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Buyer Beware - Barclaysphoto

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by dx379, Aug 1, 2008.

Page 1 of 2
  1. dx379

    dx379

    1,415
    Jul 9, 2008
    Tulsa, OK
    Guys/Girls,

    As an effort to look out for my fellow photographers, I wanted to post this in the hope that no-one else will be taken advantage of.

    Barclaysphoto/cameramall/whatever their name is this month is a company I would strongly advise you to stay well away from. Well here's the story.

    I was looking at buying a Nikon D300 on eBay, and ran into an auction that had exactly what I was looking for. The seller was Barclaysphoto, so my first step, as always, is to check out their feedback.

    So, I checked it and they had high feedback (98% with 10,000+ sales) so I thought I was dealing with a worthwhile company. I was very wrong. The reason their feedback is so high is because they list a bunch of $0.01 auctions with free shipping to pad their positive ratings while trying to dissolve the impact of their negative feedbacks. Search all the items >$1000 and see how many people are happy...

    Basically, I won the auction and paid them via Paypal. Next thing I get a call from Tyler Durden (compulsive liar) who is a sales rep for the company and I regrettably told him I was a novice when it came to cameras. He tried to sell me a warranty for $700 which I politely declined. He pulls his "I don't make any commission" story several times and keeps going to speak to his manager. Now I feel like I am buying a used car! Regrettably, I asked him for his "professional" opinion on what flash I should purchase. Through my own stupidity, I let him upsell me on a flash, some extra batteries and chargers, and a warranty that he dropped to $399.

    Turned out the flash he sold me for $229.99 lists on the Internet for $79. I called to complain about being lied to and taken advantage of, and in the end they sent me a $179.99 flash while still charging me $229.99 for it. I was upset at being taken advantage of and being lied to, and being pushed into an expensive warranty, so I called and told them I wanted to cancel the warranty. Bear in mind unless you are calling the sales department, you will be put on hold and pushed around for 30 minutes from department to department in the hopes you get mad and hang up. Chuck, who was supposed to be a manager, offered me a $25 store credit (great, I can buy any awful lot with $25!) and a $25 refund on the warranty. He would not give me my money back on the warranty even though it hadn't been activated. Well, I contact the warranty company and they told me that their rule is you can have a full refund within 30 days. Will barclaysphoto stand by this? Absolutely not.

    While I realize I am the one to blame for making many mistakes, I still have a very negative view of this circus they call a business. I have called many stores over the years to ask for advice, and generally have been steered in the right direction.

    So don't fall for their padded feedback, lies and untrustworthiness. Save yourself the headache and spend a little extra to deal with a real company with real customer service. Stay away from these clowns.

    Hope this helps someone make the right choice in the future and possibly saves them the headache I went through.

    Regards,
    Jonny
     
    dx379, Aug 1, 2008
    #1
  2. polar905

    polar905

    1,057
    Apr 5, 2007
    Hamilton, Ontario
    Did he tell you the first rule of buying from them is to not talk about it? Sorry about that but Tyler Durden was Brad Pitt's character from Fight Club. Anyways companies that usually follow up sales with phone calls are ones to be avoided. Sometimes it pays to take time and research equipment till you jump in.
     
    polar905, Aug 1, 2008
    #2
  3. Lurker

    Lurker

    5,262
    Jul 21, 2007
    NJ
    The regular "Brooklyn Camera Scam" online is probably starting to loose its edge on the interwebs because of resellerratings.com - I guess they're moving to eBay now? Grrreat.
     
    Lurker, Aug 1, 2008
    #3
  4. iLLMaCK

    iLLMaCK Guest

    When will people stop trying to find cameras on ebay
     
    iLLMaCK, Aug 1, 2008
    #4
  5. Muonic

    Muonic

    2,507
    Jun 14, 2006
    Muonic, Aug 1, 2008
    #5
  6. Seneca

    Seneca

    10,220
    Dec 4, 2006
    Texas!
    Come here for advice next time. With 10,000 members someone is bound to give you some great advice. Sorry this happened to you. :frown:
     
    Seneca, Aug 1, 2008
    #6
  7. digitalzed

    digitalzed

    341
    May 14, 2006
    N. Cal
    How did you pay for the flash and warranty? If you used your CC, dispute the charges. If you used Pay Pal, complain. Make some noise and make their lives miserable. Why should you be the only one to suffer?
     
    digitalzed, Aug 1, 2008
    #7
  8. cleoent

    cleoent

    1,096
    Dec 21, 2007
    San Jose, Ca
    wow, i can't believe people still fall for these things!

    Sucks man :( 
     
    cleoent, Aug 1, 2008
    #8
  9. NPA2008

    NPA2008

    393
    Apr 15, 2008
    USA
    On the contrary, the Brooklyn stores have been on eBay for a long time. They come and go, and they use eBay seller names that are frequently different from their website names known through resellerratings and scams.

    Why doesn't the New York AG do something about these crooks?
     
    NPA2008, Aug 1, 2008
    #9
  10. Zee71

    Zee71

    2,155
    Apr 1, 2007
    Queens, NY
    Sorry to hear about your experience........I would report this to eBay, maybe there is a way of tagging this seller. I would have tried hi and low to void the transaction as well.

    IMHO sometimes it's not about the savings, because you'll end up paying in the long run. I highly recommend B&H as a very good place to purchase equipment from, which I'm sure others on the forum would agree. I've purchased about 90% of my equipment from there, and never had any issues.
     
    Zee71, Aug 1, 2008
    #10
  11. jfrancis

    jfrancis

    4,638
    May 8, 2005
    Orlando, FL
    Looks like you already found this site:

    http://www.resellerratings.com/store/BarclaysPhoto

    There is a reason why people buy from people like B&H, Roberts, etc. And another why you should use a credit card. I will often use Amex just for this purpose because they are so good at pursuing your rights.
     
    jfrancis, Aug 1, 2008
    #11
  12. Lurker

    Lurker

    5,262
    Jul 21, 2007
    NJ
    Are you serious about that question?

    The other thing is, it is probably very hard to prove anything illegal - the customer is the one who agreed on everything after all (that's at least what the paper trail will show).
     
    Lurker, Aug 1, 2008
    #12
  13. NPA2008

    NPA2008

    393
    Apr 15, 2008
    USA
    I am serious about it. What is the problem with the cleanup? Are you saying that New Yorkers are basically crooked and nothing can be done? I don't know. Here in Texas these jerks would not last. They would be in prison where they belong.
     
    NPA2008, Aug 1, 2008
    #13
  14. cleoent

    cleoent

    1,096
    Dec 21, 2007
    San Jose, Ca
    or shot dead... :rolleyes: 



    Sorry, I couldn't resist.:redface:
     
    cleoent, Aug 1, 2008
    #14
  15. spalding12

    spalding12

    26,905
    Jan 11, 2006
    Clearwater, Florida
    glad for the thread
    had you asked anyone on earth about these crooks... you would have never even considered spending $5.00 with them

    B&H/Adorama/Allen's photo in Pennsylvania/KEH in Atlanta

    forget most everyone else
     
    spalding12, Aug 1, 2008
    #15
  16. jcovert

    jcovert Guest

    Call Paypal and cancel the entire order. Call the CC company, whatever it takes. There are no 'rules' other than if you give up, they've won. Just like Texas, New York is a state of laws. Fight back.
     
    jcovert, Aug 1, 2008
    #16
  17. schuds

    schuds

    153
    Dec 4, 2007
    Wisconsin
    Huh? There are lots of good ones out there. Near me in Chicago I have both Central Camera and Calumet. Both are class operations with eCommerce sites. Central is a great place to visit; the last of the old-fashioned camera stores. I could spend hours in the place just poking around.
     
    schuds, Aug 1, 2008
    #17
  18. threecats

    threecats

    4,777
    Mar 27, 2008
    Chgo/Glenview. my heart, New Mexico
    I got enough aggravation in my life. I don't buy used anything,and I don't buy ebay expensive stuff that can be found other places. B&H, Adorama mostly. Bought Gitzo from Nikon pro shop (not a member), and the Markins head from one of the few dealers. Canada I think.

    This won't help you but may help others reading


    glenn
     
    threecats, Aug 1, 2008
    #18
  19. threecats

    threecats

    4,777
    Mar 27, 2008
    Chgo/Glenview. my heart, New Mexico
    Kinda close to me too but never ventured. The hassle of downtown and that 10% sales tax don't help either. Would like to go one day however
     
    threecats, Aug 1, 2008
    #19
  20. JustEd

    JustEd

    4,032
    Jul 21, 2008
    Sacramento, CA
    Wowzers, eBAY has sure gone downhill. I stopped bidding/selling there because it seemed to be mostly hack companies and few real individuals selling their used good. And yes the NY sales guru's certainly know how to tweak feedback, tis their bread and butter.

    Have you complained to PayPal?
     
    JustEd, Aug 1, 2008
    #20
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