Online Rip-Off And Ways To Avoid ItMay 13 '01 (Updated Apr 13 '05) Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Camcorders
The Bottom Line You should be really careful and resist sales pitch from “educators” from some web sites.
So you decided on what camcorder to buy. Since majority of online stores sell electronics for less than brick-and-mortar electronics superstores, you want to buy it online (and also save on not having pay taxes, which for such pricey items as a digital camcorder can go up to hundreds). This is where you have to be careful. Let me tell you a story about my experience trying to buy an entry-level digital camcorder online and why it took me 5 attempts. I decided that I should get either Sony TRV120 Digital8 camcorder or Panasonic DV100 MiniDV digital camcorder. The former uses cheaper media, has better optical zoom, looks better, and has remote control as standard equipment. The latter uses industry-standard MiniDV tapes, weighs less, should be more reliable and has an RS-232C port. Both are discontinued, so the prices are quite low and Panasonic has a $100 mail-in rebate. The Sony TRV130, which replaces TRV120, is not better than the predecessor – less powerful optical zoom, etc. Attempt Number 1 Since my first choice was Sony, I decided to buy it online. I went to a price comparison web site and sorted the stores by camcorder’s price to find the best deal. The lowest price was $418. I went to that site and the product page for TRV120 said it was “In Stock”, so I ordered it. At the end of checkout process, I got the message saying that I have to call them, since “For security reasons” they don’t take your credit card number online. Which usually means that they have insufficient amount of brains to charge your card online in real time. Which is a bad sign, since it is so simple. So I called them and they told me that the camcorder is not in stock and they don’t expect more of them, since it is discontinued. Attempt Number 2 I went to plan B. I ordered a camcorder from PopularDigital.com Which was a bad idea. You see, the site claimed that it was “In Stock” and the 3-day shipping is $29.95. I went through the checkout process and was waiting for my camcorder to arrive in 3-5 days. Then after 2 days I got a phone call from the wonderful people of PopularDigital. At 7 in the morning they called me to ask why I didn’t order any accessories. I told them I didn’t need any. They told me that the camcorder comes with 8Mb MemoryStick and non-rechargeable battery or charger, so I have to buy an extended batter and charger. Funny thing number one: can you imagine a camcorder with a non-rechargeable battery and no charger? Especially if their own web site says it comes with a F330 InfoLithium battery and charger. Funny thing number two: TRV120 does not support MemoryStick. When I told him that, he told me that the camcorder is not in stock and they don’t expect more of them, since it is discontinued. Attempt Number 3 I ordered a Panasonic DV100 from AMDV.com.The sales rep called me and insisted that the battery that comes with camcorder is good for 30 minutes only. So I have to get more accessories from them. I read in “Consumer Reports” that it lasts 80-90 minutes, so I declined. He tried to convince me for a while to get some accessories, but I refused. Than he “checked his computer” and told me that they don’t have the camcorder in stock. Attempt Number 4 I went to XtremeShopper.com and ordered my DV100 there. The site’s design is excellent, they brag about 100% protection and 128-bit encryption, they feature 3-D views of products and the site said that the DV100 is in stock and TRV120 is out of stock. The only negative thing was the fact that cheapest ground shipping cost $28. Upon checkout I got excited – finally I am going to get my camcorder! Not so fast. Two days later a sales rep from XtremeShopper.com called me to “confirm the shipping address”. Yeah, right – after that he asked me... you guessed it – why I didn’t order an extended battery, camera bag, tapes and some filters. The battery, he said, is good for only 30 minutes. When I mentioned the magazine test results, he got all offended and asked me “Do you think I am telling you this to make you buy a battery? I have this camcorder myself! I want to educate you.” I told him that it’s OK, I want to stay the way I am now – uneducated. He checked his “computer” and told me there is a problem. He has DV100 with “international warranty”, so I cannot get the mail-in rebate. But he can get me DV100 with US warranty for $50 more. For some reason I didn’t feel like it and cancelled the order. Attempt Number 5 I went to 800.com; the site I knew wouldn’t try such cheap tricks, and ordered my TRV120 there. It wasn’t the cheapest deal, but I got a 10% discount (they had sale on camcorders), no sales tax and the shipping was less than $9. No phone calls, no “advise” on accessories. I got the UPS tracking number the next day. Beware! I hope you now see what you should beware of. The online stores sometimes advertise low prices just to try to rip you off with accessories, and if you refuse, they can find the excuse to not sell you the item you wanted. You still can save money online, just buy your camcorder (or other stuff) in stores that have a name and reputation. Or, if you try to find a bargain, be ready to resist sales pressure. Stores from which I would never buy Let me name once again the stores I had bad experience with: PopularDigital.com AMDV.com XtremeShopper.com Stores from which I would buy again 800.com buy.com amazon.com crutchfield.com and many more Bottom Line You should be really careful and resist sales pitch from “educators” from some web sites. Although some sites try to rip you off, others allow you to buy what you want and save on price, taxes and time. My Reviews of Digital Camcorders Sony DVD Camcorders: Sony DCR-DVD201 Handycam DVD Camcorder Review Sony DCR-DVD101 Handycam DVD Camcorder Review Sony MiniDV Camcorders: Sony DCR-HC40 1-Megapixel Handycam Mini DV Digital Camcorder Review Sony DCR-HC30 Handycam Mini DV Digital Camcorder Review Sony DCR-HC20 Handycam Mini DV Digital Camcorder Review Sony Digital8 Camcorders: Sony DCR-TRV460 Handycam Digital8 Digital Camcorder Review Panasonic MiniDV Camcorders: Panasonic PV-GS200 Palmcorder 3CCD Mini DV Digital Camcorder Review Panasonic PV-GS120 Palmcorder Mini DV Digital 3CCD Camcorder Review  |
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