Leupold scopes and service very disappointing

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boostedtt91

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Ok i splured on a $500 leupold mark ar 6-18x40 ao scope with custom bcd dials for my 7.62 ar15 due to there high quality and great reputation. All i have to say is boy was i wrong.

Got the scope and installed with a high quality larue mount and my shots were all over the place. Make a little elevation adjustment and then the shots were 2 feet to either side. For awhile i figured it was me but then i swapped my $20 tasco walmart scope on the rifle and now im cutting holes.

Tried 2 other scopes with excellent results to make sure and even put the leupold on another rifle and same results with shots all over. So i called leupold and they said to send it back and they'd look at it.

Week goes by after it was delivered with no response from them so i gave them a call to see if they got it and whats up and they said it was never delivered. Sent them the proof and signature of delivery so the guy says he'll look into it. Calls me back to tell me they lost it. Finally the next day he calls back to say they found it...great i thought.

A week or two later i got a email saying it will be shipped back tomorrow so i asked them what they found and he wouldn't tell me what they found, just would only say what the standard procedure is for returns but couldnt tell me if they actually did what they say they do which i find crazy but i let it go cause i just wanted a working scope back.

Get the scope back, take it to the range and works great till move the magnification from 6 to 10 and its so blurry i cant see anything. Only works now on the lowest setting. Wanted to get some shots in so i figured id shoot it that way till i got home and now the adjustments dont work at all on top of the focus problem.

Called leupold right away and told them that the scope i just got back from repair was broke even worse now. So im getting very upset now. He told me again to ship it back with attention to him and he'd put a rush on it to get it fixed. That was a month ago they got it and haven't heard a word from them about it.

Tried emailing the guy with no responses a few times. Its now going on 3 months and i still dont have a working scope that was broke from day one. Asked for a new replacement or different scope or a refund since my scope is obviously messed up and he wouldnt answer.

For such a high quality scope and a reputation of leupolds i never dreamed this would be the quality and service you get. So im sorry for the rant but this really bothers me and i would like to let everyone know what i experienced so you think twice before spending a ton of cash on a Leupold scope. Sorry if this is in the wrong section
 
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Thanks for posting the info.
I have a couple of Leupold scopes and I've not had any issues with them.
I was just getting ready to order another one but now I believe I'll look around at other manufactures scopes.
Thanks again for the info and I hope everything works out for you.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
Stuff happens is all I've got to say. I've sent two scopes back to Leupold for repair and both took around three weeks each. I have nothing but great things to say about Leupolds customer service. They sent back a repair sheet with each scope explaining what they did to the scope each time.

If you don't like the scope sell it, someone will buy it and you can purchase something else. Other than that is be patient Leupold will make it right. I realize that you have had a royal pain with this scope, just make sure you are very explicit in the note send in with the scope what the problem is.
 
My experience pretty much mirrors boostedtt91's. Except mine are not the common scopes but their supposed 6.5-20 "target" scopes and they ain't free. You'll pay a lot of money for one these days. But both of mine have been back many times and neither one will hold zero. It holds it good enough for a hunting rifle at 100 yds, but my bench guns are not 100 yd hunting rifles. It's pretty bad when a cheap 50 year old Weaver scope will hold zero and near one groups are common where the Leupolds you might get an inch....on a good day. I won't ever have another one. And to make matters worse, I bought several cheap Millet scopes 6-18x40 that are far, far clearer and most noticeably brighter that will hold zero and I could have bought a pickup truck load of them for the price of one "target" Leupold. As far as I concerned, they're going on their previous history but selling cheap crap today. Give me an old one but you can have a new one- I darn sure don't want it.
 
Sorry to hear about your issues with your scope. I think I will stick with my $40 Simmons that I bought. It is far mor accurate then I am and it stays put when I adjust it.

Taylor: the question begs to be asked..... Why did yours have to be sent back for repairs?
 
The moral of this story:

Buy Tasco. Or Simmons.

imgres
 
Moral of hte story is when someone starts jacking you around go to he top, get his *^%$ reamed or fired and that stops that.

If one guy is the issue then go around the clown.

Its not unknown for an incompetent to protect his turf (his days are numbered and he is stringing it along), yank the rug out from under him.

File the complaint on him and tell them you want a new scope period.

They also should have issued an RMA after the first failure to deliver, sounds like part of the cover up by one person.
 
Thanks for the report.
Scratch loopy off the list.
There are too many other manufacturers that provide an equal or better product.
I've had to return two scopes for service, a Vortex and a Leatherwood, and had both back in a week.
If they don't offer a lifetime warranty I won't even consider it.
 
I have never had trouble with Leupold scopes, but anything man made can have problems with some small percentage.

FWIW if you will give us a paragraph now and then your posts will be easier to read. Most of the time I do not make the effort to read long posts that are not broken up.

Regards,
Jerry
 
Taylor: the question begs to be asked..... Why did yours have to be sent back for repairs?
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The first one I sent back was a 4-12X40AO the reticle lost part of the horizontal crosshair. So I sent it back and had the crosshair replaced, not that it affected how the rifle shot. The scope still tracked and held zero but it was fixed no questions asked.

The second scope is a 3-9X40 Vari-X II that I bought used from a pawn shop. It had a scratched objective lense and was missing the turret caps. Lepould replaced the lens, the turret caps, and the erector that was broken.

Scopes are mechanical and they will all fail sooner or later, however I can say I have no complaints with Leupold's customer service.
 
It was posted on a cell phone, so its not gonna be perfect grammer sorry. Anyways after posting this tonight at work, i just got home at midnight and to my surprise there was my scope sitting there. This time they actually sent me a report on what they did to it.
- Replaced Maintube
- Mechanical and Internal Inspection
So basically it was completly effed up. Guess whoever worked on it the first time didn't put it back together right.

So now basically they have replaced everthing internally so im starting again with a practically brand new scope so hopefully this damn things works now and doesnt break right away. Ill have to take it out this weekend and test it out.
I also really hate to bash companies like that, but for such a high end scope company, said to be the "best" scopes in the market and for how much $ you spend on it cause its supposed to be the best, you sure would think would be high quality stuff, now im scared if i look at the thing wrong its gonna break again haha. As far as their customer service, i have tried many ways to get through to another person, called optics planet about it since i bought it through them to see if they could help, and couldn't get anywhere. All i have is there little repair satisfaction card you can send back to them which im surely gonna be doing.

This will be my last Leupold scope, i think ill be going with Nikon from now on
 
9 scopes

I have 8 working Leupolds, another in the safe waiting for a rifle to call home.

One of the working 8 is at Leupold right now for a reticule change I heard back from Leupold within 7 days of shipping. Young women persisted w/ my cell and voice mail till we connected and I arranged payment. I expect the scope any time.

None of the 8 have ever "failed" or misbehaved. One other has gone back for a reticule change as well and all dealings w/ the firm have been positive.

1-4x vari
2.75x scout scope
4x rimfire
2-7x rimfire
2-7x vari
3-9x vari
fixed 6x-36mm
fixed 6x-36mm
fixed 6x-36mm (looking for a rifle to call home)

The scout has been shot plenty
 
Of course they called you back till they reached you if you had to pay for the repair. My was factory defect so they didnt seem to interested
 
My experience with Leupold has been exemplary... I sent one scope in for repair that was 20+ years old and quit holding zero, after having a bad day on a pack horse... The other was a custom shop modification.. In the case of the repair Leupold sent me a new scope as they did not have the parts to fix the old one.. The scope I sent to the custom shop had a bad seal, so they did the custom mods for free and only charged me for return shipping.. Excellent customer service..


Buy Tasco. Or Simmons.
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None of my guns will ever wear any crap from those brands... I will never buy crap from the Phillipines.. If a scope doesn't say USA, Japan, Austria or Germany on it I won't buy it...
 
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I'm open to anything is possible.I'm even open to the possibility something may have gone downhill at Leupold.
And,OP,I have no reason to doubt your experience.

The thing is,I also have no reason to doubt my own experience.For 25 years I have bought Leupold.Every time I have bought one,I have been happy.I have never regretted buying a Leupold.About a year ago,due to some highly respected name brand rings from another company, an old 8x fixed Leupold I bought used broke a crosshair.It broke because the rings were crap/not square and straight.They distorted the tube.The reticle snapped as the ring screws were tightened.That was an old,discontinued scope.Back in a week,no charge,no questions.Fixed fine,works fine.I have talked to the custom shop.

I consider Leupold a model of exemplary customer service.

I'm saying I will trust my decades of experience with Leupold more than I'll put faith in a rant on the internet.

Now,if I have reason,I'll rant,too.Matter of fact,I put a MK AR on my son in law's rifle.It's in a cheep,unimpressive ,mediocre ,chinese labeled Burris PEPR ringmount.Its working fine.My brother put a MK AR on his father in law's AR.Its working fine.(The deal on an AR ringmount is Rock River)

I have noticed in some other posts,for some reason,folks are writing nasty about the "scope snob"Leupold.....

I have bought Burris,Weaver,Pride Fowler,Bausch and Lomb,Simmons,Bushnell,and Leupold.I think I'm going to buy an ACOG.
But,without a doubt,when I finish the 30-06 Mauser I have in the corner,it will get a 6x42 Leupold.I aint scared.I know a good tool.
On another post about AR-10 optics,I posted a pic of a sight check 3 shot group fired from an AR-10 with a Leupold 3.5 to 10 x M-3.That scope has been on that rifle over 6000 rds..long enough to replace the barrel.Its only three shots,but they are about 1 inch at 300 yds.The target knobs get used to dial for range.

I'd look close at that LaRue mount."Replace Tube" makes me wonder,or how the screws were torqued.A lot of folks do not understand mounting scopes.

You say you have a 7.62 AR-15 with a 6-18 x scope on it.HMMMMM.
The only 7.62 that I know of in an AR-15 is a 7.62x39.HMMMMMM.Would it make sense to put an 18x scope on a round that throws a 123 gr bullet at 2400 fps?HMMMMMMM.Isn't the MK AR scope set up with a turret knob calibrated for the 5.56 round?I'm curious about these little details.Could you fill me in?
 
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Recently had a problem and recieved a Mark4 back from them with the same problem it had when it was returned to them for repair. Back again, it finally seems fixed now after alot of words and moving a notch up the service department ladder.
The service isn't 100%, which I used to think, I'm likely done with the brand except for models they've been making since forever.
Not going to tear them up since it's my one and only experience with the service dept...but it wasn't great and frankly I don't trust the scope now even though I think it's fixed.
 
This will be my last Leupold scope, i think ill be going with Nikon from now on
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Not sure that would improve your luck, the last Nikon Monarch I purchased had poor glass IMO while it held zero I have cheap scopes with better glass. With the global economy parts from around the world some scopes made in same factory under different brands simply I think it pot luck for the under $700 crowd, I simply go for the lifetime warranty and hope for the best.:rolleyes:

It appears to be overall quality control in manufacturing is a thing of the past get the product out the door hopefully the consumer will miss defects or simply won't return it since there too busy working to buy more junk.:(
 
This is the first time I have heard of a Failure with a Leupold Scope, I know that you can buy Refurbished Nikons from Natches and Ocasionally Sportsmans guide, but I have never heard of a Refurbished Leupold, until now.
Im sorry you had to go through such an ordeal, but They fixed it, and I would be willing to bet that now its better than one you can buy off the shelf.
The Folks that work for Leupold are just People and are apt to make a mistake like anyone else, but dont think for a minute that they are not Awesome !!!:)
 
HiBC said:
I'd look close at that LaRue mount."Replace Tube" makes me wonder,or how the screws were torqued.A lot of folks do not understand mounting scopes.
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THIS!

A friend works at Leupy in CS and we have had some really good laughs about the stories he gets from customers about how their scope is screwed up and it's a factory defect. 99% of the time the tube is crushed from a gorilla mounting it.

They do have defects, they have mechanical parts fail and they take care of it. Considering the number of scopes they sell it is expected to hear a few unhappy customers. Some guys would complain if they were hung with a new rope.
 
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