Cameta Camera- Bribes for ratings.

Geekybiker · 05-05-2008, 03:48 PM

NY Camera Store Offers Bribe to Fix Amazon Rating at Dethroner

Apparently they are offering bribes to take down negative reviews on amazon.

skamaraju · 05-05-2008, 08:40 PM

Why do you want to call it a bribe? Even Dell gives gift cards / coupans to please unhappy customers. May be a way of correcting the wrong on their side.

little laker · 05-06-2008, 12:01 AM

I dealt with Cameta Camera once, and had a positive experience. It was properly wrapped, and arrived in perfect shape. If I remember correctly it even arrived faster than I expected.
I wouldn't hesitate buying something through them again, if they actually had something I wanted. (they never do when I look there)

I have no doubt that their customer's camera wasn't packaged properly, however that was most likely an honest mistake.

Even with inferior packaging Cameta should not be held accountable for any damage the shipping company may have caused to the box, and in my personal opinion the customer should have brought this up with the shipping company first.
If the shipping company doesn't want to listen then it's Cameta's responsibility to deal with the situation.

As for Cameta's post sales attitude towards the customer. I'd like to hear their side of the story on this mater before I judged them.
It's possible that they treated him like crap, but the worker may have had some other issues that day.
Or the customer may have brought it on himself.
We're just getting one side of the story.

If your buying anything through any on-line store please do yourself a favor, and research the company before buying.
Not just one complaint, but the full on-line history.
Ask people on these forums about their personal experience, and even use resources like the Better Business Bureau

Geekybiker · 05-06-2008, 09:33 AM

I think you guys are missing the point. Its not that the camera was shipped poorly. Its not even that he got a "so what?" attitude from Cameta.

The issue is that they are offering money in exchange for changing his review. That is- contingent on changing his review. Lots of companies offer coupons, etc in goodwill(yes like dell). However there is a big difference between offering to refund shipping and *hoping* he will amend his review and offering to refund shipping and *requiring* that he amend his review. They aren't even handing him the cash and saying "Please consider revising your review"

How many negative experiences have people had with Cameta that got removed once they came out and and offered them cash but only if they gave them a good review? I don't know, you don't know and that's the point. It makes all of Cameta's review suspect at this point and completely defeats the purpose of the review system.

If it was just another negative review I'd shrug and move on.

Last edited by Geekybiker; 05-06-2008 at 04:14 PM.

flyer · 05-06-2008, 03:58 PM

One thing about buying on the web ticks me off: people go to a store to see a camera and it's features. A "nice" salesperson (can't say salesman, have to be politically correct) shows them everything about the camera and answer their questions, then quite a few of those people go on the web to buy at a better price. Then, if anything goes wrong, they complain about bad service. When you want service, you deal with PEOPLE, not computers. You might (will) pay more at your local store, but you are more likely to get very good service. Beside, if everybody buys online,then the "corner" store won't be needed anymore, so where will you go to see THE camera. I don't know too many people buying cars online, why do you risk hundreds (when it is not thousands) of dollars for something you can't see , touch or feel. I'm still amazed by some people reaction when they go online for something and don't get exactly what they thought they should have gotten.

Ed in GA · 05-06-2008, 04:49 PM

I just received two used ltd's from Cameta.com. Purchased directly from them and not through amazon..

There was so much bubble wrap in the box securing those two lens that you could have thrown the package against a wall and the lens would probably not have felt the vibration. They shipped on time and the lens were in the condition for which they were advertised.

A couple of years back, I bought a stove from Sears. When it arrived, there was a minor blemish in the finish. I refused the shipment. In about ten minutes, Sears CS called me and offere me a $100 gift card to accept the Stove.

It looks to me as if Cameta was attempting a amend a situation and making an equitable offer for the removal of the negative feedback.

YMMV

pentkon52 · 05-06-2008, 04:52 PM

Originally posted by flyer

One thing about buying on the web ticks me off: people go to a store to see a camera and it's features. A "nice" salesperson (can't say salesman, have to be politically correct) .

Why not.

Dave

flyer · 05-07-2008, 03:17 PM

It seems like people want to have price, quality and service. Unfortunately, something in the equation has to give. You can't have everything all at once, that's all. You can come close, but you can't have all three...

**ChrisPlatt** · 05-07-2008, 04:28 PM

I have purchased several items from Cameta, both online and in person at their store.
They do overrate the condition of their used equipment, but many sellers do.
Otherwise I have no complaints with my experiences buying from Cameta.

Chris

JMS · 05-07-2008, 04:29 PM

Originally posted by Geekybiker

The issue is that they are offering money in exchange for changing his review.

From what I see, they're offering to refund him his shipping- and shipping quality is exactly what he complained about. I see nothing wrong here.

Geekybiker · 05-09-2008, 11:40 AM

Originally posted by JMS

From what I see, they're offering to refund him his shipping- and shipping quality is exactly what he complained about. I see nothing wrong here.

But only after he pulls the review. *shrug* If it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother you. Stinks of hush money to me though.

OniFactor · 05-09-2008, 01:15 PM

if they were to refund his money for shipping, they'd expect him to stop saying they screwed him via word of mouth, so what's different in asking that he remove his comments from print?

Geekybiker · 05-09-2008, 01:46 PM

Originally posted by OniFactor

if they were to refund his money for shipping, they'd expect him to stop saying they screwed him via word of mouth, so what's different in asking that he remove his comments from print?

The difference is they aren't just asking.

Say you goto an art fair or something, and they have a box out that says $5 donation at the gate. You can drop $5 and go in, but at the point that they refuse you entry if you dont give money it stops being a donation and and becomes just a regular old ticket fee.

Its the same thing here, and the difference of required vs requested is an important difference. One says "we're sorry, here's something to compensate you for your bad experience." The other says "We don't think we did anything wrong, but here's some cash to shut up about it."

MJB DIGITAL · 05-09-2008, 04:02 PM

Originally posted by flyer

One thing about buying on the web ticks me off: people go to a store to see a camera and it's features. A "nice" salesperson (can't say salesman, have to be politically correct) shows them everything about the camera and answer their questions, then quite a few of those people go on the web to buy at a better price. Then, if anything goes wrong, they complain about bad service. When you want service, you deal with PEOPLE, not computers. You might (will) pay more at your local store, but you are more likely to get very good service. Beside, if everybody buys online,then the "corner" store won't be needed anymore, so where will you go to see THE camera. I don't know too many people buying cars online, why do you risk hundreds (when it is not thousands) of dollars for something you can't see , touch or feel. I'm still amazed by some people reaction when they go online for something and don't get exactly what they thought they should have gotten.

I second that. I go to Creve Coeur Camera in Ellisville, MO
I play with all of the stuff I want, I can hire a second shooter for weddings, they ship my repairs for me, they handle my warrantee stuff, i can bum a smoke (actually, he quit smoking), chat about the business or life or whatever, and even go to the bar afterward.
im young, so i cant go around saying im old fashioned but.....

Stratman · 05-09-2008, 04:26 PM

Originally posted by MJB DIGITAL

I second that. I go to Creve Coeur Camera in Ellisville, MO
I play with all of the stuff I want, I can hire a second shooter for weddings, they ship my repairs for me, they handle my warrantee stuff, i can bum a smoke (actually, he quit smoking), chat about the business or life or whatever, and even go to the bar afterward.
im young, so i cant go around saying im old fashioned but.....

Been there a few times myself. Great service, and good people there. I bought a module for my Promaster flash from them, and it was obviously either total junk, or defective, they refunded my money, no questions asked.

05-05-2008, 03:48 PM	#1
Geekybiker Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 337	Cameta Camera- Bribes for ratings. NY Camera Store Offers Bribe to Fix Amazon Rating at Dethroner Apparently they are offering bribes to take down negative reviews on amazon.

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05-05-2008, 08:40 PM	#2
skamaraju Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: India Posts: 162	Why do you want to call it a bribe? Even Dell gives gift cards / coupans to please unhappy customers. May be a way of correcting the wrong on their side.

05-06-2008, 12:01 AM	#3
little laker Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,697	I dealt with Cameta Camera once, and had a positive experience. It was properly wrapped, and arrived in perfect shape. If I remember correctly it even arrived faster than I expected. I wouldn't hesitate buying something through them again, if they actually had something I wanted. (they never do when I look there) I have no doubt that their customer's camera wasn't packaged properly, however that was most likely an honest mistake. Even with inferior packaging Cameta should not be held accountable for any damage the shipping company may have caused to the box, and in my personal opinion the customer should have brought this up with the shipping company first. If the shipping company doesn't want to listen then it's Cameta's responsibility to deal with the situation. As for Cameta's post sales attitude towards the customer. I'd like to hear their side of the story on this mater before I judged them. It's possible that they treated him like crap, but the worker may have had some other issues that day. Or the customer may have brought it on himself. We're just getting one side of the story. If your buying anything through any on-line store please do yourself a favor, and research the company before buying. Not just one complaint, but the full on-line history. Ask people on these forums about their personal experience, and even use resources like the Better Business Bureau

05-06-2008, 09:33 AM	#4
Geekybiker Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 337 Original Poster	I think you guys are missing the point. Its not that the camera was shipped poorly. Its not even that he got a "so what?" attitude from Cameta. The issue is that they are offering money in exchange for changing his review. That is- contingent on changing his review. Lots of companies offer coupons, etc in goodwill(yes like dell). However there is a big difference between offering to refund shipping and hoping he will amend his review and offering to refund shipping and requiring that he amend his review. They aren't even handing him the cash and saying "Please consider revising your review" How many negative experiences have people had with Cameta that got removed once they came out and and offered them cash but only if they gave them a good review? I don't know, you don't know and that's the point. It makes all of Cameta's review suspect at this point and completely defeats the purpose of the review system. If it was just another negative review I'd shrug and move on. Last edited by Geekybiker; 05-06-2008 at 04:14 PM.

05-06-2008, 03:58 PM	#5
flyer Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ste-Anne des Plaines, Qc., Canada Posts: 2,013	One thing about buying on the web ticks me off: people go to a store to see a camera and it's features. A "nice" salesperson (can't say salesman, have to be politically correct) shows them everything about the camera and answer their questions, then quite a few of those people go on the web to buy at a better price. Then, if anything goes wrong, they complain about bad service. When you want service, you deal with PEOPLE, not computers. You might (will) pay more at your local store, but you are more likely to get very good service. Beside, if everybody buys online,then the "corner" store won't be needed anymore, so where will you go to see THE camera. I don't know too many people buying cars online, why do you risk hundreds (when it is not thousands) of dollars for something you can't see , touch or feel. I'm still amazed by some people reaction when they go online for something and don't get exactly what they thought they should have gotten.

05-06-2008, 04:49 PM	#6
Ed in GA Guest	I just received two used ltd's from Cameta.com. Purchased directly from them and not through amazon.. There was so much bubble wrap in the box securing those two lens that you could have thrown the package against a wall and the lens would probably not have felt the vibration. They shipped on time and the lens were in the condition for which they were advertised. A couple of years back, I bought a stove from Sears. When it arrived, there was a minor blemish in the finish. I refused the shipment. In about ten minutes, Sears CS called me and offere me a $100 gift card to accept the Stove. It looks to me as if Cameta was attempting a amend a situation and making an equitable offer for the removal of the negative feedback. YMMV

05-06-2008, 04:52 PM	#7
pentkon52 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: York Region Canada Posts: 641	Originally posted by flyer One thing about buying on the web ticks me off: people go to a store to see a camera and it's features. A "nice" salesperson (can't say salesman, have to be politically correct) . Why not. Dave

05-07-2008, 03:17 PM	#8
flyer Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ste-Anne des Plaines, Qc., Canada Posts: 2,013	It seems like people want to have price, quality and service. Unfortunately, something in the equation has to give. You can't have everything all at once, that's all. You can come close, but you can't have all three...

05-07-2008, 04:28 PM	#9
ChrisPlatt Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rockaway Beach NYC Posts: 7,694	I have purchased several items from Cameta, both online and in person at their store. They do overrate the condition of their used equipment, but many sellers do. Otherwise I have no complaints with my experiences buying from Cameta. Chris

05-07-2008, 04:29 PM	#10
JMS Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 273	Originally posted by Geekybiker The issue is that they are offering money in exchange for changing his review. From what I see, they're offering to refund him his shipping- and shipping quality is exactly what he complained about. I see nothing wrong here.

05-09-2008, 11:40 AM	#11
Geekybiker Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 337 Original Poster	Originally posted by JMS From what I see, they're offering to refund him his shipping- and shipping quality is exactly what he complained about. I see nothing wrong here. But only after he pulls the review. shrug If it doesn't bother you, it doesn't bother you. Stinks of hush money to me though.

05-09-2008, 01:15 PM	#12
OniFactor Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Binghamton, NY, USA Posts: 643	if they were to refund his money for shipping, they'd expect him to stop saying they screwed him via word of mouth, so what's different in asking that he remove his comments from print?

05-09-2008, 01:46 PM	#13
Geekybiker Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicagoland Posts: 337 Original Poster	Originally posted by OniFactor if they were to refund his money for shipping, they'd expect him to stop saying they screwed him via word of mouth, so what's different in asking that he remove his comments from print? The difference is they aren't just asking. Say you goto an art fair or something, and they have a box out that says $5 donation at the gate. You can drop $5 and go in, but at the point that they refuse you entry if you dont give money it stops being a donation and and becomes just a regular old ticket fee. Its the same thing here, and the difference of required vs requested is an important difference. One says "we're sorry, here's something to compensate you for your bad experience." The other says "We don't think we did anything wrong, but here's some cash to shut up about it."

05-09-2008, 04:02 PM	#14
MJB DIGITAL Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: st. louis Posts: 1,170	Originally posted by flyer One thing about buying on the web ticks me off: people go to a store to see a camera and it's features. A "nice" salesperson (can't say salesman, have to be politically correct) shows them everything about the camera and answer their questions, then quite a few of those people go on the web to buy at a better price. Then, if anything goes wrong, they complain about bad service. When you want service, you deal with PEOPLE, not computers. You might (will) pay more at your local store, but you are more likely to get very good service. Beside, if everybody buys online,then the "corner" store won't be needed anymore, so where will you go to see THE camera. I don't know too many people buying cars online, why do you risk hundreds (when it is not thousands) of dollars for something you can't see , touch or feel. I'm still amazed by some people reaction when they go online for something and don't get exactly what they thought they should have gotten. I second that. I go to Creve Coeur Camera in Ellisville, MO I play with all of the stuff I want, I can hire a second shooter for weddings, they ship my repairs for me, they handle my warrantee stuff, i can bum a smoke (actually, he quit smoking), chat about the business or life or whatever, and even go to the bar afterward. im young, so i cant go around saying im old fashioned but.....

05-09-2008, 04:26 PM	#15
Stratman Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: St Louis, Missouri U S A Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,464	Originally posted by MJB DIGITAL I second that. I go to Creve Coeur Camera in Ellisville, MO I play with all of the stuff I want, I can hire a second shooter for weddings, they ship my repairs for me, they handle my warrantee stuff, i can bum a smoke (actually, he quit smoking), chat about the business or life or whatever, and even go to the bar afterward. im young, so i cant go around saying im old fashioned but..... Been there a few times myself. Great service, and good people there. I bought a module for my Promaster flash from them, and it was obviously either total junk, or defective, they refunded my money, no questions asked.