1/5

posted Aug-09-2007

"I called this company to ask why their prices were so low; no good answer, they didn't mention that the camera would only be the body with no accessories. I specifically asked if the camera came with all the usual stuff in the box and they said yes, so I placed the order. I got an e-mail saying they were tryingt to contact me about the order. I called and got the pitch for accessories; I declined. Only then did I read all the reviews about their shady business practices, so I called them up and they admitted that the camera was only the body. I cancelled the order and asked if I would recieve an e-mail confiming the cancellation; they said yes, but I haven't seen it yet. I'm still worried. I'm still worried until a couple of months of credit card bills verify that everything is OK. Stay away from these people!"

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1/5

posted Apr-03-2007

"Do not buy from this store! They are the worst I have run into in all my years of buying off the net. I was given false information about Sony Handycam DCR-SR80 that I shipped back with an expected even exchange for a Panasonic PVG-SS500 video camera. The second camera never came and I spent hours phoning for an explanation and could not get through. Tracking number didn't work. I contacted PhotoNation by email and they said to phone up their customer service. When phoning customer service and other numbers I would get through but would be routed to yet again other numbers to have to explain and eventually get disconnected. ( I think they must use a system that detects the callers number so they can give them the run around.) I finally contacted Citibank to protest payment, sending a sheaf of papers outlining the treatment I received from this sleezy organization.. All of this took hours of frustration and wasted time. Do not be a sucker and buy from this company! As others have said, If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. I cannot understand how these guys can still be in business after all the other complaints I have read here. Where is the Better Business Bureau or some government consumer protection entity when we need them? Again, DO NOT BUY FROM USA PHOTONATION or RADIOACTIVE.COM OR ANY OTHER NAME THEY CALL THEMSELVES!"

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1/5

posted Dec-12-2006

"This is the worst bait-and-switch company I have ever dealt with. I did a comparison of the Canon SD700 IS (via price grabber) and chose them based on price and positive merchant rating. I ordered the camera on Sunday. On Monday morning I received an email saying I needed to call and speak to Nathan. After about 8 phone calls and 2 voice mails I went to customer service. They put me through to Nathan. First he tried really hard to see me high speed memory. I said no. He keep trying to sweeten the "deal". Then he said he needed to check if that "package" was available. After about 5 minutes he came back on and said it was all set, but by the way, did I realize it didn't cone with the battery charger. It was just the camera. For the full $349 price they would throw in lots of additional stuff (tripod, case, etc...). I questioned this and he told me to go their site and look up SD700USA. When I did all there was one choice, which is what I thought I had ordered, it cost $349 and was unavailable. But he assured me he could still get it to me. He said anything under $320 was either a gray market camera or was just the camera like this one. I told him I needed to think about it and would call back in 30 minutes. He then pushed harder trying to get me to close. "If we put it on hold then someone else can take it...". I told him I had waited all day to hear back from him and he could give me 30 minutes without putting it on hold. He finally said ok. I then checked some of the prices for the camera and found many options around $300 that were full USA warranties with the charger. I called back to customer service to complain and they said my order was already canceled and they were not interested in helping. I would avoid these guys at all costs!"

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1/5

posted Nov-30-2006

"Wow, what an experience. My husband and I ordered a Canon Elura Camcorder from this company, which we found online of course by searching for the best price. Low and behold, my husband receives the email to contact "Brad" about our order. When my husband calls, he is told that the order has shipped, it's in transit and is currently in Tennessee, and asked for our 3 digit code on the back of our credit card. He also wanted to make sure we knew that the camera did not come with a battery or cables, and of course went on with a sales attempt that he is quite assertive in presenting. My husband, who by this point was livid, stated that nowhere on their website did it state that the camera did not come with a battery or cables, and that we wanted to cancel our order. Brad went on to tell us that if cancelled, there would be a 15% restocking fee. My husband told him he'd better not even try this crap with us, that if the order truly had shipped (which it hadn't, Brad let that slip out accidentally later in the phone call), that we would refuse the package, call our credit card company and dispute any charges, and file a BBB complaint. Boy, Brad was less than professional, argumentative, all the things you would expect from a scam artist trying to portray himself as a legit business man. When my husband asked to speak with Brads supervisor, Brad responded that he was the owner, and said "What, is that so hard to believe?" My husband asked that if Brad WAS the owner, then why the heck was he taking customer service phone calls? Brad said it was because they were busy..... Yeah, busy scamming people. This guy's a worm.

Here's the problem, if anyone read these reviews BEFORE they made a purchase, they would never buy from this company, and never have the pleasure making Brad's acquaintance. Unfortunately, the company has various aliases, and people are getting had every day by this shyster.

Note to "Brad": Stay away from dark alleys, buddy. You have some people there waiting for you."

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1/5

posted Nov-26-2006

"I had the bait and switch routine pulled on me after ordering a camcorder from photo nation. They had the cheapest price listed, but after getting an email to call them (they asked for my CCID also - they didn't get it) and then being told I was only buying the camcorder and would need to pay extra for all the things that normally would come out of the box (battery, charger, cables, software) the price was jacked up higher than the average costs on the net for the camcorder. After mentioning that I might need to cancel my order I was warned about the cancellation fee, which is funny b/c my cc hadn't been charged yet. After going through this I did some post-order research that I wished I had done before on this company, which has brought me here. I have canceled my cc already and my order. What I find amazing is at the time I'm writing this there are 15 pages dating back to 2004 about this "company." How they are able to stay in business this long to cheat more people is amazing. Their BBB record is also unsatisfactory. Buyer beware with this one!"

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1/5

posted Oct-29-2006

"I got the e-mail saying that I needed to call "Thomas" about my order. He asked for my security code off of the back of my credit card and the customer service number. I was told by my credit card company to never give any of this information over the phone. When I refused, "Thomas" became very rude saying that I should probably stick with shopping in stores. For all the years that I have done shopping over the internet, this is the first time that I have been asked for credit card information over the phone. I told him to cancel my order. After some very harsh words from "Thomas", I hung up. These guys are crooks. Just pay more money at a reputable website."

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1/5

posted Aug-09-2006

"Unbelievable scam artists! I ordered a camera and got the "contact Bob at extension 208" email. Once on the line I was told the camera I ordered came without cables -- if I wanted to actually use it I would need to pay 50% more for the full set-up. I immediately said, "Cancel the order," words that I was forced to repeat fully 50 more times before eventually hanging up in frustration. I told "Bob" (who refused to ever give me his actual name) at one point that I was an attorney and knew my rights, and his insane response was, "Well, you're not in the courtroom now, so stop talking and listen." When I asked for his name, he accused me of "verbal abuse." After I hung up, he called me back to continue the harangue, telling me that if I tried to buy the camera from anyone else they would "play games" with me. I tried to point to "Bob" that he was the one playing games, but he grew louder and more insistent. He told me that it was too late to stop the purchase (even though American Express later verified that no charge ever went through, and even after he had told me that the item hadn't shipped). After hanging up on him twice, I eventually got a call from someone else at this huckster outfit telling me that the order was cancelled. Thank God. However, I'm freaking out that these lunatics have my charge information. Who knows what they're capable of?"

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1/5

posted Jun-07-2006

"Well, I'm ashamed. I know better than to order from any website I had not done business with before without checking their user ratings thoroughly, not just from the referring site.
I ordered a Panasonic PV-GS500 camcorder from them on Friday, 3 June 06. The next day, Sunday, I did look them up after getting their email, and read about all the bait-and-switch/upgrade scams, and the rudeness of these guys.
I called them first thing Monday, and after giving "Jason" my order number, he said he just had a couple of questions before shipping my order.
The first one was, as CONFIRMATION, what is the 3 digit code on the back of your credit card? I said "What's the second question?
It was, do you know that this model doesn't come with any of the accessories needed to operate it, not even the battery?
I'd read a lot of comments about how insufferably rude these people have been, so I gave him some RUDENESS.
The last part I shouted was "Do you hear me? Cancel my order!" Then he hung up on me.
I called Citi and alerted them, they've always done an excellent job of getting me out of dumb stunts.
I feel better, even though I might have to change my CC number.
After posting this, I'm also going to use methods 1 and 2 below.

There are some ways, low tech, high tech, or legal to at least cause them pain.
1. Call the webhosting company and complain about how you were defrauded.
2. File a complaint with their State Attorney General's Internet Crime site.
3. The low-tech fun way:
All of these scammers have to have a phone number to do their dirty work.
They likely have caller ID, but I can think of a lot of other numbers (and voices) I can use besides my own.
So if any of you are fed up, sympathetic, bored, or would like to abuse somebody, just give any of these jerks a call.
Start out polite and naive, don't use your real name, address, or credit card number.
Waste their time, string them along, then give them some ABUSE!!!
See how long they can take it before they hang up.
Clog their system, give "Jason" a headache, feel better.
Go to their website to choose a product and get their number, get your script together, and have some FUN!

Repeat as necessary with any of the jerks.

USA Photo Nation (aka: RadioActiveDeals): http://www.usaphotonation.com/ ph: 800-872-3143

"

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1/5

posted May-31-2006

"Okay everyone, here's critical advice which I should have adhered to when ordering from an online merchant with such a low price for the product I wanted (Sony DCR-DVD405) - "If the price looks to good to be true, it is!" If you don't listen to this, you're in for a lot of frustration and in my case, credit card fraud as well.

Now to the transaction in question. USA Photo Nation (which I've read here deals under another name Radioactivedeals.com among many other names the same owner uses) was advertising this camcorder for an awesome price. And you know what, it was too good to be true indeed.

This company deceives you in every which way. I called their customer service specifically on this product and asked the person if this was a U.S. version in retail packaging and if I'll get the proverbial email confirmation stating to call them after my online order, which is normally a bait to upsell you on accessories. The guy says it is a U.S. version, and they will only email me to contact them if there's a discrepancy with the billing/credit card info.

Of course, that was a lie because I got the email asking me to contact them - a person by the name of "Thomas". I knew right away what was in store. But I got a little optimistic at first (after being placed on hold for 20 min) because the guy asked to confirm my card's 3-digit security code on the back (information that I have revealed to quite a few online merchants, albeit reputable ones). Well, right after that the guy asked if there's any other question before he ships the product. Good thing I asked! All of you out there, never forget to ask!

I asked him one last time if the product was a U.S. version and had all the manufacturer accessories included. What do you know - he says it's only the camera (no power cord, USB cable, etc) because it's an overseas version - no where on the site does it say this, and the guy has the audacity to say it's on the website if I just look (huh?). I would have to pay a lot more for the U.S. version. Wow, what a bunch of deceiptful liars! And then the guy goes into all his antics about why I wouldn't buy the U.S. version and there would be a 7% fee for canceling. People - never accept this!! As a consumer this is not legal business practice no matter what they say. As long as the item has not shipped, there should be no fee - your credit card company will always back you up on this. And even if they say it has shipped, they're probably lying - just say please make sure if it has because you will call your credit card company to credit back the full amount.

After I hung up the phone, I kinda knew my credit card info was compromised. So today, I check my statement online, and there's a $260 charge to some Ad company in Toronto!! I filed a fraud charge with my credit card company and an investigation is underway. Needless to say, the charged will be credited back and the account is closed. But now I have to go through the invconenience of updating all my auto pay accounts and online accounts with the new credit card number.

If an attorney is reading this or anyone here knows of an attorney seeking class action members, please let me know (tommy67@hotmail.com). I'll surely provided my witness testimony. USA Photo Nation and all the other AKA names the owner uses should be prosecuted! I feel sorry for the people that get strong-armed and scared into buying things from them.

Don't pay any attention to "good" feedback from other customers. I'm sure this company uses some valid transactions to disguise its dispicable business practices. And note, good luck to those who have bought from them as far as future customer support. They will do everything in their power to keep you from returning the product and NOT to refund any of your money. Bait and switch is one thing, but stealing my credit card information - that's truly horrendous. These guys should be closed down."

This review was modified by tommy67 on May 31 2006 12:12:05 PM

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1/5

posted Mar-23-2006

"I searched the internet for a Sony Cybershot DSC-T9 digital camera and found it at RadioActiveDeals.com. Being fully aware that some vendors import the Japanese version, I called this vendor and was very specific when I asked if 1) "Was it New, not Refurbished", 2) "Was it the American version with the American plug". I was told yes on both counts. Their site showed a Silver camera and, no where did it mention that they would send a different color. I placed the order and instead of an order confirmation, I received an email asking that I call them regarding my order. When I did, the sales rep (Tim at Ext. 142) began a super high pressure sell to get me to buy other accessories. I refused on all, but after asking me twice about an extended warranty, I again was very specific when I asked if it was an actual Sony warranty or a third party company. He told me it was directly from Sony. I then asked (again) if the camera was the American version. I was told yes again so let him alter the order to include the warranty. I even paid for expedited delivery. When I received the package I found that 1)"The camera was black, not silver", 2) "The camera was the Japanese version with an American adapter for the plug", 3) The box was not sealed, & 4) The warranty was a Third Party company warranty.

I called Tim back the next day and told him I wanted to return the order for a complete refund to my credit card. He began to argue and make excuses regarding the version and the warranty. Finally he got mad and told me he wouldn't talk to me anymore. Then he transferred me to Customer Service (Jason Ext. 202). He tried to talk me out of the return, but quickly changed his approach when he determined that I was upset. I specifically asked for a complete refund with no restocking fees, etc as stated in their return policy. I told him the sales rep lied to me and deceived me and I was calling my credit card company to dispute the charge. He agreed to give me a full refund and emailed me return instructions with an RMA number. I immediately packaged the order up and drove it to FEDEX. That was on Feb 1, 2006. on Feb 9th I received an email that they issued a credit. From that point on I kept checking my credit card balance, but no credit showed up. I finally called them and they said they didn't know what to tell me, but the had issued the credit. I called my credit card company who said that evidently they did not issue it or they would have it, but they had to give the vendor 30 days to comply. I got a letter on Feb 28th from my credit card company stating that they had just received the credit.

This is by far the worst and most crooked company I have ever dealt with. I don't say this lightly. I have been making on-line purchases for years and on a regular basis, but RadioActiveDeals.com are liars and crooks. If you don't want to get cheated, I urge you not to buy from them. You should also be very careful as they have a number is web sites under different names, but it is evident that they are the same company."

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