[Joe]

I've heard of some real horror stories just like these ones.
My own view is it is an unfortunate by product of cameras being more advanced (mechanically and electronically), and the demise of many a local repair technician.
It is an unfortunate fact that most repairs now go directly to the manufacturers UK (or your countries) headquarters, then get passed either the service department, the authorised repairer (normally only the one)....or all too frequently travel halfway around the world to another repair centre. This also gives an unfortunate knock-on effect that estimating things like repair times are often more guess-work than actual accurate assessments, as communication will quite often be through several different places each passing the message on....literal 'chinese-whispers' perhaps?!

When I worked for my former employer, it was increasingly common for the people we had contact with who earned their living from their cameras to have ATLEAST one camera body surplus to their needs, and have one at a repair/service agent, because they knew how long these things can take....and they would have cameras on rotation with the service agents. I bizarre situation that was much less common pre digi days.

Your story is an appalling one of failed service. Two main areas of particular concern is you had to wait so long, but also that your were repeatedly quoted times they quite obviuosly simply couldn't meet. very poor.

It is little recompense that you have been sent an upgrade in the form of a 30D instead of your 10D....I would have been thinking of all the photographic opportunities potentially missed if you hadn't got another camera body.

I hope for your sake that the 30D they sent is now functioning correctly, and will continue to do so.......good luck with the 1D.

....and yes, Nikon, Pentax, KonicaMinolta (sony) I'm sure have exactly the same horror stories hiden away in their files.


best wishes for your picture taking and good luck with the camera kit.
cheers
Joe