hartenberger has good support

Just wanted to let people know that I had a very good experience with Hartenberger. I sent them a Nano that broke during my last trip (on/off switch wasnt working anymore). They fixed it in a couple days, and didnt charge me. Very cool.

Cor

I will have to add my bad experience with Hartenberger video lights. They are good lights but their service is a bit too rigid for those not in the EU. To return a product for servicing from outside the EU, one has to list the product on the customs form as a reexport item so they don't have to deal with customs/duties, since the exported item was VAT exempt. TWICE, I sent them my old TANK 128 battery pack and the paperwork was messed up by UPS and they refused to accept the package even though I gave them permission to charge me for whatever duties they had to pay, which was cheaper than the shipping. About $600 of shipping later (TWICE back and forth), they finally accepted the battery pack and sent me back a new one (AND the old one which added weight for no reason). This was in the early days when their representation was far more limited. They have to understand that not all shipping agents get customs forms right and to expedite repairs, a little extra work with custom/duties would be nice. I ended up buying an entire new lighting system for the shoot.

As an aside, for those who are outside the countries which have retailers who can handle any product, I would consider the ordeal of sending stuff back to originating country (which can be a PITA) in the purchasing thought process.

Im not sure it's really all Hartenbergers fault. I can write books about the mess it is to have something repaired in the US while being in EU. It's insane. Make any mistake, and you get taxed for importing. One time I had a company add the retail value of a years old item on the return box, and local customs charged me import duties on the retail value. Never got that sorted out. You get dragged into quicksand. I have learned not to buy anything that doesnt have a more local representation.

I'm not blaming Hartenberger for the deutsche/EU import system. Just saying that they could do a little extra in accepting packages which don't have the correct paperwork done by informing the customers and "dealing with it" so the product gets serviced.

I realize the problems dealing with customs guys can be overwhelmingly difficult and it may take a huge effort like travelling to some forsaken part of the city to pick up the package. Which is why I use Fedex now, they will pay for you if you give them permission and do a COD in many countries. That sort of service is great.

I do agree that certain high use products almost demand local retailers to handle.

Just wanted to let people know that I had a very good experience with Hartenberger. I sent them a Nano that broke during my last trip (on/off switch wasnt working anymore). They fixed it in a couple days, and didnt charge me. Very cool.

Cor,

I had a Hartenberger "Off-Shore 11" charger for my umbilical light fail two weeks before a Maldives trip. I emailed them and sent it in for repair from the UK to Germany.

I recieved a new charger FOC the following week !!!

The only charge was for shipping, no tax or duties.

Awesome service Awsome product, I just wish I could afford the excess baggage to drag their strobes around the world LOL.

Nice to see a positive thread about a companies services.

Nige Wade