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04-26-2008, 08:54 PM   #1
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question about online vendors...

Anyone in this forum ever bought from Abes of Maine before? A little strange to me that the store is actually in Edison, NJ....but it's the best price i can find for the K10D brand new. Unfortunately, they only have the package with the kit lens, which i already have, but i guess i can try to sell that in the marketplace.

anyway...just wondering if anyone has bought from them and what there experience was like. I've nearly been scammed a few times, so i'm just trying to be careful. Thanks for any input!!

04-26-2008, 10:15 PM   #2
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QuoteOriginally posted by DanLoc78 Quote
Anyone in this forum ever bought from Abes of Maine before? A little strange to me that the store is actually in Edison, NJ....but it's the best price i can find for the K10D brand new. Unfortunately, they only have the package with the kit lens, which i already have, but i guess i can try to sell that in the marketplace.

anyway...just wondering if anyone has bought from them and what there experience was like. I've nearly been scammed a few times, so i'm just trying to be careful. Thanks for any input!!

I bought my K100D from Abe's of Maine. After you place the order, they'll call you to confirm the order and then try to sell you other overpriced stuff, like memory cards, batteries, etc. I just told them I already had everything I needed and to just send the camera.

I've bought other things from Abe's and not had any problems with them. They do have good prices.
04-26-2008, 11:37 PM   #3
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Check this out DanLoc78

Abe's of Maine Customer Ratings, Reviews and Prices at ResellerRatings
04-27-2008, 09:28 AM   #4
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what's wierd about that Ken T is that I checked them out on resellerratings.com about a week ago. The numbers were totally different. I think they had a lifetime rating of over 9/10, but they're 6-month rating was at like 1.5 or something ridiculous.

strange. thanks for the help though...still not sure what i'm going to do.

04-27-2008, 10:47 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by DanLoc78 Quote
Anyone in this forum ever bought from Abes of Maine before? A little strange to me that the store is actually in Edison, NJ....but it's the best price i can find for the K10D brand new. Unfortunately, they only have the package with the kit lens, which i already have, but i guess i can try to sell that in the marketplace.

anyway...just wondering if anyone has bought from them and what there experience was like. I've nearly been scammed a few times, so i'm just trying to be careful. Thanks for any input!!
I never bought from them but I'll give you the advice I have given my students over the years - don't shop price; shop reliable vendor. I get most of my photo stuff from B&H (almost all via their website) but Adorama still has the K10D. At least, that's what their website says though they don't have an "in stock" indicator like B&H does. Maybe not the cheapest price (still less than what I paid in 2007) but Adorama is fairly decent. I once ordered some Energizer Lithium AA batteries from them but what was shipped was less than what I had ordered (and paid for). However, they rectified the situation.

Keep in mind their business hours. By the way, I never talk to any of these folks on the phone, only by email, because I prefer to have all communications in writing. New Yorkers can sound abrupt and rude sometimes on the phone (I'm a New Yorker too) so keep that in mind if you call.

Richard
04-27-2008, 12:38 PM   #6
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Seller websites and 800 phone sites

From personal experience it isn't the purchase you should worry about (except for the Broadway Photo rip-off types) but what happens if something goes wrong. In my experience between 10% and 15% of online orders are incorrect, or the merchandise is defective or unsatisfactory in some way. This is not limited to photo gear - it is all online orders.

I attribute this to the fact that I cannot handle an item and pass it up, something that happens almost subconsciously when shopping in person - I'm often not even aware I am doing it.

So what happens if you need to return something, NO QUESTIONS ASKED, NO HARM, NO FOUL?

I have learned to pay a little extra to order from Adorama and B&H Photo - there are a few others that some on this Board use - because they willa lways make their customer right with the order. I also have a salesman at both places - and even when I order online without assistance I enter the salesman's number.

Used I almost always use KEH, but Adorama can have some OK stuff.

When I DO call for discussion I get great service and good recommendations.

I'm Just say'in.

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04-27-2008, 01:24 PM   #7
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I don't know about outisde the US, but I always am wary of:

Camera equipment significantly below the price of (Adorama, Amazon, B&H) (Although I got my Sigma 17-70 from this category, I researched Delaware Camera of Buffalo quite a bit before purchasing the lens from them. So far so good.)
Computer equipment significantly below the price of NewEgg

04-29-2008, 11:09 AM   #8
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I just looked at resellerratings.com for Abe's and they seemed fine.

I always read a lot of individual reviews watching for patterns. Even people who don't rate them well write that Abe's seems to try to make things right when the inevitable and occasional screwup happens.

It seems that many of the less-than-stellar reviews focus on unfriendly, curt, or rude sales people, and their pleas to sell accessories, extended maintenance plans, etc. Sounds like Best Buy but at 70% of the price.
04-29-2008, 11:31 AM   #9
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Don't Do It!

I dealt with them before, after I gave them my cc number they turned rude as all heck because I wouldn't let them sucker me into their upsales, they tried to charge me 60 in shipping (guess they have to make their money somehow) I told them the shipping online was suppose to be free they then proceeded to say oh yeah I didn't know that change...the salesman hung up on me before me even giving a confirmation number. I called back to cancel immediately, and had to go through 3 days of hell to get my money back,which by the way they took out of my account immediately! Have you heard of the Brooklyn camera shops and their shady dealing..yeah thats Abes all the way! They also pay for reviews and have their workers leave reviews. Look at reseller rating their ratings at an 8 but if you look at their lifetime rating its a 6 and if you look at all the dates of the reviews they aren't in order. There was a review from nov of 07 put above a review I made in april of this year.Check out the low reviews on that site or google Abes of Maine complaints, absolute horror stories, its not worth the money saved, thats the lesson I learned, I only mess with B&H,Amazon or possibly Adorama.
04-29-2008, 12:48 PM   #10
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From what I've heard and seen, they're sort of in the second tier — not out and out scammers, but not great to deal with. A friend of mine bought a K100D Super from them, and when it arrived it had clearly been used before. He was able to return it with little hassle, at least.
04-29-2008, 04:49 PM   #11
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I'm ready to buy a K100D and the best deal I can find is Abe's but I have a strange feeling about their ratings also but who really knows.

When I look up the same camera on Amazon the seller with the best price is Abes again. Would I be wrong in assuming when ordering through Amazon, Abe's would do a much better and trust worthy sale if this was going through Amazon rather than in house? If I order through Amazon am I basically avoiding any dealings with Abe's and just dealing with Amazon?
04-29-2008, 05:02 PM   #12
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I posted my experience with Abes on another thread: https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/230883-post3.html

QuoteQuote:
I bought my K100D Super + Kit 18-55mm lens from Abes. I bought it through their Amazon marketplace rather than direct. I found that I could get better shipping rates via Amazon than I would have gotten going directly through Abe's. I did not get any phone calls from Abe's trying to upsell lens or accessories going this route. I'm pretty sure this isn't done so that their Amazon rating does not go downward via bad reviews. I went with the 2 day shipping offer and paid $521.43USD. I ordered my camera Monday morning and it arrived Wednesday afternoon.
04-30-2008, 06:45 AM   #13
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I puchased my k10d from Abes in February. I must admit I hadn't thoroughly researched beforehand and was worried. However, my k10d arrived in I believe 8 days. I did not receive any calls soliciting me to buy other products, and my credit card was charged the appropriate amount, and only when it was shipped. It arrived in fine condition, so no problems at all.

I had no reason to contact customer service, so can't speak to that.
04-30-2008, 06:53 AM   #14
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KEH --very reliable --- now has two "used" bodies on sale. I bought my K10 from them recenty and it's great. They tend to be conservative, so "LN" is really "like new" etc,
05-04-2008, 02:26 PM   #15
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B&H and Abe's are two vendors I have dealt with for over 30 years (before they did Internet sales). I have no bad things to say about either. Having to call (or having them call you) Abe's to confirm an order is a bit of a pain, but I understand why they do it - to prevent cc fraud. As for the earlier comment, Abe's has asked if I needed additional items, but never tried to pressure sell them.

Stay away from Broadway Photo - and the five or six other names they use. They always advertise the lowest price, but are the masters of bait and switch. What ever the item is, they will try to sell you things they say you have to have - at 10x the normal price. If you refuse to buy them, your original item will suddenly become out of stock. I hope the NY Attorney General's office puts them out of business. When I was in the market for my K20D, they told me the original battery only lasted 15 minutes and tried to sell me another one for $150. When I refused, they hung up on me.

Before buying from any other online vendor (besides B&H and Abe's), Google their name +reviews to see what problems others have had with them.
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