I got my Canon EOS 1300D online with plenty of excitement in November, 2017.
It's much cheaper than the same model on display at the nearby mall so I decided to purchase it online. Here are some problems I never anticipated. I hope you learn from my experience.
It's My First DSLR and it worked like a charm from after unboxing it until last week. The charger kept flashing and never charged the battery again since.
It's frustrating since it happened just before I needed it. It's scheduled for a rental in 3 days! I immediately contacted Lazada (where I bought it) and asked about warranty coverage. They told me to wait for 24-48 hours and they'd email me the dealer information.
After four days (now six and counting) of making follow-up calls and even chatting with an online rep…
Good day. We apologize for not getting back to you swiftly. Please be informed that we are currently in close coordination with our Support Team in relation to your concern. Rest assured that once we have a result we will give you a feedback the soonest possible time. We are hoping for your continued patience and kind understanding regarding this matter.
By the time I received the email saying I should wait longer, I had already gone to the Canon service center at SM and learned that peripherals (power/data cords, batteries, and chargers) are covered by warranty for only seven days (sigh). They told me that the unit is usually under a 3-year warranty which is a good news. The thing is: I can't even register the product for warranty purposes since I don't know where exactly Lazada bought it from. I tried using the Canon Red App to register it but I will have to input the dealer information (which is nowhere to be found).
Important lessons:
At the service center, the shop assistant told me that they always tell their customers to keep the battery out of the camera when it's not in use. -It's not easy to find in the manual if you don't read the whole thing which looked like a fine print on a mobile! - This is to prevent corrosion and I only found out now that I have a problem.
Too bad, we had so many errands that day that I forgot to bring the battery and charger with me to the shop so up to this moment, I'm not sure which one is bad. -The battery or the charger. I managed to charge the battery manually and raise the voltage from 7.4V to 8V but it doesn't mean it's totally OK. It has a built-in circuitry that controls the voltage and if it's corroded or shorted, it will have a difficulty communicating with the charger. Charging it manually with a 12V AC adapter is risky but I did that since it's out of warranty anyway and I have a multi-tester which allows me to confirm whether it's charging or not, and at what voltage.
In this video, I tried to charge the battery of my EOS1300D again with the charger that came with it to no avail. At 7.75V, it has sufficient power to indicate three bars (full) on the camera though.
For now, I can still use the camera with the remaining charge. Buying an original replacement charger (and/or battery) is the next step. (Don't buy fake ones as they might cause your more headaches). Branded replacement ones can be cheaper but as per service center, if the camera malfunctions due to third-party replacement parts, the warranty may be voided.
Conclusion
When buying gadgets online, make sure to ask for dealer contact information early (if they don't disclose it upon purchase) or you might have a problem locating them in case you need warranty service.
Update:
I have successfully registered the camera after 8 days of waiting for the email with dealer information.
I used the original battery today and took at least 160 photos with still 3 bars (7.8v) upon getting home! I only charged it with a 12V modem adapter attached to a tester the night before and that's how I learned the ins and outs of charging this battery. I can do without a replacement charger until it gets delivered. The battery stops charging (electronically disconnects) at 8.68V but for safety, the original charger stops charging (light still turns green though it's not capable of charging the battery anymore) at 8.32V. It's a good thing that they have redundant safety circuits but still, I don't suggest you play with these if you don't need to or if you don't know what you're doing.
I hope my first #ULOG post can help new DSLR owners and those who are planning to buy one especially online.
Disclaimer:
I enjoy blogging and photography. I'm not being paid to advertise (or criticize) any business.
All images are my original work except ones with the source cited.
Thanks for reading/viewing!
[Credits to the Author of Life]
Please stay tuned for my favorite everyday photos and the lessons I learned behind the scenes.