New Delhi – The Ending of Broken Camera Story

Bajrang Guesthouse 100 Rs

My camera is broken, since I entered Nepal from Tibet. Just to refresh the memory, I had a new camera of Nikon 8800 and suddenly it started not to work properly just after i crossed the border of Nepal. In Nepal there is no Nikon service centre, and I have tried to service my camera in a Canon office, but it failed.

Now I am in Delhi, where there is at least a Nikon office (got the address from the internet). I rushed to the address (quite far away from the city centre) right after my arrival in Delhi (yesterday). The guy over there told me that I needed around 10 days at least to get my camera repaired because one sparepart is not available. I am in rush because I want to go to Pakistan as soon as possible. He gave me an address of another Nikon authorized service in Delhi, that is Interfoto.

On the very day, I went to Interfoto. The technician just heard me explaining the problem, and said “You need to change your motherboard, which is 14000 Rs (450 dollar)” without even looking at my camera. I just couldnt understand, as the problem of my camera should not be that severe, at least I still can take pictures properly. I said, “no”. He offered me to look at my camera to see whether it’s possible to repair. I gave my camera to him, the technician brought it to his “secret room”.

10 minutes later, he came back again with my camera, now completely “died”. It even couldnt start. I was so angry. I complained that it was working when I came (I showed him already and he saw it also), and just after he “touched” my camera, it died. I wonder myself whether this is really a Nikon service centre or a illegal road vendor.

I urged him to return my camera to the original position like when I came. He said that it was difficult. To make me calm down, he said that I should come back one day later at 3 pm to pick up my camera.

OK, I was angry and anxious. And the day later (that is today) 3:30 I came again to the very office. The technician approached me, saying that to service my camera was very difficult and he needed more time. He asked me to come again at 5. I was very angry but I tried hard to behave. He even didnt let me waiting in the office, and instead I had to linger around this office for more than an hour.

To make story short, I came back again at 5. The fat, ugly, rude, stupid technician was not there. Instead, the manager told me that there was a problem with my camera, and he also didnt know what it was. He asked me to wait for 10 minutes that the technician will come soon.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you heard “10 minutes” in India, it could be “one and half an hour”. I have been waiting for more than 100 minutes before the technician came back again to the office, and just bringing a bad news: Restoring to original position is impossible, I have to change the motherboard. I was very angry. Coming to this office just added my hassle. It was working, and after being “touched” it completely died. I live in 2 days without the camera, and I have to come to the office again and again, waiting for hours, just to get my camera even worsen.

The manager heard I was fighting (it was really the first time I became angry with someone and showing it by using loud voice), coming and asked the technician to his office. I heard that he was angry to the fat technician. And he came to ask for my apology. He said that it was their responsibility as my camera get worsen there. And as it’s impossible to make it to original position, they offered to repair it to perfectly working condition.

And the technician asked me how much I could pay. What kind of question is this? I really wonder how this authorized service centre worked, that a customer decided by himself how much he wants to pay. But the manager explained to me politely (a contrast to the rude manner of that technician) that it’s part of their responsibility, and they want to repair it at any price I mentioned. After thinking this and that, I said 80 dollar. The manager seemed not accepting that price (hey, he just said that he would do at any price I gave). After bargaining for minutes, it became 115 dollars.

How many days? Tell you, it would neet 15 days to get a new motherboard from the manufacturer. I got mad again, and urged them just to return it to the original position. I just need my camera working NOW!

Knowing that I was on the top of my emotion, both of them just tried to avoid me (luckily for them that there were many coming phone calls), and after 10 minutes the manager offered me another solution, that is taking a motherboard from a new camera and planted to mine, and it would need 10 minutes.

I agreed. But after 10 minutes, I was surprised to see that the camera the technician brought to my face was not mine. It’s a brand new camera. And it worked perfectly when I tried.

Deep in my heart I wonder that he gave me a defected product. But as everything just happened, I tried to think positively, and hope that this camera will endure my coming hard trips.

When I paid, I only had dollar in my purse. The technician refused it, and he was just so stubborn of not receiving. After fighting for a while, the manager came up, and everything finished just in a second. Also when I asked for receipt and promise, he just seemed like to be scolded by me. And everything has to wait until the manager to come to give explanation.

It’s so painful to repair a camera in India….. (

So the moral of the story:
1. Be persistence always in India
2. Dont go to Interfoto if you have problem with your Nikon
3. Maybe it’s time for me to return back to analog cameras :question:

And the story of broken camera (temporarily) ends here.