My story about this store's practices is the same as that of many other consumers documented on multiple websites, e.G.
On Fri, Dec 7, I placed an on-line order for a Sony DSC H7 digital camera with 86th Street Photo and Video in New York, for the price of $259, truly the cheapest offer I could find. Moreover, the merchant received one of the best customer satsifaction ratings on one of the comparative websites.
Including $34.95 for 2 day shipping, the price came to $293.95. As I submitted the order, the first thing that struck me was that there is no option to print your order, so the customer has no written evidence of what he ordered. Feature that comes in handy later on for the seller. I went to the feature track status order online, but to my surprise, my order was not in there either
Like all other duped customers, I received an e-mail stating that I needed to call "Clark" at the verification department, in order to verify the order. When I contacted Clark, he brought his full charm to bear to convince me to buy additional accessories. I went along with a circular polarizing filter for $59.60 and an extended life (5 hr) battery for $99. Clark then asked: would I take the 3 filter set, rather than just the polarizing filter, for just an additional $25, pointing out the substantial savings. I went along. He tried to sell me lots of other stuff, but I said I was not interested. However, then he said he could sell me a telephoto lens and a wide angle lens for a total of $200. While normally each lens would cost $200, he said, they had a holiday special on that offered "2 for the price of 1", so a real deal. I again went along, but told him that, having started off with a purchase that barely amounted to $300, I was now ending up with a total of close to $700. To show his appreciation, he said that he would throw in a camera bag, for free.
Clark did not specify the brandname or gave no specifications of any of the accessories, and again, I did not receive a written confirmation of what we had agreed on the phone the final order to be, nor an opportunity to make corrections if the order or total price, as entered by Clark was not in agreement with what we had discussed.
I was a happy customer, for 2 days. The materials arrived, and guess what: the bill showed a total of $ 799.99, i.E. $125 more than we had agreed on. Moreover, the list of items delivered had no detail as to their individual prices, and 4 out of 7 items listed on the packing slip were of a higher quality and advertised price, than what had been delivered (Titanium multi coated 3 piece filter, titanium laser cut telephoto lens, titanium laser cut wide angle lens, listed ; instead, all non-titanium, cheaper, basic versions by different manufacturers were delivered). The super Hi Capacity rechargeable battery listed on the slip was for a totally different camera and was different from the cheap battery delivered (can be found on internet for as little as $10.99; he charged me $99 per his own admission). Each of the other accessories could be found on the internet for a price that was 50% or less than what 86th street lists on its website). The entire packing slip was a scam. Moreover, so far, I have not managed to get the tele photolens to work when mounted on the zoom lens of the new camera. (he advised me "to play around with it a little").
When I called 86th Street Photo& Video on Thursday Dec 13, and asked to speak with Clark, he was not in. I left a message on his voicecom, a call which he did not return. When I phoned again on Friday Dec 14, Jonathan told me to call again on Sunday Dec 16 at 11 am, when Clark would be in. When I called that Sunday, I was first asked my order number. So they could go and give him a heads up, only to come back and say Clark was not in. I insisted to speak to him: they told me he had a family emergency and did not come in to work. I asked for the name of the manager and asked to speak to him. I was told he too was not in.
Unbeknownst to them I had another phone number with Clarks direct line number, and guess what the guy who was not in 2 minutes earlier, picked up the phone. I explained my issues to Clark and he vehemently denied everything I disputed about the order. He said that, from his end, the order showed that I orderedthe shooters package, a word that had never been used in our order"verification" conversation of Dec 9. I took him through that entire conversation and the built-up of the price we agreed upon then (based on the notes I had taken during the call), as outlined above. He denied this was the case, said he would never have offered a 3 filter set for just 84 $, and that nothing ever comes for free when I reminded him of his free camera bag which I had never asked for. I also indicated that the shipping price on the bill had been increased from $34.95 to $50. He categorically denied any inconsistency with what we had agreed my order to be previously, insisting that I had ordered a package deal, and that I "obviously was unwilling to listen"! Since the customer does not receive a written record of his/her order, he/she is left helpless. I begged him to listen to the tape of our telephone call which gets recorded for quality assurance purposes, so the truthfulness of what I said and the untruthfulness of his statements could be verified to each party's satsifaction. He said he had no access to that tape. I asked him to credit me the $130 he had overcharged. Clark refused and told me to call the customer service department the next day. That is when I discovered the barrage of negative consumer reports on the internet about this store and realized I was just one of many that had been had by them. I am investigating the options to remedy the practices of this highly unethical merchant, including contacting the office of the state of Illinois Attorney General.
Dr. M
Evanston, Illinois
U.S.A.
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