[wildimages]

I've ordered several items from Adorama and have always been more than pleased with the entire experience. I am getting ready to buy a DA* 35 Macro from them probably this week.

One of the biggest reasons I like Adorama is that when the company representative comes here to speak, I don't feel like I am being talked down to or that my question is a bother as it does in the Ask B&H area. It's sad really, but B&H is the company I have crossed off my list as a first choice. Often times, they are the only one who has what I want, and I have to order from them, but I usually now try someone else first. I have found B&H's attitude towards the enthusiast photographer to be less than cordial and often puzzling.

Case in point is the question in the Ask B&H area about MAP. I read the response given by the B&H rep. I then went to B&H to check the price of the DA* 35 Macro and it was 696. I "added" it to my cart to see if there was a different price in the cart as some here have suggested, but it still came up as 696. I then went to Adorama and they listed it as 696 also, or there abouts, but when I added it to my cart, it came up as 529. I have to be honest, I don't know what to think? But I do know that 170 dollars is still 170 dollars and I would rather have it in my pocket than give it to someone else.

Anyway, Adorama has always treated me well (and the items I have received from B&H have always been first rate as well) it's just that the company representative that post here from Adorama actually seems to care about the little guys like me.

[aleonx3]

Actually, that is no longer true: with our BRAND NEW shipping option, which is not only much cheaper, but the customer pays all taxes’ & duties up front rather than at the front door!

Our partner in this exciting new venture is Bilsi, who have agreed to send a truck to us every day to collect all the orders destined for Canada.
These orders will then be forwarded on to Canada.

The estimated arrival time for this is overnight to Toronto then add one day to most of Ontario and Quebec, two days for the Maritimes and Manitoba; three days for Saskatchewan and Alberta and four days to BC.

According to photoprice.ca :

photoprice.ca: Adorama Now Ships Tax & Duty Included to Canada

This is really exciting for Canadian consumers because not only is tax & duty included with the shipping, but it is less expensive than the options available from other US stores, and Much cheaper than the previous UPS Expedited option.

A quick check shows that shipping costs are, on average, 50% less! Most items ship for less than $20, which is competitive with Canadian retail store shipping.

• Adorama Calculates the Tax & Duty & Brokerage, and charges you at time of sale. That means the final price you pay to Adorama is the final price to you. No more surprises, and no worrying about the tax bill from your courier when your shipment arrives.

Don't forget that many photographic items are covered by US/Canada or Worldwide Manufacturer Warranties, so many items you purchase from the US often come with warranty coverage in Canada.

[This is the phoprice.ca article on warranties for Canadian consumers:

]photoprice.ca: PhotoPrice.ca Articles

If you are new to buying from the US, you can also read the photoprice.ca article about Tax, Duty, and Brokerage Fees when buying from the US.

photoprice.ca: Cross-Border Tax, Duty, and Brokerage Fees Demystified

What is included in the final Adorama price? ALL taxes, duties, and brokerage fees are included in the final number when you select "Canada Shipping".

• Tax: Your local sales tax (GST + PST, or HST depending on province). If you are not in an HST province, only GST is charged (no PST). No taxes are due at delivery.

• Duty: Most camera equipment is duty free. If what you are buying is not, duties are included as well.

• Brokerage Fees: There are NO extra brokerage fees. Everything is already included in the shipping fee!

Go check out Adorama Camera for yourself, today Photography, Digital Cameras, Lenses, Electronics - 8PM Shipping - Adorama Camera and find out how the new Tax & Duty-Included Ground shipping is going to keep dollars in YOUR pocket!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me directly: Helen@adorama.com.

[Thank you to photoprice.ca for saying it all so concisely and clearly!]

Helen Oster
Adorama Camera Customer Service Ambassador

Helen, thanks for the explanation.... it is definitely an improvement..

[Aegon]

And that doesn't make it any more acceptable, when people defend shoddy work practices and ethics as the norm, rather than the exception.

I love these sorts of excuses.

For the record, I wasn't saying that they should be excused, but reacting to those who suggest that buying from another source would solve their problems. Instead, I think they'll find the same problems at the other vendors.

[snake]

For the record, I wasn't saying that they should be excused, but reacting to those who suggest that buying from another source would solve their problems. Instead, I think they'll find the same problems at the other vendors.

It came off exactly as how I reacted to it. It's on every product-based forum, almost like a form answer.

"Everyone is doing it"

And because people say things like that constantly, manufacturers and supply and service companies have no reason to excel more than the ever-declining standard of their competitors.

So then we have all companies making shoddy, defective products and suppliers giving ever-worse service.

[krebsy75]

To the person who criticized "try-and-buy" what other option do we have as Pentax enthusiasts? It's nearly impossible to see and handle their products in stores. Blame Pentax for returns not end-users.

[ducdao]

Yes, I remember. UPS lost your package; and as I believe I explained at the time, we use a wide range of carriers, FedEx, UPS, USPS, MessengerForYou, Manna, Mail Innovations and more, and if any customer prefers to select one of them it only takes a call to us.

I'm saddened that you still hold Adorama responsible for losing the package, when we actually put a great deal of time into chasing UPS, however, due to the huge increase in widespread fraud and attempted fraud, the 'Trace' process has to run its course.

Helen - I forgot to mention a very important point in my previous e-mail, and I do apologize for that, is that you have been extremely helpful and friendly during that whole process.

Now, for one I never held Arorama responsible for losing the package, however I blame Adorama on the way it treated my case, Adorama stuck to the requirements of 10 freaking business days (that 2 calendar weeks and that almost 4 weeks from the day I was supposed to receive my package) for the trace to be complete before it decides to refund my money. So imagine all the impacts that delay have caused on my Christmas and New Year plans.

[Helen Oster]

Helen - I forgot to mention a very important point in my previous e-mail, and I do apologize for that, is that you have been extremely helpful and friendly during that whole process.

Now, for one I never held Adorama responsible for losing the package, however I blame Adorama on the way it treated my case, Adorama stuck to the requirements of 10 freaking business days (that 2 calendar weeks and that almost 4 weeks from the day I was supposed to receive my package) for the trace to be complete before it decides to refund my money. So imagine all the impacts that delay have caused on my Christmas and New Year plans.

I really do appreciate that it was not convenient, and in your position I'd have been spitting feathers.......the 10-day trace process is the time UPS tell us it takes them to do whatever checks they need to do to confirm that it isn't a fraudulent claim and give the go-ahead for a re-ship or refund. I suppose they have a team of people who are experienced and expert in this.

Now, my gut feeling when we were communicating was that there was no question in my mind but that you were completely honest, and it was a genuine claim - BUT - over the holiday I had the opposite feeling about another customer, and at the end of the 10 days UPS found that the guy was a swindler of the first degree!!

One-size-fits-all rarely suits anyone completely, but at the moment it's all we have.... BTW a USPS trace takes something like 6 weeks!

[Helen Oster]

.....One of the biggest reasons I like Adorama is that when the company representative comes here to speak, I don't feel like I am being talked down to or that my question is a bother .....Anyway, Adorama has always treated me well ......

That's so nice to hear, thank you!

....the company representative that post here from Adorama actually seems to care about the little guys like me.

'cos I really do

[VisualDarkness]

I really do appreciate that it was not convenient, and in your position I'd have been spitting feathers.......the 10-day trace process is the time UPS tell us it takes them to do whatever checks they need to do to confirm that it isn't a fraudulent claim and give the go-ahead for a re-ship or refund. I suppose they have a team of people who are experienced and expert in this.

Now, my gut feeling when we were communicating was that there was no question in my mind but that you were completely honest, and it was a genuine claim - BUT - over the holiday I had the opposite feeling about another customer, and at the end of the 10 days UPS found that the guy was a swindler of the first degree!!

One-size-fits-all rarely suits anyone completely, but at the moment it's all we have.... BTW a USPS trace takes something like 6 weeks!

I can really see why you do this, though if everyone would be honest there would need for it. I think Amazon.co.uk had a nice way around this problem with my "DOA" Da*300/F4. They simply put in a new order for a lens and as soon as I contacted them and I had 3-4 weeks (I think it was) to return my first package and if I failed to do so they would have charged my credit card with two lenses instead. Though I don't know if that works for you but as a customer I got a working lens pretty quick.

Is it possible for you to ship a new product as soon as a claim for a lost package comes in and charge double (maybe even more) if the claim proves to be wrong? Are credit cards safe enough for you in that aspect?

[LaurenOE]

Is it possible for you to ship a new product as soon as a claim for a lost package comes in and charge double (maybe even more) if the claim proves to be wrong? Are credit cards safe enough for you in that aspect?

This is what I was *expecting*, but they didn't give me that option since there are no DA*200 f/2.8s at Adorama, and they had no idea when Pentax was going to send them more (from the customer service rep).

I had no choice but to send it back and go with my 1st choice - B&H. I have a new DA*200 f/2.8 on it's way as I type this.

As for Helen's request for the order number from me so she can take it out on the person? No. That is not going to happen to some poor schmuck in the warehouse.

Whomever the person was, who filled the order, was hired, trained and supervised by the folks at Adorama. If Adorama doesn't have some mechanism in place to make sure these things don't happen - pro actively - then I have no responsibility to help Adorama *fix* something that should NOT be broken in the first place when it comes to internet sales.

Additionally, while the DA* 200 f/2.8 was DOA in this shipment, there were other items in the shipment that were also substandard. In this shipment I also ordered a ProMediaGear PX6 Arca plate. The plate should have come with 2 x 1/4-20" captive screws and an allen wrench. It did not, and the box was open and the plate was flopping around in the box.

From the Adorama product description - http://www.adorama.com/PMGPX6.html

What's Included With This Item
•ProMediaGear PX6 6-inch Double Dove Tail Plate
•2 x 1/4in-20 Screws
•Wrench
•Stop Screws
•ProMediaGear Warranty

When it comes to ProMediaGear, I know Tom - who is the owner at ProMediaGear - and he includes the little bits in his items whenever I order directly from him.

Again, back to what appears to be accountability and customer service, hanging out on Pentax Forums and *defending* Adorama is not a substitute for customer service.

To date, with some of the issues I have had with B&H, I have gotten a $100 gift card in the mail - without asking. I have gotten B&H baseball caps as thanks in other ways. B&H has a more sophisticated inventory system than Adorama, and the list goes on and on.

Like I said, I will continue to buy from Adorama, but they are not up to speed in comparison to B&H and I feel they are definitely slipping.

Now before I get discredited/discounted/blown off, here is a small fraction of some of my recent purchases I have made with B&H



I am not your average Pentax consumer.

[ducdao]

As for Helen's request for the order number from me so she can take it out on the person? No. That is not going to happen to some poor schmuck in the warehouse.

.

I don't think she really needs your order number to trace it back to the source. This is an easy one. I mean how many DA* 200 can be sold on a given day and shipped to a given location by Adorama? I guess is probably not more than one...

[ducdao]

I really do appreciate that it was not convenient, and in your position I'd have been spitting feathers.......the 10-day trace process is the time UPS tell us it takes them to do whatever checks they need to do to confirm that it isn't a fraudulent claim and give the go-ahead for a re-ship or refund. I suppose they have a team of people who are experienced and expert in this.

Now, my gut feeling when we were communicating was that there was no question in my mind but that you were completely honest, and it was a genuine claim - BUT - over the holiday I had the opposite feeling about another customer, and at the end of the 10 days UPS found that the guy was a swindler of the first degree!!

One-size-fits-all rarely suits anyone completely, but at the moment it's all we have.... BTW a USPS trace takes something like 6 weeks!

Well, if that's all you (Adorama) have then it's too bad because I, on the other hand have many other vendors that are willing to tailor their process to get my business.

Anyway - you've been great Helen and I'm not blaming you at all. I'm not gonna post again on this as like I said, this mess has generated a great opportunity for me to get a better deal elsewhere.

[LaurenOE]

I don't think she really needs your order number to trace it back to the source. This is an easy one. I mean how many DA* 200 can be sold on a given day and shipped to a given location by Adorama? I guess is probably not more than one...

Exactly!!! In this thread she asked for that info several times.
It shows me that Adorama has no clue.

Lauren -> from Orlando - as in my signature
Pentax -> DA* 200

>SQL

SELECT LAUREN, PENTAX, ORLANDO
FROM
LENS_INVENTORY_SHIPPING_LINES_ALL
WHERE DATE > 1_1_2013

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

I can really see why you do this, though if everyone would be honest there would need for it. I think Amazon.co.uk had a nice way around this problem with my "DOA" Da*300/F4. They simply put in a new order for a lens and as soon as I contacted them and I had 3-4 weeks (I think it was) to return my first package and if I failed to do so they would have charged my credit card with two lenses instead. Though I don't know if that works for you but as a customer I got a working lens pretty quick.

Is it possible for you to ship a new product as soon as a claim for a lost package comes in and charge double (maybe even more) if the claim proves to be wrong? Are credit cards safe enough for you in that aspect?

I think the difference between your case and ducdao's is that you received a lens and ducdao didn't receive anything. Once you acknowledge that you received a defective item and you ask for a replacement, you are responsible for returning that defective item, so the seller can hurry to send you another one. But if you say you didn't receive anything, the item is lost and the seller cannot charge you for something you claim you never received, so they now have a loss that needs to be clarified with the shipper.

[VisualDarkness]

I think the difference between your case and ducdao's is that you received a lens and ducdao didn't receive anything. Once you acknowledge that you received a defective item and you ask for a replacement, you are responsible for returning that defective item, so the seller can hurry to send you another one. But if you say you didn't receive anything, the item is lost and the seller cannot charge you for something you claim you never received, so they now have a loss that needs to be clarified with the shipper.

Sadly I think that you're correct. Still, if UPS or similar does find it to be a fraud they could charge for it in my opinion, if they find it to be lost they simply won't charge. Though, I don't know the time frame needed to get enough data to call it a fraud or not.