Nikon Destroyed My Camera Los Angeles, California

Be forewarned: Avoid Nikon's LA Service Center, well actually Nikon in general. Below you will find the Nikon Authorized LA Service Center's responses to my angry phone calls after they delivered my D700 back to me as a dusty paper weight. They held on to my camera for 13 days before they "discovered" that my sensor was scratched. Gee, I think I would have noticed the huge crescent-shaped gash sitting in the middle of my sensor before I sent it in to be cleaned. Why didn't the tech notice something so clearly visible to the naked eye?

Maybe it was obscured by the orange construction grit/dust/crap that magically appeared on my camera. (The service center was relocating from El Segundo to their new Los Angeles office and took my camera with them.)  Oh, I refused to do the $1600 sensor repair for the damage they caused. Yet, 6 days later, it still resided as a pending charge on my credit card. So I sit here with my favorite camera reduced to a paper weight. Needless to say, I will be selling all my Nikon lenses and cameras (no, not the paper weight). I will switch to another system; perhaps you should too. 

"Dear Mr. . . , 

Writing you back in regards to our previous discussion involving the D700 camera body that you had sent in for service. I have discussed this case with the Customer Relations Manager and the Western Regional Service Manager, as advised before it was impossible for the sensor to be scratched in the time that the camera body was in our possession, all equipment was handled with care during the move and shrink wrapped to avoid any foreign particle to get in to the equipment. Unfortunately there is not much we can do in this case, if you want to have the sensor cleaned on the camera you would have to send the camera in for service and approve the applied estimate. 

Sincerely,
Virnalisa U.
Nikon Support

Thanks for using Nikon products!"

Email # 2 sent to me 11/15/12 

She sent this to me 6 days after I picked up my ruined camera from the service center.  Mind you I had refused the estimate on the 9th for a repair to the sensor they ruined.  No repair had been performed.  Yet they were still charging my card.  Luckily, the charge did fall off later that day instead of the additional three business days they were allowing themselves.

"Writing you back in regards to our previous discussion. I advised our Accounts Receivable Department about the amount that is still on hold from your credit card account. They have fixed the issue and the amount that is pending will be released in 3 business days. I have also advised the Customer Relations Manager about your request. 

Sincerely,
Virnalisa U. 
Nikon Support

Thanks for using Nikon products!"

I love the informal "thanks" at the end. What a bunch of . . .

Here's an update:  I asked to speak to Virnalisa's Customer Relations Manager,  Ms. Marie Channis.  I have been unable to reach her.  However, she left me a message saying, "I was told to call you. . . I hear you have some discontent with the Nikon service."  Wow, why would I be content about any of these interactions?  I am not expecting my conversation with her to go well.