Cliffy
Premium
join:2003-06-29
Kitchener, ON
clubs:
 ·TekSavvy Solutions..
| New York AG after Brooklyn Scammers
»news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10274730-1.html
"Seven online merchants operating more than 40 Web sites have agreed to pay a $765,000 settlement following an investigation by the New York State Attorney General's office, the AG's office said.
I think a few people are going to start making claims on this one. CNET links to another article that has more information on what companies are involved.
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there's a fine line between a rut and a groove. |
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Hayward
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL
4 edits | And guess what you know how many/much????? Maybe $1-5 check two yeaqrs down the road.
B&H are the one of few (and only I choose to name) I would really trust any were in greater NYC area.... maybe a bit more expensive.... but you get what you pay for AND ACTUALY get it.... plus very liberal return, both new and used.... done both. For instance a used filter front perfect... maybe they didn't looked at the back in proper light, never tried to say I did it just refunded and they took it back.
Now I was an existing not fiirst time customer may have had a little to do with that... but seems in their nature or doing business.
One of few that understands long before (even shopped there in person fom CT long ago) the now how viral the web could be in bad vobes in very short order. And again one of the few NYC cam places not just out to rip all possible off.
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)
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gugarci
Premium
join:2004-02-25
Bergen Co
 ·Comcast
1 edit | reply to Cliffy
Sorry I'll stick with Adorama. 2 times in the past I was shown Grey lenses as USA while shopping at a place I will not mention by name. The salesmen assured me they were USA lenses when they came up the conveyor belt. But I always examine the lens and look at the warranty card before I complete my transaction. But there's no need to worry folks, both times I was assured it was an honest mistake.  |
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Mokmo
join:2005-02-03
Saint-Georges, QC | reply to Cliffy
You said conveyor belt... idon't know many places that have those, but i'm notfrom around NY either... |
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Stacy
FotoDogue
Premium
join:2001-11-02
New York, NY
·RoadRunner Cable
·Speakeasy
| reply to gugarci
As someone who uses the brick & mortar retail stores, I'd say Adorama and B&H are equally good. I happen to live closer to Adorama, and I prefer the smaller store and slightly more personal touch, but if Adorama doesn't have what I need I won't hesitate to go to B&H, or vice versa.
I've also been happy with 17th Street Photo which has comparable prices and good walk in service.. but I have no experience with their mail order department. |
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Pentaxian
Premium
join:2008-01-23
West Milford, NJ | reply to Cliffy
years ago B&H was notorious for grey market shenanigens - after a few media busts they cleaned up their act. |
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Stacy
FotoDogue
Premium
join:2001-11-02
New York, NY
·RoadRunner Cable
·Speakeasy
1 edit | said by Pentaxian  :years ago B&H was notorious for grey market shenanigens - after a few media busts they cleaned up their act. Pentaxian
Sorry I'm not familiar with these "grey market shenanigens" and I've been shopping at B&H since it was a small store near City Hall. Yes they do carry USA Warranty and Grey Market but in my experience they've always been quite clear about the difference.
I also remember a time where there were more camera stores in New York than you could count and most of these stores wouldn't even allow you to even see the item until after you had paid for it. Many of these stores were notorious for removing items and accessories normally supplied by the manufacturer and then selling them as "must purchase accessories" to jack up the price. B&H was always one of the good guys who actually delivered on the advertised price - no strings attached.
B&H (and Adorama) were also two of the few discount New York camera stores that would allow customers to handle equipment before they purchased it. The fact that they now have showrooms with prices attached is light years ahead of the type of photo supply shops we had back in the 80s.
I'm not saying there may have been some instances where grey market may have been substituted for USA Warranty, or customers may have been confused by the two (you'd be amazed to see how little some shoppers know about photography) but this kind of practice, at least in my experience, certainly is not the norm at B&H. |
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Chuck22
Premium
join:2003-11-10
Salt Lake City, UT
·Comcast
| reply to Pentaxian
said by Pentaxian :years ago B&H was notorious for grey market shenanigens - after a few media busts they cleaned up their act. Possibly I'm one of the exceptions, but I have purchased many items from B&H during the past seven years, and have never encountered any grey market shenanigans. I've received only quality products as advertised, at very reasonable prices, in a most timely manner.
Of course, YMMV
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tmpchaos
Requiescat in pace
Premium,Mod
join:2000-04-28
Hoboken, NJ
clubs:  
Host:
All Things Macintosh
Team RC5
Digital Imaging
Digital Imaging Te..
| reply to Pentaxian
Re: New York AG after Brooklyn Scammers
The one that was really well known for those types of moves was 47th Street Photo. Of course some of us remember the good old days around Herald Square...
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***ATMFAQ***DIFAQ***Kitchen Sink*** |
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Pentaxian
Premium
join:2008-01-23
West Milford, NJ
| reply to Pentaxian
quote:
said by Stacy :
Yes they do carry USA Warranty and Grey Market but in my experience they've always been quite clear about the difference.
They were busted for false advertising and bait and switch techniques. B&H used to run large ads in newspapers with pricing in which they would advertise a camera at a great price with no mention of grey market - an unsuspecting customer would buy the product and NEVER be the wiser until there was a problem. Of course the consumer was screwed because B&H had yanked the warranty card from the merchandise.. It was no good in the US anyway..
Now don't get upset with me because you like B&H  - I use them almost exclusively and I like their prices and have never been screwed by them. But there was a day when not everyone could say that.. |
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Stacy
FotoDogue
Premium
join:2001-11-02
New York, NY
·RoadRunner Cable
·Speakeasy
| said by Pentaxian :They were busted for false advertising and bait and switch techniques. B&H used to run large ads in newspapers with pricing in which they would advertise a camera at a great price with no mention of grey market - an unsuspecting customer would buy the product and NEVER be the wiser until there was a problem. Of course the consumer was screwed because B&H had yanked the warranty card from the merchandise.. It was no good in the US anyway.. Got a link? I remember plenty of photo supply houses that operated this way, often running large ads in the Sunday papers, but not B&H. In fact, B&H is one of the few photo supply houses that publishes and widely distributes a catalog with current prices. |
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handling
@tmodns.net
| reply to Cliffy
not forgetting, the year the photo magazines got ethical, and enforced their rules about deceptive advertising,
especially the rule about stating packing and handling and service fees specifically and separately, in addition to shipping charges.
what year was that, when modern photography and popular photography got ~50% thinner? as the unethical dealers' ads were refused? |
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Pentaxian
Premium
join:2008-01-23
West Milford, NJ
1 edit | reply to Cliffy
Re: New York AG after Brooklyn Scammers
Well, it seems they are up to their old tricks...
»photo.net/neighbor/view-one-abou···to+Video
Be sure to scroll the list and read the titles carefully.. Billing and not shipping - Grey market no US scams - etc, etc..
Oh, and I forgot one real doosy of a policy they have.. If you fill out your warranty card (assuming it's a good US one) and you either send it in to the manufacturer, or, you still have it with your information on it, you may NOT return your camera to B&H.. And you can forget it if you simply lost the warranty card.. Most places don't even check to see if the warranty card is there because they'll simply send it back to the MFG and give YOU a new one. Not B&H though. If you send in a defective unit for replacement, they put your crap unit back on the shelf to sell to another poor soul - that's why they need a clean and unaltered warranty card, so the next sucker gets it!! Think I'm full of it? Pentax users watched as returned lenses bounced around from owner to owner who thought they were buying new from B&H.. They were just buying defective lenses that B&H resold.. But I love B&H.. |
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Stacy
FotoDogue
Premium
join:2001-11-02
New York, NY
·RoadRunner Cable
·Speakeasy
| Wow. Somehow when you said "They were busted for false advertising and bait and switch techniques" I was expecting something along the lines of a link to a news story, maybe saying they'd been fined by the NYC Department of Consumers Affairs, or something to that effect. I was not expecting a link to another forum where some users state they had negative experiences and Henry Posner tries to rectify. After all this is a fairly serious accusation to levy against a reputable business.
B&H does an incredible amount of business and has an extensive online catalog that must need regular updating and corrections. If only 1% of their transactions have a problem that's an awful lot of angry customers. I don't find it the least bit surprising that someone would be unhappy. And I'd imagine Henry Posner works overtime doing online customer service and support.
But what I don't understand is, if you really believe they're deliberately involved in some kind of bait and switch or other scams then why would you continue to shop there? |
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Hayward
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL
| reply to Cliffy
And just to restate the ONLY NYC metro seller I would trust is B&H.
They actually do honest business even if they are closed on Sat like all the others.... draw your own conclusions.... but honest ones.
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)
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Jodokast96
R.I.P Bassman442
Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to Stacy
There is something out there, but I'll be damned if I can find it now myself. If I remember, it was little more than a local news channels consumer reporter giving them crap, and it was a rather long time ago. All in all, they are a decent place to deal with, the number of satisfied customers shows that. But they aren't perfect, and haven't always been angels. |
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Hayward
K A R - 1 2 0 C
Premium
join:2000-07-13
Key West, FL
1 edit | reply to Stacy
said by Stacy :But what I don't understand is, if you really believe they're deliberately involved in some kind of bait and switch or other scams then why would you continue to shop there? Possible bad experience, not dealt with in a timely way. I have not have had any problem even returning USED stuff to B&H with no problem.... again about the only reputable NYC dealer.... HUNDREDS of FAR WORSE, the AG is after
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)
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