chloe 0 Posted November 29, 2005 I recently went online and purchase a F80 Housing from B&H web page. It was printed on the web page that it was selling at $1100+. 2 weeks later, i did not recieve the housing and call B&H up with regards to the housing. They indicated the price was wrongly published and should be $1900+. They ask if i want a refund. I indicate that i want an immediate refund. 2 days later, BH wrote and informed me the housing has been shipped to me at no additional cost. I was so happy about it but was once again given false hopes. The housing has been recalled and being shipped back to US. Netherless, I called BH to check what is the issue. BH indicated that they made a mistake a 2nd time. Beside that, they cant refund me the money till the housing reaches them. I am still waiting for my refund and have to search the local stalls for the housing. The excitment of going on the trip and testing the new housing has now been ruin. I do not none of you have the same bad experience as I have. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JackConnick 76 Posted November 29, 2005 How is this B&H's fault? They first offered you a refund and then shipped it at an $800 savings. Yes, t here must of been a custom's issue, but why would they refund your money until they have it back in their hands? Why not ask them to reship it via fastest means? Jack Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
anthp 0 Posted November 29, 2005 Sounds like a negative experience, but I tend to agree with Jack - they have done everything they can to solve the issue for you. You could try contacting one of this site's sponsors on the right hand side of this page. They may be able to supply you with a housing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
imp 0 Posted November 29, 2005 Hmm sounds like a dumb mistake by the company.. sadly it suppose to be a huge and reputable company. For wasting somebody's time and joy of underwater photography session, it's priceless.. they should check on their customer service for screwing it up not once but twice and compensate this person for their time wasted on investing in them. I hope this person gets his/her housing at the first intended or published price. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maelstrom 0 Posted November 29, 2005 I have bought photo gear from them, but no underwater stuff. They have been first rate with me. Hal Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chloe 0 Posted November 29, 2005 Being a company with B&H reputation. They did not contact me with regards to the price issue. They did not contact me with regards to the shipping issue. They only spotted it after i have called them. In all, I wasted 3 weeks on them , trying to get a simple thing like a housing. The refund has finally came in but i lost out due to the exchage rates. The joy of the trip and the agonising customer experience with them. It just spoilt the whole experience. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pmooney 6 Posted November 29, 2005 Ahh - the pitfalls of mail order. It probably would have been a lot easier to sort out if you were dealing with your "LOCAL" underwater camera store. You can't beat the help that the LOCAL store you support can give in a time like this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
james 0 Posted November 29, 2005 Boy, ain't that the truth Peter. Nothing beats being able to go into a store, handle the different setups, and choose one. Unfortunately, unless you live in one of say 5 cities on the planet, you just don't get to do this. So the other option is mail order. I personally recommend mail order companies where the salespeople are very familiar with all the underwater photo gear they sell, so they can answer your quesitons, and anticipate some of the upcoming troubles you may have. Cheers James Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meister 1 Posted November 29, 2005 As an interesting sideline, how many of us wouldn't like to be sure the lens we purchase isn't a brand new one... http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp...essage=15994986 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frogfish 5 Posted November 29, 2005 pmooney wrote: It probably would have been a lot easier to sort out if you were dealing with your "LOCAL" underwater camera store. You can't beat the help that the LOCAL store you support can give in a time like this. Some of us don't have a local underwater camera store. How many are there, really, in the whole world? If anyone here would like to set one up anywhere here in Indonesia, I promise I'll be your customer! Sometimes there may be no choice but to order long distance from a mail-order dealer or the manufacturer, with all the risks and disadvantages that process can entail. Frogfish Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meister 1 Posted November 29, 2005 "Some of us don't have a local underwater camera store. How many are there, really, in the whole world?" I have a couple of them. Last time I checked they were ridiculously overpriced... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pmooney 6 Posted November 29, 2005 "Some of us don't have a local underwater camera store. How many are there, really, in the whole world?" I have a couple of them. Last time I checked they were ridiculously overpriced... "I should state clearly that I do have the luxury of a local specialist underwater camera store that that has price parity with the rest of the world - the only variation is shipping , duties and taxes." Point taken - perhaps I was a little insensitive - while not all of us have the convenience of a local underwatercamera store, we ALL do have the convenience of the online stores that these specialists have. I know of 5 specialists that advertise on ( read "support" ) this forum - I 'm sure that they would "thrilled" to spend their valuable time & expertise helping you get the right equipment. Local Agents / Specialist Stores + Local support = No problems Robert - I may just keep you to that !java script:emoticon('') Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yahsemtough 0 Posted November 29, 2005 All that said when the local camera store flat out tells you they cannot even purchase for the price that B&H is selling at it makes it very hard to purchase locally. I always support the local shop because service and support of the local economy is always a good thing to do. But when the price difference is so large they even suggest I would be crazy not to purchase from B&H. I have had great experiences from them. ALthough the used 20D I just got was shipped without the battery and strap. I call and it is being sent. Fair enough as people are human. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NWDiver 43 Posted November 29, 2005 All I can say is I have bought a fair amount of stuff from B&H, returned some, exchanged some, and never a problem. Just placed another order with them today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tomeyer 3 Posted November 29, 2005 A friend of mine has a Sea & Sea Nx-80 housing, solid black in pristine shape and a shutter activated focus light that he would like to sell. You can contact him at amarilloscuba@hotmail.com or 806-359-3483. I am sure he would give you a fair price on it. Tom [please keep this sort of thing where it belongs: in the classifieds section. -editor] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bmyates 5 Posted November 29, 2005 FWIW, I buy almost everything (photo related) from B&H. I've placed hundreds of orders with them, from little nickle & dime stuff to multi-thousand-dollar orders - probably 30 orders just so far this year - and have never had a single problem with any of my dealings with them. I support my local dive shop for much of my scuba gear because I like the local service, but when it comes to photo/video gear, there's nobody locally (that I know of) that offers enough value added to warrant the price difference. I've ordered lots of stuff from Stephen Frink's operation (Seacam distributor), and receive excellent e-mail service from his staff (specifically Liz) and am very satisfied, even though I've never met him or seen his store. These days, you don't NEED to deal with local folks -- you just need to find RELIABLE ones. In cases where I don't feel like I need personal advice (i.e., I know what I want to buy, and am just looking for a solid, reliable dealer with good prices) I use B&H. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bvanant 195 Posted December 2, 2005 Even in big cities (LA) there are no places that I know of to go and handle anything very exciting. I deal with several of the supporters of this forum (MCD, Backscatter, Reef etc) and have always had good experiences but then again my experiences with B&H have also been quite good. BVA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
pmooney 6 Posted December 2, 2005 In LA you can always got to see Alan at AB Sea Photo on Sepalveda Bvde ( it's just 5 minutes from the airport ). From memory he has a RED steel door out front. I have dealt with B & H myself and always found their ordering / delivery process to be very efficient. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Arnon_Ayal 1 Posted December 2, 2005 BH sucks <{POST_SNAPBACK}> A real useful criticism If you have some experience with them bad or good write share it with the rest, criticism like this is more close to slander then anything else. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bvanant 195 Posted December 3, 2005 I go to AB SEA all the time for books, he has the best collection of UW books around but as for housings, he mostly has the oceanhaus and Ikelite. Not like going to Backscatter where you can see a lot of different stuff. Although if you need a bulkhead for some custom housing only made in 1967, he probably has 6 of them. CHeers safe diving BVA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelpfish 15 Posted December 3, 2005 Alan Broder at ABC photo in Los Angeles is extremely knowledgeable on UW camera systems. Just don't let the condition of his store fool you. It is iusually pretty messy, but he has a lot of gizmos that fit nicely into your Visa or American Express. Also, if you get a chance (and if he still has it) go to his gallery next door. It is really nice...has blow ups from many professional photographers. Joe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kelpfish 15 Posted December 3, 2005 B&H sold me a defective Nikonos 15mm lens but the only way I could tell it was defective was to take it underwater. They wouldn't exchange it, were pretty rude and didn't seem to care. Good thing I had a USA warranty. Nikon was indded able to replicate the problem and they repaired my brand new lens. I have used them since and their service has been pretty good. Reliable delivery, etc. I believe that at some point they recognized that the typical New York owned mail order service levels was losing customers. I have dealt with some real loser mail order companies (Abe's for example), but B&H seems to have recognized that servicing the customer and satisfying them equals retention. I have seen a significant change in their service levels over the last 25 years, unlike some other mail order operations. Joe Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
