Buying a Camera? How To Not Get Ripped Off.

[wxwax]

How To Not Get Ripped Off On The Net
or
The Danger of Shopping for Price.





The Sign of the Seals
Phew! The site looks safe. It has all those great looking seals saying it's a good place to do business. Do me a flavor. Try clicking on those seals. If they're not links to information about the rating of that specific web site, they're bogus. Many times, the seals aren't links at all. Just wallpaper. Wallpaper that says "Ripoff in progress."�
http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/2251152-M.jpg





The Ratings Reader
Pay attention to the ratings at www.bizrate.com or www.cnet.com or whatever price comparison robot you're using. Listen to the complaints. If they sound like anything listed here, steer clear. Don't believe the little red stars. Click and read. Some here have five red stars. But click and you'll see that they're actually not rated at all.
http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/2251083-O.jpg

http://wxwax.smugmug.com/photos/2251115-M.jpg





Beware of Brooklyn
Nothing against the fine burg of Brooklyn. Maybe it's just a coincidence that a lot of the rip-off joints are based there. Who cares? If you see Brooklyn as the home base of the web site, be on alert.


The Warranty Wangle
Are you getting the full USA warranty? Does it say so on the web site? Do they confirm it if you talk to them? Make very sure. Because you might be buying a "gray market"� camera. That's a camera that's been imported by the store, not the manufacturer. It was meant to be sold in Hong Kong, or Bangladesh. Not Brooklyn. And so it doesn't have the manufacturer's USA warranty. Which means you're out of luck if the camera breaks. Sadly, some web sites say they have the US warranty when in fact they're lying. Be very careful. One more reason to buy from a reputable outlet.


What's in the Box?
Check the manufacturer's site, or www.dpreview.com or www.stevesdigicams.com to see what you should be getting when you buy the camera. Some outfits will break up the box contents, charge you extra to get the whole package. Make sure they list everything you get, before you buy.


The Accessory Bully
You place your order online. Everything goes as planned. Then you get a call back. "Just checking your credit card information, sir or madam." Yeah, right. What follows is an arm-twisting, pressure tactics, sometimes belligerent attempt to get you to buy overpriced accessories. Some outfits will flatly refuse to sell you the camera at the price you saw on the web, unless you buy the overpriced accessories. Just so you know, if you say "yes"� your grand total will be the same, maybe higher, than if you bought the whole schlemiel at a respectable site.


Do the Math
Everything sounds fine as they list each item you're buying and what it costs. You're happy. Whatta deal. Then you ask for the total. Hey, waitaminute! How did it get so high? Turns out there's a mysterious charge or two they forgot - oops! -- to tell you about. Keep track of costs, do your own math and compare it to theirs. Trust me, it ain't new math that makes their total higher.


Should I Buy a Starter Kit?
On some sites, it's hard to find a way to buy the camera alone. Lots of places try to sell you a camera "kit�." Some sites call it a starter "kit."� Who knew that the word "kit"� actually meant "wildly overcharging for marginally useful accessories that you could get anywhere else for half the price assuming you even think they're necessary." The advice here: skip the kit and pocket the profits.


The FedEx Factor
Wow, you got a great price. Great, send me the camera. Wait, shipping is how much? Why, that's twice as much as anyone else. Goodness, when I add it all up, suddenly I'm paying the same as the at other web sites. Hey. They just slipped me the FedEx Factor. :wxwax


The Insurance Scam
Ready to checkout? OK, ring it up. Then you find out they're charging $60, $80 or more for shipping and "insurance."� Gee, guess who's pocketing that "insurance� money? The good hands people of Brooklyn.


My Advice?
My peace of mind and a stress free life are worth a lot. I say spend a little extra and do your business with a reputable site. Think of it as buying quality.

[gus]

I bought my c-5050 on the net from Hong Kong for $960 AUD & paid $100 import duty. The camera was in the shops here at $1400

6 weeks later the next model ...the c-5060 was in the shops here for $1100. I didnt want the 5060...would much rather the 5050 BUT having seen this ..i would not take the chance again. If i have a warrenty prob then its back to Hong Kong...not to one of the 5 camera shops 15 mins away.

Never again.

[wxwax]

:nod Or pay full boat at a local repair shop. Neither option is a good one.

[wxwax]

So you decide you're the one who won't get ripped off by using a Brooklyn-based camera retailer. Or you just really, really like their prices.

OK. But at least check out their storefronts before you give them your money. See if you recognize your store among the AKA's for each of these store fronts. (http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/pictures/BrooklynStores/)

[rutt]

So you decide you're the one who won't get ripped off by using a Brooklyn-based camera retailer. Or you just really, really like their prices.

OK. But at least check out their storefronts before you give them your money. See if you recognize your store among the AKA's for each of these store fronts. (http://www.panix.com/%7Edonwiss/pictures/BrooklynStores/) I'm bipolar on this score. I either shop for the very lowest price I can find (Brooklyn, Toronto, ebay, froogle, whatever) or I buy from Jeff Hirsch at Fotocare. (http://www.fotocare.com/)

I use Brooklyn &etc for lenses, software, and for relatively inexpensive stuff. I guess that not much can go wrong with lenses and the US warranty isn't worth that much. Less expensive stuff (point&shoots, accessaries) are just less central to my life. Software just doesn't matter where you get it as long as you can register it. My favorite great deal is on Photoshop. To get the latest version, use ebay to buy the very oldest full version you can that has never been registered. Then buy an upgrade. This costs about $200-$300 vs $650.

Jeff Hirsch is the greatest. Fotocare is a Manhattan pro shop. Very high end. If you want to trade in you Hasselblad for a Leif or Rollei system, this is the place for you. If you need to rent a wind machine for a fashion shoot so your model's hair looks just so, again, this is the place for you. Jeff is all the things you'd like in a camera salesman: intelligent, knowledgable, friendly, willing to spend time and go the extra distance to make and keep loyal customers.

My D60 once started to take pictures with a little spot on them, always in the same place. I called Jeff and he personally spent 10 minutes on the phone with me looking at the pictures on the web and walking me through cleaning the sensor.

Jeff gets advanced information about new products coming. He knew about the D10 about a month before the online rumors became accurate and clear. I got on his wait list and sold my D60 on ebay for $1500 (buy it now). The net cost to upgrade D60->10D was thus about $100 + shipping and ebay listing. I was without a camera for about a week.

Jeff's prices aren't the lowest, but they are often comparable with B&H. Buying major items from him is like getting a second warranty. My 10D (I had before anyone posted a full review) had a small defect. One of the focus points didn't light. Canon said wait 3 weeks. Jeff traded for a new camera which I had before I sent him the defective one.

You don't have to take my word for it. I learned about Jeff from Phil Greenspun, founder of photo.net. Here (http://www.photo.net/equipment/where-to-buy) is his comment. (In fact the entire article is relevant, if a little out of date.)

[wxwax]

Good post. It's nice to hear about a vendor who really does practice customer service.

WRT buying lenses from Brooklyn, other than warranty, I think one of the biggest issues is whether or not they actually have the lens in stock. I've read many a story of someone taking the risk, and then waiting for weeks for a product they were promised in a few days. Naturally, their credit card was charged immediately.

Caveat emptor.

[rutt]

Good post. It's nice to hear about a vendor who really does practice customer service.

WRT buying lenses from Brooklyn, other than warranty, I think one of the biggest issues is whether or not they actually have the lens in stock. I've read many a story of someone taking the risk, and then waiting for weeks for a product they were promised in a few days. Naturally, their credit card was charged immediately.

Caveat emptor.
I've found that Brooklyn + bizrate stars (or similar) is pretty reliable and stil cheap (though not the cheapest.) I like ebay, too. Someday that may go south, but for now, I've used it a lot and never had a bad experience.

[PerezDesignGroup]

This thread stuck a serious chord in me. I normally use ResellerRatings (http://resellerratings.com/)to check up on online companies before buying. Just wanted to share the knowledge and help out. From my experience, their reviews are quite accurate.

Oh, upon reading the first post, I couldn't help but feel this company (http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1995.html) was the reason for it.

[wxwax]

PDG, welcome aboard and thanks for the link. :thumb I think you're right about the company in your link. And they're certainly not alone in practicing the dark arts.

[gus]

So what about the " Power Seller " ?

Can this stuff be pasted onto a dodgy sellers page ?


http://pages.ebay.com.au/services/buyandsell/powersellers.html

[wxwax]

So what about the " Power Seller " ?

Can this stuff be pasted onto a dodgy sellers page ?


http://pages.ebay.com.au/services/buyandsell/powersellers.html

Good question. :dunno These guys play all sorts of games. Last week, on another forum, they raised the alarm about an e-bay auction. If you wanted to see more pics of the product, you had to click on a link. The page it took you to looked like the official e-bay sign-in page. But in fact, it was on another site. But you'd have to be looking in the address window of your browser to spot it. The guy was harvesting people's ID's and passwords. He must have scored a few, there were many bids on the camera.

I make a point of clicking on anything that's a reference, or seal of approval. If it's not a real link, then I get suspicious.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

I have just read the post about being ripped off, I am interested in getting a Sony DSC-P100. This is the best price I have found,

http://www.amphotoworld.com/product.asp?id=sndscp100&l=ShopCartUSA

does anyone know if this is a good place to do online buissness or is it one of the Brooklyn rip off places:wxwax

Any help you can give will be most apriciated, thanks.

Mr. Cob

PS. Please overlook my lack of spelin skills, I can't figure out how to get the "I-Spell" program to work on this list:dunno :scratch :cry

[patch29]

I have just read the post about being ripped off, I am interested in getting a Sony DSC-P100. This is the best price I have found,

http://www.amphotoworld.com/product.asp?id=sndscp100&l=ShopCartUSA

does anyone know if this is a good place to do online buissness or is it one of the Brooklyn rip off places:wxwax


I don't know from personal experience, but a quick google search lead me to this post (http://www.photo.net/neighbor/view-one?neighbor_to_neighbor_id=132749) at photo.net.

Here (http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1988.html) is another poor rating.

Here (http://www.donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/h0049.htm) is where they are based.

I would probably steer very clear from A&M.

I have used B+H several times and have had very good experiences. They may not be the cheapest, but they deliver what you order. You will find people that do not like them, but I believe them to be the exception and not the rule.

[wxwax]

Mr. Cob, I would run, not walk, away. The links Patch posted are excellent, and are exactly the warning signs one should pay attention to. Sometimes saving a few bucks can get expensive!

[Andy]

stay awayundefined

try b&h, they are the best. don't go there or call friday afternoons or on saturday, they are observant and are closed on the sabbath.

[cmr164]

stay awayundefined

try b&h, they are the best. don't go there or call friday afternoons or on saturday, they are observant and are closed on the sabbath.
Lets not forget Adorama as they are right there with B&H for reliability, honesty, price, and service.

[wxwax]

I agree with the recommendations for B&H and Adorama. I have bought from both and have no complaints. However, depending upon what you want to buy, it is possible to find equally reliable internet vendors with lower prices. This is more true of consumer electronics than it is of specialty camera gear. But for a Sony digital camera, it's not hard to beat the B&H price.

[Andy]

WRT buying lenses from Brooklyn, other than warranty, I think one of the biggest issues is whether or not they actually have the lens in stock. I've read many a story of someone taking the risk, and then waiting for weeks for a product they were promised in a few days. Naturally, their credit card was charged immediately.
Caveat emptor.

also, you should worry about how "new" the lens actually is. i've seen folks buy from there, and get a shriveled box, glass with fingerprints and scratches, and worse.

if i'm spending $1600 on a hunk of glass, i'll get it from a reputable dealer, where i have a liberal return policy.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

I was just sent a PM by one of our members, he sugjested that I try a company called "New Egg" as they had a good price on their web site for the camera I was intersted in. I called up the web site, the camera ( a Sony DSC-P100 ) was on sale for $338.00, I went throught the ordering procedur and calculated the shipping which came to 0.99 making a total of $338.99. I then placed the order where upon the price of the camera changed to $349.00 and the shipping went up to $4.50. I then called the 800 number and talked to Veronica, she said to go ahead enter my CC number and that I would recive an e-mail confirmation number , to then call her back and she would change the price of the camera and the shipping back to the $338.99, and if I wasen't satified I could always send the camera back. I asked why she couldn't just change it now, she said she couldn't do it until the order had been placed. At this point I called bull shit and hung up the phone.

I have ordered bike parts and tires for years over the net and have never had a problem, this has just really put me off from buying a camera on line, I hate to pay the full price at a regular store but at least if I do get ripped off I'll have a place to go and a person to punch if it happens. Thanks for the help and advise that was given. I am in a learning curve here so bear with me.

__________________

[dugmar]

I've ordered a lot of stuff from newegg.com, probably at least 10 orders, including an olympus point and shoot, numerous memory cards and most recently a twin battery grip for my digital rebel. I've never had a problem and they ship fast and cheap. (And I work in mail order.) Prices aren't the best, but not the worst either. I give two thumbs up to newegg.com

Doug

[wxwax]

Sorry to hear about your experience, Mr. Cob. It does sound like an odd runaround. I've not read about New Egg taking liberties with folks, so who knows if she was on the up-and-up or not. :dunno I reckon you did the right thing - if you're not comfortable, then bail out.

What's your upper limit for the camera? There are a couple of other reputable online retailers that are cheaper than B&H's $399. But they're still not as cheap as the New Egg price was.

[patch29]

What's your upper limit for the camera? There are a couple of other reputable online retailers that are cheaper than B&H's $399. But they're still not as cheap as the New Egg price was.

That price is for the blue model, the plain silver one is $369.00, if you click to email for lower price. Sorry to hear about your troubles Mr. Cob.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

Thanks for your help, I have found the camera for the $399.00 price at about ten differnt web sites. Walmart, has the Sony DSC-P93 or maybe it's a P97 for $325 bucks. I don't know what the differances are between the cameras but I am going to "assume" that for a person with my level of non-expertise it can't amount to much.

I am thinking real hard of just going this route, I can see what I am getting and won't have any problems taking it back if for some reason there's a problem. If anyone can offer advise on wheather the P100 is that much of a better camera and worth the extra cost I would apriciate hearing from you. Thanks.

[patch29]

Howdy All,

Thanks for your help, I have found the camera for the $399.00 price at about ten differnt web sites. Walmart, has the Sony DSC-P93 or maybe it's a P97 for $325 bucks. I don't know what the differances are between the cameras but I am going to "assume" that for a person with my level of non-expertise it can't amount to much.

I am thinking real hard of just going this route, I can see what I am getting and won't have any problems taking it back if for some reason there's a problem. If anyone can offer advise on wheather the P100 is that much of a better camera and worth the extra cost I would apriciate hearing from you. Thanks.

Here (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=sony_dscp73%2Csony_dscp93%2Csony_dscp100&show=all) is a side by side of the three. The differences I see are screen size, frames per second, megapixels and battery type.

Why pick the Sony? Just curious, many have gone with the Canon A70, 75 or 80 and come in a little less expensive, plus they use Compact Flash which is a little less expensive and they use AA batteries (like the two lower end Sony's).

[Mr. Cob]

Here (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=sony_dscp73%2Csony_dscp93%2Csony_dscp100&show=all) is a side by side of the three. The differences I see are screen size, frames per second, megapixels and battery type.

Why pick the Sony? Just curious, many have gone with the Canon A70, 75 or 80 and come in a little less expensive, plus they use Compact Flash which is a little less expensive and they use AA batteries (like the two lower end Sony's).
Howdy Patch29,

Thank you for the link, it was very informative and easily showed the differance between the cameras:thumb I want to stay with Sony simply because I already have a Sony F707, the DSC-P sieres of cameras seem to operate in much the same manner and will use the same memory sticks that I now have, also the way the DSC-P cameras download on to the computer is the same as with my F707.

I am one of those folks who is extreamly intimadated by technoligy, I have a bad memory and have a very hard time learning new things. A couple of years ago the VA set me up with a computer, the Sony F707 still camera and a Cannon G1 vidio camera. The still camera I have learned to handle fairly well, the vidio camera I can use but I have NOT yet figured out how to use the editing program ( Premire 6 ) that is so far beyond me as to make it worthless. The VA set me up with all of this wonderful equipment and gave me next to nothing in the way of training on how to use it ( your tax payer dollars at work ) I do my best to learn on my own and with the help of a few others on this list.

As I do most of my picture taking from the seat of a motorcycle, I need something more compact and easier to carry then the F707, thus my interst in the DSC-P siers cameras. Thanks again for your help:bow :thumb :clap

[patch29]

Howdy Patch29,

Thank you for the link, it was very informative and easily showed the differance between the cameras:thumb I want to stay with Sony simply because I already have a Sony F707, the DSC-P sieres of cameras seem to operate in much the same manner and will use the same memory sticks that I now have, also the way the DSC-P cameras download on to the computer is the same as with my F707.

I am one of those folks who is extreamly intimadated by technoligy, I have a bad memory and have a very hard time learning new things. A couple of years ago the VA set me up with a computer, the Sony F707 still camera and a Cannon G1 vidio camera. The still camera I have learned to handle fairly well, the vidio camera I can use but I have NOT yet figured out how to use the editing program ( Premire 6 ) that is so far beyond me as to make it worthless. The VA set me up with all of this wonderful equipment and gave me next to nothing in the way of training on how to use it ( your tax payer dollars at work ) I do my best to learn on my own and with the help of a few others on this list.

As I do most of my picture taking from the seat of a motorcycle, I need something more compact and easier to carry then the F707, thus my interst in the DSC-P siers cameras. Thanks again for your help:bow :thumb :clap

Those reasons sound good enough for me. I would look at the 93 or 100. The biggest difference being the battery type. For my riding camera I use the Canon S1 which uses AA batteries. I happen to have a ton of Nimh AA rechargeable so batteries are not an issue. I prefer them on P&S cameras for a few reasons. They tend to be cheaper than Li dedicated batteries and they are multipurpose. If you camp or travel you can use the AA's from your mini-maglight (or similar device) in a pinch in either device. You also need to carry only one charger for the batteries. I bought some Energizer Nimh AA's at Sam's club (Target and other retailers have them as well). They are currently up to 2300mAh rating, the higher the number the longer they last. These last a long time for me, for AA's. They were cheap, about $2.00/battery and were available with and without a charger. They had two types of chargers 1-hour (which came with both AC and DC connections, power from you motorcycle if you have a plug, which I do not. :cry ) or a slow charger (14-15 hr) with AC only, both chargers are compact enough to travel with. The one hour is nice because you can get a good charge at lunch/dinner stops.

Here is a shot of the one hour charger with DC adapter, the AC is a little larger but still compact.

http://patch29.smugmug.com/photos/87640-S-1.jpg


One other helpful thing to do would be to get a hands on with the 93 and 100 to view the screen size, slightly smaller with the 93.

I checked and B+H offers the 93 for $309.00 for reference.

[Seamaiden]

I've ordered a lot of stuff from newegg.com, probably at least 10 orders, including an olympus point and shoot, numerous memory cards and most recently a twin battery grip for my digital rebel. I've never had a problem and they ship fast and cheap. (And I work in mail order.) Prices aren't the best, but not the worst either. I give two thumbs up to newegg.com

Doug
I never have ordered anything from NewEgg, but my boyfriend has (just this week, as a matter of fact), and it was a HUGE pain in the butt! Just huge, so much so that, had we time to shop elsewhere, we would have.

[onethumb]

I never have ordered anything from NewEgg, but my boyfriend has (just this week, as a matter of fact), and it was a HUGE pain in the butt! Just huge, so much so that, had we time to shop elsewhere, we would have.

Newegg has been so fantastic for me (including a return on a faulty product, and many dozens of other perfect purchases), I almost never look elsewhere for things anymore.

They're usually competitive price-wise, their website is a bit rough around the edges (though improving rapidly lately), but the service has been great.

Every company (smugmug included!) makes mistakes -- what really sets great ones apart is how they deal with the mistakes. Newegg's been impressive every time for me. Of course, YMMV.

Don

[ysr612]

Newegg has been so fantastic for me (including a return on a faulty product, and many dozens of other perfect purchases), I almost never look elsewhere for things anymore.

They're usually competitive price-wise, their website is a bit rough around the edges (though improving rapidly lately), but the service has been great.

Every company (smugmug included!) makes mistakes -- what really sets great ones apart is how they deal with the mistakes. Newegg's been impressive every time for me. Of course, YMMV.

Don
I bought from newegg about a couple of months ago and they were great. :dunno

got a little dsc-p72

[Seamaiden]

Newegg has been so fantastic for me (including a return on a faulty product, and many dozens of other perfect purchases), I almost never look elsewhere for things anymore.

They're usually competitive price-wise, their website is a bit rough around the edges (though improving rapidly lately), but the service has been great.

Every company (smugmug included!) makes mistakes -- what really sets great ones apart is how they deal with the mistakes. Newegg's been impressive every time for me. Of course, YMMV.

Don
Yeah, we've both heard the same thing about NewEgg, but the beau's a professional data guy, and when he has to order the same mobo three times in a row and he's got a customer waiting, it gets OLD, fast. We figure that about 75% of the time he's got to return a faulty product - not necessarily the fault of NewEgg, yet it's a problem we have yet to encounter with ZipZoomFly (our preferred geekster's hard/software vendor), with one notable exception of a floppy drive that burned sizzled upon powering up.

<shrug> Maybe it's just us! <giggle>

[pierce]

resellerratings and others seem to give buydig.com reasonably good scores, very few folks with gripes. the vendors site *looks* kind of skanky, but they have excellent prices, and not totally outrageous shipping (ok, $22 for 3-5 day on a P&S is a bit high, but not as bad as some).

anyways, I just ordered a Canon S70 for $392 from them, USA model, all stock accessories, standard USA Canon SKU#. Guess I'll find out in a week whether they are any good.

[kattiepie]

What or where is B&H? I've been reading about this place everywhere but have no clue what the address to it is. Please help!

(PS. Does anyone know where to get a Canon SD20 at the lowest price possible? The lowest I found was.. $289. Thanks!)

[luckyrwe]

www.bhphotovideo.com

They are in New York and have plenty of ad space in photo magazines.

[wxwax]

What or where is B&H? I've been reading about this place everywhere but have no clue what the address to it is. Please help!

(PS. Does anyone know where to get a Canon SD20 at the lowest price possible? The lowest I found was.. $289. Thanks!)
Hi Kattie. Really, reading this thread is your best protection when hunting for the best price possible. You could try entering Canon SD20 into Google, then hitting the Froogle button. But I think you might find there's a very narrow price window at reputable dealers.

[DRT-Maverick]

I love B&H...

But onto the story.

I ordered from a company, can't remember the name. I ordered the Pentax *ist D from them for around $750. They sent me the Ds instead, and when I called the guy said "No, the only difference is it's silver instead." And then he had the nerve to try to convince me he was right. I decided to read off the spec comparison sheet. At the end of the sentence after he said I was wrong, I said "Oh, it's black."

I sent the camera back, and they didn't return my money right away, they were saying that we forgot a warranty card they sent. I then threatened to report them. All of a sudden a check came in the mail for the full amount.

[wxwax]

I love B&H...

But onto the story.

I ordered from a company, can't remember the name. I ordered the Pentax *ist D from them for around $750. They sent me the Ds instead, and when I called the guy said "No, the only difference is it's silver instead." And then he had the nerve to try to convince me he was right. I decided to read off the spec comparison sheet. At the end of the sentence after he said I was wrong, I said "Oh, it's black."

I sent the camera back, and they didn't return my money right away, they were saying that we forgot a warranty card they sent. I then threatened to report them. All of a sudden a check came in the mail for the full amount.

Pity you can't remember the company's name, that would useful info.

[pete w]

B&H, Adorama, Dell and Etronics for most of my purchases. Etronics usually has a slightly better price if in stock and has always been great:clap service.

Just an FYI

[DRT-Maverick]

Nah the place got shut down.

[wxwax]

Nah the place got shut down.
Ah, OK. Or changed names and is still in the dirtbag business. :evil

[Zanotti]

Does any one have experiance with Ritz Camera dot com? It took some real negative hits on reseller reviews.

Do they honor the same deals in the stores as on the internet? That would seem the best of both worlds - you get to see the product but pay the internet price. The web site says no tax, even on states they do business in. Does this include the retail stores?

Real or scam?

Z

[ajgauthier]

hi - from my experience dealing with Ritz in Virginia and now in Arizona --- it depends on the owner of the actual Ritz store. Ritz Camera stores are franchises and sometimes they play by their own rules. I suggest bringing a print out of the internet price to a store, talk real nice, be real interested, and see if you can strike up a deal.

You could also go play with it in the store, then go home and buy it online.

Adrienne


Does any one have experiance with Ritz Camera dot com? It took some real negative hits on reseller reviews.

Do they honor the same deals in the stores as on the internet? That would seem the best of both worlds - you get to see the product but pay the internet price. The web site says no tax, even on states they do business in. Does this include the retail stores?

Real or scam?

Z

[estrujen]

I thought you might be interested in a european point of view.

I go to my local photo shop and buy all the expensive gear there, since the difference in between shop price and the web is not too big.

Accessories which are not too expensive, I will buy on the Internet, I even order things in countries like Poland, until now (knock on wood) I haven't been ripped off ever.

The bad thing here in Spain is that the traditional photo dealer does not exist anymore, I live in an area of one million people and there is just one real shop. The rest is just outlets of the labs.

[Crvtte65]

Ritz camera is a real chain store, at least in the NE. Expensive, at least for what I bought there with a gift card from them. It's a chain store so its in for the money, not long term patrons.

For example, I just bought a Nikon SB-800 external flash with the SC-29 off camera shoe cord for a TOTAL of $404.75 (including s/h and applicable taxes [which actually was none]) from BH Photo. Ritz is charging $369.99 for the flash alone.

Both my total and the flash from Ritz has a $25 rebate from Nikon. You can also get imported items from BH if you dont want the rebate/warranty etc

[coldclimb]

So I'm looking at http://www.flyintheskyphoto.com/index.php?action=item&id=2781237#Overview

This shows what is apparently a Canon EOS 20D for only 900 dollars. Everywhere else I look, this camera is much more expensive, usually ranging from 1200 dollars upwards. I don't know near enough about DSLRs to know what makes this package so much cheaper, so can someone clue me in? I've had bad experiences in the past going with the cheaper deal that looks good, so I'm wanting to make sure this is actually good before making up my mind. I appreciate any help I can get!

[ChrisJ]

Scam artists: http://www.resellerratings.com/seller10003.html

Beware...

[Matthew Saville]

So I'm looking at http://www.flyintheskyphoto.com/index.php?action=item&id=2781237#Overview

This shows what is apparently a Canon EOS 20D for only 900 dollars. Everywhere else I look, this camera is much more expensive, usually ranging from 1200 dollars upwards. I don't know near enough about DSLRs to know what makes this package so much cheaper, so can someone clue me in? I've had bad experiences in the past going with the cheaper deal that looks good, so I'm wanting to make sure this is actually good before making up my mind. I appreciate any help I can get! It's definitely a bait-and-switch scam company, possibly associated with the Brooklyn scammers. One easy way to tell is that their "hot items" are cheap while all the extras are absolutely ridiculously expensive. Check that huge list below the camera... $150 for a GENERIC battery? $70 for a "standard" GENERIC battery? $120 for a GENERIC 1 gig CF card? Each of those items should cost less than HALF of the listed price anywhere else. That's the initial, most obvious sign of a SCAM.

Secondly, always check on their "policy" page, and I'll tell you what to look for. Here's what I found on "flyinthesky":

Shipping Policy:

For your protection, all orders that are submitted to us through our website are subjected to a thorough verification procedure before shipping. Often, this process includes contacting you via telephone or email to confirm your order and delivery information. Please be sure to include a phone number and email address so that we can contact you if necessary.

RED FLASHING LIGHT! Ask yourself, do reputable, world-famous companies such as B&H and Adorama do any sort of "phone verification" nonsense? Only if you provide them with your phone number and ASK to be contacted if an item is out of stock... With THIS company however, what they'll do is this: They call you up, and confirm your shipping address like any nice person would. THEN, they casually inform you that what you've just purchased is a camera with NO batteries, NO charger, and God knows maybe even no strap or warranty papers. THESE items are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive to "add" to your order, and so the company ends up making hundreds more than what everybody else is selling. And mind you, things like the battery, charger, warranty etc. are SHIPPED with the camera and "authorized dealers" are NOT allowed to take these items out.

Do NOT do business with them, and spread the word to anyone you know.

Here's the list so far:

digitalliquidators
j&kcameras
broadwayphoto (or regalcamera, maybe NOT the same scam but many UNHAPPIES)
a&mphotoworld
thecamerasource
bridgeviewphoto


and now we can add "flyinthesky"


Take care,
-Matt-

[Andy]

moved thread and posts to "how not to get ripped off"

[Jefferwin]

There is a common scam to be aware of on EBay when purchasing high-end cameras, or anything technical for that matter. The scam is to use a hijacked account (someone fell for the phishing scam) and to list something really expensive, say a D2X, for $100. There are three clues that it is a scam:

1. The price is WAY to low
2. The auction is for less than 24 hours
3. They ALWAYS want you to contact them at an email address in the auction, not though Ebay.

They get ahold of you, they give you a great 'buy it now' deal if you fedEx a money order to them, then they are gone.

EBay shuts them down within hours of being listed, but they still catch people looking for a great deal.

[devbobo]

http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritephoto-abusive-bait-and-switch.html

[wholenewlight]

http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritephoto-abusive-bait-and-switch.htmlwhoa - that guy had one serious problem with a sleazy brooklyn camera dealer . . . the camera salesman calling his boss and threatening fbi & police arrests . . . wow, thats bold

[canderson]

Found this site on slashdot --> http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritephoto-abusive-bait-and-switch.html

[DanielB]

Found this site on slashdot --> http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritephoto-abusive-bait-and-switch.html
very interesting article. i am glad you found this. because when i was looking for my camera. THIS was one of the very places i searched. glad i did not go with them.

[Prezwoodz]

Howdy!

I hope this is alright to post here in this section. I am buying a Fuji F9000 and was dealing with this company www.oneclickdigital.com and I don't have a lot of experience buying a camera offline. Reading about all the scamming companys scared me! :) I was wondering if anyone would be willing to help scan over the site real quick and let me know what you guys think!

[David_S85]

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller9679.html

When a comany uses aliases, that's not good. Neither are the reviews.

[Stormdancing]

Howdy!

was dealing with this company www.oneclickdigital.com (http://www.oneclickdigital.com)
# 19 on this site

http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/

[Prezwoodz]

Just thought I would throw a bad report out about a company. I ordered a F9000 from oneclickdigital.com and they would not ship until they called me. Then they called me and I told them no accessories and no extra warranties. The guy on the phone said "ok thanks" and hungup real fast. When I went online I found my order had been cancelled. Thats really lame stuff there!


DIdnt see the replies. Doh! Thanks guys for posting up. I did check several reviews sites and they had them listed pretty high. Its a bummer I didnt check that one!

[JamesJWeg]

I got lens lust the other day and started looking at used lens on B&H, they didn't have what I wanted so I looked at adorama. They had what I wanted so I ordered, and a protective filter for the lens. Sunday I got an e-mail from them, I just thought that it was telling me that my order shipped. Today I opened that e-mail on a whim to see what it said. It was a note telling me to call them, I did and got voice mail, they called me back in a few min like it said. What was the problem? why the delay? Why had they not shipped yet? because they thought that should order a $112 4 filter set, "that is a $130 value". The whole thing was a sales gimick to try to sell me a !@&#*!@ filter pack. If I order online I don't want to have my order held to wait on me having to call in to hear a sales pitch.

James.

[Andy]

I got lens lust the other day and started looking at used lens on B&H, they didn't have what I wanted so I looked at adorama. They had what I wanted so I ordered, and a protective filter for the lens. Sunday I got an e-mail from them, I just thought that it was telling me that my order shipped. Today I opened that e-mail on a whim to see what it said. It was a note telling me to call them, I did and got voice mail, they called me back in a few min like it said. What was the problem? why the delay? Why had they not shipped yet? because they thought that should order a $112 4 filter set, "that is a $130 value". The whole thing was a sales gimick to try to sell me a !@&#*!@ filter pack. If I order online I don't want to have my order held to wait on me having to call in to hear a sales pitch.

James.

Boy the poop on Adorama sure is hit or miss. I've heard it both ways, a lot. The best thing you could do is to relate your story on resellerratings.com, so others could benefit too. Shame - Adorama is wonderful to deal with in their NYC store - if I'm stuck for something and don't want to schlep all the way over to B&H I'll stop in there...

[JamesJWeg]

Boy the poop on Adorama sure is hit or miss. I've heard it both ways, a lot. The best thing you could do is to relate your story on resellerratings.com, so others could benefit too. Shame - Adorama is wonderful to deal with in their NYC store - if I'm stuck for something and don't want to schlep all the way over to B&H I'll stop in there...
Yeah I have bought from Adorama for years, but this was pure BS.

James.

[wholenewlight]

Adorama is wonderful to deal with in their NYC store - if I'm stuck for something and don't want to schlep all the way over to B&H I'll stop in there...
I'm mostly a B&H buyer but have purchased from Adorama successfully a few times.

[Seymore]

A very good, very long read... Tells a good story.
One guy's horror story of dealing with a camera store in NY.

http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritephoto-abusive-bait-and-switch.html


.

[Andy]

A very good, very long read... Tells a good story.
One guy's horror story of dealing with a camera store in NY.

http://thomashawk.com/2005/11/priceritephoto-abusive-bait-and-switch.html


.

Seymore, you're about the fifth guy to post this.. I moved your post from the Hall of Wisdom (read the forum sticky there) to the Cameras forum here.

[Seymore]

Seymore, you're about the fifth guy to post this.. I moved your post from the Hall of Wisdom (read the forum sticky there) to the Cameras forum here.
Thanks Andy. I didn't know. I did search, but was unable to find anything on based on the name of the company in question. So, I thought I was safe.

Thanks again man. Like your red bennie!!! :thumb who's your stylist?

[TOF guy]

If I order online I don't want to have my order held to wait on me having to call in to hear a sales pitch.


James

For the record, my experience with Adorama is different. It is true that Adorama has got into the habit of sending an e-mail that is somewhat ambiguous, and may make you believe that there is a problem with the order. The purpose is to incite you to call and try to sell you a filter set. I personally feel that the practice is causing harm to their reputation, for * good * reasons. I disagree with it, but to be fair to Adorama the following points have to be made based on mine and other's experience:

- they don't insist if you just say "no", and your order will not be canceled because you don't want the filters.

- the filters are sold at a competitive price

these 2 points are very important because they make a world of difference between Adorama and other merchants which use "bait and switch" tactics, attracting you with good prices - in theory - but refusing to make the sale if you don't accept to buy way overpriced accessories at the same time.

- final point: Adorama does * not * delay an order because you don't answer to the e-mail. It will ship whether you call them or not (again, based on mine and others' experience with them). But this is where this practice backfires: the letter is ambiguous and let you believe that a call is needed to solve it. The order is delayed. You call and they ask you if you want to buy filters. How does it look ? But what if there is in fact a * real * problem with the order - say the item is backordered but the web site did not reflect that at the time of ordering - it still looks like the delay is only because Adorama wanted to give you the sales pitch about the filters. They've got a lot of bad publicity from this several times, and if anybody from Adorama reads this, then I hope they'll follow my advice: stop this practice once and for all.

A part from this, they're a great store.

Thierry

[DanielB]

Is www.butterflyphoto.com (http://www.butterflyphoto.com) a reliable source?? my brother is looking to buy the Minolta Z6. and he is looking for the cheapest one. thanks guys:thumb

[Sam]

Check out this site. ButterFly Photo Customer Ratings, Reviews and Prices at ResellerRatings (http://www.resellerratings.com/seller4576.html?d3a75218)

I wouldn't buy from them based on this info, but others will. The cheapest promised price is not always the cheapest price.

Sam

[Art Scott]

I have been greatly stung and now longer will buy from anyone online or out of a magazine ad with out first checking with RESELLERSRATINGS.com............they can be a life saver....at the same time some companies that get bad ratings will just change their domain name and start over.....if I don;t find you on Reseller Ratings..then I check the WHo IS listing for domain names to see how old it is and if it looks shady.....store in NY....doamain owner in Russia....a bit of a exaggeration but I think every understands......

[JamesJWeg]

--chop--
- final point: Adorama does * not * delay an order because you don't answer to the e-mail. It will ship whether you call them or not (again, based on mine and others' experience with them).--chop--

Nope, they DID hold my order 2 days waiting on my call back, the sales guy who answered admitted this. I first bought film from them over 10 years ago, many rolls at a time, I liked them then, but this was really a sour apple.

James.

[gus]

Just a horrible reminder of what can happen on EBAY guys. The original person had good feedback (up to page 5) but unfortunately their account was hi-jacked...quite possibly from replying to an email sent to them that looked official from Ebay.

Dont reply to an email with your personal details guys.

This scammer has made his money fast & is now on holidays (http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=alisher71&items=25&page=1&frompage=-1&iid=-1&de=off).



Gus

[wxwax]

Just a horrible reminder of what can happen on EBAY guys. The original person had good feedback (up to page 5) but unfortunately their account was hi-jacked...quite possibly from replying to an email sent to them that looked official from Ebay.

Dont reply to an email with your personal details guys.

This scammer has made his money fast & is now on holidays (http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=alisher71&items=25&page=1&frompage=-1&iid=-1&de=off).



GusSame product pic in multiple auctions. Worse, they were running more or less concurrently. Huge tip-off.

[Digital407]

I'm considering buying this camera. Canon EOS D10. This is my question. How many shutter activations appx has this camera had? Is there a way of knowing trough the camera settings?

[Art Scott]

I'm considering buying this camera. Canon EOS D10. This is my question. How many shutter activations appx has this camera had? Is there a way of knowing trough the camera settings?

Shoot pic look at file number....if anything like my KM even if I changed my file system it still shows the number of photos taken.
have them send a pic of the daily newpaper showing date, including all exif data....

Jus cause you delete pic from card in camera doesn't change the file number....at least on KM's.......

[wxwax]

Doesn't the number roll over at some point? :scratch

[DavidTO]

Doesn't the number roll over at some point? :scratch


Yes, but it's like buying a used car. If the odometer says 30k miles, but the brakepedal is worn through to the metal, you know that it's had more than 30k miles, and that the odometer has rolled over.

[Art Scott]

Doesn't the number roll over at some point? :scratch

YES...it is at some point near 99,999 or 999,999...i am not real sure ... it may even be more.

[wxwax]

Yes, but it's like buying a used car. If the odometer says 30k miles, but the brakepedal is worn through to the metal, you know that it's had more than 30k miles, and that the odometer has rolled over.
OK, this is getting really complicated. The 10D has a brake pedal? :scratch

[flyingdutchie]

OK, this is getting really complicated. The 10D has a brake pedal? :scratch

Yes, stoopid. You didn't know that!!!??
It's right there next to the cigarette lighter!
...
...
... some people!! ...:dunno
...


:D :rofl

[Holden]

Bought my 10D at B & H. The order shipped the same day. (The 10D was on special at $799.95 for the body). These guys are a class act.

I just checked my file number on the camera per instructions from an earlier thread. It read 3700 and change. I know I have not shot more than 500 or so shots so I wonder what happened? I'm certain their internet site did not say it was a demo or a refurb. The camera looked brand spanking new when I took it out of the box. Is it possible that the factory shoots off a few thousand shots to make sure the shutter is functioning properly?

[gefillmore]

Sid-

let's see; you wrote this two years ago?

whatta good post!

I hope everyone who looks to go cheap on a camera checks it out-

I'll look around at all the low prices and always end up going to b&h (I'm sure there are others just as good--it's just my preference)- have not had the slightest problem with them--

nice job-

george

[wxwax]

:thumb Thanks George. Your post made me go back and reread it, clean up the weird artifacts that replace some punctuation when Baldy upgrades his vBulletin.

[kit2kat]

I have been looking through this topic and reading and now I wondering if I done the right thing.
I -purchased a canon rebel xt from ebay from sunshine electronics.
I seen that the store front pic was on here. Are they bad to buy from should I go some where else?
I havent paid just yet and dont want to get burned.:huh

[gefillmore]

for all I know, sunshine might be ok, but after looking at ebay and resellerratings my guess is that sunshine might-
try a bait and switch, or some form thereof, to get you to upgrade and/or switch to get you to spend more money-
try to get you to spend more on shipping-
try to get you to purchase insurance-
try to screw you on something before it's all over with-

I looked on ebay and saw no mention of a 1 year usa warranty--I might have missed it-

you will probably get the right camera, new, with no problems with the actual camera, but at what actual price-

please read this review site: http://www.resellerratings.com/seller3032.html -

I'm not going to tell you not to follow through, but I would rather pay several hundred dollars more for some peace of mind- (considering some of the crap you're going to possibly get-the tripod, the case, the wide angle lens that you'll end up replacing and the extra charges that they'll possibly throw at you, it probably wouldn't end up being that much different)-

if you do get it, pay with a credit card that you have some recourse with, that you can call and get some help if you do get screwed, and see if you have any recourse with ebay, also-

if you don't follow through and you are negative rated on ebay and you care, be sure to answer their rating and to give them a rating, also-

I have no experience with this company and I don't know that any of the above will happen, but take a real good, close look-

good luck and let us know how it goes-

george

[wxwax]

I have been looking through this topic and reading and now I wondering if I done the right thing.
I -purchased a canon rebel xt from ebay from sunshine electronics.
I seen that the store front pic was on here. Are they bad to buy from should I go some where else?
I havent paid just yet and dont want to get burned.:huh
Based on the ResellerRatings feedback, they sound like they'll come after you for more money - for add-ons and shipping, at a minimum. I'd see if I can back out without them leaving me bad feedback on ebay. You're in a tough spot, having committed to buy from them.

[docwalker]

In reference to online dealers calling to upsell you, I had an interesting call this weekend.

Last week I ordered an SB-800, a battery, and a verticle grip for my Nikon. Saturday afternoon, I get a call from B&H. The guy on the phone said "did you place an order with us this week?" I said yes I did. He replied "Ok, we are shipping it out today, please let us know if there is anything else we can do for you." :thumb

The shipment is supposed to arrive today. That is why I order from places like B&H. The local Ritz never has what I want in stock, the employees do not keep up with the latest technology and laugh when you ask when they will get something in stock. I have given up. :bash

B&H did not have the MC-35 GPS cord in stock so I ended up getting it from Norman Camera. Just from my one dealing with them, I will probably turn to them for items that B&H does not have.

So far my list of online dealers is short B&H, Adorama, Norman. Ritz is now off of my list entirely. I will stop in occasionally to see what clearance items they might have but as far as major purchases.... :rofl

[dancinkate]

When I got my Rebel XT I actually purchased it from Sunshine. And they DID push for the add-ons, which we decided to get (battery with more life, etc). It WAS shipped pretty quickly, they had good customer service and everything was exactly as listed.

Those packages have a ton of stuff that you don't need though. I have 2 sets of filters that I've rarely used, the tripod is cheap compared to my other one and the flash was a piece of junk. I didn't know anything about equipment at the time and just went with what looked good. This time around, for my next camera purchase, I'll be reserching and going through B&H. :thumb

[digitalpins]

when i first got my rebel xt I did alot of research and comparing prices, I ended up going with ebay got a very good deal. I brought from Digitalsaleno1 on ebay they have an ebay store. Read all the feedback and considered others but again the others had negative feedback. This was my first big or expensive purchase from ebay so I was kind of skeptical at first but in the end it all worked out. Got my camera very quick and no problems what so ever.

For my next purchase I am not sure what I am going to do, I love B&H so I am considering them....

[Dante]

In the last year I have made several large dollar item purchases from B&H and have found them to be very prompt and professional. They may not always have the lowest price on an item (most of the time they are close to the lowest), but I don't mind paying slightly more to ensure that I'll be dealing with knowledgeable people and a professional camera shop.

Also, just a quick note for the previous posts regarding NewEgg - I have made over twenty purchases from Newegg in the past five years and have never come across a single issue.

-Dante

[JohnnyJr]

I had another great Calumet Photographic experience today -- picked-up at 17-40 f/4L. I've used their brick & mortar stores in Chicago and Cambridge MA and never had a bad experience. I routinely buy commodity items from B&H, but when it comes to lenses, bodies and anything else that I want to easily return if not completely satisfied I go to Calumet and pay a bit more for the service. They have a 15 day return policy on most items and I've returned things like $1500 L lenses with no questions asked. To me that peace of mind worth something!

[JohnnyJr]

I did not mean to imply B&H is difficult with returns. I think they are 14 days on most items. And their prices are often great. I just like being able to walk into Calumet and not worry about shipping things back and forth if I need to return them. The folks there are great. If you're lucky enough to have one in your town please check them out!

I had another great Calumet Photographic experience today -- picked-up at 17-40 f/4L. I've used their brick & mortar stores in Chicago and Cambridge MA and never had a bad experience. I routinely buy commodity items from B&H, but when it comes to lenses, bodies and anything else that I want to easily return if not completely satisfied I go to Calumet and pay a bit more for the service. They have a 15 day return policy on most items and I've returned things like $1500 L lenses with no questions asked. To me that peace of mind worth something!

[mikeb380]

Good post. It's nice to hear about a vendor who really does practice customer service.

WRT buying lenses from Brooklyn, other than warranty, I think one of the biggest issues is whether or not they actually have the lens in stock. I've read many a story of someone taking the risk, and then waiting for weeks for a product they were promised in a few days. Naturally, their credit card was charged immediately.

Caveat emptor.

Sid, all you have to do is call your bank/credit card co and tell them you were charged for something you haven't received. They'll bounce the charge back to the company. At least my bank will. Company isn't allowed to charge your card til item is in stock and shipped. They can check your card to be sure it is ok, but not use it.

Another option is to call US Attorney General's office and post a complaint. If it is interstate you can also call post office. If in state, call state Attorney. This constitutes fraud. More people ought to follow up instead of holding their head and moaning "Alas, alack, I was robbed."
Michael

[R_Younce]

So, I've been reading this forum which has been ultimatley the only forum that has ever looked useful enough to join, and I must admit that I am on the brink of making a purchase based on HUGE amounts of excitement.

It seems to me that B&H is the most reliable source for buying camera equipment, and would promise a no stress buy. But... I am not one who comes across money often, and this pricing at newegg.com looks like the most ideal purchase.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830120030

I am looking to purchase a Canon Rebel XT with a 18-55mm lens, newegg seems to have a free three day shipping deal, and it also says there is a "Big discount with CF card combo purchase, ends 9/15" however I don't quite know if that means I am purchasing said combo, it does not appear as if there is a CF card included in this package... also no link appears to route to another page that sells such a deal, I wonder if the price posted is for THAT deal or if it is for the package listed. The worry definetly seems inane to me, but for how excited I am, I thought I would ask if you guys thought this looked like a "scam-free" kinda thing. I am new to online camera shopping.

BTW, what does everyone think of "www.expresscameras.com"? I almost bought from them, but they had the look of "suck" about them.

[wxwax]

Click on the Combo Deal tab under the camera. Yes, it includes a 1GB card.

You can buy a quality 1GB CF card for about $50.

Is this a good deal? :dunno

I wouldn't touch expresscameras.

[LuckyBob]

So, I've been reading this forum which has been ultimatley the only forum that has ever looked useful enough to join, and I must admit that I am on the brink of making a purchase based on HUGE amounts of excitement.

It seems to me that B&H is the most reliable source for buying camera equipment, and would promise a no stress buy. But... I am not one who comes across money often, and this pricing at newegg.com looks like the most ideal purchase.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830120030

I am looking to purchase a Canon Rebel XT with a 18-55mm lens, newegg seems to have a free three day shipping deal, and it also says there is a "Big discount with CF card combo purchase, ends 9/15" however I don't quite know if that means I am purchasing said combo, it does not appear as if there is a CF card included in this package... also no link appears to route to another page that sells such a deal, I wonder if the price posted is for THAT deal or if it is for the package listed. The worry definetly seems inane to me, but for how excited I am, I thought I would ask if you guys thought this looked like a "scam-free" kinda thing. I am new to online camera shopping.

BTW, what does everyone think of "www.expresscameras.com"? I almost bought from them, but they had the look of "suck" about them.

Newegg is also an absolutely fantastic place to buy from; they've recieved several thousand dollars from me over the years. Your hunch appears to be correct regarding expresscameras.com - their Reseller Rating is horrid (http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1805.html).

Regarding the Newegg deal, if you click on the "Combo Deals" tab just below and to the right of the lefthand menu, they've got a Transcend 1GB card and the camera for $700 and a RiTEK 2GB card with the camera for $719.

[richW]

Last Friday my 20d & 300mm 2.8 IS decided to see how it felt to hit the ground. The 20d did not do too well.
I don’t have enough time to get it fixed before Friday’s football game, and being without transportation this week I thought I would try B&H mail-order for a new camera.

I hadn’t bought any big ticket items via the internet or mail-order before yesterday. In the past I would use B&H for accessories and use Calumet Store in Santa Ana, California for cameras and lens.

I called B&H to check stock, they had them in stock. I placed the order and in less than 24 hours I have my new 30d. Great service, no upselling, no bs, and saved over $100.00 from local prices.

Go with the top rated stores even if the price might seem a little high; you’ll save in the long run….

[henryp]

I called B&H to check stock, they had them in stock. I placed the order and in less than 24 hours I have my new 30d. Great service, no upselling, no bs, and saved over $100.00 from local prices.

Go with the top rated stores even if the price might seem a little high; you’ll save in the long run….
Thank you for this. Much appreciated.

[Wanderlust]

Thank you for this. Much appreciated.

I ordered a Canon S3 point and shoot camera package from B&H for a little over $500 USD that was shipped on Sept 5th. It was the glowing endorsements here that gave me the confidence in them. It is now Sept 12th and they can't come up with a tracking number and now say it could take 45 days. Origional estimate was 'under two weeks' to Canada. The number I got from thier FRUSTRATING:huh automated phone system is invalid with USPS.

Thier live service people are freindly enough. As opposed to the tearse sales people. But I'm wondering if they actually sent anything. I'm under some time constraints to buy some good compact binoculars, a Canon Rebel XTi, and a couple good lenses for vacationing. $3500 USD and I can't bring myself to commit the order to B&H. The point and shoot is to be a Christmas gift and was sort of a test run for B&H.

Don't you get a package number or a tracking number uppon sending the package? :scratch You sure do up here in Canada, but then we have everything but USPS for shipping. Does anyone have experience with www.Henrys.com (http://www.Henrys.com)
or any other good online photography/optics store based in Canada?

Thanks and what a wealth of information, experience and enthusiasm here on this site. It's great.

[DavidTO]

USPS is the United States Postal Service, and does not provide tracking.

UPS is United Parcel Service, and does provide tracking.

Which one are you using?

I ordered a Canon S3 point and shoot camera package from B&H for a little over $500 USD that was shipped on Sept 5th. It was the glowing endorsements here that gave me the confidence in them. It is now Sept 12th and they can't come up with a tracking number and now say it could take 45 days. Origional estimate was 'under two weeks' to Canada. The number I got from thier FRUSTRATING:huh automated phone system is invalid with USPS.

Thier live service people are freindly enough. As opposed to the tearse sales people. But I'm wondering if they actually sent anything. I'm under some time constraints to buy some good compact binoculars, a Canon Rebel XTi, and a couple good lenses for vacationing. $3500 USD and I can't bring myself to commit the order to B&H. The point and shoot is to be a Christmas gift and was sort of a test run for B&H.

Don't you get a package number or a tracking number uppon sending the package? :scratch You sure do up here in Canada, but then we have everything but USPS for shipping. Does anyone have experience with www.Henrys.com (http://www.Henrys.com)
or any other good online photography/optics store based in Canada?

Thanks and what a wealth of information, experience and enthusiasm here on this site. It's great.

[Wanderlust]

USPS is the United States Postal Service, and does not provide tracking.

UPS is United Parcel Service, and does provide tracking.

Which one are you using?


They sent it by USPS (United States Postal Service). B&H claims they do get tracking information (eventually) and USPS says they provide it right away. 1 800 ASK USPS (275 8777).

[dragon300zx]

The number I got from thier FRUSTRATING:huh automated phone system is invalid with USPS.

What was this tracking number you got from the automated phone system?

Also USPS provides tracking numbers when requested. Not all the time. UPS provides tracking numbers all the time. B&H is 100% on the up and up, the problem may be customs or even the USPS if that is who is was shipped by.

[wxwax]

I hate using the Postal Service, and this is one reason why.

Also, might it not be a little early to get freaked out?

You said B&H originally estimated delivery in "under two weeks." As of today, it's only been seven days since it was shipped. Maybe wait a few more days before you allow yourself to get too upset about this? :dunno

[Wanderlust]

I hate using the Postal Service, and this is one reason why.

Also, might it not be a little early to get freaked out?

You said B&H originally estimated delivery in "under two weeks." As of today, it's only been seven days since it was shipped. Maybe wait a few more days before you allow yourself to get too upset about this? :dunno

The only reasons for wishing for tracking info is (1) evidence something was sent (as opposed to dropshippers, backordering etc.) and (2) if I know this item passes customs in a timely manner without massive duties or brokerage charges then I can put in for the much larger order with them with some assurances it may be recieved before the intended recipients leave the country until next year. Since time is somewhat limited and I'm interested in the better deal I'll need this info or by default I'll be spending the $500 more to get it here. I don't meen to sound pushy, upset or 'freaked out' just interested in doing buisness with them, and from my vantage point it just seemes odd that it would take so many times longer to send a package from NY to here than the other way around. Also package tracking is simple and automatic from my experience. Of course NOW I know it ain't so with USPS. I'm not sure what good a tracking number is if it takes longer to get the number than to deliver the package. Perhaps if it is only a matter of making the request to USPS on the part of the sender it might be a good service point if B&H were to do so, at least for international orders where the possibility of complications and holdups are greater. It is good to know that there's at least some good experiences with B&H out there. I'm sure they're a good outfit. Hopefully something will turn up by the weekend.

To answer the other question, the tracking number put out by the automated phone system based on my order number with B&H was 000017127. This didn't register with USPS who said it should be in a bit different format.

[wxwax]

Yeah, understood, not calling into question the desirability of a tracking number.

Quite the opposite: that's one reason why I dislike the Post Office and always opt for UPS or FedEx.

I have never had any qualms about B&H. They're the best of the best. In fact, they inadvertantly helped me discover I was a victim of identity theft, when they found a problem with my credit card that no-one else had. They're honest and competent.

The US Postal Service, on the other hand...

[mikeb380]

I ordered a Canon S3 point and shoot camera package from B&H for a little over $500 USD that was shipped on Sept 5th. It was the glowing endorsements here that gave me the confidence in them. It is now Sept 12th and they can't come up with a tracking number and now say it could take 45 days. Origional estimate was 'under two weeks' to Canada. The number I got from thier FRUSTRATING:huh automated phone system is invalid with USPS.

Thier live service people are freindly enough. As opposed to the tearse sales people. But I'm wondering if they actually sent anything. I'm under some time constraints to buy some good compact binoculars, a Canon Rebel XTi, and a couple good lenses for vacationing. $3500 USD and I can't bring myself to commit the order to B&H. The point and shoot is to be a Christmas gift and was sort of a test run for B&H.

Don't you get a package number or a tracking number uppon sending the package? :scratch You sure do up here in Canada, but then we have everything but USPS for shipping. Does anyone have experience with www.Henrys.com (http://www.Henrys.com)
or any other good online photography/optics store based in Canada?

Thanks and what a wealth of information, experience and enthusiasm here on this site. It's great.

I have had experience with Henry and it wasn't good at all. I sent money and they didn't send anything. When I complained they said they hadn't got the money but paypal said they had. We went round and round and I told them to just send back the money. I would never use them again.

USPS and tracking numbers is/are a joke. Yes, they do tracking numbers but when you go to their tracking system it can never find the number or tell you where your parcel is, tells you to try later; that's if USPS gets a number out prior to your receiving the parcel. I do a lot of Priority mail with them and have found them very reliable, mostly getting one day service which is quite different than a few years ago. Used to take anywhere from a week to an eon to get a package and that was only after they ran the steam roller over it several times and had the donkeys do a job on it. Quite different now. I sent a PMail package to China and it got there in 4 days. Kinda magical as chinese customs is very strict about imports from USA. Also only cost me $4. and some cents to send it. Again magical. For about the same price they are faster than UPS ground. I never thought I'd praise our postal service. LOL
What can I say? :dunno
Cheers
Michael :bad

[JWright]

For years I have purchase my major gear (cameras, lenses, etc) from one of the two pro camera stores we have here in San Diego. Both have been in business for decades and are very reputable dealers with competitive prices. I much prefer doing business in person so I have the recourse of returning the item to the store if something is not right. I know everyone is looking for the best possible price, but I'd rather pay a little more for the positive shopping experience.

[ts_photo]

When buying cameras online you can always email the manufacturer and ask them if a particular company is an authorized dealer of their products. I have done this quite a few times. If they are not authorized by the manufacturer then you can be sure that you will probably get ripped off.

[henryp]

To answer the other question, the tracking number put out by the automated phone system based on my order number with B&H was 000017127. This didn't register with USPS who said it should be in a bit different format.
I am sorry for your difficulty. That is the USPS tracking #. FWIW, my experience is the USPS online package tracking system is pretty poor. Your order could have been shipped via UPS for only $2.25 more and UPS has a very good online package tracking setup. If there's any way I can assist you, let me know.

[wxwax]

I am sorry for your difficulty. That is the USPS tracking #. FWIW, my experience is the USPS online package tracking system is pretty poor. Your order could have been shipped via UPS for only $2.25 more and UPS has a very good online package tracking setup. If there's any way I can assist you, let me know.
I second that.

Skip the US Postal Service. They're bad news.

UPS is far more reliable.

[mikeb380]

For years I have purchase my major gear (cameras, lenses, etc) from one of the two pro camera stores we have here in San Diego. Both have been in business for decades and are very reputable dealers with competitive prices. I much prefer doing business in person so I have the recourse of returning the item to the store if something is not right. I know everyone is looking for the best possible price, but I'd rather pay a little more for the positive shopping experience.

I would love to buy locally but there are only two companies here now. One is Ritz and they lie a lot because they are ignorant. The other is Columbia Camera and they used to be good, however they have atrophied, so I am forced to go out of Columbia to purchase. I have used B&H and Adorama, with most going to Adorama ( sorry Henry, just happened that way). I think both companies are reliable and mean what they say. It is great to be able to trust companies with whom you work.

Michael :barb

[mikeb380]

I am sorry for your difficulty. That is the USPS tracking #. FWIW, my experience is the USPS online package tracking system is pretty poor. Your order could have been shipped via UPS for only $2.25 more and UPS has a very good online package tracking setup. If there's any way I can assist you, let me know.

My experience with USPS tracking is that it is a joke. If you try to track anything they tell you it hasn't been picked up. They do that even after you receive the package. However, I find that their Priority mail is usually great. I bought a bunch of books online and have been getting media mail in about 3 days. Everyone says a week to two weeks for delivery. I usually get priority mail in about a day. On some things the USPS is good, others suck. If I have a choice I'll pay the difference for UPS or FedEx.
Michael :clap

[evoryware]

I'm from NY and I'll never buy from a Brooklyn outlet. Between bbb.com and resellerratings.com, I can take a hint.
I only deal with newegg.com online and locally, B & H Photo Video and CompUSA Business Sales. B & H is just a fun place to go shop and try before you buy even though it's a hassle for me to leave work and get there before they close at 7 (and they are closed on Saturday). Newegg is just fast and no hassle shopping and very competitive prices although they don't have everything B & H has...yet. I've been purchasing computer equipment from Newegg for over 4 years and never had a problem so now I buy camera stuff from them.
I only trust Fedex for my shipping and USPS Priority insured with tracking as backup. Can't stand UPS.

[Pupator]

I'd just like to sing the praises of OneCall.com for a moment.

I was getting ready to buy my camera through Amazon and I noticed that they didn't actually carry the camera but were delivering it through OneCall (who I'd never heard of). I was still going to stick with Amazon because I know their customer service is good.

When I went to the shipping page, the fastest I could get it was 2-3 days (I guess because of the extra time needed for Amazon to deal with OneCall). I checked out OneCall.com and everything on their site looked okay so I went through them.

The transaction was smooth, the price was excellent, they were very polite on the phone (they called because my shipping and billing address were different). And, as I'm typing this - it has arrived. I must go now.

[DavidTO]

I'd just like to sing the praises of OneCall.com for a moment.



I've heard Andy say the same thing. OneCall is one of the vendors on our newish Where To Buy (http://dgrin.smugmug.com/Reviews%20You%20Can%20Use/261993) page.

[docwalker]

In order to warn others I thought I might add this. A friend just got a camera she ordered from Abe's of Maine. She had been looking at the Rebel Xti to upgrade from the K2 she has.

She called me last week to tell me that she had placed the order. I immediately asked why she did not call me first for advice. She said it was an impulse buy. She called several other companies first and got all of the scam sales pitches immediately. When she called Abe's everything seemed ok.

She said that the Abe's sales person was very friendly and helpful. In the order process the sales person said that the kit lens was crappy and recommended a Sigma 18-50. The sales person also asked if my friend needed a CF card. A Trancend 2gb 120x for $129 was added to the order. The same card can be bought direct from Trancend for $49. The order was placed last week.

The friend called yesterday to ask if I had gotten my camera from B&H. I did on Monday. She was starting to get worried as her camera should have been delivered by now. Abes had promised her it would ship out last week. I check the tracking number for her. I find that it did not ship until Wed of this week. She was lied to on the ship date.

She got the camera yesterday evening. The original kit lens is not in the kit box. The warranty card for the lens is also missing. She is not happy at this point. I recommended that she start making some phone calls and request a return on the camera. She does not want to return it. But, she plans to raise a fit.

I feel real bad for her as she wanted to get into digital photography after seeing my work. I just wish that she had called me before placing the order.

I am not saying that Abes did anything wrong. But, this one friend is not happy with them at all. I personally rather pay more at B&H to get the reliable sales. She did not buy from B&H because they were closed on Friday. I had to explain to her why.

Doc

[mikeb380]

I have been dealing with Adorama for several years. I started on ebay and they were great. They went out of their way to be sure I got what I wanted. This week I Saw they had a mobile hard drive, 320 gig, for sale and I wanted it. I am on Social security and get paid on the 4th wed of every month ( silly person thought that one up). I emailed Iggy and asked him how long the drive would be that price. He wrote back and asked the model number which I sent him. He replied same day and said I can get it on 27th. Now, I don't buy a lot of stuff, especially high ticket stuff, but Iggy remembered me and went out of his way to help me. I find out that he isn't in sales any more and shouldn't have had to deal with this, he could have thrown it off to a salesman to take care of. He didn't see it that way and got me the info I needed. I'll continue to do business with Adorama because of Izzy's actions this week. I think this is how a business should be run, take care of the customer first. Thank you Izzy
Michael :bow :barb

[mikeb380]

Who is the party who updates the review page for dealers? I would like to see Adorama added. I have had nothing but good relations with them and enjoy dealing with them.

[DougMunn]

We've bought to cameras and misc. accessories from Abes. They've been good to us, both in delivery and service.

I'll buy from them again.

Just note....

Abes isn't really in Maine. They are actually right along with everybody else in the NY Camera District. Don't be afraid to tell the salesperson that their price for such and such (camera, lense or accessory) is to much. They've always been willing to dicker and toss in extras for very little.

Doug

[mikeb380]

In checking up on a store in a different thread I found this:

I went to RatingsPlanet site and checked on Express; all they had were outstanding reviews. I then checkd on companies such as Adorama, wasn't listed; KEH, wasn't listed; Cambridge Camera, ditto; and so forth. I chaecked about 20stores and only one was rated, that was B&H and they had terrible reviews. Well, to quote the Bard, "something is fishy in Denmark" I'd advise anyone seeing that particular sticker on a store site to run, don't walk away.

[David_S85]

B&H has about as high a trust factor as they get. Most of us here in the states order our gear there.

[gus]

B&H has about as high a trust factor as they get. Most of us here in the states order our gear there.
Yerbut but for overseas orders B&H (and andorama for that matter) want you to fax a copy of your credit card...with your sig & security numbers (ie last few small numbers on the back)

Now i trust the company ..dont get me wrong but no way in hell am i sending stuff like that to a 852 digit over seas fax number that i have no real idea if it is getting to the right place.

I dont see why they both think they are different from the rest of the world. I talk to a lot of aussies that buy up & they all want to deal with these 2 but have the same fears as myself thus we look elsewhere.

Thats my rant & no-one tell me its any different as i tried again with them both only a month back.

[David_S85]

They are protecting themselves. I'm sure like most businesses that also provide web and mail order options, they've been taken for a ride for millions over the years from half the planet. Much much much more difficult to get a resolution from fraud outside one's own country of business (darn near impossible in fact.)

You may think its bad customer service, but really, try to look at their situation from their perspective. I think its very refreshing and honorable that they make the effort to protect themselves from possible fraud.

[gus]

They are protecting themselves.
No shit sherlock ? They are not doing it to be popular.

Whilst they continue to run like this then they will continue to loose over seas sales as im sure others feel as i do..on the local forums here people certainly express the same views as myself. Hell we may only be 0.3% of sales thus its not worth it for them...i dunno.. but with this policy they will never see a red cent from me whilst my arse points to the ground.

[onegear]

i'm very much an amateur photographer that has decided to go DSLR. i'm a happy smugmug member, happy member of this forum, and after reading all the great reviews on B&H, i'm going with them for the purchase of my new camera.

i've decided to go with the Rebel XTi. a huge upgrade from my Canon A620 (great point and shoot camera, by the way)

thanks for all the help!

[dogwood]

No shit sherlock ?

Wow, that seems pretty harsh.

I've never used BH for an overseas order, but I use them all the time for domestic orders. I've had to call them to verify cc orders, but you know what? I don't mind because not only are they covering their butts, they're keeping my credit card from fraudulent use. My account with them is now set-up to verify cc orders through a third-party application through my bank, so even if someone swipes my CC, they can't use it at BH.

I'm not sure where you live, but identity theft and fraudulent credit card use is a HUGE problem where I live (portland, oregon). Any steps BH can take to limit this problem is appreciated by me.

It's ironic, because I've seen other threads on other forums upset at BH for closing on Jewish holidays and people saying they'll never buy from BH because of that. Add that to this discussion, and it's surprising they have any business. Yet somehow they do and I've personally never had them be condescending or rude to me.

I understand you're frustrated by their overseas ordering process, but I still don't think that calls for insulting people on this forum who have had good experiences with them.

[DoctorIt]

Whilst they continue to run like this then they will continue to loose over seas sales as im sure others feel as i do..Time to stir the pot... want to hear about the last time I tried to order something from the UK or Aus? Oh right, that's because it's near impossible!

Wow, that seems pretty harsh.

Dog, Gus and David are cool, that wasn't a harsh comment, I bet they forgot we weren't bullsh*tting in the "back room". :doh

[gus]

Wow, that seems pretty harsh.
Harsh ? whats harsh ... a common phrase in australia that simply agrees with someone & means "yeah.. i know"

[gus]

Time to stir the pot... want to hear about the last time I tried to order something from the UK or Aus?
Well i can only speak for 0z but your main problem is because we only have 3 rocks & a stick.

[DoctorIt]

Well i can only speak for 0z but your main problem is because we only have 3 rocks & a stick.and a set of GS tires I really wanted :wxwax

[gus]

and a set of GS tires I really wanted :wxwax
Your joking !! Tyres are expensive here. Let alone shipping stuff that heavey & bulkiy...whats that about ?

[DoctorIt]

...whats that about ?I forgot the exact name, but you could only find them in Oz or NZ.

[Pindy]

A web search landed me here:

http://www.thecamerapros.com

At first I was amazed at the completely insane low prices on lenses (look up the EF 24-105 for example). I noticed they had a fairly generic looking website with a link to a ratings site I'd never heard of:

http://www.ratingsplanet.com/merchant_rating.asp?merch_id=1159410159

Not a poor review on this site, which looks like it's on the take.

A trip over to the more legit resellerratings.com showed this rather ugly underneath:

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/TheCameraPros

For a laugh, read the few, odd good reviews on this page. They sound as though they were written by thecamerapros.com employees or perhaps some Stepford wives. The good reviews sound completely fake, as though they were given keywords by their boss.

[David_S85]

Photo of The Camera Pros (http://www.donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/h0168.htm). Note the many names they also go by.

[mikeb380]

A web search landed me here:

http://www.thecamerapros.com

At first I was amazed at the completely insane low prices on lenses (look up the EF 24-105 for example). I noticed they had a fairly generic looking website with a link to a ratings site I'd never heard of:

http://www.ratingsplanet.com/merchant_rating.asp?merch_id=1159410159

Not a poor review on this site, which looks like it's on the take.

A trip over to the more legit resellerratings.com showed this rather ugly underneath:

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/TheCameraPros

For a laugh, read the few, odd good reviews on this page. They sound as though they were written by thecamerapros.com employees or perhaps some Stepford wives. The good reviews sound completely fake, as though they were given keywords by their boss.

Pindy, I posted about this ratings site a week or so ago. I did name searches on reputable camera stores such as Adorama, B&H, Cambridge camera, and some others. The only company carried on the site was B&H and the review was a bad one. Like you, I felt the site "RatingsPlanet" was a con. I advise anyone seeing that sticker on a site to leave immediately beforeyou catch some dreadful disease!
I know we have a forum to post good companies but it seems only management can do that and they are not receptive to posting any companies aside from the ones they know or who advertise on this site. Also we should be able to post a list of bad sites such as these two and let people post the good & bad stuff they find.

Michael

[chrisjlee]

I remember andy mentioning this place but consumerist recently blogged about this infamous Broadway photo:
http://consumerist.com/consumer/broadway-photo/broadway-photos-sheistylooking-business-addresses-230560.php

Sorry if i miscategorized this. I thought this would be the right place for the right audience.

Hope this helps out people.

[Bountyphotographer]

bought mine at cosco the place where if you are not satisfied they refund your money

30 D for $ 1350 with 18-55 & 70-300 (the two lenses are not top of the line, but to start it's great)

BP

[Airedrifter]

I remember andy mentioning this place but consumerist recently blogged about this infamous Broadway photo:
http://consumerist.com/consumer/broadway-photo/broadway-photos-sheistylooking-business-addresses-230560.php

Sorry if i miscategorized this. I thought this would be the right place for the right audience.

Hope this helps out people.

I dealt with Broadway about 20 years ago on a VHS camcorder deal. What a mess.

[Lex]

If you want the crap scared out of you looking for camera or A/V gear, check here: Full description of as I Call it, the "Photo mofia"...

http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/#202

I always deal with BergerBrothers.com, RobertsImaging.com, BHPhoto.com, jandr.com, CameraWholesalers.com, occasionally Adorama.com though last on my list.

[wcj0]

I had purchased several items from bluestripe photo in the past ( 24-70L , 24-105L, 70-200 isusmL ) and always had good results up until now. hopefully someone from their orginization reads this post and straightens things out. I was in the market to buy a 100-400 isL lense so naturally i looked at all of the suppliers that i have purchased from before ( bluestripe, B&H, Canoga, Beach ) and saw that bluestripe had the lense for $1,224 or their abouts which was approx 150 cheaper then anyone else. So i called on thursday to conferm the price on line. the gentlemen that I spoke to verified the price and I told him that I was a repeat customer and would call next week and order the lense as soon as the funds came in. he said thanks and I hung up. Yesterday ( friday) one day later the funds arrived and I called bluestripe to order the lense. I told the ideot that answered the phone that I called yesterday ( by the way, read on and you'll see why he was an ideot) and was ready to place the order for the 100-400 that was advertised. I a real gruff tone he says "well why didn't you just order it yesterday instead of calling again today?". I said whats the difference i want to order it today. He says ok but you know in order to get the lense you also have to order filters and an extended warantee inorder to get the same price. I told him do me a favor, I'm a repeat customer and don't feel like getting f****d with. either sell me the lense the way i want it for the price that was confermed yesterday or keep it. he then said that he had to put me on hold and would have to speak to a manager. I hung up. I called back figuring that I had the luck of the draw the first time and they picked this dunce up off of the shelf and told him to answer the phones if anyone called instead of cleaning the bathrooms and that if i called again i would speak to someone who cared about their sales reputation which i never had a problem with before since I had previously purchased over $4,000 worth of equipment from them. "WRONG". The next rocket scientist tells me " well this lense is discontinued from Canon and they replaced it with the 75-300 is usm and its a better lense for less money". He also stated that if i bought this lense i would have to buy the extended warrantee and the UV filter to protect the glass. At this point i realized that bluestripe had slipped into the now "famous INTERNET SCAM ARTISTS foundation". I told him to keep this "NEW REPLACEMENT LENSE" stick it where the sun don't shine and hung up. I called up Canoga Camera in California who I have had other pleasurable dealing with, ordered the lense for $1,399 and had them ship it. Unfortunately living in NY, i only order certain items from B&H because of sales tax. Canoga has always been good, has competitave pricing, and freindly sales people. once agaiin, hopefully bluestripe or someone from bluestripe reads this post, fires the garbage that they have working for them now, turns things around back to the old days or goes out of business if they don't do this, so that some unsuspecting customer doesn't fall into their line of "S**t" and regrets it. wcj

[RogersDA]

Bluestripe has a "history" in terms what other names/companies are associated. Take a quick read at http://sheddingsomelight.com/buy-cameras/list/dealers-expressfam.html

Bluestripe (or Blue Stripe) is provided as alternative name for many questionable dealers. Perhaps in the past you just got lucky.

[henryp]

Bluestripe has a "history" in terms what other names/companies are associated. Take a quick read at http://sheddingsomelight.com/buy-cameras/list/dealers-expressfam.html.

Considering their splendid 4/10 rating (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Blue_Stripe_Photo_Save_Here) at resellerratings, the experience is not surprising. Think about it -- they were, "...approx 150 cheaper then anyone else." Maybe everyone else knows something this place doesn't?

[RogersDA]

Considering their splendid 4/10 rating (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Blue_Stripe_Photo_Save_Here) at resellerratings, the experience is not surprising. Think about it -- they were, "...approx 150 cheaper then anyone else." Maybe everyone else knows something this place doesn't?

Henry,

I think the link I suggested was trying to show that BlueStripe (or whatever company name is associated with it) is, indeed, a company to stay away from. Did you read it differently? :ear

[jdryan3]

Henry,

I think the link I suggested was trying to show that BlueStripe (or whatever company name is associated with it) is, indeed, a company to stay away from. Did you read it differently? :ear

I think you missed Henry's tongue firmly planted in his cheek.:lol

If you want the crap scared out of you looking for camera or A/V gear, check here: Full description of as I Call it, the "Photo mofia"...

http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/#202


Gotta love #202 "Check in the Mail". Wasn't that one of the 3 Great Lies?:thwak

[canon400d]

So you decide you're the one who won't get ripped off by using a Brooklyn-based camera retailer. Or you just really, really like their prices.

OK. But at least check out their storefronts before you give them your money. See if you recognize your store among the AKA's for each of these store fronts. (http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/pictures/BrooklynStores/)

I checked your list but could not find Enterprisephoto Store. I have just ordered a 50 - 500mm lense and now I am worried.
Bob
Dumfries & Galloway
Scotland

[claudermilk]

I checked your list but could not find Enterprisephoto Store. I have just ordered a 50 - 500mm lense and now I am worried.
Bob
Dumfries & Galloway
Scotland

You mean these guys (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Enterprise_Photo)? Rating's low enough to concern me. They also show a RatingsPlanet link on their page, which is now a known bogus ratings site (BestPriceCamera--the best-known crooks online--show them as well). The oddity is their prices are close to being right, just under the best I've found at a reputable site (sigma4less).

Uh oh. :uhoh:(: Taking a look at their address & the famed Brooklyn Storefront (http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/) photo site, this place appears to be identified as those very same crooks (see #178 & 218), bestpricephoto/infinityphoto/etc. Another hit on a search here (http://www.sheddingsomelight.com/buy-cameras/list/dealers-mraccfam.html). I'd try cancelling the order, and cancelling the credit card. Good luck, andprepare for some serious suckage. :cry

[kombizz]

Thank you for those informative info.
I try to follow your advice

[diverjohn]

I own four cameras right now: two I bought through e-Bay, one privately, one from a local camera store.
First off, I got a good deal on a used Canon Powershot from an individual on e-Bay.
Next, I wanted to move up to a pro-sumer and decided the Olympus 7070 was best for me at that time. So, onto e-Bay and ordered one. Waited. Waited. Called. "What, did nobody get back to you yet?! The Olympus is out of stock, so we'll either substitute a Minolta or give you a refund." So, Minolta sounded like a good brand name to me and I ordered it without realizing the pitch was the old "bait and switch" line.
Well the Minolta DiMage Z6 was nowhere near the quality of the Olympus, but I learned to use it until it started to fall apart.images/icons/sad.gif
Third camera came to me via a man desperate for money. For less than $100 I got a well-used Canon G3 which exceeded my expectations for such an ugly camera.images/icons/eek.gif
Lastly, I felt it was time to get a REAL camera and opted for a Nikon. After viewing three online e-Bay shops, I thought the best alternative was to head to a local vendor and negotiate a good deal. I had the salesman plop comparable Canon, Pentax K10, Nikon onto the counter and let me hold them. then I walked away and read up on consumer reports on all three. A few days later I returned and compared Nikon's D200 to D80 and liked the smaller one.
Several minute of tough money talk was followed by a signed order form. A week later I had the D80 with a great lens and decent tripod. Without the sales person's advice, I would've bought a second-rate lens unsuitable for my purposes.
Bottom line: you can get lower prices through on-line shops, but if the local vendor will give you the stuff without making you feel financially gouged, then go for it and thank him with repeat business. :bow

[Chrissiebeez_NL]

hey guys!

I was surfing ebay tonight and saw this shop called DigRev and they looked pretty professional and had (for dutch standards) very good prices for a sigma 10-20. i tried to check them at resellers and in dgrin but could not find anything. did you ever order anything from them? does this look like something you would do?
link to ebay page (http://cgi.ebay.nl/Sigma-10-20mm-10-20-f-4-5-6-F4-5-6-EX-DC-HSM-Lens-0080_W0QQitemZ110173574736QQihZ001QQcategoryZ30070QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

link to shop (http://www.digitalrev.com/en/index.php)

thanks! :clap

[wxwax]

hey guys!

I was surfing ebay tonight and saw this shop called DigRev and they looked pretty professional and had (for dutch standards) very good prices for a sigma 10-20. i tried to check them at resellers and in dgrin but could not find anything. did you ever order anything from them? does this look like something you would do?
link to ebay page (http://cgi.ebay.nl/Sigma-10-20mm-10-20-f-4-5-6-F4-5-6-EX-DC-HSM-Lens-0080_W0QQitemZ110173574736QQihZ001QQcategoryZ30070QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

link to shop (http://www.digitalrev.com/en/index.php)

thanks! :clap
I may be wrong, but I think Resellers is primarily for US-based shops.

I get a good vibe from DigRev's website, for what that's worth. For example, the warnings that their data center will be down for maintenance, and then the announcement that it's back.

I could be wrong, but the place doesn't look or act like it's after a quick ripoff. :dunno

[Art Scott]

I agree with WXWAX...and you have Ebay to help if things go awry...plus they do have brick and mortar shops spread around ....my only prob is everyting comes out of Hong Kong and that may mean duties and import taxes....but if you LOG onto their site you can see that from what I read on their site.

Good Luck and let us know (if you buy from them) how it goes............

[gubbs]

hey guys!

I was surfing ebay tonight and saw this shop called DigRev and they looked pretty professional and had (for dutch standards) very good prices for a sigma 10-20. i tried to check them at resellers and in dgrin but could not find anything. did you ever order anything from them? does this look like something you would do?
link to ebay page (http://cgi.ebay.nl/Sigma-10-20mm-10-20-f-4-5-6-F4-5-6-EX-DC-HSM-Lens-0080_W0QQitemZ110173574736QQihZ001QQcategoryZ30070QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

link to shop (http://www.digitalrev.com/en/index.php)

thanks! :clap
£199 appears to be a very good price until you add on the £37.00 shipping, import duty and VAT. The real total to the UK would more like £284 which for me isn't enough of a difference to compensate for the complications with the warranty.

Warehouse Express (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/?/photo/lenses/Sigmalens.html#zoom) ship this lens for £298

[claudermilk]

They look legit to me, too. Prices seem to indicate that as well (40D for $1317 vs B&H's $1300 even).

[Gav]

I recently bought a Nikon D80 from Digitalrev, the service was fine. I have recently had an issue