A nice K-3 deal has just gone up at Adorama (free 50mm lens and flash + K-3 for $649.00):

Pentax K-3 DSLR Camera Body 15530

While the deal surely won't last, it's nice to finally get a break from the stubborn price tag of $749 at US authorized dealers.

[Scorpio71GR]

Well I have been buying online since the days before there was an internet, think http bulletin boards. When I first ordered from Amazon it was little book site on a bulletin board. I am still buying from them today, I have had a Prime account since they were created. I have also been ordering from Adorama and B&H for over 30 years. I written thousands of online reviews over the years. I can tell you no long established business has no bad reviews. If a business has no bad reviews than something is wrong. I have worked in customer service and there is just some people you can never make happy period. Online reviews need to be taken with a grain of salt since it someone else's opinion and nothing more. In all my years buying from B&H and Adorama I have only had a few issues and they were always taken care of right away. Things can happen and sometimes it is just unavoidable. Over the last few years I have noticed Amazons packaging becoming rather lacking. Many times my item arrives simply tossed in a box with no extra cushioning. Most of the time this is no problem but there have been a few times when it was a problem. 90% of my orders are shipped directly by Amazon since I have a Prime Account. I have nothing but good things to say about Adorama. Once many years ago I ordered my normal darkroom supplies and noticed one of my bottles had leaked out during shipment. Rather than having me file a claim with the carrier, which they had every right to do, they immediately sent me a replacement. Yes issues will come up from time to time with any company. The thing I value most is knowing if something does occur I can have it taken care of without issue. The problem with some people is knowing how to conduct themselves in these situations. Making a big scene and unrealistic demands will get you nowhere. Conducting yourself in a professional manner will go much farther. It seems that today people just want to run the internet to cry as soon as something goes wrong.

[mee]

Maksim, you seem cautious that is all. It is understandable... especially sending large amounts of cash for high dollar items to a company you've never patronized before.

Adorama is safe but they seem to be a bit more sloppy with both their website and their shipments (compared to Amazon and B&H). Very minor points though. If I had my druthers I'd shop at B&H but if Adorama has a better deal I'll steer that way too. They aren't a fly by night organization nor are they the type to pull all of the accessories out of the box and then attempt to upsell you on them. They are reputable.

I don't know why you're being attacked. sorry you're having such a crummy start to the forums.

[Maksim]

All I can add to this discussion is that I do business with a lot of outfits, including B&H, Samy's, Amazon, etc. But, for some reason, I have purchased almost all of my Pentax gear from Adorama. This goes back to my K200D kit (with DA* 16-50 and 50-135) that I bought in their brick-and-mortar store in 2008. I bought my K-5 there as well in 2012. Almost all of my other Pentax bodies and lenses I have ordered from Adorama's website. I don't know why - it could simply be a matter of timing and their sales. But I've never had a problem.

Awesome. Thanks for sharing that.

After this thread, did some numbers, I wish I did not live in NJ. =) After sales tax, it is a bit more than $100 difference in price versus buying body only on Amazon, with the 5% credit for the Amazon account. It is a great deal if you want the lens + flash, and do not have to pay sales tax.

[Biro]

After this thread, did some numbers, I wish I did not live in NJ. =) After sales tax, it is a bit more than $100 difference in price versus buying body only on Amazon, with the 5% credit for the Amazon account. It is a great deal if you want the lens + flash, and do not have to pay sales tax.

Yes, that can often be an unpleasant reality of living in the Garden State. Perhaps you won't make this purchase through Adorama. But pay attention to Adorama's prices. Often, they will sell a camera or lens for less than the competition - just low enough to compensate for sales tax. Also, if you're seriously thinking about buying something from them, add it to your cart. You can always delete it. But I've been pleasantly surprised a couple of times.

[goldenarrow]

I sympathize but I don't see Adorama as any worse than any of the others!

I hate mail order but seems to be the evil we have to put up with since Pentax does not have a large dealer network yet. Maybe eventually they will (then, dealers would receive poorly packed expensive equipment from the wholesaler!). In the meantime, we have to put up with half empty boxes and shipping companies that throw them around like rag dolls (and deliver them so that they are easily stolen). For what it is worth, KEH seems to do really well packaging their used equipment, better than the other ones selling new stuff, go figure! If there is an issue with a shipment, it is up to each of us to test the equipment before returns can be effected and complain to the correct representative at the mail order company to iron things out.

In context, the K-3 deal I received from Adorama was packaged fairly well (not perfect but good enough), and have had no problems with any of the three items.

Just my two pennies....

[henryp]

A site like yelp, fosters both good and bad reviews. What you will find, is that with the younger generation, there is a lot more propensity to giving back and living online... I do not post hundreds of reviews on trip advisor to complain, I write them because I feel part of the community and want to share my experience. A good business will have the benefit if they address and respond to any issues.

Unfortunately there are problems with the reliability of Yelp reviews. The most obvious is that they're all but anonymous. A review written by "Lou G from Los Angeles" could be anyone or no one and could be 100% valid or 0% valid. Anonymity means the author is not accountable for inaccuracies or untruths and is immune from any repercussions as a result of those inaccuracies or untruths.

The second problem with Yelp is their mysterious system for deciding which reviews to make public and which to leave concealed. I'm active there and they know me and they are entirely unable or unwilling to explain their mysterious logarithm. I think it was devised in Hogwarts. A corollary is the disappointingly inept way they handle matters when a retailer complains a review is inaccurate or untrue or not about a particular store at all. The responses seem to come from a blindfolded person tossing darts at a wall. Inconsistent is a terrific understatement.

Sadly Yelp is not the only rate-the-retailer site which seems aboveboard but has flaws. B&H used to pay Resellerratings to participate in their "merchant member" program. Then the price sky-rocketed and we declined to renew. We stopped paying attention to Resellerratings when they raised their prices to retailers by so large a margin they made their “merchant member” program unacceptably expensive.

https://www.internetretailer.com/2013/01/09/small-web-retailers-fume-reselle...gs-price-hikes and
https://www.searchenginenews.com/sample/content/reseller-ratings-price-scand...reviews-hostag:

Reseller Ratings implemented some very questionable marketing practices in 2012 when it implemented (and then buried) a massive price increase in marketing emails that negatively impacted small retailers like yourself. The changes caused a firestorm that came to boil just last month.

ConsumerAffairs is another that looks better than it smells:
https://www.truthinadvertising.org/consumer-affairs-com/
'Consumer Watchdog' Website Faces Complaints, Lawsuits

Right now we rely on TrustPilot which may not be perfect but seems the best of the bunch for now.

[levin1982]

Should I wait for black Friday?

Given I want to buy k3 this year .
Should I buy it now or wait ? Any ideas ?

[Adam]

Should I wait for black Friday?

Given I want to buy k3 this year .
Should I buy it now or wait ? Any ideas ?

May as well buy now- Adorama has a 30 day price guarantee so you'll be entitled to a refund of the difference if the price drops.

Personally I don't think the freebie kit will go any lower, but the body only without extras might.

[missile]

I'm sold - just pulled the trigger on the deal with the freebies - Now anybody know of a charitable cause that could use a sweet blue K30 with an aperture control block problem?

[r0ckstarr]

But, don't let the price difference refund be the basis of your decision. There's always the possibility that they may change the package from the free lens and flash to something else other than lens/flash, or just offer a whole new package deal for Black Friday while keeping the current lens/flash combo at the same price. This would mean that the package you got with the lens and flash wouldn't be eligible for the price difference refund. If I wanted the lens/flash combo, I would jump on it now. If I wanted body only, I would wait and see if it goes lower.

[missile]

considered that, rOckstar, good point. But couldn't see buying a body only and passing up the opp to flip the extras so figured a $549 net for the body or better (after some selling) was enough motivation. Going the other way and buying the body only for 649 from BH just didn't make sense, and actually, rechecking that deal just now, they've added the 200 flash, so I'd be in the same boat.

[henryp]

May as well buy now- Adorama has a 30 day price guarantee so you'll be entitled to a refund of the difference if the price drops.

We do too. If a price drops during the return policy time period (30 days) and you ask, we will almost always be able to honor the new lower price. The only exception is for some (not all) manufacturer's rebates which have date limitations.

[Biro]

Personally I don't think the freebie kit will go any lower, but the body only without extras might.

That's what I'm waiting for. I don't need the lens or the flash. Adorama or B&H... I'm ready to pull the trigger on the K-3 body-only at the right price.

[csa]

Well, they are not Amazon or Nordstroms.

A few things I am hesitant about.

1. The numerous issues with poor packaging. The amount of lenses here in this thread sent by regular mail that got crumbled. Heck.... "Adorama shipping issues" is one of the google suggestions in search.

2. Overall mediocre ratings online. Top 108 Complaints and Reviews about Adorama Camera , Adorama - 67 Photos - Photography Stores & Services - Flatiron - New York, NY - Reviews - Yelp ,

For anyone concerned about Adorama; read this link of mine:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/14-general-talk/308124-adorama-customer-s...ml#post3433339

[Adam]

This deal has been renewed for black friday!