WARNING! Sub-Standard Online Merchant
Written: Sep 13 '04 (Updated Sep 13 '04)
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WARNING! This online merchant promotes itself heavily and encourages positive online ratings. In fact I question some of the ratings and user reviews as ficticious?
I spend some $10,000 annually on photographic equipment and such is accomplished via online through online merchants. I have used several high-quality online merchants with great success but I had heard so many positives about BUTTERFLYPHOTO.COM that I decided to experiment with a $1500 purchase and see what would happen and my overall experience.
I initially ordered online but that ordered failed as verification via telephone was required. That delayed the ordering process another two days so telephone contact was essential with this online merchant. BUTTERFLYPHOTO.COM also prefers telephone contact in an effort to sell you warranties, accessories and upgrades so be prepared for a sales pitch.
I ordered a 3CCD chip high-end camcorder from Sony. Plus a Sony backup battery. I was comfortable with the purchase as I had researched the model numbers in advance and wanted to be prepared and knowledgeable about what I was in fact ordering.
Here's where things got tricky... Case-in-point was my ordering a OEM Sony battery. I ordered the exact product number by Sony. That same number was listed on the BUTTERFLY.COM website. This was a Sony product and at the exact same $100 price as listed on the Sony website. Identical in every respect... What I received was a cheap knockoff battery that was MADE IN CHINA. It has the exact same Sony product number and at the same price but was worth maybe $25 at best in quality, warranty and performance.
The camcorder I ordered arrived with all UPC codes and stickers removed from the box. I called Sony at once and found out I had a camcorder that was not a USA model but a general version. In fairness, it was the same camcorder and Sony advised they would honor the same warranty as a USA version. Yet, BUTTERFLY.COM had deceived me by removing all UPC stickers in their attempt to sell me something that wasn't a USA authorized model.
BUTTERFLYPHOTO.COM also has a restocking fee of 10% to 20% of the purchase price if you decide to return an item. This would seem fair if you had opened the item. Yet, in my case of the deceptive battery sale and the fact that I hadn't opened the item and returned it the very next day because it wasn't what they said it was, still resulted in a restocking fee of 10%. BUTTERFLYPHOTO.COM had sold me something they promised as a Sony product and yet I was hit with a penalty to accommodate their restocking policy.
I did contact BUTTERFLYPHOTO.COM via email about my discontent. They did reply and I appreciated that yet they stood by the restocking fee and their decision to sell a knockoff item as a OEM Sony item.
Based on their deceptive practice of selling non-USA models and selling OEM items that match the exact product code of a name-brand but are actually sub-standard knockoffs, I would never use BUTTERFLYPHOTO.COM again.
There are superior online merchants. 17THSTREETPHOTO.COM or ADORAMA.COM have been excellent to date. 17TH Street photo excels in customer satisfaction and what they advertise is what they send.
Avoid BUTTERFLYPHOTO.COM as there are better online merchants that you can fully trust and appreciate.
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Camcorder & Battery
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Epinions.com ID:
benicia
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 66
Trusted by: 3 members
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