Camera Outlet
Inc. Ripoff

I went to the above store and asked if they could show me a camcorder which would provide good night light. I was shown one and told it was $600 which was great value and of great quality. I said I would think about it and then left and went to another store in the Mall and asked the price of the same camcorder and was told I would not get it under $1000 and when I said I had been offered it at a lower price and who told this to me he said that the store would not give it to me at this price and was only trying to entice me to buy it and would then put the price up.

I returned to the shop and said I was interested in it and the salesman said that although it was a good camcorder it did not have very good night light and began show me another which he said was of far superior quality with great night vision.

He asked initially how I would be paying and when I said Master Card, the salesman asked to see it and took it from me. He then started to show me a JVC GR-DVX 400 and how explained how great it was showing me various aspects of it.

Shortly afterwards I realised that I did not have my Master Card and asked my daughter had she picked it up, whereupon the salesman said that they were checking to see if it was valid and began to distract my attention again by giving me a demonstration of how the camcorder functioned.

He then took several lenses from the shelf and fixed them to the camcorder stating that I needed these to give a better picture and protect the camcorder. I saw on one of the boxes the price of $90 and said that it was very expensive, which he replied not to worry that I would get 30% off the price. He kept me about an hour and a half and then proceded to go to the counter and said that I would be getting a number of items free i.E. A camcorder bag, plug, two video tapes and camcorder cleaner.

He began to total it up and before asking me if I wanted it and advising me of the total price he had put it through my Master Card and gave the receipt to sign. It had a total of $1352.51 and I asked him where all the extra charges had come from said that it was state tax and walked away and took another store receipt and put the items down on this without including any prices.

He had also removed all items from the box and said that I did not need them as I could not go through customs with the box. He put all the items in a brown paper carrier. I stupidly signed for the items despite having reservations about doing it.

Afterwards I priced the same camcorder in several other stores and found to my horror that the price was only $500 and the lenses that he had sold me were worth $20. One of the salesmen from the store told me to take it back as I had been conned and to demand my money back of go to the manager of the mall as they frowned on stores conning visitors of their money.

I went back and told the salesman that he had conned me and told him the price of the items in all other stores and he said that they were lying and they were 'lowballing' me and said something about seling lenses from China.

He refused to reimburse me and said that he did not need to. I went to the Mall manager and he said he did not like to think that one of the stores in the Mall were overpricing customers.

He went to speak to him and returned and said he had telephoned various outlets and the the cost price he was told was $500 and the store had to make a profit. I told him this is not what I was told and that I had been overcharged by about nine times the price of the lenses and double the price of the camcorder. He returned to the store and returned to me stating that he had spoke to the manager and he did not like to see a dissatisfied customer and that I had to return to the store and he would see what he could do.

On return the manager said something to the salesman in another language and the salesman said the manager had said he had to give me anything and that he could give me a lens worth $350 for $100 and put a cleaning tape with it saying I could have this as well as the manager wanted to give me anything so he could offer me this. He told me I would have to pay in cash and stupidly I accepted as he said he could not take back the camcorder.

I again priced this and it was worth $100 the same as what I had paid and he had charged me for the cleaning tape at $29. One of the stores looked at the camcorder and told me it was faulty as there was a noise coming from which should not be there and said it was ready to burn and advised me return it and get my credit card company to get the money back.

I also went to a second repair store and was told that it was faulty. I telephoned them but they said there was nothing they could do as I had signed for the transaction and I then telephoned the Agriculture and Consumer group and was told much the same but they advised me to go back to the shop and create merry hell and take a policeman with me. I went back to the shop and told the salesman that I was not happy that the camcorder was faulty. He blamed me for it and said I must have damaged it, then took it, looked at it and said there was nothing wrong with it. I insisted there was and would not leave the shop until I had satisfaction. I also told him that the guarantee was not valid as it had not been completed by the store which it stated it had to be. He proceeded to tell me that this was not required as long as I had a receipt.

I told him that he had not given me a proper receipt and he proceeded to list various amounts on a receipt which could be from anyone as the name of the store is not indicated on it only a list of four prices one at $899.99 and another two at $149.99 and 189.99 being the lenses worth $20. The other price I do not know what this is for as all the other items were supposed to be free. My daughter also argued with the salesman and he told us to leave the shop or he would get the police.

I ignored this and he then said that I had to leave it for two hours and he would get a technician to look at it. I told him I would not leave it there and would wait as I was returning home that day and wished satisfaction as soon as possible.

Shortly after this he spoke in another language again to another salesman (there was three of them altogether and all said that I would not get my money back). He then took another box from the shelf and took a camcorder out of it and said he would replace it. He then proceeded to complete a guarantee with the name of the store and the date purchased (this does not correspond with the date of purchase on the receipt as it is the date he 'supposedly' replaced the camcorder.

I question now if was really a new camcorder that he actually gave me as I cannot remember him taking a guarantee from the box and they all have the seriel numbers of the camcorders on them. He had a guaarantee on the counter and this was the one he completed. I have not had it checked out but the camcorder I have makes a noise when I put it on pause.

I wonder if he switched the new camcorder for the old one when my attention was maybe diverted. This I cannot verify though and will be having it checked again.

I had my holiday marred and myself and family were put under tremendous stress trying to have the situation rectified. I am present trying to ascertain the business premises of the owner to contact him but only have the name and address of the store. I have his name but not business premises.

I have sent a written complaint to the Agriculture and Consumer Services but have not yet had a reply and am in the process of contacting the British Consulate in Florida. I do not know what else to do and do not know if the guarantee is valid and if I do not get recompense for the camcorder and if it is in fact faulty do not know how to go about getting it repaired under guarantee or where to send it to have this done.

I hope the when the owner receives my letter that he will be able to recompense me in some way as I work extremely hard for the money I earn and trusted that the store was a quality store with trustworthy sales assistants. This was one of two stores advertised in all the brochures visitors are given therefore you do not expect to be conned because you are a visitor to the country.

The salesman asked me all sorts of questions when selling me the camcorder such as who I was with on holiday and how long I was thereand was this the first time I had bought a camcorder, which I now think was a ploy to get as much information about me and whether I knew anything about camcorders

Marion
Lanarkshire
United Kingdom

Company: Camera Outlet
Country: USA
State: Florida
City: Orlando
Address: 15569 Apopka Road
Phone: 4072397888

  <     >