Really Right Stuff

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.

If you paid by credit card take it up with the credit card company. It is most definitely NOT a shipping issue. Shippers aren't responsible for packing. If the box isn't damaged it's whomever packed it's problem.

I don't know if its the economy or what, but online merchants customer service has gone down the tubes recently. Let's see who I've had problems with recently-

Non-photo related-

Taylor Gifts, old mail order catalog that's gone digital. They charged my card a month ago, never delivered, and didn't answer multiple emails to their CS. Bad customer service (actually attempted theft, in my opinion). They just got a chargeback from Visa.

Edit: forgot to put that I paid an extra $9.98 for rush shipping.

Photo related-

Buy.com and Electronic Express- no shipping info, their promised 48 hour confirmation is now past 96. Buy.com is passing the buck (though they had no trouble taking my payment info)- it's poor CS when they want to take your money but don't want to make things happen. They've got another 24 before I have to cancel.

B&H Photo- the former gold standard. I've been buying from them for a decade now. A few days ago I tried to place an order delivered to my home address, which hasn't changed, with the same credit card I've been using for all ten year. The web site wouldn't accept it. After three tries I had to give up on them. I sent an email to their customer service- no reply. You'd think with the many thousands of dollars I've spent with them they'd have the courtesy, but nope. And it wasn't a problem with Visa. It was definitely the B&H site. Beach Camera accepted an order ten minutes later using the same verification system.


So, has anyone had good customer service lately?

I had a terrible experience with B & H last month. You can find it several threads down about half way. I bought a new laptop and it arrived with a broken power button. They wouldn't help me. It's their policy apparently not to make exchanges on computers. Even if it's brand new and shows up broken. Even HP was shocked when I called and told them an HP dealer would not take back a brand new defective laptop.

That's interesting. I bought a ballhead from really right stuff a year ago and the experience was great (and the customer service leaps and bounds above ArcaSwiss).

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Originally Posted by fx101

That's interesting. I bought a ballhead from really right stuff a year ago and the experience was great (and the customer service leaps and bounds above ArcaSwiss).

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If the bag wasn't torn I'd be singing their praises.

I've found you tend to find out who is reputable when there is a problem with purchased merchandise.

Just wanted to update that nothing was ever done about my ripped bag.

Bogen never called back and didn't return calls.

So if you buy from rrs beware. If anything arrives damaged you are screwed because their philosophy is we check everything b4 it shipped so it's a warranty/shipping issue.

Seems I've had some really bad luck lately! :rolleyes:

Thanks for the update. In all honesty the bag could be patched for a couple of dollars and would be completely usable, and you'd look like a hardcore player who took his tripod everywhere, but you shouldn't have to do that. Like you said in another message, you find out who's reputable when you need customer service. I guess RRS and Bogen go on the 'not reputable' list, which is too bad because I like my Bogen tripod. It's old, back when Bogen was Bogen, and I don't use it much anymore because it's a monster made for motion picture cameras, but you should have been treated better.

I know it's probably too late but you should have canceled your CC transaction. As soon as they get the chargeback watch how quick you would get that bag replaced. I know because I have done this with 2 other (not camera related) items I bought.

Bob

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Originally Posted by JETA

I've found you tend to find out who is reputable when there is a problem with purchased merchandise.

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Ain't that the truth... Guess I missed this thread earlier. I've bought from RRS several times over the years going back to when they didn't have Kirk Enterprises as competition on the camera and lens plates. RRS is, and always has been, a funny company. The original owner would never handle an order over the internet. Everything had to be by mail with a check (IIRC). Fine, his product is great and I can wait. The rants and tirades in his catalog were legendary. He was a curmudgeon's curmudgeon. But he knew his stuff I had a lot of respect for the guy.

New owner (a few years ago) sets up a website for ordering (welcome to the 20th century!) but a couple of phone calls to them makes me think they (new and old owners) are two peas in a pod. It's exactly as you describe, sort of a jeckyll and hide sort of thing. Just plain odd.

Well, the last plate I bought was actually from ebay but keep Kirk in mind if you need more Arca-Swiss system parts. They're no cheaper and just as good, but some of their parts are designed slightly differently which may be better. I've never talked to them, but never needed to either. They're a little more "normal"...

Congrats on the tripod, since going to that system years ago I've never looked back. It's expensive and absolutely worth every penny.