Really Right Stuff

[JETA]

After months of searching for a tripod and head I decided to buy a RRS ball head (BH-55), gitzo tripod (GT3530S) and RRS L-plate. I spent close to $1300 for the whole setup.

The customer service was great as I ordered over the phone. They fielded all of my questions and I felt good with my final decision. Everything arrived packaged beautifully and the products are wonderful. However the dust bag came with rips in it and dusty. I contacted RRS via email and told them the bag looked used and was ripped in a couple of places. They took offense. I wasn't insinuating they sold used merch, but that is how the bag looked.

They told me it was checked b4 shipping and the rips must have happened in shipping. Mind you all boxes including the shipping box arrived in perfect condition. Not a mark on any of them. So now it's a warranty issue.

I call Bogen and they tell me it's just a bag and probably will not be replaced. The bag is listed as part of the tripod online, but Bogen said it's a free thing. HUH? There was nothing about the dust cover being free. Bogen was supposed to call me back and never did.

So here's a little future reference. If you buy from RRS and something comes damaged they will blame it on the shipper because "somebody" checked the products before shipping.

This is such a bummer to me. Our household income was dropped 75% for a year now. I had to sell a camera to buy this rig. It would have been nice to get everything in new condition and to have someone take responsibility for the ripped bag.

I think I'm the first person in history to have a problem with RRS. The first pic shows the interior box in perfect condition and the last two show the rips.