered to have any form of customer service at all??? Do YOU feel comfortable purchasing Blackmagic products knowing that their policy for physical damage is to not provide even the most basic sliver of help or advice?
I'm incredibly disappointed with my experience. For your own sake as a customer, beware.
After going online to see what I could do about this situation I discovered it was a common problem with the camera and that some companies now sell accessories to prevent this kind of damage. I found several cases where people sent the camera back and Blackmagic repaired or replaced the unit. Apparently this isn't policy any more. Here is the email correspondence I had with Blackmagic support:
Enquiry: Hello, I have had my pocket camera for a little over a month, pairing it with an Atomos Ninja. I haven't been rough on the camera but still my Micro HDMI port has snapped off and fallen inside of the thing from day to day use. I hope you folks can service the camera and return it to me since investing in dozens of SD cards is not an option. Thanks for reading.
Hello Dustin,
If the Mini HDMI connector on the Pocket Cinema Camera is no longer there, as in snapped off then that is something we unfortunately do not warranty, Physical Damage.
Thanks Marce
That's disappointing to hear, Marce. A thousand dollars for a camera that
breaks from less than a month of basic use? That's entirely a problem with
the build quality of the camera. I haven't violated any imaginable terms of
use by using the camera as a camera.
Why was there no warning from Blackmagic that third party accessories were
needed to keep the camera from breaking simply by having a cable plugged
into it multiple times? If things like this don't fall under warranty, what
does???
I'm happy to pay for this to be serviced, but I wanted to avoid cracking
the thing open because it might violate Blackmagic's vague, inexplicable
warranty. If you won't repair my bricked camera, can you recommend someone
who will?
Hello Dustin,
We unfortunately do not warranty physical damage.
We don't have any official or unofficial repair service providers that we recommend.
Marce
Is this an acceptable policy for ANY company??? I was disappointed to find that my camera would not be repaired cost-free for something that is a structural flaw of the product itself, but to not offer repair for a service fee, and to not even recommend a reputable service that can help me is outrageous. I can't think of a single manufacturer that has so much disregard for the consumer.
I get it. I'm not a high-end client, and I purchased an entry-level camera that would be considered a throwaway for plenty of DP's. But for me this was an expensive investment, and I spent a total of about $2,000 on top of the camera price for pocket-specific batteries, media, lenses, and other accessories needed to make it useable. Buying another $1,000 camera because a 10 cent part snapped off the pcb board isn't a solution for me. I don't even have the option of using the camera with SD cards now because there is a metal part rolling around in the body that could cause a circuit to short.
So the question now is... Does Blackmagic respect or value their customers? Can a company that won't so much as recommend a paid solution to problems with their product be considered to have any form of customer service at all??? Do YOU feel comfortable purchasing Blackmagic products knowing that their policy for physical damage is to not provide even the most basic sliver of help or advice?
I'm incredibly disappointed with my experience. For your own sake as a customer, beware.
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