A friend of mine purchased his 50D there and raved about them. He was extremely happy with the customer service, speed of shipping, etc. That said, I personally am more than happy sticking with Adorama and B&H... I have never found Abe's (or anyone else) to actually have better prices, and certainly not better service than either of them.
It's wierd, they seem to have good and bad reviews. A person I know ordered from them and was very happy with everything. If it saved me a lot of money I'd go for them.
It is weird that they seem to either have raving reviews or terrible ones? I've purchased from both Adorama and B&H. Mostly B&H and love them. There was a $10 price difference on an item so thought it was worth thinking about anyway. I think I'll stick with B&H on this one.
.....I personally am more than happy sticking with Adorama and B&H... I have never found Abe's (or anyone else) to actually have better prices, and certainly not better service than either of them.
That is SO good to hear!
BTW, I'm only ever an email away if you ever need advice or after-sales support: HelenO@adorama.com
It is weird that they seem to either have raving reviews or terrible ones? I've purchased from both Adorama and B&H. Mostly B&H and love them. There was a $10 price difference on an item so thought it was worth thinking about anyway. I think I'll stick with B&H on this one.
Abe's will often (maybe always?) give you an "up-sell" call (try to get you to buy something more). I know it happened to me when I made my only purchase from them. They are not worth the hassle.
They will deliver the goods, though, so not a total rip-off. Just a little high pressure. Kind of like asking "do you want fries with that?", only a lot more insisting and expensive.
Thinking about ordering a new dslr body and was wondering if anyone has good or bad experience through Abe's of Maine?
I've purchased equipment or film from them now & then, & haven't ever had trouble that I recall. They've been around a long time-- has to be at least 20 yrs. or more I'd guess.
Thinking about ordering a new dslr body and was wondering if anyone has good or bad experience through Abe's of Maine?
Abes of Maine is no longer actually abes of maine...but rather Abes of the Brooklyn consortium ....... I have purchased many items from ABM but then I noticed an address and phone number change and called well it seem they sold out to a great Brooklyn company that was known for upsales then if you refused the upsale they would tell you the product you wanted for that fantastic price was either out of stock or grey market and to all the stuff normally packed inside it would cost $$$$$$ more...........
so I refused then and now to do business with such people..........I wish they had not done what they did as ABM was a Fantastic friendly company to buy from and usually the cheapest on either coast during the late 70's - early 90's.....
Just had a thread on a brand-specific forum I frequent about this same topic. User had an upsell phone call, delayed shipping, general PITA experience.
Boy, am I glad I checked here first! Gotta love this place. Now I'm just checking B&H everyday for availability of the D7000 . For some reason you can't get an email on this item when it becomes available. Have to keep coming back to check.
Have bought from them many times in the past. They do try and upsell you but that's not a big deal to me. Actually, you can use this to your advantage because, during this upsell they will negotiate price.
I find they're (sometimes) cheaper than others but not always. Do your research on pricing.
They've always shipped fast and I've always gotten what I expected.
Really...just an email away...hmmm check your inbox for an email from info@artscottfotografie from 1-3-2011......got no reply yet.....
Art,
I let Helen know that you sent her an e-mail. She did not receive it. Please send her another e-mail. If she does not get back to you there is a problem somewhere. At that point you might try sending from another e-mail address.
My name is Sarah and i manage some customer relations at Abe's of Maine.
- Noticed this thread and wanted to clarify a few things:
We actually were originally from Maine, owning a small Mom and Pop Shop in Old Orchard Beach-- We moved to Brooklyn (and then out of Brooklyn to New Jersey) because Abe, my boss and the president, relocated to the tri state area. you can read more about our history here-- http://www.abesofmaine.com/abesHistory.do
We try to provide the best possible service and take customer feedback very seriously. We monitor blogs and review forums and take every piece of feedback as an opportunity to grow. You can see our Promise and policy here :http://www.abesofmaine.com/abesPromise.do
That being said, if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me or message me here. I am here to help
Because of the Adorama schedule of operation I believe that Helen is off today and tomorrow. Please be a little more patient. She will get back to you as soon as she possibly can.
Helen and Henry Posner, Helen's alter ego at B&H (now I probably started something ) are pretty wonderful and both are here to help. clap
Because of the Adorama schedule of operation I believe that Helen is off today and tomorrow. Please be a little more patient. She will get back to you as soon as she possibly can.
Helen and Henry Posner, Helen's alter ego at B&H (now I probably started something ) are pretty wonderful and both are here to help.
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words and agree Helen's tops! B&H and Adorama are closed Friday afternoons and all day Saturdays.
I purchased my first digital camera from Abe's of Maine and was always very pleased with their service and price but I've spent way more of my money with B&H (and a little with Adorama). I don't think you can go wrong dealing with any of these three but my first choice is always B&H. I always look at KEH too to see if I can pick up what I need off the used market as well.
I purchased my first digital camera from Abe's of Maine and was always very pleased with their service and price but I've spent way more of my money with B&H (and a little with Adorama). I don't think you can go wrong dealing with any of these three but my first choice is always B&H. I always look at KEH too to see if I can pick up what I need off the used market as well.
I've spent my hard earned money at Adorama and B&H. My last purchase was a Nikon P7000 from B&H. A month later they had it for about $25 less on their website. I got in their "chat" with a customer service rep. He said they only price match for 15 days but he woud check when the price changed. Next thing I know he said sorry that he couldn't help me and cut off the chat. No explination-No nothing. Just a sorry and good-bye. A few days went by and I got an email asking how my contact went with customer service...I wrote them back telling how I was treated. I'ts been a week now and no response from B&H. Hmmm I guess they really don't care now that they have my money.
Because of the Adorama schedule of operation I believe that Helen is off today and tomorrow. Please be a little more patient. She will get back to you as soon as she possibly can.
Helen and Henry Posner, Helen's alter ego at B&H (now I probably started something ) are pretty wonderful and both are here to help. <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="" >clap
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Thanks, Ziggy. Yes, I finally took a complete Friday off for the first time in over a year.
[Not sure what Henry thinks about being called my alter ego :giggle - I do know that I've gained a great deal from his knowledge & experience]
I've spent my hard earned money at Adorama and B&H. My last purchase was a Nikon P7000 from B&H. A month later they had it for about $25 less on their website. I got in their "chat" with a customer service rep. He said they only price match for 15 days but he woud check when the price changed. Next thing I know he said sorry that he couldn't help me and cut off the chat. No explination-No nothing. Just a sorry and good-bye. A few days went by and I got an email asking how my contact went with customer service...I wrote them back telling how I was treated. I'ts been a week now and no response from B&H. Hmmm I guess they really don't care now that they have my money.
We do care, and I apologize. Please e-mail me with your original B&H order number. I cannot promise I can do anything about the price change since as you noted it was "a month later," but I am certainly concerned you were not treated with courtesy and respect.
I tried Abes once and that was enough for me to never look there again. I attempted to purchase a 70-200 2.8L IS. Put it in my cart checked out etc. Next day I get a call to sell me more stuff that I didnt want. After refusing the price listed was now a typo on the website but they would sell me a refurb for the listed price which I declined. My card had already been charged and to make a long story short it ended with getting my CC company involved to get the money back.
My advice is to stick with B&H and Adorama. They consistantly have the best no BS pricing and if you have issues resolution is a phone call away. My only issue with Adorama is after they adopted a new free shipping method it takes forever to get your purchase ( more than a week from 40 miles away). Helen has a way to fix this if you contact her and I complained that I shouldnt have to (they may have fixed this but cant say). Living in NJ when I order from B&H with the free shipping I usually have the purchase next day. With either the customer service in a no hassle process and shuold you need to return you can either walk in or call for an RMA and its a done deal.
As for price changes as noted above they change all the time, sometimes controlled by the manufacturer. I wouldnt complain over $25 a month later. If they followed this then they would be losing money all the time. I think a 15 day price guarantee is sufficent. If they stretch it to a month then someone will be looking for two months. Next thing you know someone is looking to get price matched on a camera body a year later that is no longer sold.
As for price changes as noted above they change all the time, sometimes controlled by the manufacturer. I wouldnt complain over $25 a month later. If they followed this then they would be losing money all the time. I think a 15 day price guarantee is sufficent. If they stretch it to a month then someone will be looking for two months. Next thing you know someone is looking to get price matched on a camera body a year later that is no longer sold.
If you read my thread you'll see that my gripe was the way the customer service guys treated me two different times. I understand that they must "draw the line" somewhere and if it's 15 days that's fine. It's the customer service that I got that has me pi$$ed.
I have to say I'm impressed by the fact that all 3 stores have people watching these threads and responding to concerns people have had. I didn't know they did that. However, after reading of such varied reviews of Abe's, both here and on other forums, I'm leery and will continue to order from B&H where I've had such a good experience. I only wish they had a way to get notified when the Nikon D7000 is in stock. Instead I'm having to check the site constantly (hate to admit it but am checking daily).
I ordered my 30D from Abe's a couple years back and it was about 100 bucks cheaper than Adorama or BH. I don't have any problems with Abe's and if they have the item in stock (as it will be hard to get one for a while), I'd say go for it. I actually ordered my D7000 from Ritz though because that's the only place that had it in stock and everyone's selling for the same price and they're reputable.
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http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Abe_s_of_Maine
Hmmm, that's enough to scare me away for a purchase of this size.
Thanks for the link!
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That is SO good to hear!
BTW, I'm only ever an email away if you ever need advice or after-sales support: HelenO@adorama.com
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
http://twitter.com/HelenOster
Helen@adorama.com
www.adorama.com
Abe's will often (maybe always?) give you an "up-sell" call (try to get you to buy something more). I know it happened to me when I made my only purchase from them. They are not worth the hassle.
They will deliver the goods, though, so not a total rip-off. Just a little high pressure. Kind of like asking "do you want fries with that?", only a lot more insisting and expensive.
DayBreak, my Folk Music Group (some free mp3s!) http://daybreakfolk.com
Abes of Maine is no longer actually abes of maine...but rather Abes of the Brooklyn consortium ....... I have purchased many items from ABM but then I noticed an address and phone number change and called well it seem they sold out to a great Brooklyn company that was known for upsales then if you refused the upsale they would tell you the product you wanted for that fantastic price was either out of stock or grey market and to all the stuff normally packed inside it would cost $$$$$$ more...........
so I refused then and now to do business with such people..........I wish they had not done what they did as ABM was a Fantastic friendly company to buy from and usually the cheapest on either coast during the late 70's - early 90's.....
Really...just an email away...hmmm check your inbox for an email from info@artscottfotografie from 1-3-2011......got no reply yet.....
__________________
That is exactly what happened to my son last year. We had to get real nasty with them.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003085685580
Anyway, thanks for all the feedback.
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I find they're (sometimes) cheaper than others but not always. Do your research on pricing.
They've always shipped fast and I've always gotten what I expected.
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Art,
I let Helen know that you sent her an e-mail. She did not receive it. Please send her another e-mail. If she does not get back to you there is a problem somewhere. At that point you might try sending from another e-mail address.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I have had good luck with B&H and Buydig. I am sure there are other good ones, these are just the ones I use regularly.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21695902@N06/
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My apologies; I ran a search and haven't received anything from you. Did you get the correct email? HelenO@adorama.com
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
http://twitter.com/HelenOster
Helen@adorama.com
www.adorama.com
My name is Sarah and i manage some customer relations at Abe's of Maine.
- Noticed this thread and wanted to clarify a few things:
We actually were originally from Maine, owning a small Mom and Pop Shop in Old Orchard Beach-- We moved to Brooklyn (and then out of Brooklyn to New Jersey) because Abe, my boss and the president, relocated to the tri state area. you can read more about our history here-- http://www.abesofmaine.com/abesHistory.do
We try to provide the best possible service and take customer feedback very seriously. We monitor blogs and review forums and take every piece of feedback as an opportunity to grow. You can see our Promise and policy here :http://www.abesofmaine.com/abesPromise.do
That being said, if you have any questions or comments feel free to email me or message me here. I am here to help
Email- Sarah (at) Abesofmaine.com
I did a cut and paste of your email addy....sent as a FWD from my info@artscottfotografie.com .....thanks
Because of the Adorama schedule of operation I believe that Helen is off today and tomorrow. Please be a little more patient. She will get back to you as soon as she possibly can.
Helen and Henry Posner, Helen's alter ego at B&H (now I probably started something
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words and agree Helen's tops! B&H and Adorama are closed Friday afternoons and all day Saturdays.
B&H Photo-Video
I've spent my hard earned money at Adorama and B&H. My last purchase was a Nikon P7000 from B&H. A month later they had it for about $25 less on their website. I got in their "chat" with a customer service rep. He said they only price match for 15 days but he woud check when the price changed. Next thing I know he said sorry that he couldn't help me and cut off the chat. No explination-No nothing. Just a sorry and good-bye. A few days went by and I got an email asking how my contact went with customer service...I wrote them back telling how I was treated. I'ts been a week now and no response from B&H. Hmmm I guess they really don't care now that they have my money.
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Thanks, Ziggy. Yes, I finally took a complete Friday off for the first time in over a year.
[Not sure what Henry thinks about being called my alter ego :giggle - I do know that I've gained a great deal from his knowledge & experience]
Thanks, Henry; you're not so bad, yourself!
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador
http://twitter.com/HelenOster
Helen@adorama.com
www.adorama.com
We do care, and I apologize. Please e-mail me with your original B&H order number. I cannot promise I can do anything about the price change since as you noted it was "a month later," but I am certainly concerned you were not treated with courtesy and respect.
B&H Photo-Video
My advice is to stick with B&H and Adorama. They consistantly have the best no BS pricing and if you have issues resolution is a phone call away. My only issue with Adorama is after they adopted a new free shipping method it takes forever to get your purchase ( more than a week from 40 miles away). Helen has a way to fix this if you contact her and I complained that I shouldnt have to (they may have fixed this but cant say). Living in NJ when I order from B&H with the free shipping I usually have the purchase next day. With either the customer service in a no hassle process and shuold you need to return you can either walk in or call for an RMA and its a done deal.
As for price changes as noted above they change all the time, sometimes controlled by the manufacturer. I wouldnt complain over $25 a month later. If they followed this then they would be losing money all the time. I think a 15 day price guarantee is sufficent. If they stretch it to a month then someone will be looking for two months. Next thing you know someone is looking to get price matched on a camera body a year later that is no longer sold.
If you read my thread you'll see that my gripe was the way the customer service guys treated me two different times. I understand that they must "draw the line" somewhere and if it's 15 days that's fine. It's the customer service that I got that has me pi$$ed.
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