I have been wanting a new camera for awhile now. Nothing was wrong with my Canon Rebel, it served me well, but I was ready to upgrade and had my lustful eye on a Nikon D7000. So when the stars aligned and I sold my Canon, had money saved up, it was my birthday, and Labor Day sales were hopping….all in the same weekend…..,I went for it!
All of the sale prices on the camera were similar, but one in particular stood out. It was $200 less than the others! I searched for reviews on the wholesale company Deal for Digital and found some which were mixed, but my greed to save won out and I went for it. Now you should know something about me. I don’t usually “go for it” when it comes to spending money. I’m cautious, careful, hyper-vigilant, cheap, a researcher, and I agonize for-evah over big ticket items. Did I mention that I’m cheap? Well, I knew I was being a bit reckless on this one, but I wanted the deal!
A to Z TV
After placing my order, I received an email asking me to call customer service which I promptly did. A fantastic salesman named Alex asked me to confirm my 3 digit number on the back of my card and then chatted me up. He was smooth. I’m not easily charmed, but he was charming. He was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, friendly, and relatable. He asked me about my blog and offered his photography consults free of charge in the future should I need them. Then Alex reviewed all of the specials they were having for Labor Day and asked if I wanted to upgrade my camera lens from the kit lens to a 18-200mm lens for just a bit more. The upgrade wouldn’t be more than what the other stores were selling the camera & kit lens for, so I (uncharacteristically) agreed. And unbeknownst to me, I apparently agreed to downgrade my camera body in the process!
When my camera arrived, I panicked. This was NOT the camera I thought I was getting. I received the Nikon D5100 body instead of the Nikon D7000 and I received the Sigma 18-200mm lens instead of the Nikon brand lens! Ack! Now the D5100 is a great camera but it is MUCH lower in price than the D7000. I felt sick. I felt the blood drain from my face. I wanted to cry. I immediately called customer service, but it was after hours. I then sent a threatening email and received an immediate reply telling me to call during hours. I barely slept all night feeling like I. had. been. taken.
The next morning with adrenaline rushing, I called and asked to speak to Alex. He was calm. He was charming. He explained to me that as a wholesale company they sell “gray market” cameras and the D7000 I was originally trying to purchase was a gray market camera. He “upgraded” my camera body to the US Nikon D5100. Sigh. I never asked about the brand of my upgraded lens and just assumed it was also Nikon like my original purchase. Was I deceived? Absolutely. Was this a bait and switch? I believe so. Was I responsible for my own stupidity? Absolutely. I know better. I really do. If a deal is too good to be true on electronics, then obviously it is. This is 100% my own fault. Could I have returned my camera? Yes, but the restocking fee, insurance, and shipping were a bigger loss than I wanted to take.
So where’s the silver lining here? Well, I didn’t overpay for the camera and lens that I purchased. I paid a fair price for the package, and I absolutely LOVE my new toys! I’m not sure how much more I would have loved the D7000, but I have had so much fun playing with my new camera this week. My lenses are fantastic, so I can’t complain too much.
Yes, lesson learned.
**Note: I tell you this story to warn anyone who might be thinking of purchasing electronics from a wholesaler…or you know, the back of a van. LOL! I know so many of you are smart buyers. You don’t need this advice at all. You would never buy from anyone other than a distributor or a reputable, well known, well-researched company. Neither would I…on most days. So please save the “I never would….”, “I always…”, “You should have known better…,” comments on this one. Believe me, I beat myself up enough all week for the both of us! *wink* **
So now that I have a new camera, I’m anxious to get a bit more serious about my photography! If you have great how-to photog sites to share, please do so!
Great post, and obviously you are not alone. I had the same thing happen to me years ago, like you it all turned out okay. Just a lesson learned.
It’s not all bad I love my Sigma lens and now that I also have a Canon lens I realize for me there isn’t any difference. Maybe a professional would be able to tell but to me it’s a great lens.
Enjoy your new equipment and thanks for the reminder that we never stop learning. 🙂
I looked at that company as well their deals were tempting. So glad I went with Best Buy. I bought the D5100 on purpose though. It has the exact same senser as the D7000 and can produce equal quality photos with a good photographer behind the lens. Don’t get me wrong there are a lot of things that make the D7000 “better”, they just weren’t things I personally deemed worth the $700 more. Anyway good luck getting to know your new camera. I have a photo degree but got it before the DSLR revolution and feel very lost. I do wish the D5100 was set up more like a regular old school camera (the D7000 is and that is the one thing that would make it worth the extra, but I’m cheap so I’ll learn 🙂 ) Anyway have fun. 🙂
Ughhhh! That’s no fun at all!
So, this morning I was linking to a link to a link – you get the idea… and saw the photo of your family at the Star Barn. So I clicked over to find your blog because I’ve seen that barn from the highway so many times and thought, “I wonder if I could take pictures there….” 😉 Nice to know there’s other bloggers in the area!
Looking forward to reading more! Love your design ideas!
bouncingblossom.blogspot.com (My sewing blog)
mnssams.blogspot.com (My personal blog — which needs some serious love since I’ve been neglecting it….)
Yay! New camera’s are so much fun! 😀
I’ll let you know if Kev ever gets his interior photography/photoshop site up and running. It’s so cute- I really hope he can find the time to finish it!
OH MY GOSH, Beth!!!! I fell prey to the very same bait and switch scheme with a company out of Brooklyn. Same thing…placed order, e-mail, I called, the guy named ALEX, spoke calmly (although very quickly) and started rattling off all of these great deals, sounded incredibly knowledgeable, and “upgraded” my order. I would bet money it’s the same company (although a different name, but after my ordeal, I did research and found that they switch the name quite often), and the very same Alex.
It’s unbelievable that they can keep getting away with this.
I wonder which company you used. I recently had this situation with an online video and camera store, in New Jersey (initials R C). They cyber stalk my posts to see if I mention them, so I don’t use their name. It’s very creepy, actually. It was a very bad experience. It’s interesting how I am reading more and more about these lower priced, bait and switch online companies. It always seems to start with the phone call after the online order where they try to get you to buy more or upgrade before they process your order. I also got the D7000 very recently and I am very excited to use it!
SO sorry about that, Beth!!! That totally stinks. But…sounds like you have the right attitude and I’m sure you’ll love your new camera!
xoxo
shaunna
I had a similar experience with topsphotovideo.com. None of the information on their site showed that the cameras came with cords that don’t work in the US. Fortunately, the camera was out of stock for over a month and, after calling the 4th time to track my order, I found this out before it was shipped so I was able to change it to the US model (at a higher price but still not as high as other sites). Super shady! Not sure how to tell the difference though…
Wow Beth that’s a huge bummer, but I hope it works out for you! Have fun playing with your new toy, I hope to see lots of posts telling us what fun you’re having and all the tips and tricks you’ve learned!
xoxo
Kristina
Uggghhhh. Sorry about your “lesson learned.” I have been taken in by smooth talking too. It is the worst feeling! When I bought my laptop back in june, the sales guy had me absolutely sure that the minute I walked out the door, my computer would get a virus, then I’d spill something on it, then drop it. I paid almost $300 extra (on a $400 computer!) for the store’s deluxe service plan & insurance. I got home and my husband was like, “you paid HOW MUCH for WHAT???” I felt SO STUPID. I could not sleep that night!!! Luckily, the plan was “returnable” and I returned it the very next day & got my money back. I don’t think hubby will let me shop for electronics by myself again though!!!
I have a Nikon, if fact the one I have always had Nikon’s. Love mine. As far as sites go try: Nikonites , it’s a nikon photography forum, they also have a website for Nikon 5100 for dummies. Enjoy your camera!!!
Sorry man. On a side note, my fave lens is I believe, that same sigma. It’s pretty awesome. 😉
I’m so sorry to hear what happened! I would never say I told you so, or you should have known better. I think we’ve all gone against our better judgment at one time or another. I’ve felt that disappointment before (not the same situation, but similar) and I’m sure you did beat yourself up over it. I’ve been there, done that too, and have made myself feel horrible. However, I am so glad that you are ok with your new camera and lens, and that you didn’t end up paying more than they were worth. I hope you enjoy taking pictures with it and learning more about it. I received a Canon Rebel as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago and signed up for a newsletter from this website http://www.digital-photography-school.com/. The website has photography tips and tutorials. Have fun with your new camera!
Oh, I’m so sorry, Beth! I definitely would’ve warned you about that. There are a lot of sketchy camera companies out there. Always, always buy from B&H Photography. They are the real deal and it’s worth the extra money. Well, like you said, lesson learned.
In my opinion they are just as much as fault as you…they didn’t do their part as a company to you as a consumer by telling you what would happen. Well..good thing you told us because you can bet none of us will buy from them.
Congrats on the upgrade. I can remember when you got your Rebel via Twitter. Looking forward to seeing all the beautiful pics you are going to shoot. And thanks for the heads-up about charming sales reps that make you do things, you don’t really want to do.
Bummer you didn’t end up with what you were expecting, I hate it when that happens! I have a Canon Rebel (the european version, 500N, and dont’ get me started on that ebay story) SLR with a Sigma Lens and loved them both, however no digital features, so it is pretty much a dinosaur now. Film? Who uses film?I’m sure you will be pleased with the Sigma lens anyway, once the bitterness from the bad sale leaves your mouth. According to Alaina up there ^ , sounds like you ended up with the better deal! Let’s hope so! And someone please tell me how to take great pictures with my fujifilm finepix, I miss good photos from my film camera!
Aack, Beth! I’m SO sorry about that experience! It really is an awful feeling knowing that you’ve been swindled, and especially when you feel like you should have known better! I’m glad it ultimately worked out but still, I HATE that feeling!
ack. That sucks. I think you described the internal tug-o-war that I go through when getting ready to purchase a big ticket item too. I’m sorry you lost any sleep over it, but I am glad that you’re happy in the end.
As it happens, I AM in the market for a new camera and I WILL be sure to avoid this scenario. Thanks!
thank you thank you for this lesson. I’m sorry it had to be at your expense. I’m sure you just saved countless others. It’s hard to come out and admit something like this and you did. bravo to you. I always think something like this happens to sharpen our awareness and we don’t get “taken” in an even bigger way.
Wow, sorry that happened to you. My absolute favorite site for learning photography is http://ilovephotography.com/forums/. There are some amazingly generous pros on there who take the time to post very helpful tips and critique your work. I also love clickinmoms.com too but you have to pay to get access.
On a positive note…the Nikon 5100 is an amazing camera. Before I purchase ANY photography equipment I usually consult this website here http://www.kenrockwell.com
He reviews EVERYTHING Nikon and simply explains the best deals when it comes to lenses and cameras. A lot of the newest cameras come with bells and whistles we’ll never use. So check out what he has to say on what you WOULD have purchased versus what you ended up with and you might start feeling even better . )
Hey, sorry you had so much trouble with your purchase, but glad you like your new camera. I wrote a post with several resources at the end for a guest post on Kristi’s blog. The tips may or may not be anything new for you. And same with the resources, but anyway:
http://www.creativekristi.com/spread-bloggy-love-day3.html
Brittany
One more thing….I’m actually kind of shocked that they switched out your camera like that without telling you. It seems that would be enough for some recourse. It simply was NOT the camera body you had an agreement for. Although admittedly I don’t know how you’d go about getting your money back from these people.
Did you pay with Paypal? One other thing I always look for is the option to pay with Paypal because even if the company tries to swindle you Paypal will always come through with a refund if you have a legitimate issue. Some of the mixed reviews online stores I purchased from with low prices offer Paypal options.
Phew… I just got my D5100 in the mail yesterday. I thought maybe you were going to have a negative review about the camera itself. Yah for us! 🙂 Sorry for your bad customer service experience though! Boo.
thanks for the heads up. dont feel bad they would have gotten me to and im a guy, but i probably wouldnt have upgraded, so i would have been stock with the “gray market” d7000.
but here is a great site http://froknowsphoto.com/ he is very good i have learned a lot from this guy,
and also try http://www.photomagicsocal.com/ here is the first video you should watch http://www.youtube.com/user/FontanaKnowledge#p/a/81112CA092D722FF/0/Dt6AvJ7WZSI this is what help me understand my camera
http://photoextremist.com/ has great tutorials as well
these 3 guys have made me a very good photographer with command and control of my camera
Beth,
I used to sell stuff on ebay. What I’d do is purchase it from a cheap online retailer then drop ship it to the ebay purchaser’s address and make a small profit of $10 or so. I had heard of these types of photography store tricks before. Pretty much exactly what you’re describing to me.
Once I purchased a camera off one of these sites for my ebay store and never had a single problem. Then another time I purchased a lens for myself off one of these types of stores and ran into the same issue. Someone calling me asking if I wanted to upgrade. When I said no, they told me that my camera was no longer in stock. I didn’t get charged for anything since I declined their offer but now that you tell me your story I’m glad I didn’t.
I guess it’s hit or miss. When I purchased cameras for my ebay store I never went with a company that had less than three stars in a google shopping search. And when I read reviews on these three star stores they were mixed. Some people had no problem, some had ones like you described. From my experience it was 50/50. But then again, I didn’t end up purchasing anything the second time so my feelings would be different if I had.
Long story long, I’m really sorry you had that happened to you. I know it’s not the one you were expecting and that sucks, but if it makes you feel a little better it’s still WAY cooler than mine;) And I love the bokeh in your first and second pics!
I have a professional photographer blogger friend (Nicole, from A Little Sussy) who once told a class I was attending that the body isn’t as important as the lenses. Don’t get me wrong I’d love to have a new Canon Mark III but I think you can still get amazing pics with your camera. I’m excited to see what you shoot with it.
I will admit when it comes to electronics I will be the first lady in line to pay full price.I’m always just so scared to pay less thinking it’s refurbished or maybe has a problem.What’s most important is that the end result left you happy and satisfied with your purchase.
I’m sure it will bring you much happiness until you are ready to upgrade again.I personally have been going back and forth on a canon or nikon but in the end will most likely go for the nikon.Also a photography friend once said to me “there are no bad cameras just bad photographers” in other words learn to use your camera girl.So that has stayed with me a long time.
I think we’ve all been in a similar situation, sometimes we just love the sound of a good bargain, and if the chap on the phone is a smooth talker, well we have no hope!
At least you’ve made peace with the situation and are now enjoying your new toys!
Thanks for posting this, with Christmas not too far away, we’re probably all on the look out for some bargains, a timely reminder to check the deals before we hand over our cash!
PS–I just saw that you’re looking about serious photography. I’m glad you went Nikon. The stores I mentioned working with say they see at least 5 Canon repairs to every 1 Nikon. Also, any book by Bryan Peterson is gold. Look him up on Amazon :o)
oh no! Gray market! I’m so sorry!
The good news is, after saving up forever for a new Nikon and talking to my (reputable) photography shop, I was told that the D5100 CONTINUES to out-perform the D7000 in almost every feature. It is a fantastic camera. I have talked to many store owners and professionals who have tested both (oh, what fun to be a camera tester!) and they all agreed. So, you paid less for a much better camera in the end! I wouldn’t trade my D5100 for a 7000…ever! Well, maybe I would for a D3…one day when I’m awesome at this.
Wow! That sounds so frustrating! I’m glad it has a silver lining! I can wait to see all ur new pics with ur new camera! OH yea…..I came by to tell u I LOVED ur advice on Tip Junkie!! 🙂
So sorry Beth! I feel for you, it could have happened to anyone (and I’m sure you’re not alone). I love this tutorial that I stumbled upon in pinterest-
http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/tutorials/photography-tutorial-a-quick-guide-to-understanding-your-digital-slr-camera.html
Here’s to better photos!
That is awful, Beth! I don’t see how it’s your fault though. They never told you that they were downgrading the camera. Big bummer!
However, I’m glad you are happy!
Wowza, that’s a huge lens!! Honestly, I would have done what you did. I stress and research and stress and research before I buy, too, but that guy was totally smooth. I’m glad that you’re at peace with it, but I do hope that the BBB checks them out, and that they get some naughty “anonymous” reviews online. I would definitely send his supervisor this blog post!
What an ordeal! I would have been so upset too. Actually, though, I have been told by a few photographers that the lens on the camera is more important than the camera body and if I have money to spend, I should always use it towards upgrading my lens rather than purchasing a new body. I love Clickin Moms for great photography tips and there are sooooo many helpful videos on youtube. have fun with your new Nikon 🙂
Oh no, sickening! I just purchased a Rebel and I am trying to learn how to use it so if you have any suggestions or how to sights I would appreciate the help!
When you talked about that pit of the stomach I have been taken feeling.. I so knew what you meant and am so glad in the end it ws a happy story but dang girl… you should writer thrillers.. I was right there on the edge of my chair.. feeling it all with you!
Maddie still waiting to upgrade my Cannon Rebel
Thanks for the advice, I would love to have a new camera! I have a Canon now and have been thinking about the Nikon. I hope you will post more about the Nikon! Thanks, Debbie
Oh my gosh! I’m so glad you shared this. My cheapo camera has finally died and I’ve been looking at all sorts of deals…some from wholesalers. I’m NOT a risk-taker either and this just confirms my fears. I will stay away, save my pennies, and go purchase from a general retailer. Thank you, thank you.
Hi Beth-
Sorry to hear about your would be camera, but I am happy to hear that you love your new Nikon even if it is not the one you thought you were getting. Marian MMS wrote about gray market cameras in one of her posts, so I have always kept that in the back of my mind for when I can afford to get a DSLR myself. I go to the camera store near me and play with the camera I want. By the time I actually get it I may know all of its functions 🙂 I am looking forward to seeing your photos and hearing more about how you like using it.
My best- Diane
Oh man… I am sorry that you had such an ordeal getting your camera! I have had one of those sleepless nights after making a big purchase that didn’t turn out exactly how I had hoped so I totally feel your pain! I am so glad that you are liking what you got though. That makes things a lot better! I really want to upgrade my kit lens to the 18-200mm but I have worried about getting the “off” brand, so it is good to hear that you like your Sigma. I will have to keep that in mind! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I love your blog! Love your style!!! xoxo, Ashley
I’m so jealous…I need a new camera! Bummer about your story 🙂 but sometimes it takes those things to happen to remind us of “why we are who we are” 🙂 It happens to all of us :)Enjoy!
Wow Beth! This is quite a story, and lesson for us all. Thanks for sharing this, and I am so glad that you liked what you received in the end. Have fun with your new toy!
As a customer svc rep, please note that they can wave all the fees & issue a call tag, at their expense to bring the camera back. Tell them that it was a bait & switch, there is no “gray” area in the wholesale industry & if Alex doesn’t help out go to his spvsr. Please, please don’t let this company get away with it. I will call on your behalf & by the time I’m done they will not only waive everything, issue a call tag but will send you & your hubs to dinner & buy your flowers. Trust me…Im. That. Good!
Woohoo Meghan! I will definitely be calling on you in the future then girl. I’ve made my peace w/ this purchase but hope that this post will save others from making the same mistake I made.
Oh my – this made me laugh out loud! Meghan – I totally need you on my side as well. :)You are a good friend to have.
Don’t stress it… totally happens to the best of us and for what it’s worth I have a Sigma lens I positively love. I think it’s as good as the Nikon would be! So, have fun and don’t worry!! 🙂
Ugh…sorry Beth. 🙁
On another note – I have the same camera – LOVE IT!!! And I have the same lense. I have discovered after years of cameras and lenses – and after the advice of a pro that my family has known since before I was born – it’s not the lense – it’s the photographer. So – take your new toys and go play!!! I have had cheap cameras that I took awesome pics with – and I have had expensive cameras that just didn’t impress me. It just takes time to learn a new toy. Oh – BTW…did you know you can RENT lenses to try out before you make the leap to buy one? 😀
Great tip Tiffany! And yes, I completely agree with you. A good camera a good photographer does not make! Which is why I need to learn how to use this thing now :).