You did not find a great deal on a camera!!

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

08/02/2006 11:34:01 AM · #1

Every day or so, someone posts some super deal they found on a camera at some unheard of online store and asks if anyone has had any dealings with them. Let me see how many bubbles I can pre-emptively burst in one fell swoop.

You can find a good deal on a camera. This usually means a savings of around $50-200US when compared to the prices of major retailers like B&H Photo, Adorama, etc. You will not save $900 on a new camera. The reason these stores are able to offer items at such ridiculously low prices is because THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SEND YOU THE CAMERA! I know that it's very tempting to risk it...to think just maybe you got lucky...to bank on your credit card's fraud protection. Just don't waste your time. THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SEND YOU THE CAMERA!

When you think you've come across an undiscovered gem of a retailer, before you do your victory dance and before you post to DPC, go to resellerratings.com. They have a grading scale that works the same way our voting scale does. Just like you will cry and fall apart if you get a 1 on a photo here, you do not want a 1 on a retailer there. Read the reviews. Be proud that you are not one of the many suckers who have had to write in long, sordid stories about their awful experiences with these retailers. Let go of the idea that you have outsmarted the system and will have $900 extra to put towards a super lens. Move on.

If you don't find your store on resellerratings.com, then google it. Look for other reviews. If you can't find anything at all about the store, that's because they just changed names because the quantity of negative feedback was preventing them from being able to scam more people, not because they have been wallowing in obscurity and waiting for some lucky genius to discover their super good deals. Give it up. Resign yourself to the idea that unless you're buying used, you're going to have to pay something pretty close to what the major retailers are selling for. It sucks. We understand. But it's better than throwing your wads of money out the window and getting nothing in return.

alfresco

Nikon D700

08/02/2006 11:39:43 AM · #2

Originally posted by mk:

THEY ARE NOT GOING TO SEND YOU THE CAMERA!

LN13

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

08/02/2006 11:42:23 AM · #3

Oh, they may send you the camera. Just not the battery, the strap, the manuals or anything else thatshould come with it. But they will gladly sell that to you as well. For $900.

Ken

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

08/02/2006 11:47:26 AM · #4

Good advice. Resellerratings.com is a good resource, but I'd also use a bit of caution with them and especially other online rating systems. I know of some retailers that will offer small gifts for postitive ratings.

I had bad dealings with an online retailer that eventually did send me a camera (after I cancelled order) and hit me with a restocking fee. To get them to authorize the return I had to sign a waiver stating that I would not leave negative reviews or they would charge $100 to my cc. I signed it to get the return taken care of, with the intention to leave a negative review later. My CC company was no help in his matter and I didn't want to deal with it any more (weeks into this already) so I dropped it. I know they charged others the $100 and just wanted it (and them) to go away.

glad2badad

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

Lensbaby Sweet 35 Optic

08/02/2006 11:56:10 AM · #5

Originally posted by mad_brewer:

That sounds like something the Federal Trade Commission would be interested in.

hankk

Canon EOS-5D

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

08/02/2006 11:58:25 AM · #6

Reseller Ratings is great, but check the rating of several good on-line stores (B&H, Adorama, etc) to compare.

Camera stores seem to have picky customers.

Also compare the volume of reviews. If there's only a few reviews, they could be placed by employees.

One on-line merchant asked me to fill out the review at Reseller Ratings. This tends to skew the rating to the more positive side because most people will only post a review when they complain.

hankk

Canon EOS-5D

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

08/02/2006 11:59:15 AM · #7

Originally posted by mad_brewer:

If you ever cancel the card, post a review!

StephE

Panasonic DMC-FZ5

08/02/2006 12:02:49 PM · #8

.

Message edited by author 2006-08-02 12:03:00.

08/02/2006 12:02:52 PM · #9

Originally posted by hankk:

One on-line merchant asked me to fill out the review at Reseller Ratings. This tends to skew the rating to the more positive side because most people will only post a review when they complain.

I'm not sure how this sentence makes any sense - if you had a positive experience and you post it, it's not skewing the reviews. It's true that more people post to complain than they do to praise but the fact remains, if you have 200 complaining posts, you may want to consider that.

I'm not saying that resellerratings is the only tool to use and it's certainly not precisely accurate. But if your vendor has a rating of .6, take the hint.

08/02/2006 12:04:17 PM · #10

Originally posted by StephE:

I am going to assume that's courtesy of your idiot husband. ;)

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon

08/02/2006 12:04:19 PM · #11

And you'd be right. I'm off to smack her head for not logging off.

Message edited by author 2006-08-02 12:04:54.

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

08/02/2006 12:08:59 PM · #12

Hey everybody... I found a GREAT deal on a Rebel XT... hang on and I'll find the link!

08/02/2006 12:09:57 PM · #13

Originally posted by Palmetto_Pixels:

Hey everybody... I found a GREAT deal on a Rebel XT... hang on and I'll find the link!

That actually took much longer than I was expecting. :P

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon

08/02/2006 12:16:12 PM · #14

Even though I hate to admit it :P, I think mk made a great post that should be posted as a tutorial on "how to be a sucker by thinking you can save a thousand bucks on a new camera". Like she said, you might be able to save a few dollars by shopping around but there is no way a store can price a camera at $900 below what others are selling it for - unless the store is on a street corner wearing a trenchcoat.

LeeD

Canon EOS-30D

08/02/2006 12:18:30 PM · #15

Originally posted by mk:

That actually took much longer than I was expecting. :P

Sorry... slow on the draw today!

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

08/02/2006 12:22:03 PM · #16

Originally posted by dudephil:

unless the store is on a street corner wearing a trenchcoat.

And then they might throw in a free "monopod."

Joey Lawrence

PhaseOne P45

08/02/2006 12:23:29 PM · #17

Amen, brother

Art Roflmao

Canon EOS-6D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

08/02/2006 12:33:46 PM · #18

Originally posted by mk:

And then they might throw in a free "monopod."

I got one with mine and I will admit the flaking bark makes me question the quality...

hankk

Canon EOS-5D

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Canon

08/02/2006 12:37:02 PM · #19

Originally posted by mk:

Originally posted by hankk:

One on-line merchant asked me to fill out the review at Reseller Ratings. This tends to skew the rating to the more positive side because most people will only post a review when they complain.

I'm not sure how this sentence makes any sense - if you had a positive experience and you post it, it's not skewing the reviews. It's true that more people post to complain than they do to praise but the fact remains, if you have 200 complaining posts, you may want to consider that.

The issue is that if one company doesn't solicit input and another one does, the first company will get more total reviews. If you're happy with a purchase, you generally don't search the web looking for wsys to tell everyone how good the store was and encourage them to buy from it. I suspect that a lot of people don't even know about reseller ratings or similar sites.

For example, a store has 200 complaining posts, and 200 good ones, than they get a certain score, I'll assume its 50. But the store may actually have 9800 happy customers, 9,000 of whom don't bother to write a rating. If they can get them all to post a rating, the store now has 200 bad posts, but 9,800 good ones, and the score goes to 98.

So by soliciting reviews from customers who don't complain, the store will get a larger number of positive reviews, thereby skewing the ratio of positive to negative reviews.

And I agree that a store with a 0.6 rating can't do much. But the guys in the middle (e.g. Ritz - //www.resellerratings.com/seller1274.html) can use this technique to improve thier rating. They have a 4.62 lifetime rating with 98 reviews, and a 2.31 six month rating with 13 reviews. If they can get another 13 reviews with very positive feedback they can greatly improve thier six-month rating. If they can get another 100 or 200 very positive reviews, thier lifetime rating may go up to 7 or 8.

Note also that the act of soliciting reviews may include wording designed to help you give a better score.

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon

08/02/2006 12:39:19 PM · #20

Originally posted by mk:

Originally posted by dudephil:
unless the store is on a street corner wearing a trenchcoat.

And then they might throw in a free "monopod."

Haha. I'm so slow. At first I thought, "why did she put monopod in parenthesis", then I finally got it. You're tho thilly.

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

08/02/2006 12:41:01 PM · #21

Originally posted by dudephil:

Originally posted by mk:

Originally posted by dudephil:
unless the store is on a street corner wearing a trenchcoat.

And then they might throw in a free "monopod."

Haha. I'm so slow. At first I thought, "why did she put monopod in parenthesis", then I finally got it. You're tho thilly.

You *are* slow. Those aren't parentheses. :P

Nald

Nikon D700

08/02/2006 12:41:21 PM · #22

This rocks, thanks MK.

08/02/2006 12:41:50 PM · #23

Originally posted by hankk:

[...]

You're still not getting the camera! :P

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Canon

08/02/2006 12:44:37 PM · #24

Originally posted by mk:

Originally posted by dudephil:

Originally posted by mk:

Originally posted by dudephil:
unless the store is on a street corner wearing a trenchcoat.

And then they might throw in a free "monopod."

Haha. I'm so slow. At first I thought, "why did she put monopod in parenthesis", then I finally got it. You're tho thilly.

You *are* slow. Those aren't parentheses. :P

Hahaha! God I'm an idiot.

Future reference for Philinbred...
( ) are parenthesis
" " are quotation marks

Ken