I ordered three items from Best Price Cameras on November 26:
1. Canon 580EXII Speedlite TTL Flash $359.00
2. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS (1 Yr. USA Warranty) $999.00
3. Canon EOS 40D 10.1 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body $449.00
Total $1,807.00
The following day I received an e-mail from "Chris" asking that I call him to confirm my order. I called him and that's when he started the bait and switch routine. He said that the camera was a model made to be sold in Europe and made of inferior components. For $249 more I could get the U.S. Model which would include a battery. (This seems strange since their ad on the internet said U.S. Warranty.) He then said that the battery that came with the camera was only good for a few pictures and that I should get a high energy battery. He said that the battery from the EOS 20D would not work with the new camera. (False—it is the same battery for both models). Again, an additional charge. (I used the Canon battery and have gotten several hundered photos out of it before it needed to be charged).
He said that I did not need an Image Stabilized lens since the Canon EOS 40D had image stabilization built in. This is not true. Canon uses a system of stabilization that is incorporated into their select lenses. Then it was back to "European model" and that the mounting bracket was made out of plastic and that it would not hold up. For $249 more I could get the U.S. Model.
For the flash, he indicated that regular ni-cad batteries were not sufficient and I should get a super rechargeable set, which I did. (Using standard AA batteries I took over 200 photos with the flash and the batteries were still going strong.)
Then, he said that since I had gotten all of this extra stuff I could receive their "Executive Package" for a small amount (I don't remember the exact amount).
I decided to check what was charged to my American Express card and was amazed to see a charge of $4,999.99. I tried calling, but was on hold forever. I sent an e-mail. No response.
I finally got in touch with a supervisor. I told him that I wanted to return everything when it arrived and to get a refund. He said that there was a re-stocking fee of 10% ($500). Basically, it would cost me $500 and I would have nothing to show for it. I expressed how upset I was with the company. He said that he could refund $300 and give me a doubler to make me happy. (They did do this). I still am not happy.
I wrote the company a letter on December 18, indicating that this was my last attempt to contact the company before having to deal with the New York State Attorney General's office. I have asked for an invoice which breaks down the prices of all items which they sent instead of "Executive Package $4999.99. (I still do not have this). The "package" includes warranties. The camera lens warranty was for a lens costing under $1,500 and the camera warranty was for a camera costing under $500. I was told that they would fix the camera or lens for those amounts and would give me a replacement if they could not fix it.
The rechargeable batteries for the flash did not charge. They finally sent me a replacement—but of a lesser capacity battery.
Their website says that "Everything we sell is brand new and factory fresh. Everything we sell comes with a full US Warranty." If the items were "European models" they wouldn't carry a "full US Warranty."
I could never recommend this company to anyone.
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