Recent Lamy Service Experience

[dbs]

I recently found my Lamy 2000 had a tiny crack on the shell, near the thread to the barrel. Occasionally the ink leaked and stained my finger. This Lamy 2000 is almost new because I have too many fountain pens.

 

 

I decided to send the pen to Lamy service center at Dallas, TX for repair. I followed the instruction on their web, including a letter explaining the situation and a check of $9.75 to cover the return shipping. They do not need original receipt and do not need arrangement over email or phone ahead of mailing.

 

The repaired pen was shipped back next morning after they got it. Today I received the pen from UPS. To my surprise, Lamy replaced everything except the feeder and the nib. And there's no scratch or any defect.

 

Lamy's service is very similar to the Mont Blanc -- they both do not need arrangement over email or phone before mailing. The difference is Mont Blanc need the original receipt AND the warranty card. However, Mont Blanc always left me some tiny scratches, based on my limited experience.

 

Pilot fountain pens also have life time warranty but their service is totally a different world: You need email them to get the return address. And the service usually would take several weeks.

 

This is my best pen repair experience.

 

 

[ke4pcx]

Impressive. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[MYU]

LAMY servicing changed after Bob Nurin left FiloFax (the USA company LAMY used to outsource their servicing). It was relocated to Texas. I think there were some pains during this transition and some people had complaints. But it's good to see servicing has returned to a high standard. Thanks for posting!

[fullfederhalter]

I just received my Lamy 2000 back from Texas today. Mine was no longer filling properly. According to the note included with the pen, the section and feed were replaced, and they reset and lubricated the piston assembly, and cleaned and refurbished the pen. Returned exactly 2 weeks after sending it to Texas. The pen fills and writes beautifully again. I'm very pleased to say the least.

[Morphling27]

Good to hear about your nice warranty experience.

 

I've only had to send in a Pilot (well it's a Namiki Falcon but those are Pilot now). I did have to contact them, but that was it. It was very simple and they returned it quickly. They just replaced the cracked part (the feed/grip section). It came back... within less than a month total - not bad sending from AZ to FL.

 

The Visconti was a HUGE pain. Mail to Coles across the nation, they then batch and send to Italy, wait for it to come back. They then wanted to charge me money to return it, despite explaining the issue on a life time warranty issue and the rep said it would be free. They held my pen for I don't know how long expecting me to randomly send money until I asked where my pen was and had to show documentation I was promised not charges under warranty.

 

If MontBlanc requires that much documentation, I won't be buying either. Both pens I sent above were actually second hand and no questions asked about purchase, warranty documents, etc.

[TranquilTrout]

The Visconti was a HUGE pain. Mail to Coles across the nation, they then batch and send to Italy, wait for it to come back. They then wanted to charge me money to return it, despite explaining the issue on a life time warranty issue and the rep said it would be free. They held my pen for I don't know how long expecting me to randomly send money until I asked where my pen was and had to show documentation I was promised not charges under warranty.

 

Did they end up charging you money in the end or did they follow through with the initial deal of no cost?

[DrDebG]

This is wonderful to hear, since I have a number of Lamys.

[lurcho]

My L2K similarly developed a crack in the section. I live in Britain, so I sent mine to Heidelberg.

 

For six weeks, I assaulted Lamy with polite emails asking what progress they'd made, and when I might expect the pen back. They didn't reply once, and I finally sent them a polite but direct email telling them I thought their communications were poor.

 

The very next day, I got my pen back. I think they'd replaced the entire section, and I wasn't positive it wasn't a new pen entirely.

 

No charge.

 

Clearly, the customer service they place behind faulty pens is beyond reproach.

 

What a great company, eh?

[Morphling27]

 

Did they end up charging you money in the end or did they follow through with the initial deal of no cost?

They did stick to deal agreed to beforehand but as I said it cost me a long wait time.

 

I like Visconti still and have looked at future purchases (wife got me the Homo sapiens so the millennium was my only purchase). I'm a little more reserved though about the brand especially compared to my Pilot (and other non fountain pen warranty needs) experience. An expensive luxury brand should offer the best and easiest warranty of any company.

 

My best example is when I kept Zippo lighters for my annoying smoking friends. I got some vintage ones and they needed repair. Zippo was very clear and fast on fixing a 50 year old item to like new. They even return broken parts to you just in case.

[iznogood]

WOW!

 

Wanted to know how much it would cost me to get a new nib for my Lamy 2000 and Lamy USA just quoted me 152 USD$! That's something like 10$ under what a brand new pen would cost. Franklly I feel ripped off.

 

Lamy no more. Think I'll destroy my safary as a catharsis. Wow.

[ErrantSmudge]

WOW!

 

Wanted to know how much it would cost me to get a new nib for my Lamy 2000 and Lamy USA just quoted me 152 USD$! That's something like 10$ under what a brand new pen would cost. Franklly I feel ripped off.

 

 

I don't think this is unusual. I was interested in a new nib for an Aurora Ipsilon, to move from a Medium to a Fine. It turns out Aurora does sell replacement nibs if you ask, but they cost about $80 - about $20 less than a brand new pen. And that's for a steel nib, not a gold one as for the Lamy 2000.

 

I'm guessing the pen manufacturers aren't setup logistics-wise to handle retail for aftermarket parts.

[iznogood]

 

 

I don't think this is unusual. I was interested in a new nib for an Aurora Ipsilon, to move from a Medium to a Fine. It turns out Aurora does sell replacement nibs if you ask, but they cost about $80 - about $20 less than a brand new pen. And that's for a steel nib, not a gold one as for the Lamy 2000.

 

I'm guessing the pen manufacturers aren't setup logistics-wise to handle retail for aftermarket parts.

 

Of course they are. Lamy has millions of nibes for the safari/allstar etc. For some reason the lamy 2000 is special. It's ok it's my fault really now I'll know to check about replacement nibs before I buy such expensive pen. Plenty of pen makers offer reasonable prices for nibs/service.

[Morphling27]

 

Of course they are. Lamy has millions of nibes for the safari/allstar etc. For some reason the lamy 2000 is special. It's ok it's my fault really now I'll know to check about replacement nibs before I buy such expensive pen. Plenty of pen makers offer reasonable prices for nibs/service.

 

I don't know about Lamy anymore though - the LE ink debacle. This insanely stupid EF issue - America is getting more into EF nibs and to completely withdraw that product from an entire market (a huge one at that, America is very large), is stupid.

 

I've always had a love/hate with Lamy, but I cannot and do not recommend them as a first fountain pen for folks. It's the Metro if I know they care about price a lot or want a smaller/finer pen. Otherwise, it's the TWSBI Eco all the time now.

 

Also, on aftermarket parts. I'm sure it's somewhat logistics because car makers LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to jack up aftermarket parts. We all know a steel nib doesn't cost $80. Goulet, TWSBI, Lamy even all sell them for pretty cheap.

[AL01]

Nice to know that Lamy is in Texas now. Good for us Southerners... I guess.

[iznogood]

Well Lamy just wrote me again and offered to exchange the nib for a steel one for 32 usd$ + shipping. At least it's more reasonable as far as cost goes I'm just sad a steel nib is 22$ and a gold nib 150. Seems disproportionate. I replied asking if they could just sell and send the nib since I can install it just fine. I know they're not keen on this but wha do I have to lose?

 

Will I love my lamy 2000 with a steel nib? not sure.. I loved the spring the gold one had.

[iznogood]

Well scratch that! The fine but illeterate Lamy representative did NOT read my previous conversation and tought I had some other pen then the Lamy 2000. He just wrote to me that there is, in fact, no steel nib for the 2000. So He got my hopes up and then crushed them.

 

I'll keep my language in check. But I have fine quebec curse words for Lamy.

 

edit:

Vanda Rudowska

L·S·F

GROUP OF COMPANIES

is my as incompetant as it gets contact at Lamy. Here's how it wen't:
I ask about replacing my lamy 2000 nib
Vanda answer:

Thank you for your email enquiry.

If you know how to replace nib yourself, then is no need to send pen to us.

I can send you new nib and cost for it is $152.00 plus shipping and tax.

[we exchange a couple emails where we establish they are in canada bla bla]

I answer eventually:

So it's 30$ under what I had paid on amazon. Still ridicoulous. It's ok it's your prices. Plenty of fountain pens maker out there. Lesson learned!

And I let it be! This morning I get this email:

I think you need to learn another lesson: why amazon not providing repair services for the pen they selling? Why you can’t return or exchange pen with them?

We would like to inform you that Amazon is not an authorized dealer for the Lamy range of fine writing instruments.

The international warranty for any items sold on the Amazon site is therefore not valid. Please be aware that neither Lamy nor ourselves can verify the product authenticity of purchases made on their platform.

Should you wish to have your pen repaired we would suggest to return it back to Amazon for replacement. Should you choose to send it to our repair centre, the charges will be as follow;

1. Nib $22.00 (steel nib)

2. Service fee $10.00

3. Shipping fee

3. Applicable taxes

Should we find that the pen is not an original Lamy pen manufactured in Germany, we will return it back to you unrepaired.

To enjoy the two year warranty and full support, we suggest you only purchase Lamy pens through our authorized dealer.

For a list of retail partners please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Which, to my naive me, seemed like I could buy a steel nib to fix my pen. I answered enthousiastically

 

Answer:

For Lamy 2000 there is no steel nibs. Lamy 200 have very specific and unique nib shape. Nibs for this pen are 14 KT gold.

Me: Ha ha! So you did not read my previous messages?

Here I was happy and posting on fpn that you guy's had offered a reasonable price to save my soon to be a dart Lamy 2000.

wow!

final answer from Vanda:

I think you don’t understand… Other than gold nibs for Lamy 2000 simply not existing. So I can sell you only what I have…

Is it me?? I literally wen't from thinking I could save my 200$ fountain pen back to $@@*&^$@ dart. I was done with Lamy and they do this. wow.

Edited May 29, 2017 by iznogood