84th Street Photo & Video
Low-ball web prices, then don't deliver product after declining accessories New York

Ditto for me in regards to the same practice everyone else is reporting about this on-line company. I used Bizrate and other search engines to find the lowest price on a specific digital camera that I was looking for.

84th Street Photo & Video in NY (doing business on-line as 84photovideo.com) consistently showed up with the lowest price (way lower than everyone else... Like $230 for a $400 camera!) The company received high ratings from most previous customers so I felt it was safe to order from them.

The camera was "in-stock" according to their site so I ordered one on-line. The day after I placed my order, they sent me an email informing me that I had to contact my credit card company and add an alternate shipping address to my account since I was requesting that the camera be shipped to my work address instead of my home (billing) address. That was the first red flag.

I buy lots of stuff on-line and have it shipped to my work address because no one is home during the day and I don't want the shipping company to leave stuff on the doorstep (certainly not a $400 camera). I never had to contact my credit card company before but I did anyway and it turned out to be a common request according to the credit card company. So, no problem, they added an alternate shipping address to my account.

A couple of days later, 84th Street Photo & Video sent me another email informing me that I had to call them on the telephone to verify my order before they processed it. If I didn't call them, my order would be delayed. Another red flag.

I called them and the rep verified my order, credit card info, and shipping info. Everything was correct. He then tried very hard to convince me to add some accessories to my order. I graciously declined a $180 extended battery, a $150 memory card, and a 5-year extended warranty for I don't remember how much. The rep then said "OK, we'll process your order and get it to you right away. Have a nice day". He then hung up on me. Another red flag.

A couple of days later, they sent me another e-mail informing me that the camera I ordered was sold out and they wouldn't get anymore for 5-6 weeks. They gave me the option of cancelling my order without any penalty or simply waiting. That was the last red flag.

I googled the company and found this website. Evidently, this is the way they do business. They advertise their products way lower than everyone else to suck you in, then they pressure you to buy overpriced accessories to make up the difference. I cancelled my order and they didn't penalize me (so far... I haven't received my latest billing statement).

I'm curious to know if anyone has actually waited the 5-6 weeks to see if they really deliver. I didn't want to take the chance since I wanted the camera for the holidays. Regardless, I found the same camera at another site. It cost me around $40-50 more but I got it in 3 days! That's what I call service!

Company: 84th Street Photo & Video
Country: USA
State: New York
City: New York
Address: New York, NY

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