I ordered the Nikon D 5000 with the 2 lenses for under $1000, plus free shipping. I was given a tracking number right away and received the new camera on the 8th of Aug. I was rather surprised that it came in on a Saturday.. When I opened the box I wanted to make sure all the items came in the box that were stated online, the only thing missing were the 2 DVD's for the Nikon, I called Beach Camera on the 9th and by Saturday the 15th I had them in my hands.. This is the second time I use Beach Camera and I will continue to use them, They are honest and don't mess around, no up sales, whatever you order is what you get..  
This is one of the very few online sale sites I use, and thanks to THIS site I ALWAYS check here before I purchase anything from anyone other than Beach Camera and B&H, both these companies are honest and I don't have to worry about being scammed or lied too  

Excellent experience. Item as described and quick processing and shipping

Paid for my R1C1 on Aug. 4th, received about 5 emails with shipping / order confirmations over the next 3 days. I had my fingers crossed - Beach has mixed reviews, mostly about post sales service, and a lot of happy customers too. Amazing, I was in shock! My package came in Aug. 7! Brand new, complete, all parts working, USA Nikon warranties. Shipping was cheap (we upgraded 1 level, the original deal was for free shipping.)  
 
This was a great experience: the price was great, and shipping and product without a hitch. I can't complain at all.

I ordered a Canon 24-105 lens from Beach Camera just at about 1 am on a Thursday and paid for next day shipping as I was planning on going on a vacation the next week and wanted the weekend to become acquainted with the lens. Their website showed that lens was in stock. I received a phone call confirming my order. Thursday afternoon I checked the order status to see if a tracking number had been issued. The order showed back order. I was upset because the lens was clearly in stock when I placed my order. I immediately called. I was told that they did somehow "sell out" and that he checked with the buyer who assured them that they would have the lens the next day and that I would have it on Monday. I checked online on Friday; still back-ordered and I couldn't call because it was after 3. I called on Sunday and spoke with Joanne who apologized and said she would call me on Monday since the buyer wasn't there. I waited for her call until 5 pm to give her the benefit of the doubt. I finally called and spoke to Charlie, who though keeping me on the phone for 25 minutes, finally came back and said that they didn't know when they would be getting the lens, but that I could cancel for a full refund. This company left me hanging for 4 days with no follow through. My advice when dealing with this company, don't order online, call first and make sure that they actually have the product!  
 
UPDATE.....  
 
After my review was posted, I was contacted by Maurice at Beach Camera. Being a professional myself, I can always appreciate when someone sincerely apologizes and backs up those words with actions. While I had already purchased the lens from a competitor, Maurice not only apologized and explained what had happened, he took action and and showed that Beach Camera did want me back as a customer. We all make mistakes, it is how you take responsibility and show your clients their value to you. Maurice did that on behalf of Beach Camera and earned my business back. Thank you Maurice.

This review was modified by its author, captb412, on 6/17/09 9:03 PM.

I had a problem with my order, but after I complained on this site Maurice called me and resolved everything to my complete satisfaction.  
 
In fact, Beach Camera went far beyond my expectations!

This review was modified by its author, Plimsoul, on 12/22/08 4:47 PM.

UPDATE On bottom*******************************************************************************************************************************  
 
On 11/28/08 I ordered three “Sandisk 8 GB Extreme III Secure Digital HC Memory Card” from Beach Camera and paid to have it shipped via Fedex 2nd Day Air. At the time of my order Beach Camera's website stated that the memory cards were in stock.  
 
See http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=xo3z86&s=5  
for my invoice  
 
On 12/10/08 Beach camera shipped my order via USPS First Class. During this delay of 12 days they did not notify me that my memory cards were backordered. On 12/15/08 I received my order.  
See http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=3346id2&s=5  
for USPS label  
 
Puzzled as to why Beach Camera shipped my order via a much CHEAPER, SLOWER and LESS RELIABLE delivery method, yet charged me $37.90 to deliver an 11 oz small box, I opened a inquiry with their customer service requesting a refund for the difference. They refused. My invoice clearly shows that my order is to be shipped via Two Day Air.  
 
What kind of company delays a customer’s order WITHOUT notification when they claim to have stock?  
 
What kind of company ships out there products via a CHEAPER, SLOWER and RELIABLE delivery method (it probably didn’t cost them more then $5 to ship) when a customer PAYED EXTRA to have it shipped via a MORE COSTLY, FASTER and MORE RELIABLE delivery method?  
 
What kind of company refuses to correct there mistake in light of a customer bringing it to their attention?  
 
I will tell you what sort of company this is, a UNCARING, DECEITFUL and NASTY company. The pictures speak for themselves.  
 
Take your business someplace else and avoid them like the plague!  
 
Update*********************************************************************************************************************************************  
 
On 12/23 I was told that the shipping charges would be refunded in the next 48 hours

This review was modified by its author, Stingray99, on 12/23/08 5:12 PM.

Terrible customer service. I orderd online a Nikon D90 on Saturday, Dec 6th. They posted to my credit card on Saturday, Dec 6th!!! Same day! My order status showed in a "PIK" status for the next four business days (Monday to Thursday)even thought the item was in stock. I sent a couple of emails regarding the incorrect email noted on my order. Apparently their system will let you change any information on your order EXCEPT your email ID. I received one resposne which had nothing to do with correcting the email. So I sent a followup and after 3 days never did get a response. On Wednesday, 12/10 I called and spoke to "Nancy, x244". She assured me the items were in stock but they were way behind in fulfilling orders, i.e., packing & shipping. Said she would followup with shipping and call me back by 10:00pm that night. I never heard from her. On Thursday, 12/11 my order was still in a "PIK" status. So I called and finally got through to Maurice, told him I wanted to cancel and he said "fine" and was ready to hangup. I quickly asked for a cancellation/confirmation number and was told they would send an email. Then I told him they have the wrong email id so I will never receive any emails from them. I was told to use the original order number as my cancellation number. This didn't make much sense to me but he wouldn't/couldn't give me any confirmation information. Said it would take 3-5 business days to reverse the charge on my credit card. Ironically, I've ordered from them twice in the past and had no problems. However, after this experience they lost me as a customer. NOTE: since I posted this review Maurice at Beach Camera did contact me after they saw this review. He apologized for how this entire order was handled and they offered to make good by shipping the product overnight at their expense and also reducing the price. Although I appreciate the effort to make this right, I had already reordered the camera from another online retailer after I cancelled with Beach Camera. I am impressed that they had the right approach and were proactive in winning me back as a customer but it was too late as far as I was concerned. Based on their honesty and willingness to correct their mistakes I would consider them in the future.

This review was modified by its author, RocksToby2, on 12/11/08 12:52 PM.

1- They shipped my order 10 days after placing the order.  
2- You cannot contact them through phone.  
3- They promise to reply to e-mails within 24 hours. However, I contacted them twice and the fastest was two days.

This review was modified by its author, tirkwaz, on 1/2/09 9:04 PM.

The backdrop: For an Election Day party, I ordered a new, in stock (allegedly) television, exactly 2 weeks prior.  
 
The bad: The first two times I called about the order status, I was told that it would be arriving in 1- 2 days. The day before Election Day, I called again and was told that the tv was on backorder and would be shipped the day AFTER Election Day. i cancelled my order and no apology was given by staff.  
 
The good: Less than an hour after a I requested an address to which I could mail complaints, I was called by a manager who offered to send me a higher-end model by Election Day. Unfortunately, I had ordered the best model, so he offered me a discount and did apologize for the handling of my order. I got the television a day after my party and it's a fine piece of electronics.  
 
The verdict: Obviously mixed. I was sold an in-stock item that wasn't in stock, and was told it was being shipped when it wasn't. On the other hand, the manager was very helpful and accommodating when he learned of my dissatisfaction.

This review was modified by its author, DBauman998, on 11/6/08 10:19 PM.

I knew enough to make sure that if I was spending hundreds on a nice flash (SB-800) that I should buy from some place reputable.  
 
The small markup I might have paid by choosing Beach Camera was well worth it in my opinion. Shipped safely, securely and arrived as I'd hoped, brand new and working perfectly...I'll almost certainly use them again for a future camera purchase.

Great Service from Beach. Ordered a Nikon SB600 flash. Beach had the best price and I chose the free shipping which was supposed to be 8 to 10 business days. Placed the order Thursday afternoon and it was delivered Tuesday morning. Definitely will be a repeat customer.

I ordered a Garmin Zumo 550, Canon Powershot SD100, and a couple of memory cards. The prices were reasonable. I selected the 7-9 business day shippng; my shipment arrived in Miami in three days. There were no issues.

This was my first purchase from Beach Camera and it won't be my last. The website was easy to use and the price was amazing! They packaged the product well and shipped on the first business day after my purchase and arrived shortly after. Thank you!

BEWARE!!!I attempted to purchase a LG RC797T and phoned to confirm that the item was in stock. After being told that it was indeed in stock I placed the order and also ordered a rack to house the unit. Several days later I received a cancellation notice and my credit card was charged. I have placed 3 calls to the company and they will not return my calls! I incurred an additional $100 rack fee due to their negilence and I am still waiting for a credit.

Instead of writing a thesis I'll just sum up the events.  
 
5/20  
order my lens, it is marked "in stock"  
 
5/25  
call because my lens hasn't shipped yet, am told it is back ordered. Check back at the website, marked "in stock." I wasn't too upset, it was supposed to be there soon.  
 
5/29  
Lens ships  
 
5/31  
Lens gets to my house very fast, I was extremely happy; I wasn't going to be one of the people screwed by the company(see the very consistent bad reviews).  
 
Before even testing the lens I try to put on the filter I bought for it. The filter doesn't fit. My heart sinks, sure enough they shipped me the older, softer, cheaper version of the lens.  
 
6/1 - 6/5  
Have to deal with customer service several times, they did not give me all the information I needed all at once(giving my an RA number but not an RMA number). Finally ship the lens back to them  
 
To my horror, checking back on their website, they no longer even list the lens I bought. I still hope for the best, they told me it would be there within a week. I was both too busy and they were closed so I couldn't check with sales to see what was up.  
 
6/11  
Lens finally gets back to them. I first call sales and my fears are confirmed, they have no idea when this lens will be in. The lens I bought, that was marked in stock three weeks prior, that I was told would be there within a week, that I had spent the major part of my savings on, was never going to be in stock.  
 
Very angry now, though keeping it in control, I just asked to be transfered to customer service. I waited another good 20-25min on hold before demanding a refund. If I don't get this one thing in a timely manner I'm filing a dispute.  
 
Other important points  
- Hold times are at least 15min, often longer, and their hold message is quite annoying. When I've been waiting for a while I don't want to hear "assistance is right around the corner" and then wait just as long.  
- Customer service itself is decent enough though until I was noticeably upset the person on the other line made little attempt to sound like they cared.  
- I have to mention also that I found a better deal on this lens a few days after my purchase but assumed at the time that the lens was just about to ship so I didn't jump on it. Now my lenses price has risen about $50 everywhere. I'm going to have to spend at least $50-70 more, after waiting three weeks, because I chose to give this company a try.  
 
$30 in savings was not worth giving this company a try. If you do choose to shop with beach camera CALL SALES FIRST! Make sure what you want is in because I'm one of very many people who've been lied to this same way.