Vortex Warranty Report

[bootsmcguire]

Figured I would just share this for those who wonder like I did.

Vortex has long advertised their Lifetime Warranty Policy, and while many companies do this, most of them have some catch or hook to deny your request or just tell you they can't help. That being said, I have had a few different Vortex Optics over the years, and up until recently have had zero issues with any of them. About 10 years ago I bought a Savage Model 40 rechambered in 22 K-Hornet from a member here and he sent it to me with a Vortex 6x40 Crossfire 1 on it. The scope wasn't my preference for that rifle so I removed it, and over the last few years it bounced around on different firearms chambered in 223, 30-06, 12ga Mossberg 500 Slug, and lastly a Stevens 200 I had rebarrelled in 450 Bushmaster as a heavy barrel carbine style setup. While on the 450 it had been working well and then it just started splatter-bombing shots over the target. Of course I checked bases and rings for proper tension and upon the last group I attempted to fire the image just went blurry like frosted over glass. I realized something was off internally with the scope and removed it and used a replacement.

I called in to Vortex and was answered by a very friendly gentleman who answered my questions, emailed me a request form and even sent me a prepaid shipping label from my preferred shipper. I sent it off and within 4 business days had an email from the warranty department telling me that my scope was long obsolete and the damage was unrepairable and they would like to offer me a replacement of a Crossfire II 3-9x40 V-plex at no charge and asked me to call or respond to the email to confirm that I am fine with that. Recently I had been pondering buying the Vortex Crossfire II Scout scope in 2-7x32 for another firearm. I checked the price and it was nearly the same, so I called them and said I understood its not repairable and that a replacement was offered. I said that the one they offered would be fine but that I had been thinking of buying the Scout scope anyway and wondered if that could act as my replacement with money from me if needed. They lady looked it up and said they had a few in stock and she would gladly have one sent out immediately and there would be no charge, not even for shipping. So I thanked her and said I have always been happy with their products and with a great warranty and great customer service like this that they would be my first choice going forward.

I just wanted to share my experience for those of you, like me, that have never had to use their warranty or may be on the fence about them. I would recommend them if you are in the market for an optic and trust in their warranty policies as they certainly seem to have the customer's best interest at heart. Thank you Vortex.

EDIT: I realize some of you have had issues with Vortex Products and swear off of them. So far in my 10+ years of owning and using Vortex (among others) this has been my first and only issue to date. Also all of my Vortex products have been in the sub-$400 range, so at this price point compared to most of the other brands I own including Sightron, Nikon, Burris, Leopold, and a few lesser names, my rate of failure/issues has been minimal with all but the lesser names. However the ease of Warranty department, all else being fairly equal across the brands thus far, it tips my favor to them. Take that FWIW and I understand that YMMV. Thanks.

[Dave Hoback]

Pretty awesome. I get that the aim is to buy a scope NOT for its warranty, but it’s nice to know it’s there. This is a perfect thread to share this video I recently saw. This guy really explains things well. I know that those paying $thousands$ for scopes won’t ever concede this, but the affordable scopes are not what they once were. The commentator in the vid even speaks of Diminishing Returns. This is something I’ve been saying for a few years. And not food nothin’, but I’m not some Vortex spokesman. I’ve never even owned a Vortex myself. The last bunch of years I’ve been an Athlon mid-tier model user, and just this year I traded up & purchased one of the US Optics (USO), TS-20 scopes. Which itself is still only an Upper-MidTier piece gear. But anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBIKMteYnP0

[bootsmcguire]

I get that the aim is to buy a scope NOT for its warranty, but the affordable scopes are not what they once were.

Yes exactly. Even the base Crossfire II scopes are leaps and bounds beyond the Trash-co scopes that many of us started our shooting hobby with back when we were young and on a budget and didn't know any better. Vortex lower and mid-tier models have done everything I have ever needed for most of my rifles for hunting needs. The quality has far exceeded all of the low-tier scopes and most of the mid-tier scopes that I have had. It's all about what I need the scope to do and do reliably regardless of brand, but now after experiencing their great warranty then it is just icing on the cake. Anything I buy is an investment, an investment that I need to work and fulfill my needs until such a time that I can upgrade as budget allows. All that of course pending on when I decide I have upgraded enough to be to the level that I need it to be for that rifles intended purpose. Would I put the same expense of scope on an F-Class as I would on my brush rifle? Of course not. And for those of us shopping in this class of scopes, as of now I will lean real hard towards the Vortex with the warranty.

[jkv45]

Thanks for the report.

Sounds like they really took care of you!

I recently purchased a mid-range Vortex scope for my rimfire bolt rifle, and can say the sharpness of the glass surprised me.

Can't complain, for the price.

I may step up a bit for my CF rifle bolt rifle.

[Whynot]

I'm not a big fan of vortex- (and wouldn't buy anything below the razor scopes) but freely admit that they have great customer service. It is better than many of the higher level optics companies out there- but it makes sense that it would be when you think about the different business models.

The scopes you listed are made in china- and more than likely they don't even have the parts (or people) at the factory headquarters to repair it- so you just get a new scope mailed out. They have already done extensive testing on what % of the scopes are going to fail and have the replacement costs figured into the original purchase price. It is probably cheaper for them to replace it than to pay someone to repair it or have to ship it back to china.

More expensive scopes don't have the same % margin built into them- so when you send a $2000 optic back they have also crunched the numbers and are going to pay someone to repair it.... and you have to wait for that.
Not trying to rain on your parade or anything- just a pet peeve of mine when people praise how well they were treated when it's just their business model. And the fact that they get life long customers by selling a defective product and then fixing it. I personally try to go for the companies that don't have to fix such a high % of their stuff- because as the Nightforce add said- "a warranty doesn't do you any good on the side of a mountain".

[tomme boy]

Bushnell does not repair anything anymore. They replace it with whatever they have on hand. Sometimes it can be a good thing when they send a better scope. Then other times like what happened to me was a cheaper scope as that was all they had.

[ramon]

Good they took care of you. The vortex scout scope also works on some handguns. I have two of them mounted on two of my single shot pistols and so far like theym.

[Alguapo]

Their warranty is the real deal. Used them twice with no questions asked. Great company.

[Dave Hoback]

I understand that there must be an Ultra “Top Tier” line of scope. As I’ve said on other items, I absolutely don’t want them to go away! I want them to be available. I just hate the attitude, and the guys in the video give it a name; we’ve all seen & experienced it on forums. Sadly, I’ve experienced it here even! The attitude in some Top Tier Scope “SCHNOBS”, as my boy Matt Tibor (TiborasaurusRex) says. (And he freely admits to being a HUGE scope Schnob! But it’s this attitude of “you need to spend $$$ on & use this top tier Japanese or German scope, or you’re not worthy to even try doing this!” Honestly! What a disgusting attitude! But very honestly, it’s a different game now. I’ll reference the video again, about the TV’s.. Now, some of you younger guys won’t get this, but for us older gents, remember when the bigger TV’s first came out? Like they said… I remember in the 80’s & 90’s some of friends had the parents that got the 30” GIANT TV that weighed like 300lbs! (Remember that?) And they were the “cool” ones… the families with $money$.. Right? And then yeah, those 24” & 30” Plasma gawns came out… AWWW ISH! And they cost several Thousand dollars in the beginning! The last TV my wife & I purchased is a 60” flat screen and it was less than $500! And I can tell you it has a much better picture than ANY plasma TV from 1997! Same thing has happened with scope technology. And many of the scope SCHNOBS simply can not admit this. They can’t! It’s like a true mental block in them.

[bootsmcguire]

just a pet peeve of mine when people praise how well they were treated when it's just their business model

No argument there, however another point to consider is that given that most scopes by other companies in the price range of say the Vortex Crossfire II line often run the business model "We have sold you a low tier scope so accept that, if it fails then send back on your dime and if we decide it wasn't our fault (and with most of them it never seems to be) then we will ship it back to you on your dime if you want or we will pitch it in the trash for you. Thanks for your business now please buy another." I guess if I am shopping in this price/quality range then I would rather get the no hassle warrantied cheapo than just a cheapo. It serves it purpose for my needs and am glad to have it handled when the occasional issues came up. Now if I were out west or way up north, hiking 10 miles in, and spending thousands for hotels and travel and tags then you better believe my rig would have some near top notch glass, but for fun target duty and back 40 hunting I am not gonna get a $2k scope, it just doesn't make sense for me. JMHO.

I understand that there must be an Ultra “Top Tier” line of scope. As I’ve said on other items, I absolutely don’t want them to go away! I want them to be available. I just hate the attitude, and the guys in the video give it a name; we’ve all seen & experienced it on forums. Sadly, I’ve experienced it here even! The attitude in some Top Tier Scope “SCHNOBS”, as my boy Matt Tibor (TiborasaurusRex) says. (And he freely admits to being a HUGE scope Schnob! But it’s this attitude of “you need to spend $$$ on & use this top tier Japanese or German scope, or you’re not worthy to even try doing this!” Honestly! What a disgusting attitude! But very honestly, it’s a different game now. I’ll reference the video again, about the TV’s.. Now, some of you younger guys won’t get this, but for us older gents, remember when the bigger TV’s first came out? Like they said… I remember in the 80’s & 90’s some of friends had the parents that got the 30” GIANT TV that weighed like 300lbs! (Remember that?) And they were the “cool” ones… the families with $money$.. Right? And then yeah, those 24” & 30” Plasma gawns came out… AWWW ISH! And they cost several Thousand dollars in the beginning! The last TV my wife & I purchased is a 60” flat screen and it was less than $500! And I can tell you it has a much better picture than ANY plasma TV from 1997! Same thing has happened with scope technology. And many of the scope SCHNOBS simply can not admit this. They can’t! It’s like a true mental block in them.

Agreed Dave. Too many looking down their noses at those that don't spend money on a name or a certain reputation level. But as the TV example points out, What is affordable today is equal or greater than what the top tier brand may have offered 10 or 20 years ago. And so many that bought their product 20 years ago won't admit that its 20 years old and the new mid-tier is on the same or greater plane. Obviously this is not a direct example, but there are many factors to consider and it is up to each person to decide what they can afford and also if the cost of something better is worth it for their uses. I'm not gonna go buy a Chevy if I need a Cadillac, and I'm not gonna buy Cadillac when all I need is Chevy, but you best be sure if I am buying the Chevy I am getting it from the dealer with the best reputation and the best warranty. And the comfort and features of the new Chevy far exceed a Caddy from say 2001. But too many of the die hards would argue that the Caddy is a Caddy.

[PhilC]

I haven't had a need to test the Vortex warrany as yet (own an HSLR & Gen 1 Viper PST), but have contacted Vortex customer service a couple times and have nothing but praise. A $30 scope level out of the box had a bubble so big it spanned the range in the glass. Emailed customer service, quick response and apology for the defective product, requested my mailing address and I received a shipping confirmation with tracking number within a couple hours. Came in a big box, about 8" square, when opened found the replacement bubble level plus a Vortex hat. Yeah, I wear the hat.

With customer service like that for a bubble level, I'm confident I'll be treated the same way IF I have any scope issues in the future.

[Robinhood]

Don't be so quick to smash Rex. He supports Arken and Primary Arms very publicly. Not exactly scope snob territory. I am with whynot thou, and would only own one of Vortex Competition grade scopes. But that is me. I have my standards. It is my money. Very happy that everyone that uses Vortex Warranty is satisfied. Poor warranties have no value whatsoever so good on Vortex. Plus they put a lot of money back into the community and that could be a good thing.

[Dave Hoback]

Don't be so quick to smash Rex. He supports Arken and Primary Arms very publicly. Not exactly scope snob territory. I am with whynot thou, and would only own one of Vortex Competition grade scopes. But that is me. I have my standards. It is my money. Very happy that everyone that uses Vortex Warranty is satisfied. Poor warranties have no value whatsoever so good on Vortex. Plus they put a lot of money back into the community and that could be a good thing.

Oh no, you misunderstood me Rob.. I wasn’t bashing Rex. No sir! Matt Tibor has been a knowledge base of me for almost a decade! That’s why I brought him up. He openly admits he is a German Glass snob, but he doesn’t admonish people for lower line scopes. Years ago he did an awesome video on different scope Tier prices. Actually, he is the reason my first scope for this rifle was an SWFA SS, fixed power. And yes, he’s done reviews on Arken over the past year, and also did a pretty heavy duty test. The Arken SH-4 on performed admirably by his standards, and according to him, it tracked better than some $2000 scopes he’s used. And he is honest. I look to him as top level of scope information.

Funny thing Robin, I believe you & I have both run into one or two members here who don’t like Rex, and consider themselves having elite level optics knowledge.(I won’t name names.) Yet hearing what they say compared to Rex & they are simply no competition.

[Whynot]

Scopes have come a long way- and if you are not asking a less expensive scope to dial and return to zero then you usually have a good chance of it working. I wouldn't consider myself a scope snob in the traditional meaning because glass quality doesn't really bother me that much- as long as it is not poor. If the glass is good and I can see and make out what is needed then that is enough and not going to pay more for a little better glass. Where I do get picky is with function and dependability... I hate things that are not dependable and consistent- and if you dial 8mil it better move 8 mil (or at least be very close 7.9-8.1 and 100% consistent each time).

On the other side of the scope snobs is the "just as good" group. Oh- you paid $2500 for a scope, well my $400 scope has all the same features and is just as good. Just like the scope snobs being wrong this group is usually wrong. There's generally a reason things cost what they cost. Always a few "bargains" out there that punch above the cost but kind of rare.

My main issue with vortex is that they are so good at their business model that pretty much everyone has to follow it- or go to the extreme the other way. I was talking to a rep from another scope manufacturer and he said that their new line is coming out of china because "we can't build them anywhere else and still compete with vortex." So everyone is racing to the bottom.

[bootsmcguire]

Just an update: New scope arrived, seems to be decent. Will be interested to see how it works out on my Striker but seems to be what I expected thus far. Shipped pretty quick.

[Txhillbilly]

Leupold and Vortex are probably the top two scope company warranties, with Sightron being up there also. I've used Sightron's warranty twice over the years after breaking a SII and a SIII series scope. Their CS was top notch, and they replaced / repaired the scopes no question's asked.
Swarovski also has great CS and warranty service, I had an older 4-16x50 Pro Hunter that I'd used on several hunting rifle's over the years and it quit holding zero. Swarovski completely rebuilt the scope and included a bunch of swag when they returned it.

There are plenty of optics companies that have let customer's down when it comes to "Lifetime" warranties, mainly Nikon, and the Weaver & Bushnell brands now owned buy Vista Outdoor. Steiner scopes warranty service has problems also since the Beretta Group owns them.

[Whynot]

There are plenty of optics companies that have let customer's down when it comes to "Lifetime" warranties, mainly Nikon, and the Weaver & Bushnell brands now owned buy Vista Outdoor. Steiner scopes warranty service has problems also since the Beretta Group owns them.

I put bushnell is the same category as vortex (maybe not quite as good with their warranty- kind of hit and miss) but if you buy one of their elite scopes then you should be good. I think that the vortex razors and the bushnell elites are made in the same factory in Japan (LOW) with a lot of other companies. Very few of these scope manufactures really make anything- they are more import companies. Vortex might have started to make a few of their own premium hunting scopes, but haven't really stayed up to date. I have had nothing but problems with the Steiner/burris company- so all lifetime warranties are not created equally.

[Dave Hoback]

You got it whynot, they are, as well as the Delta Stryker, Toric Tract, Primary Arms PLX & Riton X7 Conquer, as well as a host of others. Light Optical Works LTD (LOW), out of Japan.


I’ve never had experience with Steiner, but they always seemed decent. However, I witnessed a plethora of problems from Burris and took an OATH against them some many years ago! LOL!

[Alabama F Class]

I've had a Viper 6-20x50 on my F Class rifle for about 7 years. It has never let me down at 600yds. Never needed the warranty but it's nice to have.
Just ordered a Viper 6-24x50 HST for my new build.

[J.Baker]

Knock on wood, but I've never had a single issue with any of my Vortex optics which include an old Diamondback 6.5-20x44 Mil-Dot SFP, a Gen1 6-24x50 PST, one of their early red-dots that I can't recall the model name on, and an older set of Viper 10x42mm bino's that I just recently sold to a friend. My only real gripe with Vortex is that the vast majority of what they offer in their midrange and up scope lines have FFP reticles which aren't ideal for use on a hunting rifle so anymore I end up looking elsewhere for my scope needs.

[Dave Hoback]

Knock on wood, but I've never had a single issue with any of my Vortex optics which include an old Diamondback 6.5-20x44 Mil-Dot SFP, a Gen1 6-24x50 PST, one of their early red-dots that I can't recall the model name on, and an older set of Viper 10x42mm bino's that I just recently sold to a friend. My only real gripe with Vortex is that the vast majority of what they offer in their midrange and up scope lines have FFP reticles which aren't ideal for use on a hunting rifle so anymore I end up looking elsewhere for my scope needs.

Yes, the world of optics has gone almost completely FFP. I think Zeiss is like the only high end maker that still has predominantly SFP scopes. It’s actually one thing I’ve noticed with Riton Optics as of late. They are much the same as Bushnell, Burris, Athlon, Vortex, etc; they have very affordable options in scopes, but also offer some higher end models with pretty nice glass, features & reticles, but also in SFP.

[nksmfamjp]

Thank you @ Dave Hoback.

I need 5 good aiming devices based on my top tier (to me) rifles. 5 ZCO’S would be $22000.

My 5 cost under $4000. Most of the people I meet think I’m an optics snob. All I say is:

1) I have to see my poi, not judge antlers, see trace, etc.
2) The zero cannot move from one outing to the next, even when bumped, dropped or forest service roads.
3) It has to dial where it says it is dialing to…..check by shooting
4) It has to be light enough to be worth hauling.

Vortex has done the for me many times. So has tract. So has SS. Burris has been ok, but not great. Leupold has failed.

[Balvar24]

it's good to hear stories like this.

I've been trying to call Unertl for the last couple of months now in regards to one of their scopes I have on hand, and they won't even answer the phone!

[Bobby Tomek]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I've had four Vortex scopes and our oldest currently has another, and we've had no issues at all with them. A guy I know from the Houston area managed to damage his Vortex a few years ago, so he sent it in to get a repair estimate. Even though the damage was his fault, they replaced his scope free of charge. That's great customer service and definitely going above and beyond what they were obligated to do.

[Dave Hoback]

Unertle? You mean vintage scopes? Fine for nostalgia sakes, but they don’t even match medium priced Chinese scopes.