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Re: I usually don't write comments/reviews, BUT... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Caliphotopro,
Okay... I'm going to have to respond to your comments one by one...
"As intellectual and long as your "opinionated" review was, I find it "wrong", biased, unfair & borderline SELFISH."
My review was based on an actual event, so it is not "wrong." Your comment about being "unfair" does not make any sense -- how is my review unfair? If anything, one of the great aspects of living in the United States is the right to communicate one's displeasure about the government or poor business practices. Also, I don't understand your comment about "borderline selfish." If my review were borderline selfish, then it's not really "selfish." Admittedly, my review was my opinion based on my experiences, so I suppose it is somewhat biased.
"To make the long story short, you got upset because of "The TONE OF THE SELLER'S E-MAIL"???
Wow..."
Isn't that why many people complain about customer service -- because of the attitude and tone of the salesperson or business representative? Besides, my issue wasn't just about tone -- the vendor's accusatory comments didn't help.
"Maybe they told you they'd block you off their eBay buying list because of the "tone" of your response, too?!"
I'll state this again as I have to other commenters: the onus is on the vendor to always communicate in the most positive way. I've noticed that many people have used the "you can't expect them to be Costco/Walmart" argument, but small businesses do not become big businesses without a commitment to superior customer service, especially when the customer is deciding to buy.
"I read your whole review & then some of your responses to the comments & I can't help but notice your being "Too DEFENSIVE" on your "tone" of response."
Ugh. Though some commenters are cordial with their disagreement, some (like yourself) choose to be offensive and confrontational. Do you reasonably expect me to simply let commenters say whatever they want without having a response, especially a defensive one in the face of unreasonable and sometimes insulting comments? I don't see why this is difficult for people to understand.
"I live in California & had 2 of the most pleasant, fast & best buying experience at Gary Camera, for items the same & even more expensive than the ones you were "LOOKING" to purchase."
If that was your experience, I'd recommend writing a positive review about Gary Camera instead of burying your thoughts in the Comments section of someone's article. That way, others can find your article with an online search.
Also, I've had wonderful experiences buying more expensive items through Adorama, B&H Photo, Beach Camera, and Cameta Camera. All of these vendors have excellent customer service, address any concerns and questions I have with politeness and a desire to do business, and even accept legitimate returns. For example, one vendor sold me a lens with defective glass. I contacted them, and they issued an RMA on the item so that I could send it back to the vendor at no cost to me. They promptly replaced the item, and now I've had the lens for two years with no further issues. That's good customer service.
"And NO, I do not work for Gary camera, like how defensive you were asking one of the people who commented on your post."
Here, you portray a lack of information. I actually received several inappropriate comments that were eventually blocked because all of the "users" that made them all signed up for Epinions accounts within a two-day period with the apparent purpose of blocking my review. They were successful for a while until numerous real Epinions users rectified the issue.
In any case, I really have to question why you would post such an emotionally-charged comment. I would guess that you have some vested interest in the business. I can understand disagreeing with my review -- for someone who did it well, just check out JORSHER, who commented before you did.
"Be fair, dude. If somebody answers your questions "Upfront", don't be upset at their response just because it didn't tickle your fancy, or wasn't as "cute" & "soft" as a response you were looking to get."
I've gotten "upfront" comments from B&H Photo, Adorama, Cameta Camera, and Beach Camera to the same questions I posed to Gary Camera and got excellent responses from those businesses. By the way, sarcasm really muddles your point. Why would anyone want a "cute" or "soft" response from a business? That would be unprofessional, as well. I really didn't get your point.
"You very well know how people abuse these retailer's return policies... (I KNOW YOU DO)."
This is an odd insinuation, really. I suppose you're insinuating that I buy something and surreptitiously return the item when there is nothing wrong with the item, treating the item as a free rental. Is that your accusation? If so, that's a false accusation based on nothing. I guess I should be insulted, but I'm not.
Suffice it to say, I've purchased many items from the aforementioned vendors with no cause to return them outside of defects in the item. How about you?
"So please.. The next time you write a Bad review about somebody, think twice... Or maybe even "BUY" something first, at least."
I suppose you recommend I buy an item from a rude vendor before I write a review about the vendor, right? Pardon me for saying this, but that doesn't make sense. Many reviews are written by people who simply write about the experiences they had with the vendor. That was my perspective.
Frankly, your admonition just doesn't make any sense. First, it works on the assumption that my review was "bad." Do you mean that the writing style, syntax, and content construction were bad? If so, point out the problematic areas and I can correct those. Do you mean that was information was bad? If so, all I can say is that I wrote truthfully from a personal experience. My only mistake is that I deleted the vendor's emails from my mail client, so I didn't have those emails available as evidence.
In any case, to counter your "bad" contention, numerous legitimate Epinions writers saw fit to make the review "Very Helpful," which indicates that a vast majority of users thought it was a good review. That said, your contention is grounded in personal opinion, which one may further contend is biased and unfair.
I hope you have a nice day.
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Mar 25 '11
3:27 pm PDT
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Re: Look at both sides... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Jorsher,
Thank you for your comment. You should put your thoughts in a review so that other people browsing Epinions could find your comments. I wrote about my experience with them several years ago... Perhaps they are a better business now.
Thanks again.
KEDSand1
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Mar 24 '11
9:38 pm PDT
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I usually don't write comments/reviews, BUT... (Reply to this comment)
by caliphotopro
As intellectual and long as your "opinionated" review was, I find it "wrong", biased, unfair & borderline SELFISH.
To make the long story short, you got upset because of "The TONE OF THE SELLER'S E-MAIL"???
Wow...
Maybe they told you they'd block you off their eBay buying list because of the "tone" of your response, too?!
I read your whole review & then some of your responses to the comments & I can't help but notice your being "Too DEFENSIVE" on your "tone" of response.
I live in California & had 2 of the most pleasant, fast & best buying experience at Gary Camera, for items the same & even more expensive than the ones you were "LOOKING" to purchase.
And NO, I do not work for Gary camera, like how defensive you were asking one of the people who commented on your post.
Be fair, dude. If somebody answers your questions "Upfront", don't be upset at their response just because it didn't tickle your fancy, or wasn't as "cute" & "soft" as a response you were looking to get.
You very well know how people abuse these retailer's return policies... (I KNOW YOU DO).
So please.. The next time you write a Bad review about somebody, think twice... Or maybe even "BUY" something first, at least.
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Mar 21 '11
9:33 am PDT
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Look at both sides... (Reply to this comment)
by jorsher
I found this while looking for reviews before making a purchase with Gary Camera & Video, as I do with any other retailer I haven't dealt with before. Despite this review, I found a lot of positive reviews, and coupled with the fact they're a family-owned business that has been around for 70 years (not common to survive against big-box stores) and had a new camera in stock that nobody else has yet -- I went ahead and made the purchase.
First, regarding your complaint, I think you're justified for being upset about their response, however after working in retail in the past I can completely understand their suspicions. The second question definitely sounds suspicious, although I'm not claiming you had any malicious intent. It's common for people to buy something just to use, and then return it with some lame reason, costing the retailer money.
Furthermore, it's not really fair to compare a relatively small business to a large corporation. Walmart, for example, can swallow the cost of returns easily without much effect on their profits. Also, due to their size, they most likely have "deals" with manufacturers with reduces the effect of returns even more. Lastly, the Walmart employees know returns will have little impact on their job security, so are less likely to care about what you do, whether it's "wrong" or not.
I had a question about their price compared to other places, as well as a question about how they had a model in stock that none of the huge chains have. They responded the same day with a full, seemingly honest answer. I ordered the next day and had a problem with one of the rarely-used payment methods they had available. When I contacted them about it, they disabled the payment method so other customers weren't affected, worked it out with me. I should add, the "problem," was really a non-issue to begin with, but I appreciated their quick response. Finally, they personally called to confirm the order with me, and their reasoning was that they'd like the buying process to be a little more personal than your typical online purchase. I was very pleased with the service and won't hesitate to buy from them in the future.
Again, I can understand your frustration and I feel the complaint was warranted, I'm just merely commenting on my experiences with the company and why I can understand their suspicion.
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Feb 24 '11
8:13 am PST
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Re: Re: Re: Very Helpful--But I Can See Their Side, Too... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Dianapinions,
Thanks for your comment, and for pointing out how mentioned that person's name would appear personal. That wasn't my intent. Originally, when I wrote the article, I never imagined that the article would be read by as many people as it has, but I did hope that the man with whom I dealt would read the article and perhaps adopt a better approach in the future. But, your point is well-taken, so I will remove the name from the article.
I must disagree with your point about my second question raising suspicion, though. Whenever I go to a new store or ask questions to an online vendor, I ask about their satisfaction guarantee. Some vendors are perfectly clear about this: all sales are final. But, most vendors I've asked have done well to tell me if they accept returns for items with which I am not satisfied. I think it's a greater risk for a vendor to respond negatively to that question and lose a customer forever than for a vendor to respond with a calm answer and have a lifelong customer. Besides, I had to ask the specific question -- if I had gotten a general answer to a general question like "What is your return policy?" I probably wouldn't have purchased the lens from gary_camera.
In my opinion, a vendor should ALWAYS respond with professionalism, no matter what the question. Even the most vulgar or insulting question can be handled with care; and I don't think my second question was anything remotely vulgar or insulting.
Thanks again.
KEDSand1
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Aug 26 '10
8:32 am PDT
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Re: Re: Very Helpful--But I Can See Their Side, Too... (Reply to this comment)
by dianapinions
Hi there,
Like AJ below, I can also see both sides here. I can see how the company might react defensively to the second question you asked them in your first email. By asking specifically about the return policy for items you are not pleased with, it might raise a suspicion that you might be the type of customer who buys items, uses them and then returns them.
I have to wonder if the situation would have ended up differently if you had simply asked about the Return Policy, in general.
Also, I wonder why you decided to call out the company's representative by name. Why make it something personal?
Still, they should have been more diplomatic in dealing with you, and could have decided to give you the benefit of the doubt, despite their suspicions.
Diana
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Aug 25 '10
8:14 pm PDT
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Re: Very Helpful--But I Can See Their Side, Too... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
AinsleyJo,
Thanks for commenting and rating. I definitely understand your point and why some online vendors do not have return policies. Sadly, the actions of individuals like the 16-year-old with whom you worked sometimes compel vendors to have ridiculously stringent or non-existent return policies. Thankfully, stores like Wal-Mart and Costco still have generous return policies because, honestly, some of the stuff they sell is sub-par.
The interesting thing was that I wasn't returning anything, but simply asking about their policy. Gary Camera then took out its frustration on me long before I bought anything. If I had bought something and then mysteriously sought to return, I would understand their frustration, but in this case they could have answered my questions, I would have bought the lens, and life would have gone on... and, they would have been $1800 richer.
I really hope that this was an anomaly for them. Maybe, Gary Camera is normally a good business, but they were collectively having a bad day. As I've been writing for a while, all they need to do as have one of their fictitious users write a good review to provide a counterpoint to mine. Oh, well.
Thanks again.
KEDSand1
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Aug 20 '10
7:53 am PDT
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Very Helpful--But I Can See Their Side, Too... (Reply to this comment)
by AinsleyJo
It wasn't right for the Gary Camera clerk/vendor to take out his frustrations on you, and it was right for you to write this review to let people know what kind of service (or lack thereof) that they might expect upon dealing with them.
However, I sense that they might have been a company that had, at one time, a return policy like the others with whom you've dealt--but no more!
Why?
Because, even though you and your wife AREN'T like this, they have probably experienced too many cases of people taking unbelievable advantage of something like this.
When I was in my twenties, I worked at a fast-food restaurant for awhile. One of the employees was around 16 years old and talking about how he regularly went to K-Mart if he needed to get an expensive item.
One example he gave was a state-of-the-art stereo for a party he was having.
After the party was over, he was going to pull on some of the wires to render the system defective so that they would have to (per their return policy) take it and give him his money back.
One person doing this wouldn't really hurt a big company like K-Mart.
However, think of this as happening over and over and over and over in one way or another.
K-Mart has had to close several of its stores here in there in order to stay afloat at all, and this kind of practice was, likely, to blame (at least, in part).
No matter how frustrated store owners get, however, the kind of treatment given to you was unwarranted.
Write On!
AJ :-)
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Aug 20 '10
1:41 am PDT
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Re: Thanks for the warning (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Adrienne,
Thank you for your comment. I'd like to think that Gary Camera is a better business now, having learned that good customer service cannot be overemphasized.
As I have written ad infinitum, all they need to do is have a few of their fictitious users write positive reviews of their business on Epinions to counter my criticism. Instead, it seems they took the low road.
Thank you again!
KEDSand1
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Aug 18 '10
11:15 am PDT
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Thanks for the warning (Reply to this comment)
by adriennefoster
Any retailer who would behave like this—both as you described in your review and the way they responded to it—is certainly not one I want to do business with.
Adrienne
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Aug 18 '10
9:28 am PDT
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Re: ... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Kjell,
Thank you for your comment and for following up on the duplicate accounts. But, this person (these people?) created numerous accounts once, was blocked, and is now doing it again.
I suppose there is justice in knowing that most of their efforts are being handled by my fellow members. Thank you again!
KEDSand1
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Aug 17 '10
8:02 am PDT
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... (Reply to this comment)
by kjell1979
So I reported the duplicate accounts. Hopefully they'll be gone within the week or two. If not, email me and I'll be sure to follow up personally. kjell1979@gmail.com
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Aug 17 '10
2:39 am PDT
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Re: Gary Camera (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Rolleifan,
I think you posted your comment on the wrong site because it made no sense to me. I didn't understand the point of your question about there being a "self-appointed person." And, your point about the customer who brought in a shoebox full of Leica parts and getting upset because the parts weren't purchased is irrelevant to my article because I didn't bring in junk into their store. I simply asked about shipping options and the return policy -- such questions should be answered succinctly and without any hint of indignation on the shopkeeper's part.
However, I must note that you bring up an interesting point about Gary Camera being open for 70 years; if this is true, then my experience was just odd. After 70 years, one would think that a business would know how to treat potential customers with questions. But, I suppose that some lessons just go unlearned by some.
In any case, I think that you forget one simple point: it is my right as a consumer to write a review about a product or service that I find unsatisfactory. This is the purpose of Epinions: to write reviews to help other make informed decisions, especially about goods and services that should be avoided. As I have said before, there may be many folks out there who have had perfectly acceptable experiences with Gary Camera; if you are one of those folks, I challenge you to write a positive review about them and post it on Epinions. I had a decidedly negative customer experience with Gary Camera, so I felt compelled to write about it and post it on Epinions.
It baffles me that there are a few people who so vehemently disagree with my article so much that they join Epinions for the sole purpose of leaving comments. Instead of doing that, I urge those people to join Epinions and contribute with a well-written article. If you liked Gary Camera that much, why not spend time doing that instead of burying your comments in someone's article's Comments section? Just a thought.
I hope you have a great day.
KEDSand1
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May 03 '10
8:45 am PDT
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Gary Camera (Reply to this comment)
by rolleifan
Is there any self appointed person here to rate other's behavior when attempting to do business? Gary Camera has been in business in Northwest Indiana for more than 70 years, despite the poor economic situation. I've been in the store and witnessed a customer bring in a shoe box full of Leica IIIc parts and become angry when they wouldn't buy the junk from him. Now there was an unhappy customer complaining of rude customer service!!
YIKES!!!
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Apr 30 '10
12:51 pm PDT
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Re: Local business (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Raist,
Thank you for your comment. I was sad to read that you had a negative experience at Gary Camera, despite your involvement in the Merrillville chamber of commerce and your ardent desire to do business in your community. I hope that the lighting kit you purchased from another vendor worked out for you.
It has been over a year since my experience with gary_camera, and it's gratifying to see that many people have benefited from my article. If anything, the best way to do away with negative customer service is letting people know about it. By informing people of the negative service I experienced, I hope that those people moved on to vendors who not only sold their items for low prices, but also practiced friendly and helpful customer service.
Thank you again!
KEDSand1
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Jan 04 '10
7:45 am PST
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Local business (Reply to this comment)
by raist
Found your Epinions today and I want to say that I had the same type of experience however I was here locally doing business (at their store location). I am very active in my Merrillville Chamber of Commerce and prefer to do business locally when I can.
I did indicate that I was unsure as to what to buy and was looking for help. At the time I was there looking for a basic light kit and asked some simple question and the customer service was not there at all. I also indicated I was not happy in the way the questions were handled and that "I felt" like a complete problem for them.
I then told them I would do the research online and buy the kit from another vendor and I did.
I would comment, in my opinion, that to accept bad customer service any where, on some level, just reinforces that it is OK to do.
Best wishes to you
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Dec 11 '09
11:48 am PST
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Re: gary camera (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Caljeff,
Thanks for your comment. Two points, though: one is that Gary Camera is actually a real store in Indiana; and, the other is that eBay sellers live and die by their Approval Rating. Without good service, you run the risk of having a sub-100 rating, which is bad. Amazon and the like are not held to such a rating system; even though people can review Amazon and comment on the site itself, such ratings do not have the same impact as a negative rating on an eBay vendor.
That said, I expect good service from eBay vendor lest they lose business in a very real sense. For Amazon, for every dissatisfied customer that goes elsewhere, there are many new customers that will jump onboard.
In any case, I liked your comment. If one steps back, the situation sounded funny.
KEDSand1
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Apr 28 '09
9:23 pm PDT
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gary camera (Reply to this comment)
by caljeff
LOL I think whoever worked at Gary Camera had a little too much time on their hands (researching your past purchase?). That being said, it IS an eBay storefront, so I really wouldn't expect that much from them. After all, you go to eBay because it's cheap, not quality service. If I really value customer service then I would just pay a few dollars more and stick to Amazon like you did.
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Apr 24 '09
4:11 pm PDT
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Re: A Positive Experience at Gary Camera via EBay (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Patrick,
Thank you for your comment.
I think it's wonderful that you not only had a positive experience with Gary Camera, but you took the time to craft such a complimentary comment about them in response to my article. Do you work for, or are you somehow affiliated with, Gary Camera?
As for my experience, I wanted to make a major purchase through them, but was put off by their unfriendly and rude responses through eBay. They had no interest in selling me a lens that I would have bought from them if they had responded better. I really think that good customer service is often downplayed; and, even one bad response does more damage than 10 or even 100 good responses. That's why most companies employ Quality Assurance staff to ensure that calls and messages are sent with the best possible verbiage and tone.
Once again, I thank you for your comment. However, I must implore readers to read the article and take into account the one bad response I got because the next bad response could be any one of us, if you ask the wrong questions. That should never happen with any kind of business.
KEDSand1
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Apr 07 '09
7:51 am PDT
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A Positive Experience at Gary Camera via EBay (Reply to this comment)
by devine71
I purchased a Nikon D300 from Gary Camera, receiving an excellent price and service. Being leary of making a high cost purchase over the internet from a vendor I did not know, I made several phone inquiries of the store and received well informed responses and polite service that assured me I was dealing with a sound and reputable vendor. I made the purchase and following it I had excellent communications concerning shipping as well as advice on several accessories that would compliment my purchase such as additional batteries, quality memory cards and lens protector.
The additional accessories were offered at excellent prices as well . Shipping was prompt, with professional packaging.
I will buy from Gary Camera again.
Patrick
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Apr 05 '09
9:24 am PDT
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....... (Reply to this comment)
by Ahab1973
I was in their shop once. I'm not much of a photographer but I once had an interest in it. I asked a couple of innocent questions and their answers were rude. I would conclude that the place is just owned or staffed by rude people. I never went back.
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Dec 31 '08
3:33 pm PST
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Re: Life is too short for this nonsense..... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Flash,
It's good to read your posts again! Yeah, I suppose I could've let it go, but I think a vendor needs to know when they've done a poor job from a customer service. I was tempted to escalate the issue, but I think the guy with whom I corresponded was one of the top guys, anyway. In any case, this situation points at how a high approval rating can belie the potentially poor customer service of a business organization with people who think too highly of themselves.
I hope things are going well on your end.
KEDSand1
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Sep 08 '08
7:32 am PDT
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Life is too short for this nonsense..... (Reply to this comment)
by flashfriday
I think you handled this well but personally I would've just let it go and moved on. The second I received that rude reply I would've moved on to the next seller. They are a dime a dozen.
This is in jest but here's a suggestion to have fun with this seller. Create a new eBay account and purchase one of the cheapest items he has for sale. After 80 days return it and say that you received the same item as a gift. Once he has refunded your money, send him an email telling him who you really are. Sure it's petty, but it might give you a nice chuckle.
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Aug 29 '08
9:15 pm PDT
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Re: hey there... (Reply to this comment)
by kedsand1
Tom,
Thanks for your comment. Yeah, my questions were pretty much as I phrase them here. In fact, if you've ever sent a message to a seller through eBay, you'd probably remember that you only get a certain amount of characters to compose a message. Usually, when I contact a seller regarding a product, I simply start the message with a "Hello!" and then a numbered list of two or three questions. This format, I feel, makes for succinct communication that cannot be misunderstood. Unfortunately, gary_camera felt otherwise.
I checked yesterday and saw that gary_camera had a 100% approval rating among past eBay raters, but I doubt those people dealt with the customer service. It's interesting: with certain vendors, if you just buy their products they treat you nicely; but, if you start asking questions, some of those vendors get defensive or suspicious. In my opinion, when it comes to questions from a potential buyer, even if the seller doesn't like how the questions were phrased, the seller still has to respond professionally. It baffles me that a business with the rude customer (and I wasn't even a customer yet!) service gary_camera demonstrated would be 100% at eBay.
I'll get off my soapbox again. Thanks for writing!
KEDSand1
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Aug 22 '08
7:02 am PDT
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hey there... (Reply to this comment)
by sleeper54
...
If your questions were tendered exactly as you state them in the essay . . .than I too am at a loss to explain the seller's reaction, replies, and follow-up e-mails.
Interesting. I think you handled this problem and essay well. It seems you were fair to the seller and simply stated your . . .'reluctance' to do business with them. Perhaps that intuition to 'listen to your gut' paid off here.
Very nicely said.
...tom...
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Aug 21 '08
4:07 pm PDT
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