Recommended sites and sites to avoid

[Grandpaw]

http://www.centraldigital.com.
far from this site.
is the same company with
http://www.prestigecamera.com/
so as far as you can.
Grandpaw update your list

Welcome to our site! After checking these out I added them and a few more to our list, just thought you would like to know. I don't always add recommendations to my lists, it depends on whether I can find enough information to back up the suggestion or not and in this case I did. The list was updated this morning, Jeff "grandpaw"

[A.M.D.A.]

Bought two replacement battery packs for my Panasonic FZ7K a few weeks ago, they arrived yesterday with no fuss, no scam, no unexplained delays.

I took the new batteries out for a trial run outside in the cold weather this morning - and the power hasn't run down and they seem to be good and working perfectly so far.

Would recommend BestBatt.com.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[sprichmal]

I use Amazon quite a bit for a lot of stuff. But have had the odd problem with 3rd party sellers on there. Wish Amazon had a better range though and i'd use them more.

[dw1181]

AVOID BROADWAY PHOTO. They really upset me with there tactics. Adding insurance at about $40 and adding a handling fee to the free shipping not to mention pushing you to 'upgrade' to battery that last more than 15 min. ($169) and another $59 for external charger which is all standard package at all other camera stores!! I felt so mad that I allowed to be taken. I immediately called, 30 min. on hold, to cancel. They confirmed my cancellation with out a hassle but I am cont. checking to make sure my card is not charged. Bottom Line: You get what you pay for, If a deal is too good to be true, it is. Also, check these forums before dealing with an online retailer new to you. Buyer beware and stay away from Broadway photo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[WildlifeNate]

I'm surprised NewEgg hasn't made it on the good list yet. They've been outstanding for me. In the past year, I bought all the hardware for a new PC from them, including a 28" widescreen HD LCD monitor. The monitor required a signature, and UPS missed me at the house by 10min on Friday. By Monday, my monitor had disappeared from their facility. I opened a claim with them, and NewEgg had me a new monitor shortly.

I also needed to exchange some RAM (I bought the wrong kind accidentally), and they handled it flawlessly.

They have good deals from time to time, and may end up ordering a new DSLR from them due to my experience with them historically.

[Mes]

Dec 08/Jan 09: I can confirm (re-confirm) FotoConnection (fotoconnection.com) Brooklyn, NY is still way down in the bad list. Ordered a Casio S10 (good price), but item arrived in no retail box and wrong color. Returned (my cost), received a replacement after 2 calls and 2 weeks --- still the wrong color.

Several calls later ... if I return for a refund .... they will deduct 20% plus I pay shipping .... again !!!!

Forget email --- they don't answer.

I threatened small-claims. Their response: You'll fly to NY and sue us? They've got us over a barrel .. and know it!!

The absolute worst company I've ever encountered.. Trust me,,, stay far far away!!

[w1ljmm]

I was going to ask if someone could add "sigma4less" a.k.a. "sigmaforless" to the list. I am not sure if it should be on the bad list or good. resellerratings.com has them around a 7-8 out of 10. Problem is that they are listed out of Brooklin, NY . Prices seem to be too good to be true. Could someone research or add their comments on their purchases from them?

[shotz88]

B&H and NewEgg are two of the best. Fast shipping, you get what you ordered, and they never have to 'confirm' your shipping information. Tiger is good too. I returned some RAM to them because it was designed for a different slot, and they took it back. I've gotten a couple of items from BuyDig.com too. They seemed pretty good as well. Avoid Broadway Photo like the plague. They are horrible!

[Lazy Lens]

I'm on the hunt for a reputable dealer of the Panasonic FZ28K. I'm considering making the jump from film SLR to digital with this model -- I can't afford a new dSLR kit right now and I need to do some video as well.

My concern is over the camera's audio quality. I haven't received a response yet from Panasonic to my query regarding early vs. later batches and sound improvements, but I've read that the audio on early units was terrible.

Therefore, I'm looking for a vendor who will:
1) give me info that will help me ascertain whether I'm ordering a later, improved unit (such as serial number), or
2) if obtaining this info on the actual unit to be shipped is unlikely, I'd like to know which dealers have excellent return policies regarding customer satisfaction -- I don't need an RMA nightmare replete with return shipping costs (albeit expected) and high restocking fees just to land an "improved" unit.

As for pricing, I see this camera @ $299 shipped from Adorama, Amazon and B&H, and One Call @ $297.88 shipped. Are there other legit dealers selling for these prices or lower that I may have missed? What are your experiences in returning merchandise to any of these vendors?

Thanks.

[smarches@warwick.net]

Just had a bad experience with CloseOutGenius.com. Didn't find out until AFTER I had ordered from them that they are scammers. This past Sunday I ordered a Canon SX10 IS for my daughter's 40th birthday. I googled CloseOutGenius on Monday morning and besides finding their web site (which is what I was looking for), I also found lots of negative stuff about them. True to form as per the internet postings, I got a call from them on Monday afternoon trying to hard sell me on memory card, batteries, charger, and extended warranty. Knowing that I would never get the camera at their $299 kit price, I told them to cancel the order. Received an email note from them shortly after confirming the cancellation. At least I knew ahead of time and was prepared to fend off the hard sell.

[Grandpaw]

Just had a bad experience with CloseOutGenius.com. Didn't find out until AFTER I had ordered from them that they are scammers. This past Sunday I ordered a Canon SX10 IS for my daughter's 40th birthday. I googled CloseOutGenius on Monday morning and besides finding their web site (which is what I was looking for), I also found lots of negative stuff about them. True to form as per the internet postings, I got a call from them on Monday afternoon trying to hard sell me on memory card, batteries, charger, and extended warranty. Knowing that I would never get the camera at their $299 kit price, I told them to cancel the order. Received an email note from them shortly after confirming the cancellation. At least I knew ahead of time and was prepared to fend off the hard sell.

And I thought it was impossible to get a lower rating than Broadway Photo but these folks has proven me wrong. Thanks you for taking the time to share your experience. They HAVE BEEN ADDED to the list of sites to AVOID. Thanks again, Jeff

[Lazy Lens]

There's an enlightening thread about cameragiantsinc.com at https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?bl...6232566&page=1

One post listed a few more baddies that aren't in your list:

"WARNING !!!! Buyer Beware this is the same company:
www.86photovideo.com
www.ontimedigital.com
shopdigitaldirect.com
soniccameras.com
myrtleelectronics.com
digitalsfuture.com
lensesnmore.com
www.closeoutgenius.com ( GENIUS )
slrgenius.com
camcordergenius.com
projectorgenius.com
plasmagenius.com
allpcgenius.com
cellulargenius.com
receivergenius.com
navigenius.com
cameragiantsinc.com"

Another I didn't see in your list is stopandshopdigital.com

[Grandpaw]

There's an enlightening thread about cameragiantsinc.com at https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?bl...6232566&page=1

One post listed a few more baddies that aren't in your list:

"WARNING !!!! Buyer Beware this is the same company:
www.86photovideo.com
www.ontimedigital.com
shopdigitaldirect.com
soniccameras.com
myrtleelectronics.com
digitalsfuture.com
lensesnmore.com
www.closeoutgenius.com ( GENIUS )
slrgenius.com
camcordergenius.com
projectorgenius.com
plasmagenius.com
allpcgenius.com
cellulargenius.com
receivergenius.com
navigenius.com
cameragiantsinc.com"

Another I didn't see in your list is stopandshopdigital.com

I did check out each one of these myself and they are all now on the list of sites to avoid. There will always be sites missing on the AVOID list due to so many of them adding new names for the same people and also adding totally new sites all together each day. This is just my opinion but I wish that members and visitors would concentrate more on finding a reputable dealer with good service than saving a few bucks. I know everyone wants to get the best deal they can and I do to but when people think a little before buying an alarm or red flag should go up when someone offers a price much lower than the average going price. Remember that both lists will never be complete due to changing circumstances but I have personally researched each name on these list before adding or removing them. By choosing someone off the recommended list that members have had good dealings with does not guarantee the same positive results for you also but it does improve your odds of a good transaction, Jeff

[alientask]

Thanks great list

[alientask]

How to find out what sites are scammers?

[alientask]

I think sites from pricerunner price comparison site is legitimate, isnt

[Frog]

It isn't whether those sites are legit or not. Places like price runner only post advertised prices for participating stores. They don't check the legitimacy of stores as far as I know.
If you find a price that you like, your next step is to check here and at http://www.resellerratings.com/ which has the only honest ratings I know of online.
I did a quick search at price runner for a nikon and saw very good dealers, some ok dealers, and some bad ones such as us1photo which has very bad reviews.

[Liz]

Jeff,

I would like to recommend a great photo store in NY that I found a few weeks ago. Cameraland. I think they are a small (maybe mom-pop) business, but their customer service is AWESOME!

Their prices are fair - and they will go the extra mile. They ship the day you order - or the day after if it is late. I think as small as they might be, they are competition for the big guns. Here is their website.

http://www.cameralandny.com/

Jeff - I just want to tell you what a great job you do on this forum. It has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to all of your attention, work, effort - and kindnesses.

Liz

[Grandpaw]

Jeff,

I would like to recommend a great photo store in NY that I found a few weeks ago. Cameraland. I think they are a small (maybe mom-pop) business, but their customer service is AWESOME!

Their prices are fair - and they will go the extra mile. They ship the day you order - or the day after if it is late. I think as small as they might be, they are competition for the big guns. Here is their website.

http://www.cameralandny.com/

Jeff - I just want to tell you what a great job you do on this forum. It has grown by leaps and bounds thanks to all of your attention, work, effort - and kindnesses.

Liz

Liz, I checked out Cameralandny and found good ratings but only a few from the last six months. I value you opinion highly but I try and only put names on the recommended list that have a long track record of good reviews that I can document before adding them to the list.

I recently bought my Nikon D90 and 70-300VR lens from Calagaz Photo in Mobile AL. They gave me a better price than I could get at any of the recommended on line sites and shipped it to me and I had it the next day due to not being that far from them. The gentleman I talked to was very helpful and knowledgeable and I was very happy with the service. I have made mention of the great service that I personally received but did not add them to the recommended list, not because I don't think they deserve it, but because II cannot find enough reviews to back up my claim over a period of time.

I will keep Camerlandny in mind and check in the future along with Calagaz to see if they might be added later. Thank you for the suggestion and I also appreciate the kind words, Jeff

[brusser]

I wished I'd saw this site sooner. The warning to stay away from any seller in Brooklyn New York is a valid statement. I just got burned by a company called NWV Direct.com. (New World Video.com). They pulled the old "Bait and Switch scam on me. Offered a name brand product at a lower price to suck me in. So I got hooked. Then got a phone call offering me a "more expensive upgrade" a the same price because I was "being inconvenienced" and they as well as everyone else were out of this item. So I took the offer. What I got was a piece of cheap junk. The reviews confirmed it. But I'm retired so I got lots of time to screw with these guys. I got a complaint in with NY BBB also a few blog post telling my story. When I'm done every body in the world will know about the scams at NWV Direct.com. Randy:mad2:

[w.slayman]

Jeff,

For collectable and some used equipment add www,pacificrimcamera.com.

I have purchased several items for Canon FD at reasonable prices, their equipment has always arrived in a timely maner and has always been better than discribed.

[Grandpaw]

I checked them out and can't find enough information, pro or con about them to add them to either list at this time but I do appreciate the suggestion, Jeff

[t_hyatt]

Does anyone know anything about supremecamera??

[Grandpaw]

Does anyone know anything about supremecamera??

You may want to read the information at this link. It will give you a lot of useful info. I checked and supremecamera has a very low rating, Jeff

You will find this at the bottom of every post I write!
Before buying equipment off the Internet check here
http://forums.photographyreview.com/...ad.php?t=37380

The info about supremecamera can be found here....
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Supreme_Camera

[Frog]

I always get a 'be careful' gut instinct when I see any name that has things like Super or Best or even photo or camera in their name.
You'll notice that many of the recommended sites have nothing about photo or camera in their common names.....B&H, Adorama, Cameta, etc.