WARNING: fotoconnection.com

[suca]

What can we do to stop these criminals? I had the same experience with a d200 over the last 2 days. They made charges to my card I never agreed to!

[cblake]

Yes! It seems as if the "script" is well rehearsed, doesn't it? I contacted this company to potentially place an order for a camera. I was told that the battery that comes with the unit only lasts 20 minutes. I contested this because I had done my homework. The staff were rude and openly deceptive at every possible opportunity!

BEWARE: They send you e-mail notice of any order changes and conveniently leave off items that are supposed to be included for the claimed price. Then, if you call them on it, they say, "Oh, yea, I just sent you an e-mail with that added." My head was spinning after speaking to them for just a few minutes and looking at what they had done via the e-mail verification process! The more I asked questions, the more lies they told!

They also have the gall to tell you that "other companies" will send you imports and that is how they offer the prices that they do. Interesting, isn't it? THEY are the "other companies" doing this at the expense of the customer! Once they finish the scam, their "deals" are outrageous overcharges---no, fraud!

I think a starting place would be RipOffReport.com. The fellow who runs this site NEVER takes down the postings. The companies are free to do a rebuttal, but the information stays up there regardless. After that, I recommend starting an online petition at onlinepetition.com. It would be intersting to see how many people come forward. You should see how many disgruntled Toyota owners are speaking out about failing engines right now at very low mileage. Check out "Toyota Owners Unite for Resolution: Engine Oil Sludge." Another must use site is ConsumerAffairs.com. This site is really having an impact as stories are shared by deceived consumers. In the Toyota issue, for instance, each story sounds identical in regard to corporate response after product failure.

Some companies can and will do whatever they can to exploit the customer. The hope is that we, the overworked and frustrated consumers, will simply go quietly away. Government has far too few resources to monitor what consumers are going through. Don't you know that these same companies take full advantage of this!

Go forward with your consumer advocacy, but be ready for these deceptive companies to use any means they can to squelch your freedom of speech. This is usually done by "cyberstalkers" who personally attack the organizers until they give up because of the stress. Don't give up, though. Be persistent, consistent, and creative. The word can spread quickly if you proceed cautiously! After all, the TRUTH should be known, shouldn't it?

Fotoconnection is working very hard, it seems, to catch consumers who have not done their homework. How many of these folks have gone away quietly already? My guess is that the BBB complaints are just the tip of a huge iceberg.

Start thinking "out of the box" and take action online! You might think that it is just little companies...back door in the alley kind...that do this sort of thing. However, it is truly unbelievable what consumers are putting up with when dealing with very large corporations. The key is sharing consumer experiences until the company cannot ignore them!

Good luck!

[annavalenti]

It's been said before ... and I'm just reiterating the frustration.

In attempting to buy a camera my husband and I were also treated with hostility, deception and scare tactics. One place informed us that our camera would be on "backorder" indefinitely when we did not "upgrade".

No less than SIX stores did we contact by telephone and of those, FIVE were deceitful and aggressive.

I'd like to believe that there are still some honest retailers online out there ... but I'm doubtful now. I wonder if it's even worth looking for better deals online instead of paying the exhorbitant prices at brick-and-mortar stores down the street ...

[Great Lakes]

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FOTOCONNECTION.COM I was looking for a Sony DSC-T100. I had researched the camera but didn't research the seller. Now I would go to resellerratings.com before I ever make another online purchase. The camera also came with a free starter kit - camera case, cleaning system and mini-tripod. I ordered the camera online along with a Money-saving kit - tripod, camera case, screen protector, 1 gb of memory, and cleaning kit. I had a phone call message the next day along with eight e-mails to "call them". Didn't feel right - felt like I had been spammed. I call and talk to Victor. Victor tells me the battery works for only 15 to 20 minutes and that I needed another battery. I knew that the camera battery was long-life and that there was a charger with it. I told him to cancel my order (sounded like I wasn't getting the same camera I had seen online). Victor said if I didn't cancel he would throw in an extra battery and a quick charger for free. When the order arrived the invoice wasn't itemized - everything was listed as a "special package kit" for one price and the invoice said "Status: complete" There was no extra battery, quick charger, and I was missing three items from the MS kit - full-size tripod, cleaning kit, camera case. I got worried and checked merchant reviews, they were horrible. I called Victor and he tried to pass off the mini-tripod as my full-size tripod. Finally he agreed to send tripod and cleaning kit - the camera case has never arrived; and neither has the extra battery or quick charger. I did a chargeback with the cc for the moneysaving kit only. The money-saving kit was way over priced and items were substituted from what was advertised. I was especially disappointed in the card reader as I wanted a compact version for my laptop and the tripod is in no way a $178 regular retail version - more like $12 from Amazon. The CC company reversed charges for everything as there was no breakdown in prices. I have never done a chargeback. I will not call them anymore but have e-mailed them six times in regards to the order to either fotoconnection.com or eshopperpro4.com. My e-mails have either been ignored or I've been asked to call them. When they do respond it's through eshopperpro4.com which I have read is used by many of the Brooklyn based camera scam stores. If items are sent back you have to pay shipping and a 15% restocking fee and "special packages" can't be sent back. All my paperwork with the camera is in English so I don't think it's grey-market (another term I've learned since dealing fotoconnection). If you're interested in seeing how these Brooklyn-based camera stores are related go to this website: http://sheddingsomelight.com/index.html
My cc has since expired, but if it wouldn't have I would have canceled it since the reviews about fotoconnection (and the other twelve names it goes by) are so bad.

[amytay]

I just go off the phone with Sam and because I was given two different order numbers I asked him to confirm what I had ordered his reply was I do not have time for this. He is very rude. I then called back and asked to speak to a supervisor and Sam was it. I couldn't believe it. Whoever owns fotoconnection you are going to lose a great deal of business working with this EXTREMELY RUDE INDIVIDUAL. No customer care or satisfaction whatsoever.

AT

[Davidnclearlake]

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FOTOCONNECTION.COM

Anyone who orders from this place deserves what they get!
This place has had 100% NEGATIVE RATINGS and that has been said OVER and OVER again! These people are crooks! Scammers! Rip-off artists!
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FOTOCONNECTION.COM

Don't you people READ?

Either people reading all the bad stuff about fotoconnection don't comprehend what they read, chose to ignore it, or they are just fools and/or idiots!



Wake up people!
DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH FOTOCONNECTION.COM

ResellerRatings can't help you if you don't take to heart what is posted!

[Davidnclearlake]

Go for onecall.com or cameraworld.com

Both are very highly rated and NOT in NYC or anywhere near there!

Camera world is in Oregon and OneCall is at 229 N. Ella Rd Spokane, WA 99212

I've purchased many items from both including a 42" Sony Vega Plasma HDTV back in 2002 from OneCall and had absolutely NO problems at all! At that time the plasma retail price was $7500 (!!!!) and I got it from one call delivered to me in Houston for $5900! Strapped to a pallet and all was OK!

September 2006 I got a brand new factory sealed USA model D50 Kit with Lens 6.1 Megapixel Digital SLR w/all Nikon supplied accessories for $650 from OneCall. I'm sure their price has gone down now but then it was a good deal w/free shipping and no tax!

I've purchased lens kits, many accessories as well as Sony underwater housing for my Sony digital camera from CameraWorld. Great shipping, prices and friendly staff that does not pressure you to buy more things!

FULL USA warranty on everything they sell (both vendors) and ALL the factory supplied accessories come with what you buy!


Both OneCall and CameraWorld are straight shooters and will cut you a deal IF you do want to buy some accessories with your purchase.
Give OneCall or CameraWorld a call!

Their prices at first might seem a little high on some items but you can call and get a phone rep and normally they come down on the prices.



F**K NYC scammers! I would NEVER buy anything from a NJ or NYC seller period!

NYC/NJ dealers=bad news scammers!


****Both OneCall and Camera World are excellent vendors.****

I get tired of reading every day about NJ/NYC scammers trying to upsell, ripoff and jip people out of their money!
Unless I was going to buy a generic camcorder or camera battery on eBay from one of them that would be about it!

I've personally purchased many items from camera filters to plasma TV's from both OneCall and CameraWorld and have never had one problem with either of them.
You can call the BBB in both their locations and find out for sure for yourself if you like.

I am an eBay seller and I can't stand getting ripped off or lied to when trying to buy something.
This is why I recommend these two places overall tops on my list. Trust me, if Sony, Nikon, Cannon or whoever says it comes in the kit you'll get it with these guys. They won't take out the good stuff and put in cheap generic crap like unscrupulous NYC scammers do!

[vr4vsr1]

Apparently I didn't do any searches about this companies' disreputable business practices. My experience reads almost exactly like some of the other posts of experiences with this company. I called their phone number and asked about the camera I wanted. I specifically asked if the one listed at the price listed was a full Retail version. They said yes. I asked them if it was in stock and how quickly can I have it delivered. He said they had it in stock and that I could get one within a week. Then he tried to upsell me and didn't like the no, no, no that I kept telling him so he told me to order it from the website and hung-up. So I did. 30 mintues later, someone called me and tried to upsell me again. I told him that I spoke with someone earlier that told me to order it online and that I didn't need any other acessories. Then told me that this was an oem model and was not a full retail kit even though I told him that someone I talked to at their company told me it was not the oem version. Then he asked me if I wanted to speed up the delivery and buy next day delivery. They said it would take 14-21 days and I told him that I did not have the time to wait that long. He asked me if I wanted to cancel my order and I said yes cancel my order. The next day I recieve an email that my order has shipped. So I sent them an email using their web page, telling them to cancel the order the way I asked them to and they said that I had to pay a restocking fee. I replied again using their ticketing system at their website to let them know that they were dispicable and that I would pay no such fee. I also let them know that if indeed they did mail me a camera, (because they did charge my card) I would send it back to them. So thats where I am now. I have not received the camera, they have charged my card and I think I am getting an oem version (but I still don't know). I have put a sign on my front door for the UPS person that says we refuse any package from fotoconnection so that I don't have to pay return shipping cost. What a hassle this purchase has become. These people are openly dishonest and make no excuses for it. I will contact my credit card company and tell them to reverse the charges for the camera. BEWARE FOTOCONNECTION they are crooks! You could probably call them and ask them and they would own up to it!

[Davidnclearlake]

It is just a shame that there are so many crooks out there now days.
ALWAYS do EXTENSIVE online research before you order anything online or on the phone.
If you would have just read all the posts above on those crooks it would have saved you lots of pain and trouble!

READ...READ...READ....

I have two words for you. One Call and Camera World. Read all my posts about them.

Good luck and I hope you get your money back.

[Great Lakes]

The recent good reviews for Fotoconnection on this website have to be self-posted and their ratings are steadily climbing. Isn't there a way to check into those posts and remove them? I would hate for a consumer to come here and think that this is a reputable company and place an order.

If you search "Fotoconnection" under Store Ratings, you will see its other names. Please note the discrepancy between sixth month ratings and lifetime ratings. This company has not changed its business practices, it has only changed its marketing strategies of putting out good reviews about itself because the bad reviews have deterred customers. PLEASE RESELLERRATINGS.com check into how these ratings have climbed so quickly and remove any ratings that are from the company.