Yep-- Beware of online camera sites

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

Ive read a few posts about shady online NY camera sites. Id thought I would share what just happened to me!..

The shop> www.digitalphotohq.com

My girlfriend got me a digital camera for Christmas. A stylin little Canon Digital Elph 4mp. I got it last night, and she told me this long story about ordering it online and going through this big ordeal to get the order shipped.

*It took them two weeks to even respond after they charged her card.
*They lied about the day it was shipped out.
*They upsold her all this stuff- a generic high capacity battery, a memory card, and a generic accessory kit which costs about $3 on ebay. Ok that part is her fault Laughing

. She got it in yesterday, finally, and here were the initial issues....

*She paid $50 for the generic upgraded battery-- which they didnt include.
*She paid for regular shipping- they charged her expedited shipping.
*The memory card that the guy talked her into buying is the wrong size.
*The box and all manuals are international, not domestic
*They included 3 international power adapters- and ZERO domestic adapters (so yeah I cant plug it in).
*There was no warranty card, meaning it was removed or never existed.
**Ok the best part--- they want us to pay shipping and return all the incorrect items, before they will replace anything-- INCLUDING the battery and warranty card that they forgot to include. Like we are playing a game.

So here is the game I play--
I called Canon to report them about the warranty card, and the fraud rep I talked to said that happening is inexcusable and its a big liability on the company that sold it, as well as selling that product advertised as domestic. I am faxing Canon all my info. Then I am going to write a review, in a civil and professional manor, and paste it on every single camera website and internet business review site I can find.

Pretty shady sale huh!! I wonder if everyone else just says 'oh well' and lets them get away with it? Rolling Eyes

Maestro · Posted: Dec 23, 2004 6:02 pm Post subject:

That sucks Jim. I'm sure a lot of people do get scammed by these people - my question is why are they all still in business? You'd think there would be some higher authority that could find reason enough to shut them down. Unfortunately it seems it's up to the buyer to do their research and make sure they're buying from a legit company. A lot of people who shop on the net are just trying to find that great deal from the comfort of their home, and these bastards have no problem taking advantage of less educated individuals.

So is Canon going to help you out with the situation? Or will you have to try to get the shop to smooth things out?

RD · Addict Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 626 City: Discovery Bay

That sucks when there are so many good online NY sites like B&H or Adorama. I've been getting my lenses through Top Cameras which is Adorama's Ebay division. Not only are they usually 5% cheaper than the website the freight is usually cheaper and they really jump when there's a problem because of the whole feedback thing. Anyway both B&H and Adorama are good bellweathers of what the going discount house rates are for any product. If I see an online seller way cheaper then them I usually tread lightly.

pyrocasto · Posted: Dec 23, 2004 10:14 pm Post subject:

There are many sites even out of country that do the same thing. That way they cant get shut down. People buy great deals and never recieve it, while their money was taken. Or buying a great deal and finding out later it doesnt come with a battery, or warrenty, or anything else. Confused

PimpinD · Addict Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Posts: 785 City: Orlando, FL

i find, that using ebay is most of the time the safest way for online shopping. With their feedback system and paypal u know the will have a hard time getting away with scams....

Jim M · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 2933

Yeah I trust ebay, Ive had about 50 good transactions, no bad ones. The feedback rating says a TON compared to bizrate.com links that often have zero reviews.

This shady ass company does seem to have a functional cust service dept, so I just have to wait and see if they ship the missing items out. I just want it all for New Years and that aint happening!

DC · Soul Rider Joined: 11 Mar 2003 Posts: 456

Sorry to hear about your misfortune.

I always check http://www.resellerratings.com/ when purchasing from an online store for the first time. I won't purchase from a store that has less than a few hundred reviews and a score of least an 8.5 or better. Your store in question has only 2 ratings, both "10’s" which is little suspect.... Make sure to leave your experience here to warn others! (http://www.resellerratings.com/seller9110.html) AND contact the Better Business Bureau in that state.

Another thing to look out for and that many people overlook on eBay is "FULL US MANUFACUTRE WARRANTIES" Make sure you read the fine print and visit the manufacture web site (Cannon, Panasonic, Sony, etc...) and make sure they are an authorized dealer. BE CAREFUL because some place state US WARRANTY, but what they’re doing is selling "Gray Market" or "B-Stock" items with a Mack or other 3rd party warranty. This won't make any difference to you UNTIL you have a problem and end up paying $100's to get your equipment repaired....

Other things to note that I’ve seen on eBay are people selling BRAND NEW / NEVER OPENED wakeboards for low prices. Well after a few emails I found out they were selling "3rds". Yes, they were still wrapped in the plastic, but 3rds are rejects from the manufacture that have been fixed due to delaminating, bad inserts, etc. These boards are normally used for rentals or demos...