20D pricing - is this dodgy ?

[devbobo]

Hi All,

I was doing a search for 350D packages with an EF-S 17-85mm lens.

Anyway, I turned up this package (http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11660&engine=froogle) for a 20D with an EF-S 17-85mm lens for US$1,249.

They also have the 20D body only for $699.

The company is USA Photo Nation has anyone ever heard of these people ?

Thanks,

David

[devbobo]

Hi All,

I was doing a search for 350D packages with an EF-S 17-85mm lens.

Anyway, I turned up this package (http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11660&engine=froogle) for a 20D with an EF-S 17-85mm lens for US$1,249.

They also have the 20D body only for $699.

The company is USA Photo Nation has anyone ever heard of these people ?

Thanks,

David
ok...they do look dodgy.

If something is too good to be true...it usually is :)

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8278.html

David

[dragon300zx]

Yup they smell like a scam to me. The price, the fake logos from the security companies that don't go anywhere, the price, the lack of location information on the website. I'd say run, don't walk, away from that store.

[Andy]

another brooklyn scammer (http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/) stay away, far away from them. they are masters of the bait and switch, all of them. they also have a very low rating on resellerratings.com (http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8278.html)

hard core sales and BS at best.

When I called, Donald told me the camera came with no accessories or battery and was a Chinese-only non-English camera (actually, he didn't tell me it was a Chinese-only camera until I told him to go ahead and ship the bare-bones camera w/o accessories or battery). He said an extra $200.00 would be needed for the English version of the camera.

This place is a scam. If you are stupid enough to place an order after all the warnings people listed here you are probably stupid enough to believe the good reviews listed are from real customers and not the store employees. Why the hell don’t the feds close these crooks down? This place is the classic bait and switch outfit.

remember, dgrin, donwiss and resellerratings are your friends :deal

[gus]

Hi All,

I was doing a search for 350D packages with an EF-S 17-85mm lens.

Anyway, I turned up this package (http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11660&engine=froogle) for a 20D with an EF-S 17-85mm lens for US$1,249.

They also have the 20D body only for $699.

The company is USA Photo Nation has anyone ever heard of these people ?

Thanks,

David
Dont touch it with a 50 foot stick david !!

[david_h]

The only good thing about this kind of company is that you can always have a laugh reading the posts on Reseller Ratings.

It's just a shame that people get sucked into them before they know what's going on. Had a narrow escape myself when I first got into photography again.

I was lucky, the guy on the phone did me a huge favor and told me to !@#$ off. Best thing he could have done - saved me a lot of bother and I discovered B&H.

[gtc]

hi david

as you know my 20d was bought at AUD$2100 about a month ago

if the 5d (or whatever its called) is really on its way soon then you may be able to get the local prices down further-my guess is that they won't go much below AUD$2000 but its worth pushing them into competing

.it would be worth trying to find out what the floorprice for the retailer is to return stock in event of discontinuation-you could then offer that in conjunction with your lens and card purchase at full price-they would move the camera ,for no profit, but profit from the accessories sale.

i couldn't find out but you might be able to-that kind of info is very useful in negotiating purchase prices.


your kirks of ringwood that you put me onto was keen to undercut everyone..

i elected to steer clear of camera purchases over the net-i dont like the idea of a camera travelling in the post(all that bumping around can't be good) plus the added worry of a dodgy credit transaction,plus if i was lumbered with a dead/hotpixel I wanted my return/replacement process to be as easy as possible.

i didnt check out the warranty situation ,whether it was international or local, but local factored into my thinking as well.

also if you buy a camera internationally there is all that tax and duty etc that you have to pay later...the hiddden stuff that makes it not such a good deal anyway...

lenses and accessories are still a bit cheaper from b&h photo,but not hugely so-it was better when the AUD$ was at 80c

by the way its a great camera-more than enough for this humble shooter




ok...they do look dodgy.

If something is too good to be true...it usually is :)

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8278.html

David

[Matthew Saville]

Here's the "bait and switch" tactic they're talking about:

http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11660&engine=froogle

Okay there's your link... Did you notice the "high capacity" battery is a WHOPPING $140? What they do for $699 is take the battery out, (along with most everything else, probably including any warranty stuff) and then they include a non-rechargable, ghetto battery and they'll tell you it'll only last for 20 minutes. Then you cave in and say you want the rechargeable battery, well that's another $140 and then the charger is more and so on and so forth. When in fact, the 20D should obviously come WITH the rechargeable battery and charger....

That's how you tell when they're a scam group. You'll see hot items like new DSLR bodies for dirt cheap, but then their CF cards are like, $350 for a slow 512mb card rofl... Red flag! I'm glad your fellow Dgrinners warned you!

-Matt-

[Higgmeister]

And don't bother just trying to buy the camera body. If you read enough of these reviews, and I did when I was shopping for my 20D, you'll see that it becomes out of stock if they can't sell you anything else.

I went with B&H and haven't looked back since.

Chris

[JimM]

Stay away... this is a scam!

[pathfinder]

It's an old story - If it looks too good to be true, guess what!! I bet it probably is too good to be true.

Personally, I prefer to deal with a known quantity - a merchant that has been in business for years and who will be there next year when I need to buy something else OR really need warranty service.

That's just my opinion of course.:):

[Seymore]

Here's the "bait and switch" tactic they're talking about:

http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11660&engine=froogle

Okay there's your link... Did you notice the "high capacity" battery is a WHOPPING $140? What they do for $699 is take the battery out, (along with most everything else, probably including any warranty stuff) and then they include a non-rechargable, ghetto battery and they'll tell you it'll only last for 20 minutes. Then you cave in and say you want the rechargeable battery, well that's another $140 and then the charger is more and so on and so forth. When in fact, the 20D should obviously come WITH the rechargeable battery and charger....

That's how you tell when they're a scam group. You'll see hot items like new DSLR bodies for dirt cheap, but then their CF cards are like, $350 for a slow 512mb card rofl... Red flag! I'm glad your fellow Dgrinners warned you!

-Matt-
[RANT!]
Oh, and what a stinkin' SCAM!!! They list the Nikon D70s (http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=11973&dept_id=2578), with kit lens, for $599. I just got off the phone with one of their dweebs who confirmed that it was a grey market camera and all you got was a body and lens. No sealed box... no paper... no battery... no warranty!!! And they expect them to sell? Maybe to the unsuspecting customer, but what a joke!!! TOTAL SCAM!

Buyer beware!
[/RANT!]