PHOTOS by:
DA-WOODY.COM
Sorry to Say NO PHOTOS from Race #9 :-(
Dennis St.Onge


To ERROR is Human

To "ERROR 99" is NOT

I am very sorry to say that my New CANON DIGITAL REBEL Camera had a Major Failure
while Shooting Race #9 of The 2004 CRA BeerCan Series on San Diego Bay
My Camera will have to go back to CANON to find out what happened
It just comes up with "ERROR 99" :-(
I've tried to regularly upgrade my equipment so I can provide Better Photos,
 beyond the Limits of my older Camera(s) and the Results have been GREAT.
Its hard for a little guy to Hang with the BIG BOYS and
that fact is never more apparent than when something Breaks
If you have an extra "CANON" EOS 20D or Digital Rebel that you would like to contribute
to the cause Feel free to let me know and were back in business ! :-)
OK so Race #9 was very drab and overcast anyway and the lack of Photos will allow you to Finnish up all that stuff around the Office
so you can WHOOP IT UP for Race #10 next Wednesday Night.
I Promise to be back on the water for our Last Race if only to do an "Artist's Rendering"
 Actually; I will have some Camera, if not "My Baby" then its back to my old Sony MVC1000

Please Re-Enjoy some of the Photos of past races for now
 and then Look for the  Shots of Race 10 Next Thursday
Forget same night Posting when the "After Race Party" is at the Bali Hai

Check back on this page to see what happened to
 my CANON Camera and how it was handled by the Manufacture.

 My bet is Everything will work out Just Fine!   .........Dennis
Friday 08/06/2004
Went to the West Coast Service Center in Person to drop off my Camera
 and found that I was not the Only Member of the "ERROR 99" Club
The People at CANON were very helpful and I guess ERROR 99 means
something that needs to be addressed by the Manufacture has taken place
The GOOD NEWS
My Camera is less than 1 year old and: The Repair was quoted as "FREE of CHARGE"
The SAD NEWS
It won't be ready before the last BeerCan Race :-(         Oh What to Do ???
I know I'll call em on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Morning "Just in Case"

My bet is Everything will work out Just Fine!   .........Dennis
Monday 08/09/2004
I called CANON around noon today and made a plea for special handling
of "MY BABY" telling them I would be happy to wait as long as it would
normally take But this is Not a "Normal Situation" in any aspect.

CRA RACERS NEED THERE PHOTOS
and
The 2004
 San Diego Bay Summer BeerCan Series
Can't End in a Manor Less Than:
 What is Now To Be Expected of a CRA REGATTA!

The Person I spoke with was very helpful and said
if it didn't need any parts it will be ready tomorrow afternoon :-)

TO BE CONTINUED!

My bet is Everything will work out Just Fine!   .........Dennis
Tuesday 08/10/2004
OUCH! Well it didn't take long to "Get Ugly"
I've been told that I will be given a new Repair Estimate:
(Although I Was Happy With the Old One)
I wasn't given a New price but have been assured that it will be
More than than the US $1,000.00 price of a New Camera :-(
I say just fix it for the price quoted on the original Estimate That Was
"ONE TIME COURTESY NO CHARGE"
It did not say One Time "Warranty Repair"  or even mention Warranty at All !
It didn't say If it's ( ?????) it would be fixed, It just said
"ONE TIME COURTESY NO CHARGE"



I must say that in my last conversation, I was told this matter was being looked into by
the appropriate personal and I would be called upon review of all parties involved.
In all fairness I must give them the 10-12 business days as stated above
before thinking anything less than what was promised would be adhered to!
I have been spoiled by my CANON DIGITAL REBEL and nothing less will ever do!!
I still have my old SONY MVC1000 and have tried a few shots with it today.
Now I wonder how I ever got by before my New CANON Camera?
I firmly believe that this situation is nothing more than "ONE OF THOSE Things
 And I'll get a call to pick up "MY BABY" or it's New Replacement !!
TO BE CONTINUED!

My bet is Everything will work out Just Fine!  (Before this is Over) .........Dennis
Monday September 20/2004
Well after many conversations with Canon and No Luck
I received My camera back about a month ago, unprepared with a quote to fix for $925.00
Hay that's Cool it works out to Just Over $150.00 a month before being worthless!
 I can't afford to quit until this matter is resolved and Won't
 Today during a phone call I was told that my situation
 (the original agreement when I dropped off my camera: See above)
 was being reviewed by the Legal department of Canon,
 I guess that might save me one step and some time
And hopefully resolve this matter!
I don't know of anyway to take better care of a camera than I did with my canon Digital Rebel
I must conclude that the camera is not designed to
 withstand a volume of use (less than 10,000 images) that a camera I need to have could!
My old Sony MVC 1000 is still going after many years of My use
 under Exactly the same Conditions that my canon failed under in 6 months?
Friday September 24th 2004
A Major factor in determining the True Value of a product is
The Support Given by the Manufacture should a Problem Develop !
WELL If Your Considering Buying a Canon Product
Consider the Following email I received from Canon Today!

Dear Mr. Dennis St. Onge:

This is on behalf of our Headquarter to respond to your inquiry about your Digital Rebel repair number LF611077.

Based on our evaluation, I regret to inform you that we are unable to accommodate your request at this time based on the following reasons.

The camera has liquid damage and is beyond repair. Any liquid damage voids warranty as stated in our warranty card.

Although our counter customer service rep wrote "one time courtesy repair, no charge", it was an accommodation to you for not presenting the proof of purchase. The fact remains that the terms of warranty remain in effect. Even if you presented your receipt and the unit would have been received as a warranty repair, once the camera was opened and discovered that it had liquid damage, the warranty would have been voided.

We sincerely apologize the inconvenience this may have caused and hope you continue to choose Canon products.

Sincerely,


Daniel Chung
Factory Service Center Manager
Canon USA, Inc. Irvine CA
Tel: (949)-753-XXXX
Fax: (949)-753-XXXX


I would expect that Canon has not treated me
 any different than they would treat you  And that having been said:
 If you are looking for a Product that is worth investing your money in
Consider what happened to me and Decide if that's How You Would Like to be Treated
When you see me Out Shooting with my Old SONY MVC1000 Consider that Too!

Is this "The End of This Story" NO
Will I take the Time and Put in the Effort to
 File a Small Claims Court Action in the Proper District
I Have No Choice !
 

Canon Digital Rebel For Sale
(Slightly Used)

This Camera Was Well Taken Care of
 and Gently Used for Only 6 Months
The Exterior is in Mint Condition
Looks and Feels Just like a Great Camera
Inside it's Worthless and Not Fit to be Used (as a camera)

TOP 10 Possible Suggested Uses
 Includeing but Not Limited to:

(10) Paper Weight

(9) Door Stop

(8) Wheel Block for small Car

(7) Target Practice

(6) Start a Camera Garden (like a Rock Garden)

(5) Cage Toy for Bird or Hamster

 (4) Prop for Movie where Guy is holding
 a $1.000 Camera that (beyond his control) Just Quits Working

(3) Bait for Teams Catching Camera Thieves on Subways
(Unless the Crook already had One)

(2) Great Training tool for people thinking of buying a Canon

And Prehapps the Best Reason of All
(1) Save yourself from having to wait 6 months for a New One to Quit


Make an Offer and this Beauty can be Your's
or go buy a Brand New one like I Did
If the same thing happens to you give me a call
 and we can start a Club