I Wouldn't Bother
Written: Oct 14 '02 (Updated Oct 15 '02)
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Those in the professional or semi-professional video business frequently buy from dealers that sell high-end expensive products that Abe's of Maine sells. Because of the prices involved, we must be very vigilant about what we pay and what we're getting. This particular vendor is a disappointment.
SELECTION/WEBSITE/NAVIGATION/
The selection of products is impressive. They have a wide range of brands and products for still cameras (film and digital) and video cameras. Their accessory listings are impressive too.
The site is slick looking. You can easily navigate your way to the type of product and brand you want. However, things begin to go wrong after you find a product and price you like and start the online ordering process.
After you enter all of your payment/address information there is no confirmation page. It's not like Amazon where you don't have to communicate with a salesperson and then expect your product to be delivered after you type in your payment info. With the Abe's of Maine website, you're instructed to call an 800 number to "complete your confirmation." When you call that number, you encounter a very high pressure salesperson. More on this below.
PRICE
On the surface, the prices appear excellent. But for big-ticket items, these prices are deceiving. They don't mention that shipping charges are proportional to the price and not based on actual shipping costs. Immediately a camera listed at $3000 becomes $3150. Again, more on this below.
SERVICE/ORDERING/SHIPPING (or shall I say "FAILED SHIPPING"?)
This is where Abe's of Maine really falls apart. In summery, if you're willing to go along with their absurdly inflated shipping costs and purchase their store warranty, they will treat you fine and you can expect your product in a timely matter. If you don't go along with these things, you likely will never get your product.
Here's what kind of service I received. When I called Abe's of Maine after calling that phone number, the salesman affirmed a great price quote for a Canon XL1 digital video camera (at the time, over $3,500). The salesman told me that they have "many in stock." I said enthusiastically that I'd take it.
He then told me shipping was $150!!! It's a 7 pound camera that, even with box and accessories, shouldn't cost more than $20 to ship. But even with that ridiculous shipping charge, the price was cheaper than other vendors on the web, so I agreed.
Then the salesman tried to pressure me into buying a $250 store warranty which would have pushed the price comparable or higher than most other vendors. I learned long ago to never buy those from out of town dealers. The camera comes with a 1 year warranty that is good at any authorized brand service center. There is no need to ship the camera off to New York if I need work done. Their warranty is good only at their store in New York. I've had many friends who never received warranty service from New York area dealers after sending broken equipment there. Remember, when the store is out of state, it is extremely difficult to sue them in your state's small-claims court. Naturally, I declined their store warranty. The salesman wouldn't give up pushing the warranty, but I still declined. He then took my credit card number and just as I was about to ask when to expect my camera or for a UPS tracking number, he immediately hung up.
One week passes...
After that week, I called to ask for a UPS tracking number. Since this was a "customer service" call and not a sales call, I was told to telephone on a NON-toll free number (the store is in New York, I'm in California.) When I called that toll phone number and put on hold for 20 minutes, a customer service lady told me the camera was "out of stock." This totally contradicted the saleman's claim from a week ago that they had "many in stock." I canceled the order.
Out of curiosity, I immediately called a salesperson (of course on their toll free phone number since this was a sales call) pretending to be a new customer wanting to buy the XL1. The sales person said to me they had "many in stock." (!!!) So basically, it's in stock only if you buy the expensive store warranty.
When my credit card bill came a couple weeks later, the full charge of $3,725 for the XL1 was there! Abe's of Maine charged me for: 1. A camera they claimed wasn't in stock and never sent and 2. An order I had canceled. I disputed the charge with American Express and it was no problem getting the charge erased.
CONCLUSION
It seems that if you go along with their add-ons that reputable dealers include in the price, the price from Abe's of Maine is close to that of other dealers and the low price they quote on the web is just a hook to get you to call them instead of the other dealers. Personally, I find that unethical and I don't like being deceived. This experience was only with a big-ticket item. It might be different with smaller items like batteries. I went with another vendor (Onecall) that didn't play any price add-on games with me and charged only $17.25 for shipping and sent the camera immediately after the order.
Recommended:
No
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About the Author
Member: Shane
Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 3 members
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Abe's Of Maine Online Store
