Hasselblad Customer Care email

I just received an email with a deadline to sign up for their customer care program within 4 days. (29th February) The email stated:

http://www.hasselblad.com/hcare

Now, I am not a Hassy owner, I just subscribed to their news, generally interested in following what the news in the MF market is, but, if I understood that correct, I feel this is a bit pushy and "careless" (pun intended) in deed.

I mean come on, 4 days deadline?

As for spare parts, I think there are laws in europe that a manufacturer is required to assure spare parts for a great length of time, but I forgot the details on that one.

Why so cynical about Hasselblad??

Actually, you're quite mistaken. This a request aimed at anyone currently owning H1 or H2 cameras. It is a fulfillment of Hasselblad's promise to offer factory support both those cameras for a full 10 years from purchase, among other offers to allow trade-ups and refurbishment. Hardly what I'd call "care-less."

Likely, this is a final attempt email to anyone on their list not yet heard from, of a previous mailing (maybe your earlier ones bounced or you're spam filter may have caught the others). This is very much not the first emailing of this notice. Mine was received 11/13/07.

In your quote about "laws in Europe," are you seriously suggesting that ten years is not enough of a good faith effort for manufacturer support for a discontinued camera?

C'mon.



plus

Georg Baumann said:

I just received an email with a deadline to sign up for their customer care program within 4 days. (29th February) The email stated:

http://www.hasselblad.com/hcare

Now, I am not a Hassy owner, I just subscribed to their news, generally interested in following what the news in the MF market is, but, if I understood that correct, I feel this is a bit pushy and "careless" (pun intended) in deed.

I mean come on, 4 days deadline?

As for spare parts, I think there are laws in europe that a manufacturer is required to assure spare parts for a great length of time, but I forgot the details on that one.

Click to expand...

Richard Mandelkorn said:

This is very much not the first emailing of this notice. Mine was received 11/13/07.

Click to expand...

Hi Richard,

this explains it! I was under the impression this would be a pushy thing, as I never got anything about that before from HB, although I had received other news from them in the meantime.

Richard Mandelkorn said:

Why so cynical about Hasselblad??

Actually, you're quite mistaken. This a request aimed at anyone currently owning H1 or H2 cameras. It is a fulfillment of Hasselblad's promise to offer factory support both those cameras for a full 10 years from purchase, among other offers to allow trade-ups and refurbishment. Hardly what I'd call "care-less."

Click to expand...

Richard,

There's also much more. Hasselblad did not expect the Hy6 common platform that might rescue, reinstate and power future competition from the back MFRS they thought they had doomed with the closed H2 system. Leica just announced a customer base security move by offering "forever" updates to the M8 Leica flagship digital camera.

With the Canon juggenaut and the Nikon Phoenix closing in, MF digital MFRS, anyway have to secure their base in this niche market. The secure delusion that large MF pixels would anyway protect them, is being evaporated as we learn to defeat what appear to be limitations but are merely obstacles to be corrected for in the smaller DSLR's evolution.

When one is socially threatened once secures ones friends. Hasselblad is doing the same!

Smart!

Asher

Georg Baumann said:

Hi Richard,

this explains it! I was under the impression this would be a pushy thing, as I never got anything about that before from HB, although I had received other news from them in the meantime.

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Hi Georg,

I can't say for sure that's the scenario, but it seems logical given all the vagaries of email.

This program was, as Asher points out, developed to make sure people who owned H1's and H2's didn't feel left out in the cold after the discontinuation of those cameras. A seemingly necessary move if they were to maintain and nurture a level of trust in their customer base.

Cheers!

Asher Kelman said:

Richard,

When one is socially threatened once secures ones friends. Hasselblad is doing the same!

Smart!

Asher

Click to expand...

Indeed! As do all the MF back mfrs., and we all benefit, hopefully.

It seems to me that we are a small, select group (granted, self-selected) that interestingly enough, have a larger, better listened to voice than those who use Canon or Nikon.