I see that Leica is offering some REBATES on their lenses. Surprisingly the rebate is $200 irrespective of the lens price. How does it work? You buy the lens and they send you a check or is it a coupon for your next Leica purchase? Thanks.

-- Angelique (abischop@earthlink.com), August 29, 2001

Answers

Response to How does the Leeica Rebate work?

You fill out a form, which your dealer should give you; send it in along with a copy of your receipt, and, I think the warrenty card, and several weeks later, a check appears in your mailbox for $200.00 (us).

-- Leicaddict (leicaddict@hotmail.com), August 29, 2001.

Response to How does the Leeica Rebate work?

Thanks. I guess this is to prevent grey market products. Some dealers offered cheap Leica lenses with extended Mack warranty, and not Leica.

-- Angelique (abischop@earthlink.net), August 29, 2001.

Response to How does the Leeica Rebate work?

I waited a few months for the rebate check on my R8--in fact by the time the check came I had already gotten a belly full of the R8 and sold it.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), August 29, 2001.

Response to How does the Leeica Rebate work?

Here in the UK the rebate is done at the buying stage - the customer fills out various forms at the retail outlet and the price is deducted from the total there and then. It's up to the retailer to send off the forms to Leica to claim their money.

-- Chris Timotheou (nowayout@btinternet.com), August 29, 2001.

Response to How does the Leeica Rebate work?

if your dealer doesn't have the forms, you can call Leica USA and they will fax or mail it to you. i had my rebate in less than 3 weeks. cool.

-- Tristan (tristan@tristantom.com), August 29, 2001.

Response to How does the Leeica Rebate work?

Does the rebate apply only to cameras bought in the USA?

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), August 30, 2001.

Ray - the Leica rebate applies to Leica cameras bought from participating dealers all over the world. One or two of you seem to confuse the 'Rebate' with the 'garantee' or 'Passport' which are two totally different things. The 'rebate' is simply a deduction - (around $200 average each for a body or lens - no big deal when you often have to fork out about ten times this amount for the most basic single Leica item - but every little helps!!!!!) - in the cost of a camera body or lens - wherever you buy your Leica, if the rebate applies - you will be eligible for the reduction.

The 'Passport' or garantee, on the other hand, works in a different way and is more like an insurance policy against certain types of damage to the body or lens for a period of 2 years (here in the UK, at least).

-- Chris Timotheou (nowayout@btinternet.com), August 30, 2001.

The B&H web page says the Leica rebates expire on Dec. 31, 2001. Does anybody know if they will be extended into 2002?

-- Bill Bowden (bbowden@nwabj.com), December 10, 2001.

I was at a Leica Day recently at which the representative claimed that there would be no more rebates after December 31, 2001. While I understand that this is what she may have been told, I don't see how she or anyone can predict what Leica will do in the next several months if sales are not as high as anticipated. Claiming there wil be no rebates after December 31 could be a sales tactic to encourage people to buy now to help retailers clear out their inventory and to help the company boost year-end sales.

-- Peter B. Goldstein (peter.goldstein@us.cgeyc.com), December 10, 2001.