How I Bought my Canon A2E

Or How I Learned That There's Always Someone Greedier and Smarter Than Me
(Originally posted on photo.net)

Despite having been a satisfied B&H customer for some time, I looked around for good deals when I decided to buy a decent new camera. I settled on the Canon A2E and found CCI advertising a very appetizing special for the A2E plus a Canon EF 28-105 zoom. I call them and after being asked whether I am a first time customer (I, the dupe, admit to that, thinking they need that to see if they can pull my info from their computers, like an honest store would), I inquire if they have the kit in stock. They do, so I order it. I ask specifically at least three times to make sure I am getting the USA warranteed version. All replies in the affirmative. Then they offer to sell me the "much better" Sigma, which costs $699 but is on special sale right now, so I can upgrade to that lens for only $200. I say, why not, they seem like nice people. After finalizing the order, I am informed that shipping is $49. I tell them to cancel the order. The guy comes back with... free shipping. Much better, I think, and hang up the phone. And now the saga begins.

So, I get off the phone and promptly go to B&H's website to check the Sigma lens. Sells for $213. I get terribly upset and immediately phone CCI with the notion of canceling the entire order. After describing the problem, I get transferred to "Ronnie" who tells me B&H lists the "old version of the lens, which did not have the aspherical lens, etc." I am still upset, so he offers to give me an original Canon bag for free, and throw in some cleaning supplies. I say fine, but reserve the right to return the lens if not satisfied. He says OK.

I hang up and immediately go to Sigma's website only to find that there's only one version of the lens, and it's the one that B&H sells. Now I am in rage, so I call CCI and ask immediately for "Ronnie." I get put on hold (hey, it's their money) and after spending 20 mins, someone hangs up on me. I call again and this time strenuously insist on speaking with Ronnie immediately. He answers and I tell him to cancel the order. Plain and simple. He tries to wiggle out of it, but I tell him that after I've been lied to twice, there's no way out of it. He persists and offers to upgrade my shipping to overnight, just so that I can try the "terrific lens" and tells me that if not satisfied, I can exchange it for the Canon and get a refund for the difference. He then throws in a free tripod! Now, I already have a tripod but think, why not, one for the girlfriend would be nice. (How dumb can I be? Very.) So, I tell him OK and wait for the kit.

The kit arrives next day. I open it to find (1) EOS 5, the international version, with NO WARRANTY CARD WHATSOEVER; (2) the "tripod" is the $5 thingie that can't support a filter, let alone anything else; (3) the "cleaning kit" is the one that sells for $5; (4) I was charged $49 for shipping. THAT'S IT!

I call and tell Ronnie in no uncertain terms that I demand full refund, plus reimbursement for the shipping charges for sending the stuff back to them. I threaten with my credit card company, BBB, litigation for fraudulent advertising, and whatever else I can think of, including telling his mother. To my surprise, he offers to send me the A2E body overnight at no additional cost and with the USA warranty card. I refuse. He then offers to refund $100. I accept, (a double moron now, but greed knows no limits). I guess I really liked the green camera bag.

EOS A2E arrives next day with the warranty card, as promised. My credit card is also charged $500. What?! At this point I am so tired of dealing CCI that I only want to get my $100 back, remove the new $500 charge and return the EOS 5 (which, by the way, was a stupid mistake because it has features that the A2E does not, but then again, I really need the warranty now that I see what kind of service CCI offers).

SO, I DRIVE TO BROOKLYN (I live in Rochester, which is 320 miles away) in order to deal with this in person. I find the store... what a shabby operation, I would have never bought anything from a place that looked like a glorified warehouse. They tell me they work with walk-ins only from whenever-to-five-minutes-ago. I persist and since I am huge (6'5", 250lb), they see my point. I find Ronnie, who is constantly on the phone and pitches the Sigma to at least 5 callers while I am there. No one else seems to be working, there are two Russian girls that just sit there. I am a patient person, so I wait. Finally Ronnie gets to me and promptly processes the $600 refund after inspecting the EOS 5 body. So far so good. And what does yours truly do? BUYS MORE STUFF! Yes, that's right, more stuff, like the VG-10 grip (B&H did not have it in stock and I was leaving for a month vacation to Europe and really needed it), an ND gradient filter, a polarizer, and a remote. After all is said and done, I only get $250 of the $600.

Then I found I was overcharged on EACH AND EVERY ITEM THEY SOLD ME. When the dust settled, I had paid around $1200 for a bundle of products that cost around $900 at B&H.

I would never ever consider buying photo equipment anywhere but B&H, with whom I went on to have several happy experiences since. One of them was buying two Canon lenses to replace the truly awful Sigma. I just couldn't deal with CCI again to return it. Moral of the story: don't be greedy, there are always others that are better at it than you are.

December 14, 2000. BLS