NIGHTMARE ON SIGMA STREET -- WARRANTY? WHAT WARRANTY?

By JC Leahy

"Sleazy" is the best way to describe Sigma's warranty service.  I recently purchased a 28-105 Sigma zoom lens, factory sealed, new in the box from Norman Camera, a Sigma authorized dealer that has been in business for 52 years.  I registered the warranty with Sigma.  I received acknowledgement of warranty registration  from Sigma.  Nevertheless, when I tried to avail myself of the warranty, Sigma's performance was sleazy to the extreme.

The lens was defective right out of the box because it wouldn't auto-focus.  At first I thought it was a problem with the camera, not lens. When I

isolated the problem to the lens, I shipped it to Sigma for warranty repair, with a copy of the sales receipt.  It had been much less than a year since I purchased it.  The warranty said "one year from date of purchase."  I anticipated no problem. 

Then I got a call from Debbie at Sigma.  She said that she had my lens in front of her but that it was a discontinued model.  She said that Sigma would not honor a warranty on a discontinued lens.  I protested that the lens was new in the box and had been defective right out of the box and purchased from an authorized Sigma dealer.  It had a focusing problem that is common with Sigma lenses, and the fact that Sigma had discontinued that particular lens had no bearing on the warranty.  Debbie was firm:  Sigma would not honor the warranty on a discontinued lens.  When I continued to argue, Debbie changed her argument.  She said that, besides, I bought my lens online.  She said that Sigma would not honor the warranty on such a lens.  I protested  that I purchased from an authorized Sigma dealer that also does some of its marketing online at sites such as Amazon and Ebay.  Why, in this day an age, should an online purchase have any bearing on my warranty??  Debbie was firm.  The warranty on my lens would not be honored.  However, she said, they could offer me a trade in.  She explained that Sigma does not even have a 28-105 lens anymore, so she could not offer me that range of focal lengths.  She could, however, offer an 18-125mm lens for a trade-in price of $271.  I knew that I could get that lens cheaper on Amazon with no "trade in"!!!!!!!!! I was disgusted and incredulous.  I told Debbie to return my lens to me unrepaired.  That's my Sigma warranty sleazy story.  Sigma may not honor their warranty AT ALL  if they decide to discontinue your particular item or if you bought it online!!!!!!!!!!!   Caveat emptor!!!!





Sigma Camera Corporation, Warranty Repair
15 Fleetwood Court
Ronkonkoma, NY  11779
Tel. 631-227-2028
(Ask for Debbie --- LOL!!!! :) )

Norman Camera issued the following statement:

"[W]e are a Sigma Authorized Dealer.  We only sell USA versions of all products we sell, including lenses.  We have been here for over 52 years, much longer than Amazon has existed, and we are shown on all manufacturer’s whose products we sell websites as an authorized dealer."


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