Yet Another Vortex Going in for Warranty

[winmag]

Ugh. I really want to like Vortex. I really like the features and the glass is good for the price point. But good grief I have had the worst luck with Vortex.

Sending in yet another optic for warranty repair. I have reluctantly owned 6 Vortex optics and only 1 has yet to break. I know what you're thinking: man, that guy beats the hell out of his gear! But I don't, I actually baby my optics.

I have had the following issues:
1. Razor HD 20-60x85mm spotting scope - prism broke off and rattled around in the body ruining everything
2. Razor HD 20-60x85mm spotting scope (same spotter, on the very next hunt) - focus knob fell off
3. Viper HS 4-16x50mm scope - something broke inside and wouldn't hold zero, my dad missed a chip shot at a nice 6x6 bull because of this (to this day he has still never killed a bull elk)
4. Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP scope - multiple pieces of trash floating around inside when I unboxed it new
5. Viper PST 6-24x50mm scope - smudge on the inside of the objective lens when I unboxed it new
6. Viper HST 4-16x44mm scope - won't hold zero, shooting 3" groups on a rifle that shoots 1/2" at 100 yards
7. Viper HD 10x42mm binos - diopter adjustment ring seized

Yes, their warranty is great. They pay shipping both ways, its very fast (under 2 week turnaround), and they're super nice on the phone. But to be honest, it hardly matters. I can't bring myself to use them while hunting anymore. I can't even use them to work up handloads because did the rifle not like that load? Or is the scope just screwed up yet again? I just need to sell them all and be done with them altogether. I've already dumped the spotter and will probably start listing stuff on the classifieds soon.

 

[golfer]

Ugh. I really want to like Vortex. I really like the features and the glass is good for the price point. But good grief I have had the worst luck with Vortex.

Sending in yet another optic for warranty repair. I have reluctantly owned 6 Vortex optics and only 1 has yet to break. I know what you're thinking: man, that guy beats the hell out of his gear! But I don't, I actually baby my optics.

I have had the following issues:
1. Razor HD 20-60x85mm spotting scope - prism broke off and rattled around in the body ruining everything
2. Razor HD 20-60x85mm spotting scope (same spotter, on the very next hunt) - focus knob fell off
3. Viper HS 4-16x50mm scope - something broke inside and wouldn't hold zero, my dad missed a chip shot at a nice 6x6 bull because of this (to this day he has still never killed a bull elk)
4. Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP scope - multiple pieces of trash floating around inside when I unboxed it new
5. Viper PST 6-24x50mm scope - smudge on the inside of the objective lens when I unboxed it new
6. Viper HST 4-16x44mm scope - won't hold zero, shooting 3" groups on a rifle that shoots 1/2" at 100 yards
7. Viper HD 10x42mm binos - diopter adjustment ring seized

Yes, their warranty is great. They pay shipping both ways, its very fast (under 2 week turnaround), and they're super nice on the phone. But to be honest, it hardly matters. I can't bring myself to use them while hunting anymore. I can't even use them to work up handloads because did the rifle not like that load? Or is the scope just screwed up yet again? I just need to sell them all and be done with them altogether. I've already dumped the spotter and will probably start listing stuff on the classifieds soon.

Interesting on you paying shipping. I sent a scope in a month or so ago and they gave me a prepaid label.

 

[winmag]

They paid shipping both ways, they sent me a label.

 

[golfer]

I misread your initial post…oops

 

[SAJ-99]

Ugh. I really want to like Vortex. I really like the features and the glass is good for the price point. But good grief I have had the worst luck with Vortex.

Sending in yet another optic for warranty repair. I have reluctantly owned 6 Vortex optics and only 1 has yet to break. I know what you're thinking: man, that guy beats the hell out of his gear! But I don't, I actually baby my optics.

I have had the following issues:
1. Razor HD 20-60x85mm spotting scope - prism broke off and rattled around in the body ruining everything
2. Razor HD 20-60x85mm spotting scope (same spotter, on the very next hunt) - focus knob fell off
3. Viper HS 4-16x50mm scope - something broke inside and wouldn't hold zero, my dad missed a chip shot at a nice 6x6 bull because of this (to this day he has still never killed a bull elk)
4. Viper PST 6-24x50mm FFP scope - multiple pieces of trash floating around inside when I unboxed it new
5. Viper PST 6-24x50mm scope - smudge on the inside of the objective lens when I unboxed it new
6. Viper HST 4-16x44mm scope - won't hold zero, shooting 3" groups on a rifle that shoots 1/2" at 100 yards
7. Viper HD 10x42mm binos - diopter adjustment ring seized

Yes, their warranty is great. They pay shipping both ways, its very fast (under 2 week turnaround), and they're super nice on the phone. But to be honest, it hardly matters. I can't bring myself to use them while hunting anymore. I can't even use them to work up handloads because did the rifle not like that load? Or is the scope just screwed up yet again? I just need to sell them all and be done with them altogether. I've already dumped the spotter and will probably start listing stuff on the classifieds soon.

Send this as a letter or email to them. I can't say my experience has been better and every time I think about buying optics my past experience influences my decision. As a company, they need to spend more time worrying about quality control. How do they know that if their customers don't tell them?

On a side note, my track record with Leupold range finders is similar and I bought another one. So keep in mind, I'm an idiot.

 

[rustednuts]

Any optic that directly led to a missed animal would be for sale the next day. You invest so much time and money in to a hunt for an optic to be the reason it doesn’t pan out.

 

[winmag]

Any optic that directly led to a missed animal would be for sale the next day. You invest so much time and money in to a hunt for an optic to be the reason it doesn’t pan out.

Absolutely. That day was tough. My dad lives back east and has limited mobility. Seeing that opportunity blown because of a scope was infuriating. I/we haven’t had a Vortex scope on a hunt since.

 

[EKYHunter]

Hearing of issues like these is why I’ll never spend my money on Vortex optics. Warranty may be great, but the best warranties are the ones you never have to use.

 

[elkantlers]

I have 6- scopes, 4- binoculars and 2- range finders and 1- spotting scope. They are all great and I've never had a second's problem with them. The only time I have used the warranty was when a pair of binoculars were accidentally pushed of the tailgate of my truck and landed on a rock. I contacted Vortex as I was leaving for Wyoming that afternoon to see what could be done. They offered to overnight a new pair of binos to the nearest town I would be hunting. I would buy from Vortex again without hesitation.

 

[Bambistew]

I gave my last Vortex away. Have another that came with a rifle, its also going down the road. I don't have any faith in them. I've had zero issues with Leupold and Weaver scopes in 30+ years and about 25 of them.

 

[stealthy_bowman]

Dunno, maybe I’m just lucky, but I own 3 pairs of Vortex binos and have never had an issue yet.

 

[Chippewa]

Hope you have better luck with next scope brand. I have Leupolds and a Redfield for hunting scopes and a nxs Nightforce on a 300RUM which holds zeros an tracks perfect. Even its 1000yrd hold overs with a calibrated load does a nice job.
I do have a Redfield spotter an on full power the center blurs out. Don't recommend that guy.

 

[winmag]

I’ve got probably 25-30 other optics that are a mix of Sightron, Leupold, Nightforce, Zeiss, and Swaro. I had to send the eyepiece back on the Zeiss spotter. Other than that, not a single issue outside of the Vortex ones in about 25 years of hunting, guiding, and competitive shooting.

 

[ccc23454]

I probably own 30+ vortex items from scopes (viper line up) to tripods, i send a box with item or 2 in every year for fixes. Not a single repair has ever been a quality problem its been me dropping/bad luck happening. This year was a broken/finally lost eye cup on range finding binos(dropped repeated) and scope that glass/housing broke when dropped on rock then me falling top of it during a bull packout. Get things back in couple weeks, new battery in binos, everything cleaned/tuned or straight new replacement (this scope i destroyed was new replacement). I own most major brands of glass up to ultra high end but the vortex warranty is hands down best for complete coverage. I do wish they had a better quality spotter, i love my kowa but dont ever want to use its warranty

Plus they offer a great military discount and i support companies that do!

 

[TheTone]

Before I bought my swaro binoculars I was considering razor HD. After looking through a friends that were near new and already had messed up eye cups and other issues I knew to just spend a little more for the swaros

 

[cahunter805]

I’ve owned a few vortex items but never again.

If they can afford to just replace your broken item with a new replacement how much does it really cost them to make. The fact is their products use cheap parts of inferior quality and they make a killing off them thus they can give you one for free warranty.

 

[zpooch]

I've owned 4 different vortex products, 3 have been sent back for warranty or replacement. I own Bushnell, Zeiss, Nikon, Leupold and Swaro with zero issues among those

 

[Nick87]

I gave my last Vortex away. Have another that came with a rifle, its also going down the road. I don't have any faith in them. I've had zero issues with Leupold and Weaver scopes in 30+ years and about 25 of them.

This has been my experience as well unfortunately. Really had high hopes but they let me down twice. Seems you either love em or hate em.

 

[Idahoarcheryhunter]

Owned many of their optics from Binos to spotters and scopes. I’ve never had an issue, but understand people that have. Had a few scopes from a different company years ago they were garbage… but I won’t name them as it seems they’re turning out a pretty good optic nowadays.

 

[morgaj1]

I've owned 1 Vortex product - a Razor LHT. I sent it back twice for illumination failure. They "fixed it" the first time, but the problem reappeared on the first outing. The second time I sent it in, they replaced it with a new one and I sold it. I'm done with Vortex. My sample of one left me not trusting them.