Originally posted by jmdeegan Reason I ask is kinda simple, I think.
I have a local camera shop-at least, local to my current client. On a normal basis, the shop is 3 blocks away, on my way home, and the staff have been very good to deal with.
However, they do not have the cheapest prices in the city, though they are willing to compete.
Since I work in NYC, and another of my client locales happens to be nearer the big 2 camera shops, going to either is clearly an option, but not as convenient.
Question is, especially as the camera shops seem to be dying off, and others are ditching Pentax...would you pay a little extra to shop a smaller shop with a bit of a more hands on feel for you (I walk in here, and the owner and at least 2 salesmen know me and say hi). Just wondering if the relationships or the savings are more important to folks (and for the most part, prices are not terribly far off).
What would you do? Would you consider the slightly higher price paid a price worth paying for that service? Or would you rather save 50 bucks on a 600 dollar order?
I support brick and mortar stores. I like having a real person to discuss equipment with, I like having a dealer that will handle returns, repairs and other customer service issues for me.
I like being able to handle the equipment before I buy it.
Mail order satisfies none of this for me, and only has the dubious potential to save me a few pennies on the purchase, usually eaten up by shipping costs.
Over the years I have read lots of stories about people buying mail order through a big NYC store to save themselves a few pennies and then having to deal with mail order hell when there is a problem.