This company is major fraud! They charged my AMEX card for $1100 and never shipped the product. I have reported them to Internet crime website and I will be taking them to court soon. Watch out and never deal with them. They will never answer the phone or respond to your email. All they do is charge your card and forget about you. No worry, they will not be in business for too long. The government is after them as we speak.
Watch Out! Wished I had found this site sooner. I fell for the baith and switch scam. Order a Canon 40D for $499 and received an email from then asking me to call Peter at extension 211. When I called, I was told that this was the PC Body only and that I needed the US version for $1049. I said fine. He asked for my credit card info, but I told him that it was in my order already. I got concerned and tried to search for a Canon 40D (PC Body). Then posted the question in Yahoo answers and realized from the answers I got that there is no such thing as a 40D PC Body. I called them back and a different guy answered, he told me I was getting the full USA Package, but this time the price was $1179. I checked my credit card and I was charged $1179 for the magnisium version. I received an email telling that the camera was shipped, but another email would provide me with a UPS tracking number. I am very concerned about the prospects not only of being charged the money, but what is it that I am going to be getting. Will followed with an update in the next few days.
This review was modified by its author, Otrebla, on
11/25/07 4:40 AM.
This place is a joke I ordered a Canon Rebil XTI. Come to find out from reading the reviews here that the camera does not come with a US warranty and if you get the extended warranty and it needs to be repaired you need to send it to them with $150. If you wanted the camera with a US warranty it would cost additional $200.00 this place is a rip off buyers beware!!!!!
A bait-and-switch, illegitimate, and unprofessional store. I followed the link through cnet and purchased a Nikon D80 Body-only with "too good to be true" price of $189. I read reviews prior to the purchase on cnet, which received pretty good amount of positives; I should've searched for more review sites, but as soon as I ordered, I got an email saying that this product was in back-order, when the website indicated a big red-bold "YES" that they had them IN STOCK.
I called the customer service, and the representative told me to wait for about 4-6 weeks and that I will then again get an email once the store gets the products in stock.
It's been 6 weeks and I felt like I was not going to get any email from them, so I called the customer service again. As soon as I gave him the order number, he just said that the product I ordered was a Chinese-product and that it does not include battery, charger, no nothing. He told me that I buy USA product which costs a lot more.
Why wasn't I told this before? He says there's no warranty and the website certainly did not say anything about these "not-included" items.
I told him to cancel the order, then in a matter of second he said "it's cancelled" in a very annoyed, unprofessional voice with a sigh. Then without futher, he HUNG UP.
I wasted time with this store. They tell one thing and then completely tell you a different thing. They will lie to you. DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS STORE. A complete fraud.
Like an immature fool, I bought the "too good to be believed" deal on a Nikon D80 from these feather merchants. Thankfully, I discovered this marvelous website and was able to cure my error.
I called USA Photo Nation to inquire about my order. The rep gives me some crap that "these cameras are on backorder and we do not expect them for a minimum of 12 weeks, but if I am willing to upgrade to a pre-packaged bundle (another $400.00), they can ship within two days."
Thank goodness I did not just get off the boat! I told him I know bait-and-switch when I hear it. He summarily told me "this order is canceled" and hung up on me.
Stay away from these goniffs. If something sounds too good to be true - it is. Deal with LEGITIMATE merchants. Dealing with sham artists is sure, stomach acid-rich aggravation.
In the end, I bought from B&H Photo. It cost me $470.00 more, but I am comforted by their longstanding reputation as honorable merchants.
This review was modified by its author, twufred, on
6/18/07 4:34 PM.
I had made my purchase online for a Nikon D80, Package #3. This package includes a lens, memory card and various other items. The next day I had received an email notifying me that they have been trying to get ahold of me about my order(they have my phone number and I received no call).
The email requested that I contact a Greg at extension 213. Upone calling, Greg specified exactly what I was ordering and then tried to sell me on an additional battery and charger package for $300, since the camera did not come with one. I ensured to him that I only wanted what was on the original order and that I do not wish to purchase the battery package.
He then informs me that item is in back order and will take 6-10 weeks to be delivered. I commented to him that I had paid for the faster delivery and would like to have that reduced to better reflect the additional wait. He tells me that he cannot do that because it was not what I had opted for when I made my purchase online. I told him that I opted and paid to receive my package within 3-5 days. He again reiterates that the package is on back order and that I opted to pay the additional amount for delivery.
Frustrated, I told him "So if I had paid for next day shipping; I would be doing no better than the guy who opted for the standard rate." Again he tells me he cannot change it. I did some research after that incident and found this site and others describing the same scenario of problems.
The following day I had made a call to my credit card company in preparation of having to contest charges. Before contacting, USA Photo Nation, I had received an email that said my order had been cancelled. I still made my call to ensure that the order had been cancelled and was told on the phone that it was.
I can only suspect that my order was cancelled because of my unwillingness to purchase the additional battery package, which I also thought was a little overpriced. The website that I had made purchase from still said that the item was available, over the entire three dayS since I had made my order. The price of the camera had changed multiple times over this period and they still didn't make notice that it was on back order/ not available.
I hope everyone finds this site and others that display the questionable business practice of this company, before considering making a purchase.
I will be paying very close attention to my credit card statements and might even file complaint with the state attorney general.
I filed a complaint to the Better Business Bureau:
Below is basically what I wrote (I had to shorten it about 100 characters b/c of their limit) I encourage everyone to file. I've included most of their information below
:
Complaint Number: 4577120
This is regarding:
www.usaphotonation.com
Head Office Address: 164-15 Jamaica Avenue, Jamaica NY 11432
I ordered a digital camcorder from this company found at: http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=12706&dept_id=2527&shelf_id=&v=&show=acc#box
Upon ordering the item; I was instructed to call and confirm the order. Upon calling; the person on the phone attempted to "bait and switch me". I was told I needed to order the USA Model, which was conveniently NOT on their website until I was on the phone with them. (It is conveniently not on the website now.) The "USA" Model was significantly more expensive and the person on the phone attempted to pressure me and argue with me into authorizing a charge to my credit card for the "USA Model" because the advertised model would 'not work' without a firmware upgrade.
At this point I requested that my order be canceled and the seller attempted to negotiate with me for a lower (yet more expensive than advertised) price. I still insisted on cancellation of the order. At this point; the seller attempted to bully me into agreeing while repeatedly placing me on hold before finally relenting and canceling the order. I assume the responsibility of not performing proper due diligence in researching the seller. I had accepted the rating found on www.shopcartusa.com, which now appears fraudulent. Had I done proper research, I would have seen that I am NOT the only unsatisfied person.
Thankfully, I was able to cancel my order; however, I feel that I may now need to cancel my credit card and get a new number as this company now has my credit card number along with the CID. I am hoping that someone puts this company in its place, puts an end to their "bait and switch" business practices and restricts it from doing further business in the State of New York, (my home state), or anywhere else for that matter.
I placed an internet order for a Sony Dvd 405 handycam on Friday. On the following Monday I received an e-mail asking me to call the company and speak to Kevin. After being on hold for a while Kevin came on and tried to sell me a better battery for $499. The camera was listed for $395. He then lowered the price of the battery to $199. When I refused to purchase the battery he told me the camcorder would arrive in 6-8 weeks even though the invoice said 7-10 days. At that point I cancelled my order and told him I would report the company. He said, "I am the Better Business Bureau" and "you will never be able to order anything on the internet again." At that point I hung up.
When I shopped for the camera the number of checks rating this store as "trusted" was high. Please don't order from this store.
Cheryl
When I ordered the Nikon D-70S on May 28th, the USA Photo Nation website listed the battery, charger, and software as included with the camera. I received a call from Larry several days later to "confirm" the order. At that time I was informed that the camera did not come with any of the Nikon supplied accessories, such as battery, charger, cables, etc. When I informed him that their website listed at least the battery, charger and software as included, he said that was all a mistake, and that nothing was included.
My experience was much the same as others who have written reviews. This is a bait-and-switch outfit in absolutely the worst tradition of the New York off-price camera market. I've purchased many cameras in the past from such institutions as 47th St. Photo, and retailers in Brooklyn, NY whose operations were hidden from view. Their prices were low, and they gave you honest value.
USA Photo Nation exists to prey on those consumers who will resign themselves to having been cheated. They will continue in business until sites such as this force them to change their name, and slither once again onto to the Internet.
Having lived in New York for many years, one question comes to mind. With a Consumer Affairs Department as powerful as the one in New York, why are all these dishonest businesses allowed to exist? Check the addresses, they are mostly located in Brooklyn and Queens, and that is in the heart of New York City. Who is protecting these people? Maybe if the city's Consumer Affairs Dept. gets enough complaints about these businesses, they may shut them down. After all, they are licensed by the CA Department.
Yes, the history is repeating.
Following the link from http://www.everyprice.com/item.asp?item_Id=123689&search_id=424200652038149420521
in order to buy Sony DCR-DVD505 Camcorder. I was in a rush and didn't check reviews on other sites. As you can see on everyprice.com are more than 700 reviews with average score of 4.5 out of 5. So, on Sunday 23 I placed my order and on the next day I received usual message that they were trying to reach me (no messages in voice mail at all). Ok, I called back and after few transfers (it was very interesting `cause I think that I heard TV and the sound was like it was somewhere in the living room) the person asked me if I know the difference between the imported and US model. At that moment I've remembered about this type of business and told them that “everything is clear for me right now, please cancel my order”. The person started to threaten me with charging of 7% cancellation fee. I told that I’ve read all terms and conditions during the purchase and there was nothing about this 7%. This information is only given on website in "our policies" and should be shown during the order process. At the same time I have canceled the number used for this “purchase” (thanks to the Citi’s virtual credit cards) and informed the salesman about my actions. It makes him very angry; he told me that I don’t have money `cause I’m trying to buy the cheapest stuff and that I’ll not find it anywhere for the price below 1100. And so on.. and so on.. My final words were just “Cancel an order, Bye”…and I hanged out.
Also I wrote a review on the everyprice.com, but I think that it will not pass the moderation according to the others reviews on it (almost all of them are very positive)
Here is some info about the sites like everyprice.com or shopcartusa.com
http://sheddingsomelight.com/buy-cameras/cameras-taleoftwo.html
And about the store
http://donwiss.com/pictures/BrooklynStores/h0101.htm
This review was modified by its author, Cheery, on
5/6/06 6:49 PM.
DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS STORE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!! THEY ARE PUSHY, RUDE, DIABOLICAL SCAM ARTISTS WHO FEED DAILY OFF OF INNOCENT CONSUMERS. WHEN I CANCELLED MY CAMERA ORDER AFTER READING REVIEWS ON THIS SITE, THEY KEPT $285 OF MY MONEY (FOR A 7 % "RESTOCKING FEE") WHICH UNFORTUNATELY WENT THROUGH BEFORE I CANCELLED. THEY ALSO SENT THE PRODUCT OUT AFTER I CANCELLED AFTER NOT ANSWERING OR RETURNING ANY OF MY CALLS AND E-MAILS. THEN THEY PROVIDED A FALSE TRACKING NUMBER FOR THE PACKAGE. I REFUSED DELIVERY AT THE TRUCK. THESE PEOPLE ARE THE WORST SCUM OF THE EARTH AND THE BBB, STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OF NY AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS DON'T GIVE A DAMN - I'VE BEEN TO ALL OF THEM. THE BEST WAY TO GET BACK AT THESE PEOPLE IS TO WARN EVERYONE YOU CAN ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS PRACTICES!!!!
PHOTONATION - I AM FAR FROM BEING DONE WITH YOU.........
This review was modified by its author, alanhood, on
4/8/06 10:25 AM.
Yes, the ol' "bait-and-switch" scheme. I came across USA Photo Nation seeing that they had the cheapest price for a Minolta Maxxum 5D (listed for $479) and purchased it immediately. All seemed fine until the following day when they sent me an email telling me that I needed to call either an 800 or local number and speak to Kenny, extension 213, "in regards to your order." Not being available this past weekend (purchased 2/25/06) they sent another email only three hours after the first one. Then they left a message on my answering machine telling me that I needed to call them. Still out of the house and not back til Monday morning, they called early that morning (my mother answered the phone). They asked her if I was going to Europe (I ordered it for her to give to me as a birthday present) and of course I wasn't, because the camera that I ordered was supposedly the European model and that they would send me the USA model for an additional $130. I *definitely* did not order the European one. I made sure it said "Maxxum 5D" (whereas the European model is the Dynax 5D) when I ordered. I told them to cancel the order, that I would find a better price somewhere else. They told me that I just clicked on the cheapest link and ordered the wrong model (untrue). "Kenny" then told me that he would send me the USA model at his cost, plus $10 insurance, that I wouldn't find a better price online. I decided to say "OK" to the offer and that was it, until I read all of the reviews of this company on this website (should have read them first! Me stupid!) and realized these guys were doing the bait-and-switch to dozens and dozens. I looked at the balance on my order and it was now $749.99! A far cry from what "Kenny" told me. I called Visa and my local bank hoping they would be able to stop any transaction from this company but no luck. I had to wait til the transaction completed then I would have to have everything submitted in writing. Knowing that time was wasting away, I called and asked them, politely as possible despite everything, to cancel the order. They said that it was already processed. I told them I didn't care. They said they would charge me a "7% cancellation fee". Eventually, after being put on hold a few times they cancelled it and received an email saying they cancelled it. *Hopefully* they really did and my credit card won't be charged. STAY AWAY FROM THEM AT ALL COSTS!!!
I purchased a Kodak V550 from this store at their low advertised price. It was a great deal! As you should always do (but don’t), I did not read the store policies, etc. The camera that was being listed as “new” is actually newly refurbished (as stated in the company profile page). The day after I purchased the camera, some guy sent me two emails and left a voicemail with my office phone and my cell phone saying he had an urgent matter.
Thinking I must have typed my credit card number in wrong, I called right away. When I called, the guy on the other end of the phone said that before he could send the order he had to sell me a package to go with it. I said I was not interested, so the guy said that if I did not buy the package I would have to purchased the battery and the data transfer wire as all his refurbished camera are sold as “CAMERA ONLY”.
Well, this is where it became good. I told the guy that if this was the case, I wanted to cancel my order. He explained that I would have to pay a 7% restocking fee, but at this point I knew this was shady and wanted out (I would sacrifice $20). The guy then said I was stupid if I canceled my order. He argued with me calling me stupid, idiot, moron, jacka--, and so I hung up. The guy calls me back and starts yelling at me. I said cancel the order and stop harassing me.
Well – two weeks later, no 7% restocking fee. My recommendation, use beachcamera.com and stay away from usaphotonation.com.
Believe it or not the salesperson I spoke with on the phone actually threatened me.
I found a Nikon D50 with a Nikon lens listed on their website for $399. Wow! I thought. I called up and asked to order 2 products- the Nikon set and a filter package.
First the salesman took all my info down including my credit card number. Then he asked me which charger I wanted the 180$ oner or the even more expensive one.
"Isn't this a box from the factory?" I asked. "Of course" the salesman replied. "Whats included in the box?" I asked.
At this point the slaesman went through a big long speech about how he was going to upgrade my camera to an $800 set for only $580 and give me the filter set at a discount. BY the time he was through I wasn't sure what I was getting. I just wanted a basic camera set but it turns out the one advertised for $399 does not include a charger, coputer cables, software or anything. I started to feel a bit confused and pressured, after all this is not what I called up to buy. I politely told the salesperson I needed to cancel my order. This is when things got ugly. The salesman told me that I had "wated 18 minutes of his time". He also told me he was going to "blacklist me from all websites" and "Good luck buying a camera except for $900 at your local retailer". Well guys I went to another website and bout the camera for a great value from a company with good customer service. At first glance USAPhotoNation seems like it has some great prices but dig a little deeper before you buy. It's confusing and pushy NY style dealing and poor customer service make this company a poor overall value.
I CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT AFTER ALL THE COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS STORE THAT THEY ARE STILL IN BUSINESS. I ATTEMPTED TO POST A REVIEW ON SHOPCARTUSA.COM BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THEY ARE A 5 STAR BUSINESS. I ATTEMPTED TO POST COMPLAINTS 13 TIMES AND NOT ONE OF THEM ARE POSTED. IT APPEARS THAT SHOPCARTUSA.COM MUST GET KICKBACKS FROM THEM SINCE THEY ONLY POST WHAT THEY WANT WHICH SHOULD BE FRAUD IN ITSELF. USAPHOTONATION IS THE BIGGEST SCAM AND I AM GLAD I DON'T LIVE IN NEW YORK BECAUSE THE NY GENERAL ATTORNEY DOESN'T CARE THAT THE LITTLE GUY IS GETTING RIPPED OFF BY THESE IDIOTS! I NOTIFIED BBB AND THEY SAID THEY DON'T 'HANDLE' BAIT AND SWITCH ISSUES. BBB IS A WASTE OF TIME IN THIS CASE.
This review was modified by its author, Courtland36, on
5/5/06 2:25 PM.
Digital Camera & Photo Prices
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