Obviously, I'm here to complain about this company. How much I would have liked to see this website before ordering a lens with 1wayphoto!!! PLEASE DON'T BUY FROM THEM!!! This is an advice from someone who's been buying on internet for more than 8 years and who got scammed for the first time.
My story is very similar to everyone... I ordered a $800 canon lens 17-55mm on their website end of march, I was asked to call them to confirm the order. I talk to "Scott" on the phone and he tells me that the canon lens is not good and that he can sell me a Sigma lens for the same price. I was in a rush when it happened, english is not my mother tongue, he was very nice on the phone... basically, he got me and I know this was really silly of me cause it was so obvious that it was a scam!
Anyway, I realized my mistake few hours later by looking on internet and discovering the sigma lens was only $300 on Amazon, I call them to cancel and of course it's been shipped already! What a lie! Unfortunately, I paid with a debit card so impossible to cancel at that point.
So I wait patiently for the lens, when I receive it, I call them to get an RMA number and of course it takes ages to get that number. They didn't want' to give it on the phone, they wanted me to send an email. I send the email, no answer, so I call again and this same guy "Scott" offers me a $200 discount to which I say no. I finally get my RMA number. I send the parcel back with UPS.
More than 2 weeks later, no refund on my account which is not a surprise. I called them today and they told me that they gave me a refund on the 10th april, I ask for a reference number and they can't give me one!!! So I call my bank but they certify me that no refund has been made into my account since last week. I call 1wayphoto again and they put me in contact with this woman who's the rudest person I have ever talked to on a phone. She tells me that the payment has been made and that she will fax me the receipt. Of course, few hours later still no fax...
So tomorrow I'm going to call them again and tell them I'm going to the police. I really had enough and I have all the proofs that they own money that I didn't get. What do they think? Just because I'm not american I'm gonna let that go!
Sorry but I'm so upset about this whole situation. I'm really going to do my best so that this company shuts down. They should be put in jail!!! It really makes me laugh the few positive comments you can read here. No doubt, they wrote them!
Anyway, I could do with some advice right now as I don't really know how this country works with this kind of situation. Should I go to the police in Brooklyn and make a statement? Or can I do it where I am at the moment? I'm in Vermont, going to New York next week. I will obviously contact all the other companies people have been talking about. I really thinks this is very serious what this company does and they should really been put to jail.
Before finishing a big thank to all the people who have been writing here, I completely understand what you've been through. If we all fight together, I'm certain something good will come out of it. This may sound very dramatic but I have never heard of something that bad before.
Oh and if people don't believe, I have kept emails, ups receipts... and I can proove that I'm not lying.
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Here is a following up to my misadventure with 1WayPhoto.
I'm waiting for a refund of $679.79 that 1Way Photo said they have paid on the 10th of April. They finally sent me a copy of that receipt of that transaction after two phone calls. On the second one, I talked to a guy called Andy and he was literally shouting at me, saying that I was a horrible person because I was threatening him about contacting the police if I wasn't getting my money back. Oh yes, I'm so bad! I have been stolen, under lots of stress, wasted time on the phone with them, being talked to like if I was an animal but of course, I'm the horrible person not them. What a laugh! Anyway, the receipt doesn't look fake and it shows the amount I'm waiting for and my bank card number.
I called my bank again and they certified me once more that nothing had come through. Unfortunately, they can't do anything on their side. 1Way Photo has to do a debit trace with their bank. My bank told me it could be that they cancelled the refund the day after so that they could get the receipt and still prove that they had paid me. But of course, they won't say anything about the cancellation.
I didn't call them cause I already know they won't do the debit trace, they don't care and this is exactly what Andy said on the phone, "I don't care". Nothing else I can do now with them.
So I have called the Brooklyn DA (Kings County DA) and I was told that if 1Way Photo doesn't have a shop, it is not possible to sue them and that I need to speak with the IC3. Of course, they don't have a shop, it's only an internet company, they are very clever.
By the way, check that website:
http://donwiss.com/pictures/brooklynstores/
and this:
http://donwiss.com/pictures/brooklynstores/h0265.htm
I have made a complaint with IC3, BBB New York and New York City DCA. I think this is the best I can do. From what I've read on internet other people have complained about 1Way Photo with those 3 companies so they shouldn't be surprised to see my complaint. I will keep you updated with what is going to happen next.
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I GOT MY REFUND!!!
After more than a month I finally got my money back. I have lost in total $300 (restocking fees, delivery...) and time but it was worth it. The lens they sent me didn't work anyway!!
For all the people that unfortunately got scammed, you can send the parcel back, it takes time, money and energy but this is their way of trying to put off people to send items back and in the end win about selling things much more expensive than what they really cost.
This review was modified by its author, lamialex, on
5/8/08 9:49 AM.