[Tom S.]

I am the unfortunate owner of a K5 with the 'stain' in the center. The camera was purchased from B&H, but rather than sending it back and winding up with another, I was wondering if you have had any correspondence with Pentax to see if there is some kind of fix in the pipeline? So far, they have yet to respond to my email request for assistance.

[Chuck-B&H]

Hello,

I E-Mailed our rep and will post his reply when I receive it.


C h u c k C a p r i o l a
Live Chat and E-Mail Sales Manager B&H Photo-Video

Thank you, we appreciate your business.
*** Peace on Earth ***

[Tom S.]

Thanks Chuck! I know a lot of people here will be anxious to hear what he has to say!

[Chuck-B&H]

As promised;

HI Chuck.

Sorry for the slow reply. We have been advised by Pentax that there was a small batch of K5’s with a staining issue. Any customer with this issue should return the K5 to B & H for credit or exchange. Pentax will issue B & H a return authorization and a credit will be issued to your account. Pentax will cover the customer shipping cost for any customer that is unable to bring in back to the store.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions.

Regards,

Chuck

[Tom S.]

Thanks!

B&H can't be held responsible to check each body before sending it out, so I believe I will wait until it is obvious the new bodies you are receiving are error free before returning mine for replacement. Again, thanks for taking the time to check into this and report back!

[dcmsox2004]

just curious... if a customer walks into b+h (a store i revere as an online customer), and wants to purchase a k-5, will the b+h staff, upon request, check the camera for the dreaded stain?
this is what i would expect from a brick and mortar store..... akin to test driving a new car before purchase..... or would this perhaps lead to the k-5 being now listed as an open boxed item, if the customer just changed their mind and decided not to purchase....
if i had to have a k-5, NOW, and a retailer refused to check it out first, i would not buy it.....

[Chuck-B&H]

Hello,

Sorry but we do not test gear prior to purchase.

Chuck

[Tom S.]

just curious... if a customer walks into b+h (a store i revere as an online customer), and wants to purchase a k-5, will the b+h staff, upon request, check the camera for the dreaded stain?
this is what i would expect from a brick and mortar store..... akin to test driving a new car before purchase..... or would this perhaps lead to the k-5 being now listed as an open boxed item, if the customer just changed their mind and decided not to purchase....
if i had to have a k-5, NOW, and a retailer refused to check it out first, i would not buy it.....

I'm not sure that's a fair question. B&H does have a store front and if you walk in you can most likely talk them into letting you try before you buy, provided they aren't swamped. They are not your typical 'mom and pop store, and sell a whole lot more than just camera's. On the mail order side, in order to provide testing of equipment (which is the manufacturer's responsibility) they would have to ad a significant amount of staff and their prices would reflect that in a negative way.

[soppy]

I would imagine you could go in, purchase a camera, and test it before leaving the store. Then if it has the issue, return it then and there. That way, you have purchased it and they don't risk the open box issue, just returning a defective product. I could be wrong about this because it's just speculation, but maybe Chuck can confirm/deny this theory?

[Nesster]

You all obviously haven't been to B&H

The store has conveyer belt gizmos running above people's heads for small things that are stored behind the counter - e.g. film - and an elevator system for larger items. While you can check out the demonstrator model, you don't have access to the specific item you're purchasing -- after the sales clerck writes you up, you go to pay at the front of the store, and then on to the area where you pick your merchandise up bagged or otherwise prepared for your journey out.

Within this system there's no spot where you can open a box, put fresh battery & card in the camera, and test it out.

The B&H system's a hoot to watch, and once you see the crowds and volume of business they do, you'll understand why there's no time to check the actual item. (The used counter is a different matter.)