Ricoh GR broke after 1 year and not repaired under warranty

[snowcoconutt]

Hi everyone,

I just registered to share with you my disappointing experience with a Ricoh GR.

On the 2/1/16 I bought a new Ricoh Gr camera from a camera shop in London.

I really loved the camera, which I have been using regularly in London.
In November 2016 I travelled to Taiwan and in early December 2016 the camera stopped working properly.
The lens and focus started making a strange mechanical noise when I switched it on then the camera menu froze and I needed to remove the battery to switch it off and on again.

I contacted the Ricoh support, explained about the problem and said that I would have sent the camera to them on my return to the UK.

In early April 2017 I sent the camera to the repair centre along with the proof of purchase.
The camera was still in Warranty.

Some days later I received an email from the repair centre saying that the "Lens assy is sandy" and that the price to repair the camera would have been 250,14 Euro.

I explained to them that I’ve been using the camera in an absolutely normal way, never dropped in the sand or any sand surface nor used in a sand storm or anything similar.
Always carried in my pocket and used mostly in London.
That I didn't understand how there can be sand inside.
Perhaps it was just dust normally present in the environment that entered through the lens?
Isn’t this a defect of the camera?

They told me that they "sent a goodwill request to Ricoh Imaging for a decision about your camera. Unfortunately a repair under warranty or goodwill was refused and a repair is chargeable"

I had thought about it and I decided not to go ahead with the repair.
Even if I would have chosen to go ahead with the repairing, I can’t see why the breakage shouldn’t happen again.

Searching on the internet, it seems that the fact that the body of the camera allows dust to enter is a known problem of the Ricoh Gr cameras.

I find really unacceptable that, what is supposed to be a quality camera, broke after one year of normal use and that the repair is not covered by the warranty.
Even more, when the problem seems to be a known one.

Did anyone have a similar experience?

Thanks

[streetshooter]

Actually I have heard of many warranty issues with the GR & GRII. So, I sent my GRII to Ricoh for service to remove dust and they did. Camera was under warranty.
A month later, the focus was messed up. Still is. It will do Snap but to use regular AF, nada. Rich wants a lot to fix it and I won't do it.

Worse case is I will buy a new GRII or wait and see if they wake up and get their heads out of Pentax's ass and bring out a GRIII.

[Fileshoicc]

I think I can find more information in this thread.