Nikon is cutting authorized repair shops

In a report on iFixit, Nikon Corp.  is ending its relationship with 15 Authorized Repair Station members by not renewing their agreements after March 31, 2020. In a November letter obtained by iFixit, Nikon stated: “The climate in which we do business has evolved, and Nikon Inc. must do the same.” Authorized service will be provided at its Melville, NY and Los Angeles, Calif. facilities. Nikon did not answer iFixit questions about the former authorized shops’ access to parts or other official services.

As the article states:

Nikon is ending its authorized repair program in early 2020, likely leaving more than a dozen repair shops without access to official parts and tools, and cutting the number of places you can get your camera fixed with official parts from more than a dozen independent shops to two facilities at the ends of the U.S.

“It’s difficult to forecast the impact of the notice as we don’t know the details of how the relationship will end yet,” says Mark Treadwell, president, CRIS Camera Services in Chandler, AZ, told The Dead Pixels Society. “Currently, Nikon products represent nearly 25 percent of our repairs, mostly out of warranty. We are not overly concerned, we have been through worse situations and survived.

“Manufacturers will change policies, customers will adjust, CRIS will continue to serve the industry,” he said.

The news breaks as financial reports continue to show Nikon’s camera business is flagging. In Japan, the brand has dropped to third behind Canon and Sony. Bringing repairs in-house is likely a way to shore up services revenue to a business that has struggled to sell hardware.