That business model is based on the fact that most people don’t keep their vehicles long enough for the same part to fail twice. On top of that......how many people can keep up with a receipt that long?

It is one thing to make good product, it is another thing to make decent product that the average joe shmoe can afford to use. There are a lot of low budget hunters and outdoorsmen that use vortex gear because it IS cheap and they know WHEN it goes bad the company will take care of them. For them, it IS a value for their money.

I have heard horror stories about swaro, leica, bushnell, etc not honoring a warranty for something that was just beyond the one year or a couple years old and then the person is out thousands or more, and still out good optics. These companies do not have lifetime unconditional warranties, though I realize Bushnell does on some select pieces.

It is very easy to take a personal view and try to apply it to everyone and bash a company online because they have a tremendous warranty and great customer service. But try to take the higher road and realize this company exists for everyone, not just you. They are allowing countless people to enjoy nature.

I personally have had the same pair of vortex binos and have no need to switch, they have been flawless and I haven't babied them at all. Am I lucky? Maybe. I have a different brand rangefinder and spotter. I wanted something better in those that vortex wasn't going to provide me.

Reading threads like this really highlights what a first world problem is...be happy and be glad we have choices.

My customer experience reference was not due to any fault with the product. It was regarding lost binocular lens covers...my fault. Must have fallen off while hunting. They sent me replacement eyepiece covers no charge. That was pretty cool of them.

Texas Buckeye where did you come from with reason and and rational thought!!!

Based on the comments I set up an appointment with an psychiatrist hoping to cure my poor judgement. Thanks for your input. I cancelled the appointment.

That's some funny stuff right there.

I was just sharing an experience but as always, naysayers will do what naysayers do. I own Leupold etc as well. I am sure if I had posted about Leupold customer service or Swarovski, I would hear the same junk.

There is no product that is 100% free of potential damage or malfunction unless it lives in your closet or gun safe. No such animal. When it does happen, see if you get it back in 4 days. no questions asked, no receipt ....Oh, and not just you, but whoever happens to own it down the line...
Say what you want, but I would rather have a company that stands behind its product. Too many companies overcommit and underdeliver when it comes to standing behind their products.

Funny you mention Leupold. People forget that they fix their products with no questions asked. But you don’t hear about that because not every person that buys their product needs to send it in for repair.

The one performance constant with optics is that you will get exactly what you paid for.

100 % agree with ya Phis, here my experience with Vortex. Bought a Strike Eagle 25x56 with alumination turret dial from a well known retailer, during installation on my rifel the person didnt use the right tool and damaged the turret cap only where the battery goes for alumination in low light. They said sorry and that this was the only one they had in stock. Needless to say I was pissed but decided to take it anyway and deal with it myself. Later, I decided to call Vortex, they answered right away without having to go thur channels. Told them of the issue and requested a new replacement cap only for the turret. He said he would send me a whole NEW complete scope instead. I said just the turret cap would do fine but he repeated again if I wanted a NEW complete scope. No just the turret cap. Enough said. Ive had several over the years without fail issuse.There's plenty different ones to choose from out there but I'll choose Vortex.

The last post had nothing to do with the quality of Leupold customer service. Ergo.....you missed the point

The point was about folks hijacking a post like this one to bash companies they dont like and tell us how good their gear is (ahem). If you dont like Vortex, the solution is simple, don't buy it. Since my life doesnt depend on my binoculars, I guess I shouldnt comment on what is and is not good customer service.

Anyway....It's really not that big of a deal......no one cares.

##I should have known better

I’m sure glad folks on here warned me about ATN before I spent money on one. That’s what a forum is. An exchange of information, experiences and opinions that are learned.

^^^^^

If you feel strongly that your thread has been "hijacked"...then by all means report it to a Mod.

It is understood that the main subject matter was intended to be 'Customer Service' (per your title) but in the body of your text you mention 'warranty' also....which by default brings with it product quality.

When discussing product quality, certainly it is fair (if not necessary) to make comparisons.

I am glad that most folks feel Vortex's warranty and customer service are good/great. I have my own (one time) experience with them that is contrary to that....but in the end did receive a replacement (twice actually before they got it right).

It is simply my opinion that many folks are lured into buying Vortex products based on an attractive Warranty Policy rather than the strengths (or lack of) of any quality concerns. I like to see folks be 'informed buyers' and to that end...it is well to seek out the experiences and opinions of others.

Threads like this one are sure to go off on small tangents. If they go completely off the tracks, the very capable Mods will take care of it.

As does Burris. I wouldn't know how good or bad the Burris or Leupold customer service is, because I've never had to use thier warranties. I have had to use both Vortex and Nikon's warranties. Yes. Vortex has unbelievable customer service. Nikon, not so much. But, Nikon doesn't make scopes anymore, so that's moot.

So how do you explain away the fact that I had 3 different Leica 3200.com's and none of them would range past 600 yards on oilfield tank batteries? One of them wouldn't range past 200 yards when the temps got near freezing. I've sent back 2 Swarovski 1" tube riflescopes because my Tikka 7Mag smoked the erectors in both of them. Price = performance isn't necessarily true by a long shot.

Humm, so lets look around online and see how many are down talking Leica and Swaro for their product reliability compared to Vortex.

I hope the OP has good luck with his replacement, otherwise he'll be needing another one in the future.
The folks that have had good luck with lower end Vortex are much lower numbers than the folks that have had good luck with other brands like Leupold, Leica, and Swaro.

Not everyone can afford higher end optics, we all know that and understand it, but to have issues with almost every lower end product Vortex makes should pretty frustrating to those that own them and I would be raising cane to get them to address that not just accept it and keep sending in products to repair or replacement. They obviously are using cheap components or they couldn't afford to replacement them so often.

I truly hope his replacement does not cost him a deer or any other species he is hunting.
Good used higher end products are out there and much cheaper than new. I bought my Swaro binos through Cabelas bargain basement, sent them in for new glass, they replaced it for free, and had like binos for half the cost of brand new.

Yep.

I own and use a few high end binos myself. The indisputable fact is, Leica, Zeiss, and Swaro sell a miniscule amount of glass compared to Vortex, Leupy, Athlon, Bushnell, and Nikon. Obviously more people will have trouble with those. If you think the "alphas" don't have problems your kidding yourself.

I think even you would admit that Vortex's marketing philosophy works extremely well.

I know they have problems , on occasion. I'm talking about lower end Vortex. It is well known that their higher end stuff is much better.

Never had to send in my Swaros again in say 25 years, Leicas I own have never been send in.
We have Leupold scopes on all of our rifles and only one has had an issue, I lost the end piece off of it.
35 years of Leupold and not once had a failure, Swaros still working great after 25 years.
If your higher end glass has had lots of issues then might be the user, not the glass.

How many times has your Vortex been in, if they are lower end?

Yes Vortex has great marketing, readily admit that.

Miniscule amounts of glass sold, humm, not believing that. Miniscule amounts going in for repair, yes I believe that.
Google sales for Vortex, Swaro and Ziess for 2022 and let us know what comes up, I did.

Again I hope the OP does not have any more issued that cost him an animal.

The way I look at is if anyone on here was going to Africa to hunt the big 5, because they won a grand prize in the DSC or someplace like that, who here would choose Vortex for their primary and backup rifle scopes if you could choose any optics free of charge? It's the trip of a lifetime and you may very well have a charging cape buffalo in your lap. If anyone says Vortex, than we have fundamental differences in worldly viewpoints, which is okay.

You're dumb as a box of rocks if you actually believe that crap.

Vortex, Leupy, and Bushnell sell more optics in one month than Swaro and Zeiss do all year. What you believe is irrelevant, what matters are facts.

If they were free none of the scopes mentioned in this thread would go on my hunt.
I only noticed Swarovski/Leupold / Vortex/Leica mentioned.
I certainly wouldn’t pick Swarovski as their turrets are not up to the standards that their glass is…I love their binoculars but scope wise they are not robust.
No go on Leupold either. They have gotten better glass the last few years thanks to competition from the likes of Vortex and many others but weak turrets have plagued them on most of the hunting lineup but competition scopes are better again due to losing market share they made improvements.
I would take Tangent Theta since they would be free or maybe a ZCO since that’s the only brand I haven’t owned yet.

Just saw this posted on another forum …will rest my case

Today at 12:04 PM
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#36
i just sent a Z6i in. Had it on a a 270 for about 70-80 rounds. Curious to see what they say when it comes back. The turret internally must’ve come completely apart. It would adjust POI at all and it happened just out of nowhere.

Yes, I am first to say it has worked well for THEM. And hopefully now that they have built a successful business....they will slowly bring more quality into their lower line products.

They can (and do) happily repair/replace defective items. Even items that through no fault of theirs were damaged.

And all of this marketed as (at no cost to the consumer) but the fact is, you paid for the replacement in the retail cost of the item to begin with. All that made possible by using cheap components and charging more for them than they should be worth.

But the 'idea' that a product will be replaced "FREE" (no questions asked if it can't be repaired) is what sounds so appealing to folks.

Hell....there are folks that would take syphilis as long as it was 'free'. And in the end....your 'free' replacement is the same low quality optic as the first one (the lower end models).

Just saying if you need/want to buy an optic very much manufactured to a 'price point' do your homework.

Vortex has always offered a good looking optic and typically a product with a lot 'features' for the price. But IMO it is at the expense of lasting quality. Which may be fine for a lot of folks. But please don't be a sucker and think that out of the goodness of their hearts....they are offering a fantastic warranty for sake of their customers. You already paid for it.

Yes just like all the other optic companies with warranties