Let the Buyer Beware....Luckily for me, putting up a fight worked out
Written: Jul 08 '02 (Updated Jul 08 '02)
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Camera shops are an interesting facet in the e-tailers world. To be honest, they're interesting even in the store-front world as well. If you've been in the market for a camera, you've probably heard some real horror stories about such "discount" camera shops, and you've probably heard terms like "bait and switch." I'd like to share my BeachCamera experience with you and give you some color about the entire camera market and some insight as to just how shady BC is compared to the rest of the shops.
First, let me start by saying there are much worse places than Beach Camera. Like every store, they're there to make money and at the prices they sell at, margins are pretty darn slim so they have to squeeze you elsewhere to make ends meet. My experience with BC was related to the purchase of my Nikon N80. I certainly wanted a USA body, and after shopping around Beach had the lowest prices clearly marked on their website - in fact they were well over 60 dollars cheaper than many other popular retailers. My problem with BC arose when I attempted to put together a camera package with the N80 as a body... Amazingly, the substantial savings on the body just dissapeared when I asked the salesperson to put a package toghether with a particular lens, bag, cleaning kit etc. Basically, the body alone was over 100 dollars cheaper than one particular retailer (retailer "a"), however when I added the exact accesories included in "retailer a's" package, the Beach Camera price was HIGHER!!!??? I didn't understand how, and the salesperson refused to explain how the package's price was broken down. Now I'm a pretty darn good shopper, but this salesperson was extremely slick and just talked his way into this sale... I did buy the camera, but kept shopping, and thankfully when I received the order slip with the price breakdown I called back and complained. Thankfully I was able to get them to adjust the price of the add-ons and a few other odds and ends and the price was salvaged, now I just had to get the camera package!!
To my dismay, when I received the parcel, I was given the wrong camera (of course I received a Nikon F80 instead of an N80 - they didn't give me the USA body). I immediately called up screaming, ready to kill someone, spoke to a manager, explained my anger with the "bait and switch" strategy BC's salespersons employed and happily the manager truly apologized and FedExed me exactly what I wanted and I sent the F80 body back.
The bottom line is that nearly all of these camera shops are shady to say the least -- Bait and Switch, overcharge etc etc - there are many obstacles to look out for, but you can do yourself a few favors and follow the advice below:
1) Make sure you pay with a "good" credit card such as Discover -- Discover has excellent fraud protection and charge-challenging representatives to help protect you when a merchant attempts to take advantage of you - don't let yourself be victimized; know your rights with you credit card.
2) SPECIFICALLY make sure you confirm ALL model numbers, prices and exacting details with the salesperson - Particularly when buying a camera package. For me, BC only tried to worm out of sending me a USA body, howeve the DID send me the top-of-the-line accesories I wanted in the package because I SPECIFICALLY gave model numbers and had the person indicate them on the slip and had him fax it to me - another reason why the manager had to accomodate me.
3) Insist on itemized pricing (NOT a simple "grand total" price - this facilitates comparing prices of one retailer to another.
4) Lastly, let the buyer beware- if a price is too good to be true, most likely it is very true - at least in cameras among other things. Ask absolutely probing questions about everything if you are interested in buying something and most importantly READ UP about the shop.
Despite my complaining about Beach Camera, the bottom line is things worked out and I DID get what I wanted and i DID save significant money. However I've heard the terrible horror stories about other retailers, so the most important thing to do is read about oter peoples tragic tales and start thinking on how to protect yourself based on them AND your own insight.
Although I'm not crazy about some of the shady policies at BC, I believe they are a very competitive shop and the prices can be great provided you don't put your guard down. Good luck and always watch your back when dealing with any camera shop.
Recommended:
Yes
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nick1326
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Location: Long Island, NY
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