B&H and SageMax

Kmuzu · 05-26-2011, 12:40 PM

If you're thinking about purchasing your camera from B&H I offer this small warning. I purchased a Pentax K-x from B&H in October and purchased the two-year warranty to go along with it. Unfortunately, my K-x was one of those with the bad card writer.

When I contact B&H I was told directly that this was not their problem and I had to contact SageMax. After contacting SageMax I found out that they know nothing about electronics and use a third party .. and now I am officially in Warranty Limbo. I can't even get an address to send back the camera .. just getting the address will take another two or so days. I called SageMax back a few minutes ago and was told to expect a six to eight week window before a resolution.

To be fair to B&H there were no problems purchasing the camera or the delivery and if you're okay with purchasing a camera without any support then B&H is just as good as anyone else.

If you're interested you can read all about this frustrating odyssey at my blog:

Elvis in my basement: B&H Photo and how I was lured into Warranty Hell

Adam · 05-26-2011, 01:04 PM - **2 Likes**

You know you can just take advantage of your Pentax warranty, right? They will give you a much better turnaround, and refurb K-x's are still available if needed.

Chuck-B&H · 05-26-2011, 01:22 PM - **2 Likes**

Hello,

Please e-mail me your order number and the phone number you called from when you had the conversations you posted on your blog.

askbh@photovideo.com

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 ***

henryp · 05-26-2011, 01:44 PM

Kmuzu: We regret your dissatisfaction and inconvenience. Sagemax information is online here and here. Contact information, FAQs, explanations, etc are all within. They say 866-231-9734 is manned 24/7/365.

You placed this order on our site. When you did you've have been shown the NEW 2-Year SAGEMAX Protection Plan product information page. That page includes a description of the plan and makes it plain this is not a B&H product just as your Pentax camera is not a B&H product. That page links to a page titled Sagemax Terms and Conditions with a far lengthier and more inclusive description plus their address in Sterling, VA.

I am not sure how much more informative we could have been. But, as Adam noted, if you purchased your Pentax camera during Oct 2010, it is still covered by your Pentax warranty and that should be your first recourse.

Nonetheless, we regret you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your transaction.

Last edited by henryp; 05-26-2011 at 01:49 PM.

Kmuzu · 05-26-2011, 05:10 PM - **1 Like**

Adam,

No I was not made aware of that by B&H .. but thank you so much for informing me. You know when I read your post I actually got acid reflux thinking I got rooked into purchasing not only a useless warranty but one that I didn't even really need .. cause it was covered by Pentax.

You know I'm smarter than this .. really .. I worked almost all my life for casinos .. I think I was blinded by my desire for the Pentax K-x .. she was beautiful ...

Kmuzu · 05-26-2011, 05:26 PM

thank you Chuck - I will email you in the morning. As I replied to Henry in my blog - B&H was polite and professional.. but in the end useless and frustrating. SageMax were polite, but that poor woman had absolutely no idea what a Pentax was. I literally had to spell out the name. She kept trying to spell it Pantex - which I think is a medical device.

Kmuzu · 05-31-2011, 12:31 PM

UPDATE - So I packed up my K-x today and put the RMA label on it and took it down to UPS. If I go by what SageMax has told me, I will see may camera some time around the middle of August - that is if the fourth party facility can repair it. If they can't, I will either get a new K-x or a check some time around the middle of September. That's the best case scenario. Have no real idea, cause really no one wanted to know what the problem was with the camera. Can't even contact the fourth party repair facility - just ended up throwing a note into the RMA box.

I received a comment on my blog from Henry of B&H. It was one of those .. I'm sorry that you're dissatisfied messages. I hate when a store gets defensive .. like it's all my fault for purchasing the special extended warranty. Well, Henry I'm sorry too . you can't imagine how sorry I am.

Some readers may think my expectations were too high. Maybe so .. I expected that when I contacted B&H, they'd have a vested interest in the problem with the camera. That B&H with their expertise would have some kind of database on known Pentax issues and offered advice .. for instance: We've seen this before and usually updating the camera bios solves the problem or yea, it's happened to a few cameras - can't be fixed - We'll contact SageMax and make sure you get a check quickly .. or even .. no worries, we'll keep in touch with SageMax to make sure the issue is resolved quickly.

I expected SageMax, the company providing the extended warranty to know something about electronics .. just the basics like what an SD card is or what a Jpeg file does. I also would have hoped that they would follow-up on the process instead of just saying .. you'll get an email from and unknown fourth company in a couple of days telling you where to send it.

As I stated in my blog, I have MS and photography is basically what I can do without pain. I choose Pentax because of its superior image stabilization. No other camera comes close and with hand tremors it's important. But I really can't take feeling that I've been just dumped from one company to the next, not really knowing what's going to happen. So, when my K-x gets back, I've decided to sell it and purchase something more conventional.

I appreciate the advice Adam and you run an excellent forum.

henryp · 05-31-2011, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by Kmuzu

I hate when a store gets defensive ...

I do too, so I don't. I expressed our sincere regrets and posted links explaining the Sagemax program in some detail and observed in passing this information was on our site and available to you before you made your decision to purchase.

Quote:

Some readers may think my expectations were too high. Maybe so .. I expected that when I contacted B&H, they'd have a vested interest in the problem with the camera.

Of course we're concerned. That's why I'm here. It's also why I have contacts at Sagemax I can email at any time if they're not responsive to a customer. I've done it before and would not hesitate to do so again if the situation warranted it.

Quote:

I expected SageMax, the company providing the extended warranty to know something about electronics .. just the basics like what an SD card is or what a Jpeg file does.

Respectfully here I do think your expectations were unrealistic. You phoned them and spoke to a front-line clerk, not a technical repair expert. YMMV of course.

Kmuzu · 06-14-2011, 10:43 PM

So just an update on the camera - all of you who have dealt with sending your electronics to some mysterious 5th party contractor can probably guess the result. The camera came back today. Just was there in my mailbox. Did you know that Warranty Logistics can receive, fix, test and send back a camera with a bad card reader/writer in one day? Guess what, they can't .. and they didn't. I don't think they even turned the camera on. I purchased a new SD card just to make sure and about fifteen pictures later the camera malfunctions - just like before. So much for the promises and assurance of Mr. Henry up there . who is always so terribly sorry. That my friends is called .. I'm so sorry, but you're screwed .. and so I will try once more and contact SageMax who will once more send me back to Warranty Logistics and once more B&H will ignore its customers.

You can see pictures and get the full story here at my blog. Elvis in my basement: Pentax K-x Repair Update - B&H, SageMax and Warranty Logistics - Horsemen of camera death

henryp · 06-15-2011, 06:40 AM

Originally posted by Kmuzu

I will try once more and contact SageMax who will once more send me back to Warranty Logistics and once more B&H will ignore its customers.

We will be happy to alert Sagemax to this regrettable situation for you. I must observe though that despite your disappointment, B&H has never ignored you. We've been right here, active in this thread and your blog, since this began and have been in touch with Sagemax on your behalf and will do so again.

Whatever your dissatisfaction, your claim we've ignored you is specious and the evidence thereof is right here.

05-26-2011, 12:40 PM	#1
Kmuzu New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Vegas Posts: 7	B&H and SageMax If you're thinking about purchasing your camera from B&H I offer this small warning. I purchased a Pentax K-x from B&H in October and purchased the two-year warranty to go along with it. Unfortunately, my K-x was one of those with the bad card writer. When I contact B&H I was told directly that this was not their problem and I had to contact SageMax. After contacting SageMax I found out that they know nothing about electronics and use a third party .. and now I am officially in Warranty Limbo. I can't even get an address to send back the camera .. just getting the address will take another two or so days. I called SageMax back a few minutes ago and was told to expect a six to eight week window before a resolution. To be fair to B&H there were no problems purchasing the camera or the delivery and if you're okay with purchasing a camera without any support then B&H is just as good as anyone else. If you're interested you can read all about this frustrating odyssey at my blog: Elvis in my basement: B&H Photo and how I was lured into Warranty Hell

05-26-2011, 01:04 PM - 2 Likes	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,430	You know you can just take advantage of your Pentax warranty, right? They will give you a much better turnaround, and refurb K-x's are still available if needed. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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05-26-2011, 01:22 PM - 2 Likes	#3
Chuck-B&H B&H Photo Specialist Join Date: May 2010 Location: New York Posts: 930	Hello, Please e-mail me your order number and the phone number you called from when you had the conversations you posted on your blog. askbh@photovideo.com 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 *

05-26-2011, 01:44 PM	#4
henryp B&H Photo Representative Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York, NY Posts: 491	Kmuzu: We regret your dissatisfaction and inconvenience. Sagemax information is online here and here. Contact information, FAQs, explanations, etc are all within. They say 866-231-9734 is manned 24/7/365. You placed this order on our site. When you did you've have been shown the NEW 2-Year SAGEMAX Protection Plan product information page. That page includes a description of the plan and makes it plain this is not a B&H product just as your Pentax camera is not a B&H product. That page links to a page titled Sagemax Terms and Conditions with a far lengthier and more inclusive description plus their address in Sterling, VA. I am not sure how much more informative we could have been. But, as Adam noted, if you purchased your Pentax camera during Oct 2010, it is still covered by your Pentax warranty and that should be your first recourse. Nonetheless, we regret you are dissatisfied with any aspect of your transaction. Last edited by henryp; 05-26-2011 at 01:49 PM.

05-26-2011, 05:10 PM - 1 Like	#5
Kmuzu New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Vegas Posts: 7 Original Poster	Adam, No I was not made aware of that by B&H .. but thank you so much for informing me. You know when I read your post I actually got acid reflux thinking I got rooked into purchasing not only a useless warranty but one that I didn't even really need .. cause it was covered by Pentax. You know I'm smarter than this .. really .. I worked almost all my life for casinos .. I think I was blinded by my desire for the Pentax K-x .. she was beautiful ...

05-26-2011, 05:26 PM	#6
Kmuzu New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Vegas Posts: 7 Original Poster	thank you Chuck - I will email you in the morning. As I replied to Henry in my blog - B&H was polite and professional.. but in the end useless and frustrating. SageMax were polite, but that poor woman had absolutely no idea what a Pentax was. I literally had to spell out the name. She kept trying to spell it Pantex - which I think is a medical device.

05-31-2011, 12:31 PM	#7
Kmuzu New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Vegas Posts: 7 Original Poster	UPDATE - So I packed up my K-x today and put the RMA label on it and took it down to UPS. If I go by what SageMax has told me, I will see may camera some time around the middle of August - that is if the fourth party facility can repair it. If they can't, I will either get a new K-x or a check some time around the middle of September. That's the best case scenario. Have no real idea, cause really no one wanted to know what the problem was with the camera. Can't even contact the fourth party repair facility - just ended up throwing a note into the RMA box. I received a comment on my blog from Henry of B&H. It was one of those .. I'm sorry that you're dissatisfied messages. I hate when a store gets defensive .. like it's all my fault for purchasing the special extended warranty. Well, Henry I'm sorry too . you can't imagine how sorry I am. Some readers may think my expectations were too high. Maybe so .. I expected that when I contacted B&H, they'd have a vested interest in the problem with the camera. That B&H with their expertise would have some kind of database on known Pentax issues and offered advice .. for instance: We've seen this before and usually updating the camera bios solves the problem or yea, it's happened to a few cameras - can't be fixed - We'll contact SageMax and make sure you get a check quickly .. or even .. no worries, we'll keep in touch with SageMax to make sure the issue is resolved quickly. I expected SageMax, the company providing the extended warranty to know something about electronics .. just the basics like what an SD card is or what a Jpeg file does. I also would have hoped that they would follow-up on the process instead of just saying .. you'll get an email from and unknown fourth company in a couple of days telling you where to send it. As I stated in my blog, I have MS and photography is basically what I can do without pain. I choose Pentax because of its superior image stabilization. No other camera comes close and with hand tremors it's important. But I really can't take feeling that I've been just dumped from one company to the next, not really knowing what's going to happen. So, when my K-x gets back, I've decided to sell it and purchase something more conventional. I appreciate the advice Adam and you run an excellent forum.

05-31-2011, 01:30 PM	#8
henryp B&H Photo Representative Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York, NY Posts: 491	Originally posted by Kmuzu I hate when a store gets defensive ... I do too, so I don't. I expressed our sincere regrets and posted links explaining the Sagemax program in some detail and observed in passing this information was on our site and available to you before you made your decision to purchase. Quote: Some readers may think my expectations were too high. Maybe so .. I expected that when I contacted B&H, they'd have a vested interest in the problem with the camera. Of course we're concerned. That's why I'm here. It's also why I have contacts at Sagemax I can email at any time if they're not responsive to a customer. I've done it before and would not hesitate to do so again if the situation warranted it. Quote: I expected SageMax, the company providing the extended warranty to know something about electronics .. just the basics like what an SD card is or what a Jpeg file does. Respectfully here I do think your expectations were unrealistic. You phoned them and spoke to a front-line clerk, not a technical repair expert. YMMV of course.

06-14-2011, 10:43 PM	#9
Kmuzu New Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Vegas Posts: 7 Original Poster	So just an update on the camera - all of you who have dealt with sending your electronics to some mysterious 5th party contractor can probably guess the result. The camera came back today. Just was there in my mailbox. Did you know that Warranty Logistics can receive, fix, test and send back a camera with a bad card reader/writer in one day? Guess what, they can't .. and they didn't. I don't think they even turned the camera on. I purchased a new SD card just to make sure and about fifteen pictures later the camera malfunctions - just like before. So much for the promises and assurance of Mr. Henry up there . who is always so terribly sorry. That my friends is called .. I'm so sorry, but you're screwed .. and so I will try once more and contact SageMax who will once more send me back to Warranty Logistics and once more B&H will ignore its customers. You can see pictures and get the full story here at my blog. Elvis in my basement: Pentax K-x Repair Update - B&H, SageMax and Warranty Logistics - Horsemen of camera death

06-15-2011, 06:40 AM	#10
henryp B&H Photo Representative Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: New York, NY Posts: 491	Originally posted by Kmuzu I will try once more and contact SageMax who will once more send me back to Warranty Logistics and once more B&H will ignore its customers. We will be happy to alert Sagemax to this regrettable situation for you. I must observe though that despite your disappointment, B&H has never ignored you. We've been right here, active in this thread and your blog, since this began and have been in touch with Sagemax on your behalf and will do so again. Whatever your dissatisfaction, your claim we've ignored you is specious and the evidence thereof is right here.

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