Thread: Swarovski bino failure again

Last month I had a set of swaro slc 10x42 Binos replaced shortly after buying as they developed a defect in one of the lens black spot no worries shit happens they got replaced move on..

Fast forward second time out with replacement set ( 5 day tahr trip week off work lots of planning\organising and excitement)
Day 2 hinge/bridge section starts to get loose
By they end of the day they had got so loose they wouldnt hold position and you couldn’t see through them as the barrels where not aligned correctly seeing double big rings just a nightmare unusable poped the cap of the front of the hinge to look there was nothing that could be done to get them sorted while out the back
Massive letdown when I needed them most
With 3 days left of the trip i tryed numerous times wrapping insulation tape around the body and taped an empty bullet case between the barrels that if you held just right you could look through and see one image untill you adjusted or moved then had to start the process again ultimately gave up and left them In the pack for the rest of the trip don’t know how I didn’t throw them off the mountain rage meter was at 11

Back in to the retailer all very sorry never seen this in my all the years/this never happens unbelievable blah blah
They Have offered full replacement again
All well and good but it doesn’t do much to for ya when your looking to be on your 3rd set in 3months and been left hanging for 3days in the hills.

just putting my experience out there for some honest feedback to anyone looking at this particular model may not be as good as they are cracked up to be or I may be the unluckiest Swarovski customer ever regretful purchase for me anyway.

Cheers

Leica :-)

Eyes are open again 👌🏻

Starting to wonder if NZ Swaro are the cheapest in the World for a reason ??

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Starting to wonder if NZ Swaro are the cheapest in the World for a reason ??

Is this really true?

Originally Posted by caberslash

Is this really true?

Yes NZ and Aust have the cheapest Swaro product in the world. I don’t like their price fixing tactics in ANZ but they have done the right thing price wise.
I have had Leica failures as well so I don’t think you can ‘damn’ a brand on the basis of this experience. I have had multiple Swaro products over the last 35 years ( and still do) and overall I would say quality and reliability is very good.
Along with other quality brands in my safe I have 6 or 7 Swaro scopes, 2 pairs of binocs (SLC and EL’s) and a BTX Spotting Scope. Keep the faith.

Originally Posted by Southcity

Yes NZ and Aust have the cheapest Swaro product in the world. I don’t like their price fixing tactics in ANZ but they have done the right thing price wise.
I have had Leica failures as well so I don’t think you can ‘damn’ a brand on the basis of this experience. I have had multiple Swaro products over the last 35 years ( and still do) and overall I would say quality and reliability is very good.
Along with other quality brands in my safe I have 6 or 7 Swaro scopes, 2 pairs of binocs (SLC and EL’s) and a BTX Spotting Scope. Keep the faith.

Yes all brands have a % that fault
I know of a Geovid that is heading back with a floating hair in the tube :-(
But - Re Swaro - I are hearing a growing # of comments saying the quality is not what it was say 5 - 10 years ago
Are they still made & "assembled" in Austria ???

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Starting to wonder if NZ Swaro are the cheapest in the World for a reason ??

Never ends well when a commercial vendor starts bagging the other guys product on here.

Originally Posted by Moutere

Never ends well when a commercial vendor starts bagging the other guys product on here.

Ok fair cop in your eye – but was not my intent at all !!

Maybe my over pessimistic mind warns me of two things that do not add up with the New Swaro reshuffle post NZammo ??

1^st up Price
A lot of models offered here in NZ (maybe Aussie too) are circa retail $$ that a shop outlet in Europe has to pay from Swaro Austria factory.
2^nd It appears in last two years a lot more complaints about quality – failures etc

Now maybe – its just more interaction over social media like this – or people expecting more considering the $$ value ??
But – as you will see in an above post – I fronted up over another Brand
I ALSO support and favour this Brand – many on here can vouch for that !!

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Ok fair cop in your eye – but was not my intent at all !!

Maybe my over pessimistic mind warns me of two things that do not add up with the New Swaro reshuffle post NZammo ??

1^st up Price
A lot of models offered here in NZ (maybe Aussie too) are circa retail $$ that a shop outlet in Europe has to pay from Swaro Austria factory.
2^nd It appears in last two years a lot more complaints about quality – failures etc

Now maybe – its just more interaction over social media like this – or people expecting more considering the $$ value ??
But – as you will see in an above post – I fronted up over another Brand
I ALSO support and favour this Brand – many on here can vouch for that !!

Case and point.

Originally Posted by Moutere

Case and point.

Good reply (not)

Originally Posted by Sarvo

Ok fair cop in your eye – but was not my intent at all !!

Maybe my over pessimistic mind warns me of two things that do not add up with the New Swaro reshuffle post NZammo ??

1^st up Price
A lot of models offered here in NZ (maybe Aussie too) are circa retail $$ that a shop outlet in Europe has to pay from Swaro Austria factory.
2^nd It appears in last two years a lot more complaints about quality – failures etc

Now maybe – its just more interaction over social media like this – or people expecting more considering the $$ value ??
But – as you will see in an above post – I fronted up over another Brand
I ALSO support and favour this Brand – many on here can vouch for that !!

Whilst Swaro was with NZ Ammo for most people swaro was a dream. Once the ‘agent margin’ was taken out Swaro had a much more competitive situation.
I believe you are seeing on average more topics with Swaro for a couple of reasons, 1. A lot more Swaro gear in the market and 2, many who now buy Swaro have high expectations of a premium brand. So any failure comes to the surface in forums and discussion.
I like many have Swaro, S&B, Nightforce, March and Leupolds. I have a soft spot for all of them depending on the purpose.
NZ Ammo did for Norma what they didn’t for Swaro in my opinion.

I've had a few Swaro binos (all were perfect), a couple of Zeiss Victory's (one needed sending back), and a couple of Leicas (one had a tight, squeaky hinge).

My experience with Swaro has been stellar. It's widely considered that they've got the best quality control, and their customer service is without peer. I once lost the cap to the ballistic turret on my Z5 scope, and after sending Swaro an email, I got a new one sent to me in about a week. No questions asked; postage free of charge. Furthermore, I wasn't even dealing with the NZ branch, but Swaro USA. Just goes to show that they're all on the ball when it comes to customer support, and they don't discriminate based on your location or circumstances.

OP: after having had multiple failures with Swaro gear, you may be better served switching to another brand. Even if Swaro offers to make things right again (and they will get it right), chances are you'll harbor feelings of resentment towards them after all of this, and that may cloud your enjoyment of one of their products. Swaro makes great stuff, but in your situation you may be better off jumping ship to another premium brand. Purely for peace of mind.

I'm not knocking Swaro. I'll probably grab another one soon. But this is about the OP and what's best for him.

Edit: One option you could explore is the Swarovski Habicht 10x40. They're a porro prism bino, built to millitary spec. The design is bloody ancient, and all the niggles have been ironed out over many decades. They go for approx $1700. Definitely a good option if you want to stick with Swaro glass, but want a super reliable bino. They've got the highest light transmission of any bino on the market (96%). The glass is on par with the best Swaro, Leica and Zeiss have to offer, then some. The only downsides are: the FOV isn't as wide as the modern stuff, and the ergonomics are a bit dated. But that's more to do with your taste than anything.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by Southcity

Whilst Swaro was with NZ Ammo for most people swaro was a dream. Once the ‘agent margin’ was taken out Swaro had a much more competitive situation.
I believe you are seeing on average more topics with Swaro for a couple of reasons, 1. A lot more Swaro gear in the market and 2, many who now buy Swaro have high expectations of a premium brand. So any failure comes to the surface in forums and discussion.
I like many have Swaro, S&B, Nightforce, March and Leupolds. I have a soft spot for all of them depending on the purpose.
NZ Ammo did for Norma what they didn’t for Swaro in my opinion.

I’ve had nothing but stellar support for Swaro gear, whether from NZ Ammo, or from the current setup dealing direct to Swaro NZ. This includes damage and on another item, wear and tear. My Z5’s were from Eurooptics, a Z6 off eBay, and EL Range finders off eBay. All supported as if I’d been gouged and bought local.

I can’t / won’t comment on other brands as I don’t own them.

B