I am not new to underwater photography. For many years I’ve had the Canon AE-1, an underwater film camera which I’ve used reliably for more than 5 years. Last year, I’ve also had a rugged Sony Experia Active mobile phone which has gone through many abuse on land and underwater. When I knew I would be staying in Palawan for a while, I decided to get a dedicated underwater cam which I’ll use mainly for snorkeling. After much thought and research, I decided to get the Panasonic Lumix FT3 last Mid November 2012 at my nearby camera shop, Pixel Pro in Megamall. I was quite confident with the purchase when I flew to Palawan, not knowing I would go through an ordeal of a product not up delivering as promised and poor after sales service from the store.
One Week Use
I was happy with the camera’s performance and image quality when used above water. When I got to Palawan, I used it for the first time snorkeling the reefs of NoaNoa Island. It delivered quite good underwater photos. As my usual routine after using underwater products, I immediately rinse them for a few minutes on fresh/tap water to remove the salt water, air dry the camera and remove the battery to charge and memory card to save the photos.
2nd day of snorkeling, I used my Olympus OM-D mainly encased in a Dicapac. I was so happy with the underwater scenery there that I decided to take Panasonic Lumix FT3 as well and leave the OM-D on shore first. I was on shallow waters, only about 4-feet in depth threading the surface. I shot a couple of images then noticed the color of the screen started to change color then eventually fizzled out. I knew there was something wrong so I immediately lifted the camera to the surface. I wondered what went wrong. I checked the seals first to make sure there were no debris or dust. The dual locks where closed. After drying up the camera, I placed the battery again but it no longer turns on. I was very upset that the camera already broke in less than a week’s use.
Pixel Pro After Sale Ordeal
I had no way to go back to Manila to immediately send it to the store, it took me at least a month, after Christmas, December 2012 to send it for service. I explained what happened to the staff at the store and they took it in. The unit is still under warranty which they explained to me was for two months only and the 7 days was only for immediate replacement if a defect was found.
It didn’t take a month before I heard from Pixel Pro through a text. It was only the 8th of January 2013 when they informed me they couldn’t repair the unit and I should have it picked. I asked “You can’t replace the parts? Would it be any chance the unit I got was a ‘lemon’ since I’ve only used it for less than a week and it already leaked?” They replied that “Sir please bring it to Panasonic service center since we don’t have part for those.” That made me think. Isn’t my warranty with Pixel Pro? They should be the one responsible for the parts not me. They shouldn’t be passing me to Panasonic Service Center. They didn’t even texted me the contact numbers of Panasonic Service Center.
20th of January when they texted again while I was in El Nido. They asked when I would pick the broken unit up since I would have to pay P150 a month for storage fee. Okay, they no longer repaired the unit and now I have to pay for storage. Again I insisted that the unit was a lemon and the should have replaced it. They said that the replacement is only within 2 months and the coverage is only for “Factory Defect” and does not include “Water damage”. Again, that made me think, didn’t I brought it in for service within 2 months? What if the water damage was caused by the “factory defect”?
Limited Warranty Explained
So I asked my friend to retrieve the unit last February. When I returned to Manila by March, I talked to the staff again to try to exhaust all the options I had. I explained my dilemma with them again and it’s the same story. I insisted that they be the one to contact Panasonic there since I can’t get a hold of them and it’s their responsibility and they did while I was at the shop. They insisted that I have to pay for the part that needs replacement which is incidentally available now but at the price of almost buying a new camera. I still insist that the unit was a lemon and I asked what they can do, they said there’s nothing I could do, my unit is broken. I tried calling up the owner of Pixel Pro at Hidalgo but same story. I asked DTI for help but they would only act if after 3 times the unit was sent for service but wasn’t repaired. But I wouldn’t want to spend a premium on that part that’s almost the price of a camera.
Bottomline
As of now, I am still paying for my Panasonic Lumix FT3 unit (which isn’t exactly cheap) which I’ve only used for a week since I bought it last November 2012. I like Panasonic, but it is disheartening to have this experience. Another thing, their service here in the Philippines for Lumix cameras really sucks, I tried to call them several times but their numbers wouldn’t answer. As for Pixel Pro, I guess they are just happy they got my money. When I asked them if there is anything else they could help me with, they just shrugged – nothing, so I left their Megamall shop as one dissatisfied customer. If I didn’t egg them to call Panasonic themselves they wouldn’t. They should be responsible for that, not me, since I’m still under their store warranty. Anyhow, I don’t think I’ll visit their stores any time in the future. And until Panasonic have a decent support for Lumix cameras here in the country, I’ll probably veer away from the brand.
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