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06-03-2008, 02:48 PM   #16
mel
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Wow I'm favorably impressed that both took the time to respond on this forum.

I've ordered from B&H but not Adorama, because Adorama did not have in stock the items I wanted to buy. B&H even dealt with a return I had to make very easily and efficiently with no hassles whatsoever.

But now that I've seen with my own eyes that Adorama is concerned about us Pentaxians (I swear it sounds like we're all from another planet) as well as B&H, I'll probably make a point to order from them now too.

06-03-2008, 06:13 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by G M Fude Quote
I don't have time to check at the moment Dan, but I have a feeling it might only be for overseas shipments.

For me in Oz, the delivery address cannot be redirected easily with most carriers until it is in the country. Tracking is so good nowadays I just have to keep my eye on the parcel's whereabouts, and then call them when it touches down, quote the tracking number, and tell them the new address. So it isn't a major pain in the arse but it is one I would prefer not to have to do.
I did that too here in NZ. The carrier called me to arrange payment of taxes etc., so I just asked them to deliver it to my work instead, and they did. Makes bit of a nonsense of the "only ship to billing address", but I'm not going to argue! If we can order by email, instead of the website, and get a different address arranged, then all is good.

BTW, I too think it's great that they are active on the forum.
06-04-2008, 12:48 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by straightshooter Quote
Oh wow, B&H just sent me an e-mail ad for Dads and Grads. They have a serious case of Nikon envy apparently. On their digital camera page are 12 Nikons and 0 Pentax.
Maybe that's because of our camera's popularity they can sell as many Pentax as they want, but since Nikon aren't moving so well therefore there's a Special price to clear slow moving stock.

Or not...!

QuoteOriginally posted by henryp:
I understand that it's our job to make your shopping experience as painless and efficient as possible, but part of that process is ensuring we don't unwittingly allow you to become a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft through our carelessness or nonfeasance.
Thanks for your reply Henry, I appreciate the time you've taken to explain it.
06-04-2008, 09:56 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by straightshooter Quote
I filled out their survey also and told them it would be a loooooonnnnng time before I bought from them again because they made it so difficult. They won't even take PayPal without a verified address. Guess how quickly they responded to my complaint? They didn't. Which tells me that survey is just for show or else they kind of ignore ones they don't like.
We regret and apologize for the oversight in not replying. The fact is PayPal and not B&H makes their rather stringent rules about only shipping to the PayPal confirmed address.

06-04-2008, 10:08 AM   #20
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Mr. Posner - why are you currently not accepting payment via PayPal from European Countries? (except the UK)
06-04-2008, 10:55 AM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by henryp Quote
We regret and apologize for the oversight in not replying. The fact is PayPal and not B&H makes their rather stringent rules about only shipping to the PayPal confirmed address.
Mr. Posner, you missed the point completely that my complaint was not about PayPal but all the hoops I had to jump through to get 7 rolls of film sent to another address and no response to the negative survey. After all, if you are sending me adds by e-mail, you obviously have my address. In the survey, I acknowledged understanding about security. I said I realized it was needed as you do sell some big budget items but, as I also pointed out in the survey, B&H seemed to go overboard with it compared to other companies I have dealt with.

CW
06-04-2008, 10:58 AM   #22
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I do a ton of shopping from both Adorama and B&H. I like Adorama for many of the "little things" I need for my business (my low-end wedding albums and studio lighting accessories usually come from Adorama).

I buy my major equipment purchases from B&H almost exclusively because of the good pricing and trouble-free shipping.

I don't buy cameras or lenses from Adorama anymore because of the way they treated a friend of mine (and fellow Pentaxian) who bought a K20D from Adorama. The K20D shipped with the wrong lens and the K20D had a malfunctioning mode dial that broke after about 2 weeks.

Adorama didn't care about the wrong lens or the broken camera. Rather than accept a return or exchange my friend had to go through Pentax's service department for a warranty repair and had to sell the lens on eBay for a loss.

I'll never buy another camera or lens from Adorama.

06-04-2008, 11:31 AM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by JJJPhoto Quote
The K20D shipped with the wrong lens and the K20D had a malfunctioning mode dial that broke after about 2 weeks.

Adorama didn't care about the wrong lens or the broken camera. Rather than accept a return or exchange my friend had to go through Pentax's service department for a warranty repair and had to sell the lens on eBay for a loss.

I'll never buy another camera or lens from Adorama.

I would have envoked their return policy immediately upon receiving the K20D and wrong lens.

For the first 14 days of your purchase (First 7 days for video, audio, and digital equipment), you may return merchandise for a full money back refund (excluding any shipping charges) or exchange.

Returned or exchanged products must be in brand-new, mint condition. Items must be in the original, undamaged manufacturer's packaging with all packaging materials, including instruction booklets, packing inserts, and the blank warranty cards. Any merchandise missing the original Universal Product Code (UPC) cannot be returned. The manufacturer's labeled packaging must be enclosed within an additional shipping carton. Please do not place stickers or shipping labels on the original manufacturer's package. Please ship your parcel back to Adorama freight prepaid and Insured. Sorry, Adorama cannot accept COD or freight-collect shipments.

We do not accept returns of software, film, paper, educational video tapes once opened, lamps, batteries, video batteries, ink cartridges, memory cards, tapes, or any other consumable products or items which have been removed from the "blister-pack" packaging. In addition we do not accept returns for processing equipment once used with chemistry, printers (once toner, ink or ribbon cartridges have been installed), underwater equipment once taken underwater. TVs and monitors 20 inches and up, computer products, laser printers, are not accepted for credit, refund, or exchange and must be repaired by manufacturers' authorized service centers.

Video Cameras, VCRs, recorders and Projectors must show less than 120 minutes of use to be accepted for return or exchange.

Please wait 8 days from date we received the package for us to process your return.
06-04-2008, 12:10 PM   #24
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QuoteOriginally posted by Photo Tramp Quote
I would say that is what it means. I would get a change of address for all my cards and license information or there might be other problems that will come up. Try getting stopped for a traffic violation and not have the right address. I did that once and they sent the ticket to my old address. needless to say I never responded and found out 6 months later I had my license revoked. It was a real pain in the A** to get everything straightened out. As for the Debit card If they try and contact you at your old address and the information is returned to sender they may just cancel the card when you need it the most.
It just means that they verify your physical address with what is on file at your bank. Update your address at the bank, and it won't be an issue.
06-05-2008, 06:39 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by straightshooter Quote
Mr. Posner, you missed the point completely that my complaint was not about PayPal ...
My mistake. When you wrote "They won't even take PayPal without a verified address," it left the impression you were unhappy about the situation.

QuoteQuote:
...but all the hoops I had to jump through to get 7 rolls of film sent to another address and no response to the negative survey.
I've already apologized about the survey oversight. You were asked to verify the ship-to address for security, part of our efforts to deter credit card fraud and identity theft. The issue in this case wasn't so much about the relatively modest film order itself, but what an order like that too often leads to. It's a not-uncommon practice for pirates to test purloined credit cards with modest orders which, if successful and unchallenged, are followed by a whopper. If we verify the modest order, we avoid the whopper entirely and you avoid the really unpleasant experience (of which I have firsthand knowledge) of what's necessary to repair your then- compromised credit history.

QuoteQuote:
After all, if you are sending me adds by e-mail, you obviously have my address.
How does having an e-mail address, which anyone can obtain from gmail or hotmail anonymously in 30 seconds, correlate with having your address?

QuoteQuote:
In the survey, I acknowledged understanding about security. I said I realized it was needed as you do sell some big budget items but, as I also pointed out in the survey, B&H seemed to go overboard with it compared to other companies I have dealt with.
As banks make more and more outlandish promises of security to current and prospective card holders they make more and more demands on retailers to ensure this security. This is particularly true for so-called card-absent transaction including mail/phone/web purchases.

Until some clever person figures out a way to abolish card fraud and identity theft, you'll see more and more of this. Stores which don't exercise safe, prudent, & effective security measures are simply gambling they won't become the unwitting vehicle by which some clever pirate abuses YOUR accounts.
06-05-2008, 07:23 AM   #26
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I have only purchased from Adorama once, and there were no problems with the transaction. I have dealt with B&H several times. Probably 90% of my equipment has come from them. I always call in the order and their phone reps are ALWAYS very polite, friendly and helpful. I don't mean to take anything away from other companies as I haven't dealt with them much, but from my experience, you just can't go wrong with B&H.
06-09-2008, 11:26 PM   #27
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I have only purchased from Adorama once and it was not a pleasant experience. The Tamron lens i wanted was out of stock but the rep told me I could have an 'out of the box' one for a bit less money and that it would still have the six year Tamron warranty. I accepted this one and when I received it there was no warranty. It took a lot of time and effort to get a refund and a new replacement sent. Not once did anyone that I spoke to or emailed show any sign of surprise that I had been lied to.

I have yet to experience B&H but I have seen a lot less negative reviews of them than I have of Adorama.
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06-10-2008, 01:22 AM   #28
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I'm in exactly the opposite boat from Damn_Brit... Adorama is my Newegg for camera stuff

I got a damaged enlargement from Adorama once. It was out of their 30-day guarantee before I noticed it was crumpled in one corner, but I emailed them about it more or less just to let them know. They sent me a new one no questions asked! Ever since then, I've gone to them first, and tend to stick with them unless there's a killer deal elsewhere.

The only reservations I've ever had about transactions with them are the poor state in which my packages sometimes arrive, and that's a problem with UPS, not Adorama.

B&H has a stellar reputation, and I'm sure they're fine... but half the time I want to buy something and check out their website, I get a popup with "Sorry, we're closed and not accepting orders. Come back in..." at which point I stop reading and move on.

It seems kind of archaic to shut down the POSS that often. I'm sure they have good reasons, but it just doesn't present the best image to the web-going, three-second attention span, 24/7 instant-gratification set... like me
06-10-2008, 07:31 AM   #29
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Just about every mail order and online business I deal with requires the shipping address and billing address of the card to match. I had a PO Box for a few years because I just got tired of of replacing several mailboxes every winter after the snowplows got them but had to drop the PO Box because nobody would accept a rebate form or an online order to the PO Box so I now live with soaking wet mail sometimes, mailboxes that look like pancakes and occasionally have to stroll up the road to find my mail after the plow spreads it around town. This is for my safety and security or so i'm told.
06-10-2008, 08:23 AM   #30
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I agree with yenemy. It seems like every time I check the B&H website, I find they are not accepting orders.

I recently bought the DA 35mm macro lens from Adorama because they were the first reputable dealer I found that had it in stock. The lens arrived safely and well packed. I will buy from them again.
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