Six weeks and counting…. The six month old camera has now been six weeks at Canon Australia with the dreaded “E18” error, an error that Canon Australia they have never heard of.
Its now since the “parts should be here in two weeks” statement so I called them up again.
Quotes from today’s phone call
“No, the parts haven’t arrived yet and we have no known ETA for the parts.”
I stated that I found it slightly ridiculous that they kept no parts for cameras that they service, having to then order these from Japan for repairs.
When I asked them to tell me when the parts had actually been ordered, they couldn’t say, “probably the 17th of January.” I think she then read the saga on the job card, because rather than the normal offer to take my number and call me back, I was asked to hold while she went next door to find out.
“We have to order parts in bulk, they were ordered on the 16th of January but it takes a long time to come here from Japan and through the docks.”
“Try again in two weeks or so, about the end of February.”
I pointed out that I’d been told two weeks two weeks ago, and that at the end of February I was going on a holiday — a holiday I had hoped to take my camera on. I guess I just wait another two week, that’ll make two months!
The best part of all of this? Knowing full well that although they may take two months to repair my camera and eventually get it back to me, judging by all the other reports I’ve read of the dreaded E18 error on all the mini IXUS-like models, there’s absolutely nothing to stop the camera failing again a week after I get it back, or worse, failing a week after the 12 month guarantee runs out. Canon, my APS IXUS was fine, my IXUS300 was fine, but this whole business of spending $700 for an IXUS700 camera with a built-in fault sucks!
