The bait: Nikon D90 Digital SLR Camera Body and 28-300 Nikkor lens
— Quoted price from The Digital Hunter: $1,276.20
After placing an order via the web site (www.thedigitalhunter.com) a salesman called me to upgrade and change the price. After I requested to cancel the order the company charged my VISA account $1,706.99.
This company's activities are scandalous if not outright fraudulent. The technique is a classic bait and switch operation. Lured in by a great price on a camera or lens (the bait) the merchant then sends a low-cost budget item attempting to pass it off as a high-end upgrade (the switch). An element of the scam is to claim the item is a "gray market" model without warranty and / or everything is written on the item in Japanese (Nikon technical services, for one, disavows their being such products) and that you should upgrade. This might not be disclosed to the buyer at the time of purchase, but will handed off in the guise that, for example, a rapid charger and battery will be included in the sale (meaning the switch is being made to the higher cost "domestic" model). No mention may be made at all of there being a price differential.
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