Abes of Maine ?

[MogulMan]

I have decided to buy the new Nikon d60 and the 55-200 VR or 55-300 VR lens. Most of the local and online stores are selling the camera (which comes with a 18-55 VR lens) for $749. Abes of Maine (abesofmaine.com) is selling this camera and lens for $689. I could actually add in a 55-300 VR lens for a total of $1155 where most other reputable places are selling this for $1300. That’s a savings of $145 with free shipping and no tax.

I tried talking to a few known good stores about matching or at least coming close to Abes' price, but none would do it.

Now I know the old saying here “If it is too good to be true, then it probably is” and I would expect that most reputable establishments would keep their prices competitive and not discount a new item. BUT, Abes of Maine seems to be regarded as a reputable store. Am I not seeing something here? Is Abes not one of the good stores?

Thanks in advance!

[JTL]

Are the items from Abe's "gray market"? Maybe a floor or demo unit? I would call Abe's and ask them specifically.

[bluewatercop]

Abe's of Maine should be a safe outfit - Almost any reputable website dealer, and Abe's is a good one, can substantially beat a retail store - Even a discount store like Best Buy.

[erichlund]

First, Abe's of Maine is a Brooklyn (NY, not Maine) shop with a seriously poor reputation. There are a few people that have done well with them, but you need to go in with your eyes stapled wide open.

Second, what the heck is a 55-300VR. There is a 70-300VR. But the only lens that begins at 55 with VR is the 55-200VR.

Third, you can go to Costco, right now, and get a D60 with 18-55VR AND 55-200VR for $999 (in Fullerton, CA). This deal may be regional.

The reason nobody will match Abe's price could be that they don't sell what you think. Sure, you get the camera. Oh, you wanted a battery with that??? And charger!??? Say, BTW, would you like to get the camera manual? Just checking...I don't know if Abe's is one of the stores that does this, but you do have to watch out for it. Another thing that happens is companies sell gray without telling you it's gray, so you are left holding the bag when you need maintenance. Another is that they sell you items not in stock, then wait to ship until they can get a bulk deal. There's a reason it 6-8 weeks for delivery. Or you get repackaged, returned goods. In a lot of places, most of these things are illegal. Still, buyer beware. Oh, and let's not forget upsells. Sure, they advertise a great price on a sold out item (it was a valid price on the one they had in stock), then when you call they say, sorry, out of stock, but we have...this is point when you get the vaseline...

[MogulMan]

...what the heck is a 55-300VR. There is a 70-300VR. But the only lens that begins at 55 with VR is the 55-200VR.
This was a mis-type on my part, I meant 70-300VR.

Third, you can go to Costco, right now, and get a D60 with 18-55VR AND 55-200VR for $999 (in Fullerton, CA). This deal may be regional. This is the going rate for most stores, even the online ones. B&H actually has it for $950 and I know they are very reputable.

[jondo]

I bought Panasonic camcorder from Abe's approximately 2 years ago. I had no problems with the order, although they were pretty aggressively pushing rather expensive accessories (batteries, media, chargers, ...)

[speaklightly]

Erick-

They are no longer in Brooklyn. They have moved to Edison, NJ and they have made a serious attempt to up grade their image and their customer service. They now have a return policy and a set of much reduced shipping charges. In short they have re-invented themselves to a limited or certain degree. They are not perfect at all, by no means, but they are a good deal better than they used to be.

I ordered a Pansonic TZ-5 last week and had no problems at al with the transactionl. They even offered next day air at $21.50 which is a huge change.

So you might want to reframe your opinion of Abe's of Maine who are now in Edison, NJ, not Maine. I am a happy camper with them.

Sarah Joyce

[Dan_Br]

Can you tell me the condition of the packaging for your camera?
I also just received a TZ5 yesterday from Abe's and I believe I got a used camera. The battery was fully charged and the box was not sealed in any way.
I will be contacting them for an RMA Monday and will never purchase from them again

[erichlund]

Erick-

They are no longer in Brooklyn. They have moved to Edison, NJ and they have made a serious attempt to up grade their image and their customer service. They now have a return policy and a set of much reduced shipping charges. In short they have re-invented themselves to a limited or certain degree. They are not perfect at all, by no means, but they are a good deal better than they used to be.

I ordered a Pansonic TZ-5 last week and had no problems at al with the transactionl. They even offered next day air at $21.50 which is a huge change.

So you might want to reframe your opinion of Abe's of Maine who are now in Edison, NJ, not Maine. I am a happy camper with them.

Sarah Joyce

Well, that's good to hear. Of course, being on the left coast, I've never dealt with them directly, but over the years, you hear so many horror stories. They were the poster child for bait and switch. Good to hear that they have changed their ways, and I'll keep it in mind.

Eric

[erichlund]

Can you tell me the condition of the packaging for your camera?
I also just received a TZ5 yesterday from Abe's and I believe I got a used camera. The battery was fully charged and the box was not sealed in any way.
I will be contacting them for an RMA Monday and will never purchase from them again

That doesn't necessarily mean anything. Many cameras come in unsealed boxes. Lithium batteries are not like the older NiCad and NiMH batteries. They are probably still holding their charge from the factory, and may do so for as long as 5 years.

[speaklightly]

Dan Br-

Erich raises a very good point. My TZ-5 arrrived from Abe's exactly the way my Canon SD-870IS arrived: unsealed. Both camera's proprietary batteries had a charge on them. The TZ-5 had a full charge so it could be immediately inserted into the new camera. The SD-870's battery had about 1/2 a charge. Both cameras were inserted in a foam plastic, but unsealed sleeve in the box.

Things are now very different. Both e-retailers that I mentioned have given me good service, new camera, and no problems at all. Digital Cameras are packaged differently today than they were even just two years ago.

I honestly do not believe you received a "used" camera, based on what you have reported.

Sarah Joyce

http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk17/adair868/A-5PanasonicTZ-50419-8SD-700.jpg

[mugsisme]

I ordered a Canon G9 for my step father, and I got my Nikon 70-300 vr lens from them. I found them incredibly easy to work with. First of all, I did call them when I placed my order. I asked if they were going to try and sell me stuff I don't need. they said no, and then at the end of the order, they asked if I wanted a filter. I kept saying I had one. About 20 minutes I called them back to add the Canon to the order. They pulled the order up, as they were already getting ready to ship it! Well, they added the camera at no extra shipping charge, and package arrived very quickly. Both pieces were brand new. I would 100% order from them again.

Oh yeah, when I placed my order, I did double check that it was a new lens, not gray market, etc.