Things to consider when buying online

[wonton]

Just wanted to pass some information along for those thinking about buying a camera online.

When buying online, you should ask the seller a lot of questions. They can easily mislead you. For example, when you do a search on any camera, the price may vary a lot. If the deal is too good to be true, it probably is. I can see saving about 10% buying online, and possibly not having to pay taxes.

Some things to look out for:

1. Ask the seller what you are getting. I have noticed that some websites advertise a camera and when you call them, they will tell you it is an international model and you will have to pay extra to make it a US model.

2. Also, some of the cameras do not include the cables, batteries, etc. Keep these things in mind. Once you purchase those things, the price can be more than other websites.

3. Also, if they do not have flexible payment options, that is not a good sign either. They should take Visa or Mastercard. If they say they only do Paypal, check with Paypal. Many times they will not guarantee your purchase if the seller closes their account with PayPal or does not have money in their account.

I have done a lot of internet purchases on all prices, from $10 to $10,000.00

I love buying off the internet, but be careful. Just a word of advise.

[gary_hendricks]

1. Ask the seller what you are getting. I have noticed that some websites advertise a camera and when you call them, they will tell you it is an international model and you will have to pay extra to make it a US model.


Absolutely agree with this one. I had a bad experience with one of the major retailers when I didn't clarify.

[ktixx]

I can see saving about 10% buying online, and possibly not having to pay taxes.

I definitely agree with your overall statment. But just one minor clarification, sometimes it is possible to save more than 10% and it not be a scam. I agree that with most camera purchases you will probably only see about a 10-15% decrease in price, but if you are going to purchase accessories for the camera, sometimes you will see a HUGE discount. I know that retailers, the "big buy" places, markup their cables, bags and other random accessories as much as 60%. Actual products are just a draw to get you in.
Ken

[LarryH]

Good advice, wonton.

I'm somewhat of an internet buying junkie myself. I can't understand why people will buy sight unseen and not research everything. Ask questions. If on eBay, look at all the feedback and when possible the feedback for like items. Go to resellerratings.com and other rating websites. Also, check the various discussion boards for ANY contemplated purchase, not just cameras.

Know and understand your credit card company's chargeback policy BEFORE buying. A chargeback isn't a given, generally a chargeback has to fit a narrowly defined set of criteria to be enforced and most companies aren't real generous with them when they will probably have to eat the loss themselves.

Finally, Paypal, fund your purchase with a credit card through Paypal. But understand that generally Discovercard and American Express let Paypal mediate disputes and my understanding is that the results are final. With Visa and Mastercard you can try a credit card chargeback if not satisfied with Paypal's reaction to a complaint. Be aware that, again, it's not a given, plus supposedly Paypal gets a little testy about that and if you're verified don't forget Paypal has your bank account info. So now, you're going to jeopardize your Paypal account, which would really cut into eBay buying.

Moral of this story: Research ahead of time so you're satisfied with your seller and your purchase.

[Rhys]

The strength of e-shops are that they have allowed people to go into business who couldn't have before. The weakness is that they have allowed people to go into business who shouldn't have.

[Geoff Chandler]

I'd rather not buy a camera online if I can possibly help it.

Geoff

[Rex914]

One huge drawback is when you have to return a product for whatever reason. For a normal store, you can easily drive back and bicker with them. Online, you have to get your return approved, repackage it up and send it back, usually at your expense unless it's a major retailer. It's definitely not worth the 10% discount to have to go through the return process unless you are in no rush to use the camera. This especially holds true for cheaper items. Saving $20 on a $200 is not worth the trouble unless you are completely cash strapped.

[wonton]

I agree that with most camera purchases you will probably only see about a 10-15% decrease in price, but if you are going to purchase accessories for the camera, sometimes you will see a HUGE discount. I know that retailers, the "big buy" places, markup their cables, bags and other random accessories as much as 60%. Actual products are just a draw to get you in.
Ken

Very true. I got the LEXAR PRofessional Compact Flash Cards at about 60% discount.

[ReF]

One huge drawback is when you have to return a product for whatever reason. For a normal store, you can easily drive back and bicker with them. Online, you have to get your return approved, repackage it up and send it back, usually at your expense unless it's a major retailer. It's definitely not worth the 10% discount to have to go through the return process unless you are in no rush to use the camera. This especially holds true for cheaper items. Saving $20 on a $200 is not worth the trouble unless you are completely cash strapped.

hmmm, i personally am strapped for cash but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying life! i get stuff cheap online, usually get free or cheap shipping (which is usually surprisingly fast) and don't have to pay California state taxes (in the 8% range!) so with the money i save, i can buy as many things online as a richer person(with a bigger budget) shopping at retail stores! i personally see no reason to spend $900 on a camera in a retail store when i can get it online for $750 and avoid $72 of tax. i don't know about others but $222 is pretty significant to me. even on a cheaper $300 item i saved about $95 vs. perchasing in a retail store. as you can see, i'm all for purchasing online. i do a lot of research on the product, and the reseller before i purchase, so it works out quite well for me. if you usually change your mind then it probably isn't worth saving a few bucks if the need to return/exchange arises. i should also mention that you should check the RESTOCKING FEE/return policy before buying online. i purchased a lens from one of my favorite sites that only cost $6 to ship back for a return, and with a generous 30 day period and no restocking fee. on the otherhand, i spent $1100 on buydig.com(good site for the most part) and it would have cost 10% for restocking fees whether opened or not, plus i pay for shipping, plus i only have 10 days to do it!

[ktixx]

hmmm, i personally am strapped for cash but that doesn't prevent me from enjoying life! i get stuff cheap online, usually get free or cheap shipping (which is usually surprisingly fast) and don't have to pay California state taxes (in the 8% range!) so with the money i save, i can buy as many things online as a richer person(with a bigger budget) shopping at retail stores! i personally see no reason to spend $900 on a camera in a retail store when i can get it online for $750 and avoid $72 of tax. i don't know about others but $222 is pretty significant to me. even on a cheaper $300 item i saved about $95 vs. perchasing in a retail store. as you can see, i'm all for purchasing online. i do a lot of research on the product, and the reseller before i purchase, so it works out quite well for me. if you usually change your mind then it probably isn't worth saving a few bucks if the need to return/exchange arises. i should also mention that you should check the RESTOCKING FEE/return policy before buying online. i purchased a lens from one of my favorite sites that only cost $6 to ship back for a return, and with a generous 30 day period and no restocking fee. on the otherhand, i spent $1100 on buydig.com(good site for the most part) and it would have cost 10% for restocking fees whether opened or not, plus i pay for shipping, plus i only have 10 days to do it!

I definitely agree with you here. I work for a well known nationwide retailer, you should see the look on some peoples face when they try and return cameras after they have "rented" them (I call it renting when someone buys a camera for their vacation, only to return it a week later). Those people are hit with a 15% restocking fee, and most of the time they purchase the most expensive camera because they know they aren't going to keep it. So you definitely have to read the fine print, whether you purchase online, or from a retail store. I do most of my major purchases online, as long as you are careful, there is no reason not to. Even saving a couple of hundred dollars is well worth it to me.

One question I have for you Ref, what is the site that you purchase your lenses from?

Ken

[ReF]

I definitely agree with you here. I work for a well known nationwide retailer, you should see the look on some peoples face when they try and return cameras after they have "rented" them (I call it renting when someone buys a camera for their vacation, only to return it a week later). Those people are hit with a 15% restocking fee, and most of the time they purchase the most expensive camera because they know they aren't going to keep it. So you definitely have to read the fine print, whether you purchase online, or from a retail store. I do most of my major purchases online, as long as you are careful, there is no reason not to. Even saving a couple of hundred dollars is well worth it to me.

One question I have for you Ref, what is the site that you purchase your lenses from?

Ken

i bought my lenses on buydig.com
they were:

17-40L for $409
28-135 IS for $669
shipping was $4.95 i think in another thread i said the shipping was free, but that was a mistake. shipping was still darn cheap though :) they arrived on the 3rd business day from the time i purchased.

the lens that i returned was the 17-85 IS and that was from amazon.com they don't always have the best camera and lens prices up front, but if you get them during certain promotions, stuff comes out cheaper than any of the major/reliable online stores. for example the 17-85 IS was $599, but with a promo of $80 in credit for a future purchase. i didn't find any other site out there that sold that lens for $519. i know not everyone would be thrilled about store credit, but i buy a lot of other things there (including accessories) so i don't have a problem with it. shipping is also free with almost everything on purchases over $25, which is a lot better than some sites that sell low but charge you $30 to ship via UPS ground when it normally only cost $7-$8.

[gary_hendricks]

I'd rather not buy a camera online if I can possibly help it.

Geoff

Correct. Sometimes, you just need to touch and feel the camera first. I mean, check for scratches, dust and what not.