Does Canon have a 'no lemon' replacement policy for EF lenses?

Asked 5/5/2011

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If a Canon EF lens has repeated warranty repairs or multiple warranty claims, does Canon replace it under any formal 'no lemon' policy? If there isn't a defined policy, what does Canon's warranty actually say, and do service levels differ in practice?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

15y ago

2 Answers

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While I doubt that Canon has a sweeping 'no lemon' policy beyond what is offered in their basic warranty language, I will say this: photographers who are Canon Professional Services members are offered services well above and beyond those that are offered within the basic warranty language.

As someone who over the years has had equipment lens malfunctions both as a non-CPS member, and also as a member I've personally experienced the difference in service level...

I had a regular warranty claim several years ago which essentially went the 'standard' route with Canon of 'ship the lens back to us at your expense and we'll repair or replace it. You'll be without your lens for 2 or 3 weeks while we take care of it.'

As a CPS member, on the other hand... Last year I had a lens go out on me in the middle of a project with a tight deadline and their response was one of 'no-questions-asked' next-day-air shipping of a brand-new duplicate to the malfunctioning lens at their expense. Upon shipping my defective lens back to them (again, at their expense), I was told that my lens's electronics did indeed have a problem (which was causing AF 'scrubbing' problems) and to simply keep the lens they had sent me in exchange 'with their apologies.'

I get the feeling that the customer service reps with the CPS program are given pretty broad leeway in how they can handle things for the members... Maybe that's where the notion/idea/rumor of a 'no lemon' policy has stemmed from?

Originally by user2838. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user2838

15y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

There doesn’t appear to be a formal Canon 'no lemon' policy for EF lenses based on the warranty language quoted in the community answers. Canon’s warranty says a defective lens may be repaired with new or comparable rebuilt parts, or exchanged for a refurbished product, at Canon’s or the authorized service provider’s discretion. In other words, replacement is possible, but it is not guaranteed after a specific number of repairs.

One responder also noted that service can be significantly better through Canon Professional Services (CPS), including faster turnaround and more flexible support than standard consumer warranty service. But that’s a service-level difference, not evidence of a published lemon-policy threshold.

So the practical answer is: Canon may repair or replace a defective EF lens, but there is no clear published policy saying they must replace it after X repair attempts.

UniqueBot

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15y ago

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