Anyone have experience with Foto-Hobby (Leica Galerie Frankfurt)?

akarin

akarin

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I'm considering an online purchase with them, but would really appreciate if I could hear from anyone who have done business with them before.

Thank you very much in advance 🙂

-Akarin
 
Didn't know that you can order online. There you have the advantage that you don't have to deal with their arrogance in the shop.
 
back alley said:
can i ask why you would post this in the digital m8 section?
Click to expand...

Hi,

Thank you for asking. Sorry...I had failed to mention that they are offering M9 at a pretty good price EUR4,6xx if the sales is for export out of EU. I was tempted by this, but just want to make sure I wasn't dealing with a fly-by-night operation. I thought I'd also share the info to others who may be on the look out for M9.

I put up the original post pretty late at night and completely forgot to mention the M9. My bad!

Back on the foto-hobby. They have just informed me that the wait was 8-10 weeks, and that I had to pre-pay in full. This put me back on the pause, unfortunately. Is this pre-pay business a normal practice in Germany?

Anyway, thanks to all who shared your experience.

-Akarin
 
Last edited:
akarin said:
Back on the foto-hobby. They have just informed me that the wait was 8-10 weeks, and that I had to pre-pay in full. This put me back on the pause, unfortunately. Is this pre-pay business a normal practice in Germany?

Anyway, thanks to all who shared your experience.

-Akarin
Click to expand...

I think in this case they anticipate that you ordered the m9 at a lot of shops and only take the one where you get it first. To prevent that they sit on it, they want pre-pay, but that's just a guess now.
 
I live there, so I regularly go there. The shop ist very old, celebrates it's 100th birthday this year, so they get you a lot of stuff out of their storage you won't find anywhere else (e.g. rare lens caps).

For my M9 I wasn't charged in advance, but it may be because I came to the shop in person and work around the corner. Last weekend they gave me 2 lenses to try out. So I can't complain.
 
andreaffm said:
I live there, so I regularly go there. The shop ist very old, celebrates it's 100th birthday this year, so they get you a lot of stuff out of their storage you won't find anywhere else (e.g. rare lens caps).

For my M9 I wasn't charged in advance, but it may be because I came to the shop in person and work around the corner. Last weekend they gave me 2 lenses to try out. So I can't complain.
Click to expand...

Don't you think they are arrogant? I stopped going there because I didn't like the behavior of some of the guys. Perhaps my wallet wasn't looking big enough 🙄
 
pre pay a company overseas you know nothing about or only anecdotally is asking for problems IMO. There had better be some major savings, not a few hundred D-marks.
 
Last edited:
akarin said:
Hi,

Thank you for asking. Sorry...I had failed to mention that they are offering M9 at a pretty good price EUR4,6xx if the sales is for export out of EU. I was tempted by this, but just want to make sure I wasn't dealing with a fly-by-night operation. I thought I'd also share the info to others who may be on the look out for M9.

I put up the original post pretty late at night and completely forgot to mention the M9. My bad!

Back on the foto-hobby. They have just informed me that the wait was 8-10 weeks, and that I had to pre-pay in full. This put me back on the pause, unfortunately. Is this pre-pay business a normal practice in Germany?

Anyway, thanks to all who shared your experience.

-Akarin
Click to expand...
If a shop asks me to pre-pay in full, no matter what their reputation is, I take my business elsewhere. It is not as if they are the only Leica dealer around. It is certainly not normal business practice in Germany. And the price is normal list price ex VAT which you can get anywhere. If you want to buy in Germany I would advise for instance Meister Camera.
 
Last edited:
I bought my M7 from them 🙂 shipping was 4 days... The Camera is LNiB with everything from papers to passport. Got a few rolls of Ilford Hp5+ in the box also, id rate them A+ great communication, fast shipping and the item was packaged like a tank.
 
Just to point out, probably unnecessary: The seller called Foto-Hobby on eBay is not the same company!

The Foto-Hobby on eBay is located in Poland and mainly sells non-Leica lenses, converted to LTM or M mount. They have other nice stuff on sale as well, but charge 22% additional VAT for sales within the EU.

No relation to either seller/company, just thought I'd point this out.
 
tom.w.bn said:
Don't you think they are arrogant? I stopped going there because I didn't like the behavior of some of the guys. Perhaps my wallet wasn't looking big enough 🙄
Click to expand...

I have heard the same from another person. And I have an idea whom of the staff you mean by that. But I can not complain. They have been nice to me from day 1 - at least the two who sell me my stuff and serve me espresso along with it.
(But sometimes it helps immensely when you are female and under forty.)
 
I've always been treated well there, but then I haven't been there ever since they relocated some ten years ago, except as a invited guest at their exhibition openings.
 
jaapv said:
If a shop asks me to pre-pay in full, no matter what their reputation is, I take my business elsewhere. It is not as if they are the only Leica dealer around. It is certainly not normal business practice in Germany. And the price is normal list price ex VAT which you can get anywhere. If you want to buy in Germany I would advise for instance Meister Camera.
Click to expand...

I found the guys from meister camera arrogant, but this was a day after germany got defeated in the world cup, so that may have caused it..
 
Decided to wait after all...

Decided to wait after all...

Decided to be a good boy and keep saving while stock finds it's way to Bangkok. My local shop promised to call me as soon as he has his order. What he also told me was that he believed that the new stock would be quite a bit cheaper than his last lot. That was about a couple of months ago. This is an interesting development. Will only know for sure once I see the invoice, though
 
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