Comment by rdl | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rdl | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

Canon, if you're a pro photographer. I assume Nikon has a similar support system for professionals. It's pretty amazing. Test/Evaluation loans on $15k lenses for weeks, emergency equipment loaners, dedicated support at major events (Superbowl, etc.).

The high end models of "regular" high end car manufacturers also get service like this -- at the Audi dealer I use for dealer service (Stevens Creek), they have 2 dedicated mechanics for R8s. If you have an R8, you get essentially the Tesla service -- it's picked up at your home or office, you're chauffeured in an A8L if necessary, etc. For my 7 year old used A4, I just get a free loaner A4, TT, or Q5 for as long as service takes, which is fine too. I still go to an indy shop (Advanced Autowerks in SF) for non-warranty stuff now that I'm out of Audi Care service period, though, where they just give you $4 for the 3rd St Muni roundtrip. I assume MB SLS and other similar cars get similar treatment. Although, outside of San Francisco (parking), it seems unlikely anyone who owns a $200-300k car only owns that one car.

> Canon, if you're a pro photographer. I assume Nikon has a similar support system for professionals. It's pretty amazing. Test/Evaluation loans on $15k lenses for weeks, emergency equipment loaners, dedicated support at major events (Superbowl, etc.).

Yes, but I believe you may need to be in a special "pro photographers club" that each of these manufacturers offer to get this kind of service. They don't do it for the average consumer.

Indeed:

http://www.cps.usa.canon.com/about_cps/about.shtml

Summary: you only get loaners and and such once you've purchased "20 CPS points" worth of stuff, which seems to roughly amount to $12-15K worth of gear.

It's a lot less than 12-15k for the Gold tier; more like a couple $1-2k bodies and $3k of lenses (which could be used), which is pretty standard for even the lowest end professional. The $100/yr membership at that tier is more of an issue.

For the top tier, it's probably $10-20k of gear, and $500/yr.

I guess Tesla buyers cannot be considered "average consumers" either :)

Strange that you mention the Audi A8L since I saw one for the first time a week ago in Monte Carlo. It's very rare even in Europe.

"The Audi A8 L is the first automobile in the world to be available with an integrated WLAN hotspot. A UMTS module provides the connection to the Internet."

Is that really a big deal? I have a MiFi device that cost £70 or so that does that and works a treat in cars.

It's worth mentioning since it's integrated. It's the same reason something like Pandora integration would be worth mentioning despite the fact that many people could use Pandora with an FM tuner or 3.5mm to aux input (not to say the Audi A8L has Pandora).

I don't know when that was from, but a Wifi hotspot is optional equipment on any Mercedes (possibly excluding the 2dr SLK and SL)

Its funny that you say "rare even in Europe", since I wouldn't call the A8L to be rare in the US (at least on the east coast). I see different ages of them all the time.

Yeah, they're pretty common in the Bay Area too. S8 are still rare, though.

It's weird how German cars are so much more expensive in Europe, for the same spec, than in the US. And yet the US only gets the high-end/luxury versions of cars (engines, trims) from BMW/Mercedes/Audi, so the entry price points are comparable. (obviously even worse in places with high taxes or other restrictions; in UAE BMWs were about 2x the US price, and Singapore has the 100% tax)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com