Amphibico Shuts Down, Deep-Sixing Buyers and Warranty Holders

What's up with the British underwater camera gear manufacturer Amphibico, reader Alice McNulty (Redding, CT) asked us. "I have been trying to contact them for three weeks about returning my housing. I have called multiple times and e-mailed as well. I get only full mailboxes and voice mail in all departments. From looking at its Facebook page, I see people who have paid for new housings and haven't received them! It seems as if they may have closed?"

You're right, Alice. Amphibico has shuttered operations without telling anyone. Its website doesn't mention anything, but the 'Contact Us' page is blank, and the product lineup has disappeared. They didn't reply to our e-mails, and their voice mailboxes are still full.

Apparently, Amphibico has ceased operations, and is for sale or looking for an investor. One customer posted online an e-mail he received from Amphibico, which indicated that it closed April 21. It went on to say, "Bank recalled our loans that forced the owners to close and shut down the Amphibico division. If you placed an order after that date and we can complete it, you will be contacted soon, as plan to honor parts and warranty service still."

But we're not sure if that last part is true. Submerge Camera, a camera gear dealer in Kalamazoo, MI, was in talks to be a repair facility for Amphibico, "but after evaluation of the situation, we just would not feel comfortable being a representative of the line, with so much instability at this time," says Submerge Camera owner TJ Stansfield.

If you do have Amphibico camera gear that needs repair, you may be out of luck, as their North America office's voicemail box is filled up, too. You can try Submerge Camera (www.submergecamera.com) or another underwater-camera dealer to see if they'll do it. Of course, you'll have to foot the bill yourself.