Disappointed with Wex/Fixation

SFTPhotography

SFTPhotography

Ranger Smith
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So - what should have been a simple job has led to a bit of a mess.

As you know - Wex use Fixation as their official repair/sensor clean partner and you can even drop off equipment at Wex stores - they'll send to Fixation in London who will carry out the repair and send back to the Wex outlet where you can pay the bill and collect your equipment.

Repair Services | Fixation

Fixation is an authorised professional repair centre, specialising in Nikon, Canon, Sony, Bowens, Fujifilm, Profoto & Aquatech equipment.
www.fixationuk.com www.fixationuk.com

My local Wex in Glasgow is shut for refurbishment so the nearest one is over in Auld Reekie. Not a big deal but being the other side of the city it's quite a trip. Thus I decided to call Wex in Edinburgh to double check if they would be willing to send my two 645z's to Fixation for a sensor clean. Afterall - Wex sold me the camera's just over a year ago. Ffordes also sent one of my 645z's to Fixation in London for a sensor clean and it came back very good. So it seemed a very logical move to attend a Wex outlet with the camera's and get them to send them off and take some ownership of the customer experience.

I even called Wex Edinburgh on 17th of January (the day before) to double check if they'd be willing to do this as the 645z is a rare camera and the guy assured me this would not be a problem and they'd be happy to provide me this service, Fixation would do the sensor cleans and they'd call me when it was done.

So on Tuesday 18th January I attended the Wex Edinburgh outlet and dropped the camera's off. I supplied both with attached lens's and fully charged batteries as per Fixation's website - which mentions they clean cameras by Pentax, Phase One and Hasselbad. The Fuji GF camera's are mentioned by name - and they use the same 44x33mm sensor as the 645z. So clearly high end camera equipment IS something that Fixation will work on.

Professional Sensor Cleaning | Fixation

Struggling with dust on your DSLR or Mirrorless camera sensor? Restore your image quality with a Fixation professional sensor clean while you wait.
www.fixationuk.com www.fixationuk.com

So on the 27th the young man I dealt with in Edinburgh called me to say he had the camera's back. Naturally I asked what the bill would be and discussed a time when I could attend the store to retrieve the camera's and pay the bill.

This is where it gets poor.

He said they haven't cleaned the sensors and they refuse to do it. Errr. Ok. So I called you before setting off to ask whether this was going to be a problem -I was assured it was not. Furthermore Fixation have cleaned the sensor in one of my 645z's before. In addition Wex supplied me the camera's and seemingly aren't able to provide a routine aftersales operation. And Fixation clean medium format camera's - Hasselblad, Phase One and Fuji GF are mentioned in their text as well as Pentax.

Now - the young man at Wex did recommend a place in Morningside to take them into called Cameratiks. I've spoken to them and they've advised they are willing to do this and quoted a price of £57 per camera.

With such delightful aftersales as this - I feel no guilt in buying grey and I will make sure if I go for a Fuji GF, Sony, Phase One, Hasselblad, Nikon, whatever I will never buy it from them. As I see 100mp in my life - and I am a big spender, and not that old - Wex will be losing a lot of business as I will never buy another thing from them ever again. I run workshops and will be advising every client I teach this tale of delightful aftercare and point them in the direction of Panamoz, AJ Johnstone and Ffordes.
 
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Why won't they clean it?
Only asking bcause it seems a very odd stance for a camera maintenance company.
 
So maybe give Fixation a call/email as to why they couldnt/wouldnt/didnt clean the sensor?

I think you are being a bit Harsh on Wex, how many 645Z cameras do you think that shop has sent to FIxation, they may of made a mistake, other than a period without camera its not cost you anything.
Currys dont service hoovers, washing machines or any other sort of electrical item so why would you expect a camera shop to do so?
 
AgentOrange76 said:
So maybe give Fixation a call/email as to why they couldnt/wouldnt/didnt clean the sensor?

I think you are being a bit Harsh on Wex, how many 645Z cameras do you think that shop has sent to FIxation, they may of made a mistake, other than a period without camera its not cost you anything.
Currys dont service hoovers, washing machines or any other sort of electrical item so why would you expect a camera shop to do so?
Click to expand...

Wex advertise this service. It's not as if I came out them out the blue. I know it's not a common camera but common enough Wex sell them, run out of stock, order more in then sell more. But I called them in advance to see if this was a problem. Indeed - if you look at the bio's on the store staff in Edinburgh- one of them is even into medium format and there's plenty GF Fuji medium format stuff there in the store. It's not a 43grand Hasselblad (they are rare) so I'm not seeing why Wex wouldn't push fixation to do the job they say they do.

Pretty much every car manufacturer offers a dealer service. Would you buy a car and not expect the dealer to be able to change the oil when it's due?
 
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So I spoke with Fixation this morning and the call handler was very polite but not ultimately very helpful.

She said they won't sensor clean medium format equipment. So I then asked - why does your website mention Fuji GFX, Hasselblad and Phase One. Her reply "does it" - mine "it most certainly does".

She will pass this on to her superiors as she was very clear they don't do it - with the exception of Fuji GF which "they send to Fuji UK as we have a relationship with them". When I pressed that they did the work for me, on behalf of Ffordes - she said as a one off they might do one if we have a relationship with a retailer or if we are very quiet but it's not something they routinely do.

The issue, in my mind, remains with WEX who advised me they would do it - clearly one isn't talking to the other very effectively but in lost time etc it is me who will pay. So Cameratiks in Morningside it is.
 
I attended Wex today to retrieve my 645z's which are now at Cameratiks in Morningside for their sensor clean.

They were extremely apologetic about the whole thing and the chap who I dealt with seemed as perplexed as me - to be clear - it wasn't him who told me they'd do it - it was someone else at Wex. They apologised - recommended a place that will do it, they actually will so at this stage - what else can they do to put this right. I certainly won't touch Fixation again - and as for Wex - not sure.

Fixation need to update their site - and Wex need to be clearer around which camera's their service centre will touch - and which ones they won't. Odd given how the 645z is probably the one camera that's been on sale continuously for the last 7 years. That's how good the 645z's are - until they need a sensor clean.

I digress - I had a lovely time looking at other camera's and enjoyed seeing the Z7ii, A7RIV and seeing them in action. Small yes - not sold - but the EVF's seem a lot better than I recall from earlier incarnations. The A7RiV is the Z9's sensor gaurd away from being SFTphotography ready, and the Z9 is amazing but one less stop DR than my D850 and 645z - yet more expensive than both.

When the rumoured Z8 comes with 61mp AND that sensor gaurd to keep dirt off the sensor (I cannot bear sensor dirt) the future for me will be very clear. Or if Fuji sort out the wide zoom with the GF line - and bring in a body with that sensor gaurd - I'll feel mirrorless is ready for the world of my photography.
 
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Fixation and the old Calumet I think we superb, just like Jessops were in the good old days. You speak to a salesperson who actually knows what they are talking about.

Fortunately, I live close to Fixation. But, by association, Nikon and Canon are nearby. Only Pentax are somewhere else. No issues with service at Fixation.

Unfortunately, sounds like Wex employ people who really don't know their elbow from their knee. Fancy saying one thing and then doing something else or nothing at all. My aversion to Wex is that they killed off a number of established retailers, like KP Prof in Cambridge whose service was second to none.

You sounded quite restrained I would've shouted as the salesperson "You are a moron, send me someone who knows what they are talking about." I have done this.
 
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