1/5

posted May-09-2009

I just found your web site as I was researching adding to my camera gear collection. Wish I had found it when I entered the Digital SLR market. I had the same experience as most posters with 1way photo...but this was 9/10/2007 (your order box doesn't let you go back that far) I was new to digital and in a hurry to get good gear with just a little lead time to practice before a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I had settled on a Nikon D80 kit with two lenses and what I figured was the standard accessories. Seemed like a great price advertised for the Nikon D80 "kit", priced on-line at 1-way. Unfortunately, I could find no reviews of the store at the time except the customer reviews they had posted. Without identifying it as such, they sold me a grey-market Japanese camera body. I found this out when I could not legitimately register it on-line for factory warranty in the US. Apparently that is a common piece of the "too good to be true" pricing sites. I don't think it was hot. These grey-market pieces are not on the factory's export/import to USA inventory so they won't register them. I had been talked into purchasing the the aftermarket extended warranty anyways thinking that was a good thing to have since it was "world-wide" so I felt covered at some level but have since found that has its own limitations and is not transferrable. I was upsold on much of the package, piecemealed with essentially what I've come to find, with experience, was false representations of the comparison of the kit contents vs. the upgrades like many but did not know enough at the time to smell a rat. In retrospect I realize I was really taken on the Nikon D80 rig. The worst of it was with the lenses. The "new-model" Sigma lenses that were "better by far" than the "consumer grade" Nikon lenses was probably the most egregious. I have since seen the lenses at about 1/3-1/4 the price I think that I might have paid for them. The invoice was not itemized by price so I didn't know what the actual price was for each upsold item in the modified aggregate "Special Package". The sales call I weathered was a fast and furious discussion and they were discounting the original kit price as standard items in the kit were replaced, then adding the upgraded model lenses, batteries, etc. to bring the final price to something about twice the price of the original. Usually I am more prudent but I was too much in a rush to get the stuff before my trip and thought I was getting better versatility and performance over the original kit offerings. Radar was off...the salesman was quite slick. The "deluxe" camera case, cleaning kit, full size tripod and "special" high speed memory card were basically junk...in fact, Nikon dealers typically toss in the standard Nikon bag which is pretty OK and this "deluxe" one was real trash. I stuffed it with rags and gave it to my dog to use as a chew toy. The other stuff went to Goodwill. The special high-performance SD card was not really. Some off-brand name at "standard" speed/performance. The filters they sold me were claimed as super quality but not really. I must say, however the stuff came right on time but I suspect it was because, rube that I was, I upped the ante so much with all the upsell "upgrades" and they didn't want to lose the hooked fish. But man I was hosed and had no time before my trip to deal with the situation. My once-in-a-lifetime trip photos were marginal at best. A lot of the telephoto shots were wasted because the upsold lens did not have Vibration Reduction. I have since added to my equipment but from my local camera dealer. The "better by far" upgrade lenses from 1-way shot side by side with more standard Nikon D80 kit VR lenses do not do well in comparison, and that is with me having much more experience with the gear. Wish I had found a review of this grey-market rip-off business and stuff at the time when I was doing my research. The main camera mechanics do work OK but for the "upgrades" I would have WAY better performance gear from any legitimate dealer. I've since found out how the digital camera market works and have a permanent case of buyer's remorse from this outfit per the terms of my deal. This was a very expensive education for me that didn't have to be except for predatory business practices of 1-way. STAY AWAY from this business. Don't let them give you the business like they did to me. Just for grins, I checked their web site 5/9/2009 and it seems to be "Under Construction" If they are out of business, so much the better. Good riddance.

This review was modified by yerolpal on May 16 2009 01:02:04 PM

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