Ordered zoom lens for my camera on Thursday and paid extra for 2 day shipping, hoping to get by Saturday. Price was lowest and shipping costs were reasonable. Didn't receive until Tuesday, due to the need for verbal confirmation (and a sales pitch) from the sales department. After confirming on Friday, received the lens on Tuesday. Lens was new and in the box, exactly as described. Works great and would use again, but not if in a rush. Also, you need to sign for the package or arrange to leave a written authorization with the shipping company. Seller rating 4 of 5 stars.
Stay away from these guys! I ordered a Sony a850 DSLR 15 piece kit for $2079. It was described as the factory product with battery cables and camera body on their web + a Sony 18-55mm lens, large and small tripods cases etc. On Sunday I got a call from the "store manager" saying the package price does not include a 3% charge for insurance and for "only" an additional $85 I can lso get the "good" battery in place of the "crumier" battery delivered in the package! I responded that nothing on the web suggests extra charges [they advertised free shipping, a bonus electronic flash, and for 3-days only, a free wide angle converter]. And that the "original" factory box included the premium battery. Then he tried to sell me a tripod [a full size 57" tripod and a tabletop flexible tripod were included in the 15 piece kit. Then he tried to get me to upgrade the memory from the included 2gb card to 16gb for $75. I have on order that same card from elsewhere for $45 new! I responded that if he can't deliver the order as contracted on the web for $2079 then I would cancel the order. He then back-pedalled promising to throw in a deluxe case in place of the case [already included and described as a deluxe case and throw in a deluxe version of the included card reader [also the included reader was already described as the "deluxe" model]. Do these guys really believe customers are that stupid? To my surprise and advantage, when my bank replaced my debit card recently, they forgot to carry forward the $3000 per item limit of my old card, and US1's attempt to charge the account failed. I'm going to leave that order failed and reorder with a reputable dealer. Stay away from all variations of US1Camera [US1photo etc etc]. I've since ordered the camera from a vendor on eBay, and the free shipping was 2-day UPS, and came with an appropriately sized 16gb card and deluxe reader, as well as an extra OEM battery at no charge.
Update 1/10/10: I was contacted several times by US1Camera via email asking to contact my card issuer to allow the charges for the order. I responded with my list [similar to above] of offenses and told them to cancel the order. I finally received a call from Rodney, who apologized for the treatment, promised that the "manager" who tried to swindle me is no longer authorized to make phone calls, and insisted he would send a gift to demonstrate his sincerety - a set of 3 filters and a lens hood for my 55mm diameter autofocus lenses - which to their credit arrived the following day. I thought it was fair to report their efforts at reconciliation, but even if I were to naively accept Rodney's explanations and apologies, there are plenty of good, honest vendors on the internet, so I wouldn't likely return to a vendor who created such a lousy experience.
This review was modified by its author, derleute, on
1/10/10 12:02 AM.
I just purchased the Canon 5D Mark II package for around $2,752 form us1photo.com last night. I received an email this morning saying that due to the high cost of the items involved I would have to call them to confirm the order. When I called I spoke to Mickey and he told me that they don't take AMEX, so I asked him if they could cancel the order and then I could reorder using my Visa or Mastercard, and he said whatever I wanted was fine. I told him that I would get another card and call him back. I called him back and gave him my Mastercard and shortly thereafter he tried to upsell me on the battery and flash card! I figured it would happen based on all the reviews here, so I politely declined a couple of times and he said my order should be at my house in a couple of weeks. This is certainly not the normal way to do business, but I will update this posting when I know more.
Okay, so I received the package yesterday 1/16/10 and everything was in perfect condition. I was extremely nervous until I received an email with the Fedex Tracking number, then I felt much better. The lens and 5D Mark II look and work great thus far with the 10 or so shots I took today. Most importantly, the warranty is USA warranty as stated on their website. In short, I think that the way US1PHOTO does business is very unprofessional by lying and pressuring people to buy more accessories (Mickey told me the stock battery would only last 20 minutes, which I knew was false). However, I told him that I was already over my budget and that I am not interested in spending any more money at the moment. People, don't blame your ability to say NO on US1PHOTO!! They are unprofessional for sure, but I still received my things as promised, and at an extremely great price. Don't buy from them if you can't say no to someone pressuring you to spend more money.
This review was modified by its author, edastang, on
1/18/10 2:19 AM.
Ordered on Dec 11, and on Dec 24 they cannot confirm on the phone if it has been shipped, nor they provide any tracking#. They say that the 24-72 processing time doesn't apply for the Christmas season.
When on the phone I express my frustration, and I tell them I will have to leave a bad review, they threaten me to cancel the order (I guess so I cannot leave my review).
They argue that they are a small company, and "I am not a good man, and they all try to survive"
It took at least two full weeks before my order was actually shipped. I had to call three times to customer support to retrieve my tracking number, and only the third representative was nice and apologetic about the delay. The first two reps were rude and impatient. Hey, if I were to spend over $1,000 to purchase something from a company, I deserve a cordial attitude. I am not sure if I will order from this company again.
Poor communication from seller. I paid additional fee for expedited shipping. First they contacted me 2 days later to "verify" my order. What they wanted to do was to sell me more stuff. Two days wasted for an "expedited" order. When I called a few days later to make sure my order was on its way, I was told I would receive it by the end of the week. It never came. I called again, only to find out it was never shipped. A part was on backorder. It wasn't shipped until the following Monday, 2 weeks after the date I placed the order!!! I wanted it for a trip but it was too late. I emailed customer service to refund my extra shipping fee but never heard back from them. Update: They sent the wrong battery and quickly got correct one out to me.
This review was modified by its author, jwyr25, on
1/8/10 11:18 PM.
I made the mistake of ordering from them. I ordered online. A salesperson called me and pressured me into buying more stuff. Said he would send me an email detailing everything. My total went from $1000 to $1600. When I did not get an email, I sent an email requesting the prices. I got no reply. I then called and told them to cancel. Cu. rep. was very rude said he would send me an email within the hour, and that I couldn't cancel since the order had already shipped.(a lie). He suggested I go to the site and fill the shopping cart with what I had bought. I did that and it was less than what they had charged me. His email never came. I called again to the reps direct extension and only got voicemail. I left a message to cancel the order and left my number so they could call me back. No call back. A few hours later I got an email saying that the order had shipped. I was irate. I called and told them I would refuse delivery. The rude person told me I would have to pay shipping charges and restocking fee. DO NOT BUY FROM US1Photo.
BTW they don't even list a company address. Only the state of NJ. I wish I had checked that out. I am contacting my credit card company. According to the rep they always win in these situations. If that is true then we need to let everyone from the Better Business Bureau to the Federal Trade Commission know what scam this company runs. BUYER BEWARE!!!!
This review was modified by its author, eduardo8, on
12/17/09 9:34 AM.
Very happy with the purchase. I've received everything what I've ordered in good condition. The prices are chipper then in the other stores. The store offers a good deals and discounts. Very friendly people.
I was cautious to purchase from a store that wasn't a "name brand" store, but I was very satisfied with my purchase. They were very helpful in telling me what I needed with what was in my price range and even altered the already existing package deal to fit my needs. I have had my camera (Nikon D3000) now for several months and am extremely satisfied. Everything was done in a very timely manner and just how and when they said it would be done. Thank you for all of your help and I will definitely revisit US 1 Photo for my future needs.
The camera came as advertised. The only issue I have is that I never received an order confirmation or shipping information, which made me more than nervous. I needed the camera for a project and I was worried that my order did not go through and that my camera was not going to arrive on time.
Bought a Canon camera and lenses in November. First time using this store. Have had no problems with my equipment. They were friendly on the phone. In the unlikely event that something goes wrong with my equipment, I WILL let you know.
This review was modified by its author, pitoperez, on
12/24/09 6:59 PM.
