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Hello all,

I want to share my experience with Nikons NPS program I've had recently, not really for the purpose of slagging off Nikon, but mainly for a third party perspective. And I guess, a word of warning...

My story is as follows....
The gear I currently own is:
Australian:
Pro Bodies: 1 x D3 and 1 X D3S
Pro Lenses: 14-24 F2.8, 70-200 F2.8, and 200-400 F4

Grey Market:
Pro Lenses: 10mm Fisheye, 24-70 F2.8, and a few speedlights.

I'm also working full time as a staff photographer for a reputable magazine publisher.

Now going by all of the above, according to the NPS requirements, I meet all of the necessary requirements to become a NPS member. 2 Pro Bodies, 3 Pro lenses, and working full time within the industry.

So I expected to have no issues applying for my membership.


About 4 months ago, I logged onto NPS, wrote up my application and supplied all of my serial numbers and details for my gear. A few days later I received an email from a person who I won't name from NPS. He stated that I needed to supply ALL of the receipts for my equipment, something that as far as I am aware is not at all mentioned on the site.

So I dug back through my past 6 years of tax returns and found all my receipts, scanned them and sent them across. I was also completely open and honest about my grey market gear, as I thought at this stage my Australian gear would cover my application no problems. The other issue I had at the time, is my current D3 camera, is a replacement camera from an insurance claim I made a few years ago, where I had a D2XS ruined on a shoot, and Nikon Australia as a result wrote the camera off and the insurance supplied me with a D3. The original D2XS, was from Digital Rev HK, BUT the camera which is now in my possession is an AUSTRALIA REGISTERED D3, so regardless of how I obtained that camera, I have 2 AUSTRALIAN Pro Bodies. So as a result of this, I didn't have a receipt as such for my D3. (This information was openly told to the person from NPS, I have never tried to hide any of this).


Time went by and I had no response what so ever from Nikon. It got to the point where 2 and a half months had passed and I needed to get some sensors cleaned, so I thought I'd chase up my application with another email... no response. A few days later I sent another email, this time direct to the person who contacted me originally, who respond a day later stating that, "He could not go ahead with my application at this time because I own to much grey market equipment, but if I could supply a receipt from my insurance company for the D3, they might be able to do something."

This kind of stumped me by surprise, so I went digging through every document I could find and I managed to find a piece of paper from the delivery company who delivered my D3 from the insurance company. It was a letter head from the insurance companies electronic supplier and it did clearly state, that I was given a D3 as a replacement camera from them, in Australia, but from what I could tell it wasn't really a receipt as such, probably more a proof of delivery of some sort.

So I sent that off, hoping this would solve the issue, to which I never received a response. Now, around 3-4 weeks on from this, I decided to send one last email asking about my NPS application. It said:

"XXXX,

I never heard back from my previous email I sent weeks ago in which I sent a document regarding my D3 from my insurance company. Should I now assume my NPS application is denied with my current amount of Australian equipment?

Regards"


So far I have had no response to this email.

Now to me, there is no reason why my NPS application should have been denied, and I would have thought, that someone who meets the requirements, as well as owning a $9000 dollar lens, as well as working for a large magazine publishing company, would be someone that from Nikons point of view, would be a person you would want to look after. I thought wrong.

This whole process has really burnt a bridge for me with Nikon, and its now to the point where I'll never buy a single Nikon product from Australia, in order to keen my money out of Nikon Australia's bank account.

To rub salt in the wounds, I received an email the other day from another photographer at work (we have 7 in our department alone) stating that Canon had just granted a CPS membership to anyone who worked under our companies employment, regardless of how much gear they had. I guess thats why Canon always receives positive feedback regarding their service from Pros.

The second salt in the wounds, was after telling another co-worker here about my story, he said he applied for a NPS membership about a year ago, which was approved, no questions asked, without having to supply any receipts. He also only owns 2 x D700's and 1 Pro lens from Australia, nowhere near the requirements according to the website.
How his application was approved, and mine was straight out denied, I have no idea.


So now I'm left with a extremely disappointed point of view about a company I was hoping to build a relationship with, and as far as I'm concerned the bridge is well and truly burnt and I will never support them again in my career, not to mention the terrible customer service I have received from them... having to chase THEM for an answer 2 and a half months later, is far from good enough.


Anyway, what are peoples thoughts on this? I feel I'm completely in the right here and can't understand this situation.

Brett

Send a letter to Nikon Japan professional services Manager and copy in the AUD CEO.
Be succinct and accurate. Don't complain in your correspondence to them, just facts.
State that you comply with the Nikon AUD requirements and have been refused accreditation without reason.
Ask them to act on your behalf.
should work a treat.

It's definitely something I've thought about doing, as I'm sure my experience can't be 'policy'. But after having been dealt with such arrogance and poor service, I'm not sure if they were to offer me an NPS account now I would even want to be apart of it anyway. If this is how they treat professionals who spend thousands of dollars with their company, I don't admire their service.

That, and I would have no idea where I would find the contact information for anyone above the info@nikon.com.au or nps@nikon.com.au etc emails.

To me from my experience, it kind of sums up Nikon as a company that, Unless you've bought every cent of your gear from us, and you have a receipt to prove it, We don't want to know about you, and don't bother buying a used D3, because you haven't directly credited our bank account with that purchase and you won't have a receipt, so we don't want to know about you either.

Either way I'm still scratching my head.

While your saga does not bode well for Nikon, I don't understand why you haven't picked up the telephone and called Nikon Australia. They are are pretty much down the road from you. You could even walk in there.

I mean, you'll pay $9000 for a lens but won't spend $0.30 on a phone call?

ATJ wrote:I mean, you'll pay $9000 for a lens but won't spend $0.30 on a phone call?

Really? So you're implying that because I'm not the type of person that jumps on the blower as soon as I have an issue I'm part to blame?

I followed the process that was laid out to apply for the application, that involved online submission, simple. Correct me if I'm wrong, but nowhere in the FAQ's does it say, "If you meet the NPS requirements, and we then deny you, it's your duty to then hassle, call and rock up on our door step begging to become part of our glorious program".

I'm not quite sure what the point of your post was Andrew, if it wasn't purely to have a stab at me because I haven't called them.

Dprime wrote:

ATJ wrote:I mean, you'll pay $9000 for a lens but won't spend $0.30 on a phone call?

Really? So you're implying that because I'm not the type of person that jumps on the blower as soon as I have an issue I'm part to blame?

At no point was I suggesting that you were to blame.

I'm just surprised that after being dicked around for 4 months by email and you felt the need to rant here that you haven't once called them. It seems very odd to me. I would have been on the phone to them if it had taken more than 2 weeks, especially as they are essentially local.

Seems Nikon are taking lessons from Apple re looking after their customers if true. Surly it's not April 1st?

http://blog.snapsort.com/2011/10/12/nikon-pricing/#.TpdelJsUqdB

I recently was aproved in the NPS system and it worked a treat for me--final approval via telephone on the freeway to Melbourne at Ballarat and they had a lens waiting for me in St Kida--Great service-- mostly via direct telephone call
after my email attempt failed
well done Nikon--jim