luria@ucbvax.ARPA (Marc Luria) (12/18/84)
I've dealt with 47th St. Photo a number of times. Have always received merchandise within a few days. They have a toll free customer service number, unlike all the others I've seen. I can't tell you about using it since I've never had any problems with them.
2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (henning) (12/26/84)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh > I've dealt with 47th St. Photo a number of times. Have always received > merchandise within a few days. They have a toll free customer service ... I ordered a variety of photo-flash equipment from 47th St. after they told me that everything was in stock. They sent part of the order. I called them and was told not to ask questions on the toll-free line. I asked why they told me a toll-free lie and demanded a toll reply. They did then say that some of the articles were not in stock and were not in stock the day I placed my order. I said OK and asked them to cancel the balance of my order. Then I had to ask Master Charge to get a refund for the not-shipped and also not-in-stock merchandise. About 2 weeks later, here comes a package from 47th St. It is the canceled order. I called them and said that I received unsolicited merchandise. I also told them that I didn't want to be black-listed by them so would return the merchandise at their expense. After a round of negotiation they told me to keep a $10 item to pay for my inconvenience. Moral of the story: don't expect too much and don't expect the many departments at 47th St. to be able to communicate. If you have seen 47th St. it looks like the before part of the IBM PC hat factory adds.
jorge@arizona.UUCP (Jorge OchoaLions.) (01/06/85)
> **** **** > From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh > > > I've dealt with 47th St. Photo a number of times. Have always received > > merchandise within a few days. They have a toll free customer service ... > > I ordered a variety of photo-flash equipment from 47th St. after they told me > that everything was in stock. They sent part of the order. I called them > and was told not to ask questions on the toll-free line. I asked why they > told me a toll-free lie and demanded a toll reply. They did then say that > some of the articles were not in stock and were not in stock the day I placed > my order. I said OK and asked them to cancel the balance of my order. > Then I had to ask Master Charge to get a refund for the not-shipped and > also not-in-stock merchandise. About 2 weeks later, here comes a package > from 47th St. It is the canceled order. I called them and said that > I received unsolicited merchandise. I also told them that I didn't want > to be black-listed by them so would return the merchandise at their expense. > After a round of negotiation they told me to keep a $10 item to pay for > my inconvenience. > > Moral of the story: don't expect too much and don't expect the many departments > at 47th St. to be able to communicate. If you have seen 47th St. it looks like > the before part of the IBM PC hat factory adds. My experience is very similar to this one, except with Tri-State Camera and except for the fact that it took 3 ( THREE ) months and a lot of help from our MasterCard friends to solve the problem. My moral: $30 or $40 savings are not worth the headaches now or in the future. If that's how they treat you at the time of the sale, what can you expect in the event you need to use warranties and service ? Not to mention the record you set with MasterCard or your favorite Credit Card ! Support your local Photography Shop, they need your business. Jorge Ochoa-Lions ( ihnp4!arizona!jorge )
dionne@mcnc.UUCP (Russell Dionne) (01/07/85)
My own experiences with Executive Photo lead me to support the generally negative comments made about camera discount places. It cost me quite a bit of money on toll phone calls to Executive Photo to clear up a mess created by their sending my order to a non-existant address. Even with the help of New York's Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General's office, I still ended up with a loss of about $50. This occurred several years ago, but I have heard even worse stories from friends. Local photo stores may be a bit more expensive, but the added expense more than compensates for the headache of dealing with the sleazy management of the discount places.
wjt@hound.UUCP (Bill Taggart) (01/10/85)
Since everyone seems to be unloading their tales about sleazy
camera stores, I figure I would put in my two-cents worth. I
have ordered equipment from a number of stores including,
but not limited to: 47th Street Photo; Executive Photo; Focus
Electronics; Olden Camera; and Adorama. In general, I have had
pretty good success. The best service I have received has been
from Focus Electronics, I have always received the mechandise I
ordered quickly, with the appropriate warranty cards, and in good
shape.
The store I will never order another item from is Executive Photo.
Why? When I ordered a Sony TV from them they told it was in stock and
would be shipped the next day. The only thing they did the next day
was charge it to my MasterCard. After about two weeks I called and
was told a new shipment had just come in and they would ship it the
next day. After another two weeks I was told that they were having
trouble getting the model I ordered, but expected to get one in
soon. Two more weeks passed and I got my MasterCard bill, I called
them up to find out why they had charged it to my card without having
shipped the merchandise. I was told that I could select another TV and it
would be shipped right away; instead, I asked for a credit on my card.
They said they would issue the credit immediately. My next MasterCard
bill brought finance charges but no credit. To make a story that is
getting too long, shorter -- it took me six months, several letters to
MasterCard, Executive Photo, the Better Business Bureau, and Modern
Photography (who supposedly polices their advertisers) to get the original
charge and the finance charges removed. MasterCard was the one that
cleared the mess up; Executive Photo never issued me a credit, they claim
they did and it was their bank that caused the problem. The problem
really is that Executive Photo is the sleaziest of the bunch.
--
Bill Taggart
...ihnp4!houxm!hound!wjtjlg@lanl.ARPA (01/10/85)
> My moral: $30 or $40 savings are not worth the headaches now or in the > future. If that's how they treat you at the time of the sale, what can you > expect in the event you need to use warranties and service ? Not to mention > the record you set with MasterCard or your favorite Credit Card ! > > Support your local Photography Shop, they need your business. If it were only $30 or $40 then I would agree with you. But the camera body I want retails for $685 and the discount places have it for about $325! For a fifty percent saving on a multi-hundred dollar item, I am willing to put up with quite a lot of inconvenience. After all, I'm not really risking any money since I can cancel payment through my bank. Note: the same savings are available for many other items I currently need - tripod: retail ~$130; wholesale ~$50 - wide angle zoom: retail ~$250; wholesale ~$150 - the list goes on. If the local photography store needs my business it can start by living with less mark-up.
cjn@calmasd.UUCP (Cheryl Nemeth) (01/12/85)
You should be able to find some kind of discount camera shop not too far away from home. Even if the discount isn't quite as large it's worth being able to pick up the merchandise and pound on their door if problems come up later. Cheryl Nemeth
darryl@ISM780.UUCP (01/15/85)
>> Support your local Photography Shop, they need your business. > If the local photography store needs >my business it can start by living with less mark-up. Well, that's easy to say, but... I have a close friend who spent several years in the retail camera shop business. They sell cameras as loss leaders to get you to buy filters because they make more on that $12 filter than on the $300 camera. His boss got terribly angry because another dealer had wangled an extra advertising discount from a camera manufacturer and so was able to sell those cameras ten dollars cheaper. It's amazing how many people will buy a complete camera outfit from one store instead of another for $10 difference (which may not even show up in the final tally, if the store gets retail for all of the accessories). On the other hand, mail order places have a greatly reduced overhead (just what does Executive or 47th street look like inside?), don't have to hire salesmen, and they don't have to know or care about cameras. An aquaintance was able to become a "dealer" for one particular camera manufacturer by being able to scrape together a bunch of friends to get the minimum order for dealership. I got to see his price list, and the mail order guys have it all over (way under) him. The difference in discounts for those buying 4 a month and those buying 4 a day are tremendous. Of course, if everyone realized that by purchasing at a store they would have a place to go to for information, advice, service, etc., and bought there instead of being concerned strictly with the bottom line, then stores would have greater volume and, hence, lower prices. I'm not a complete fool, I understand that this won't happen, but if people weren't quite so greedy, they would do better for themselves in the long run. --Darryl Richman, INTERACTIVE Systems Inc. ...!cca!ima!ism780!darryl The views expressed above are my opinions only.
2141smh@aluxe.UUCP (S. M. Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA) (01/15/85)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA aluxe!2141smh > If it were only $30 or $40 then I would agree with you. But the camera > body I want retails for $685 and the discount places have it for about $325! Apparently you have not shopped around. There are many local stores that come close to NYC prices. No store that wants to stay in business ever charges list prices. They are from fantasy land.