17 replies to this topic

[jeremypayne]

[DELETED LINK - No need to send anyone there ...]

Could this be for real? $550 for a D300 body?

Edited by jeremypayne, 15 January 2009 - 05:40 PM.

[jeremypayne]

Seems not. Tons of bad press online.

Edited by jeremypayne, 15 January 2009 - 05:40 PM.

[DavidG]

Too good to be true,
I will be very careful buying photography equipment from websites where prices are half o less from reputable photo stores. I hear a lots of people having lots o problems after buying cameras from websites like this one.
Regards.
David

Edited by DavidG, 15 January 2009 - 10:54 AM.

[AndyBarker]

HI,
If it sounds to good to be true, it most probably is. I got caught about a year & a half ago
but was lucky enough to get my money back, but not all do, so take care with all deals that
sound a great buy.

Andy

[eyu]

Look at this: http://www.merchantc...320/review/list

I would not do business with on time digital

Elmer

[TheRealDrew]

http://www.ontimedig...CFQJ-xgodFkCEmA

Could this be for real? $550 for a D300 body?

You can get good deals, and sometimes pretty good deals (lower shipping, no tax since out state order) or pretty pretty good deals (by that point probably Gray Market or B-Stock for some reason), but REALLY REALLY REALLY good deals. Nope B&H & Beach Camera are usually two of the least epxensive that I see and mark things pretty clearly. If anyone is trouncing them in price, it is a warning sign to me. (Or the place charges extra for things like the shutter button and so on...)

[DiveMasterMark]

This guy devotes his time to documenting the camera storefronts that come and go in New York. I found his site when shopping for lenses...

http://donwiss.com/p...BrooklynStores/

I think you'll find On Time Digital related to AllStar Cameras.

Here's another helpful research site:

http://sheddingsomel...allstarfam.html

Be careful...

Mark

Edited by DiveMasterMark, 15 January 2009 - 02:14 PM.

[Scuba_SI]

Hmm, I'd save your money and buy from a reputable dealer, but if you go for it do let us know how it turns out.


Don't forget if you do buy it for $550, you'll have some money left over. Maybe you could help this poor soul out - he really seems like a genuine chap (who doesn't expose himself to everyone he sees), and could literally make you millions with a little help.

Dear Sir,

I am markson Kamara the only son of late former Director of finance, Chief Vincent R. Kamara of Sierra-Leone diamond and mining corporation. I must confess my agitation is real, and my words are my bond in this proposal. My late father diverted this fund acquired from the over influencing of price of sales/purchasing of raw materials., now he deposited the money with a BANK IN ABIDJAN BY FIXED DEPOSIT FORM, where I am residing under political asylum with my younger sister Juliet who is 17 years old. Now the war in my country is overwith the help of ECOMOG soldiers, the present government of Sierra Leone has revoked the passport of all officers who served under the former regime and now ask countries to expel such person at the same time, freeze their account and confiscate their assets, it is on this note that I am contacting you, all I needed from you is to furnish me with your bank particulars:

1) Bank name
2) Account name
3) Account number
4) Bank address, telephone and fax numbers to enable me transfer this money in your private bank account, the said amount is tweenty Six Million United States Dollars (US$26.000.000.00).

I am compensating you with 20% of the total money amount, now all my hope is banked on you and I really want to invest this money in your country, where there is stability of Government, political and economic welfare. Honestly I want you to believe that this transaction is real and never a joke. My late father Chief Kamara gave me the photocopy of the deposit certificate issued to him by the BANK IN ABIDJAN on the date of deposit, and he called me closer to his bed side before his call to glory (R.I.P) that I should pray to God first, before contacting any foreigner and he warned me strictly not to deal with a greedy and evil minded people since this is the only legacy we are inheriting from him.

Please, for you to be clarified because, I do not expose myself to anybody I see, I believe that you are able to keep this transaction secret for me because this money is the hope of my life, it is important. Please contact me immediately after you must have gone through my message, and feel free to make it urgent. That is the reason why I offered you 20 % of the total amount, and in case of any other necessary expenses you might incure during this transaction including your telephone calls.

N.B: Try and negotiate for me some profitable blue chip investment opportunities which is risk free that I can invest with this money when it is transferred to your account, and you will be our guardian, personally I am interested in estate management and hotel business, please advise me. Contact me immediately you receive this message for more explanation. And promise me and Juliet my younger sister to be a father considering our situation and not to betray us please.

Thanks and God bless

Best regards

Markson / Juliet Kamara

[Scubamoose]

Hmm, I'd save your money and buy from a reputable dealer, but if you go for it do let us know how it turns out.
Don't forget if you do buy it for $550, you'll have some money left over. Maybe you could help this poor soul out - he really seems like a genuine chap (who doesn't expose himself to everyone he sees), and could literally make you millions with a little help.

ROFL
A bit offtopic, but there has been a case where a small and young bank tryed to make some money answering one of those letter's

But seriously Jeremy - I say the risk is not worth it.

Edit: I see You have deleted the link, so did You allready get to the bottom of it?

Edited by Scubamoose, 15 January 2009 - 10:28 PM.

[tdpriest]

TANSTAAFL!

(after Prof in Heinlein's masterwork, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress")

Tim

[CADiver]

... was searching for a Nikon D300 body and came across these 2 for just $999. Seems like decent price, so just passing the word.

http://www.86photovi...roduct_id=19341

http://1wayphoto.com...roduct_id=13372

Hope this might accelerate the decision making if you are considering a Nikon D300 too ...
Have a nice weekend.

[acroporas]

Both places are Bait and switch type scams.

They will take your order and your money and then call you and say something like. "Do you want a battery - that will be an extra $200. Ohh and you also probably want the sensor - the camera is 100% useless without that. Another $400"

After they get done selling the you "accessories" (things that are supposed to come in the box) you have ended up paying 2x what the camera would have cost anywhere else.

And if you refuse to buy the "extras" , saying over and over all you need is the camera, they will then say "sorry, we are currently out of stock of the body only. We will ship it to you when we get them in." 6 months later, if they still have not talked you into buying all the overpriced accessories, they will then cancel your order and maybe give you your money back.

http://www.resellerr...eet_Photo_Video
http://www.resellerr...ore/1_Way_Photo


As a general rule, if the price is more than 1-2% cheaper than B&H then you can be 99% sure it is a scam.

[CADiver]

Thanks, good to know ....

Both places are Bait and switch type scams.

They will take your order and your money and then call you and say something like. "Do you want a battery - that will be an extra $200. Ohh and you also probably want the sensor - the camera is 100% useless without that. Another $400"

After they get done selling the you "accessories" (things that are supposed to come in the box) you have ended up paying 2x what the camera would have cost anywhere else.

And if you refuse to buy the "extras" , saying over and over all you need is the camera, they will then say "sorry, we are currently out of stock of the body only. We will ship it to you when we get them in." 6 months later, if they still have not talked you into buying all the overpriced accessories, they will then cancel your order and maybe give you your money back.

http://www.resellerr...eet_Photo_Video
http://www.resellerr...ore/1_Way_Photo


As a general rule, if the price is more than 1-2% cheaper than B&H then you can be 99% sure it is a scam.

[allen]

Go to the mfg website and see if they are listed as an authorized seller. If not move on.

[bandit]

Always check at www.resellerratings.com

[DrFiscus]

"As a general rule, if the price is more than 1-2% cheaper than B&H then you can be 99% sure it is a scam. "

That is probably the best take home message in this whole thread. There are a whole bunch of camera / electronic resellers operating out of Brooklyn that are scam artists - many of them operating the same company under multiple names - all with similar stories to this thread - and all of them with thick files with the New York City and State Better Business Bureaus. I find that if I do not already know the company as a reputable one then it probably isn't. Read the consumer reviews first - besides being very helpful they can be entertaining as heck - as long as you weren't the scam victim. The other thing I have found is that they will actually intersperse some of their own rave reviews in hope that somebody will buy into their scamming.
Good luck.
Let the buyer beware.
Andy

[loftus]

Remember, it's not just about the initial purchase, it's also about 'No questions Asked' service and returns if for some reason there's a problem with the merchandise or even if you ordered the wrong thing by mistake as I once did. Companies like B&H, J&R, Ritz, Adorama, OneCall provide that kind of service.

[rtrski]

TANSTAAFL!

(after Prof in Heinlein's masterwork, "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress")

Tim

YES! Wonderful book. And great to see a fellow old-timer who knows of it.

(Not that I'm a photography old-timer, just a planetary antique.)

Too bad Heinlein left his wonderful earlier years for too much "lets see how many weird sexual relationships we can cram into a pseudo-intellectual science-fiction backstory" elder works.

For a much newer book that has a similar story (interplanetary bid for independence) but with vastly updated scientific underpinnings, try Greg Bear's "Moving Mars". There's little in common with characterization, writing styles, social models, etc other than the whole nascent planetary gov't vs. bad old Earth framing story, but it really felt to me like a modern day "Moon is a Harsh Mistress".

Sorry for the offtopic bit. On-topic, another nod here for resellerratings.com and B&H as a benchmark. There's a couple reputable ebay "storefronts" too like Cameta Cameras, who will occasionally let one or two items slip in an auction with a low reserve vs. the buy-it-now prices, but even then they almost always tend to go at about B&H prices.

Edited by rtrski, 21 January 2009 - 07:00 AM.