Horror Story - again

[freeranger]

Apologies to the mod who closed this thread because it was posted in General Discussion - because a leading character in my horror story is an slr lens then this is a more appropriate place.

I have just received a "brand new" pentax lens from a "reputable dealer" in the UK...

I am hoping that they have made a mistake .... a very big mistake!

On opening the package, the first thing that I noticed was that the box did not look new :

The second thing that I noticed was the rattle

The elements were all unsecured and rattling around inside the lens body. It is truly horrific! ... but not as horrific as the third thing that I noticed... indented into the lid of my "new box" are some notes - they strangely correlate to second thing that I noticed ... can you read them?

"Nick" has noticed that the "element" "rattles"

So, tomorrow I shall call the manager and ask for an explanation. I am hoping that they mixed my package with one that had been brought in for repair. Watch this space!

 

[photogdave]

That's pretty bad! I sure hope they sort it out for you.
It's a shame that in some places a reputable brick and mortar camera store is not available and you are forced to rely on internet/phone ordering.

 

[freeranger]

It's a shame that in some places a reputable brick and mortar camera store is not available and you are forced to rely on internet/phone ordering.

They are brick and mortar, too. And people on the pentax forums really rate them. I am hopeful that it has been a horrible mistake (that's why I am not naming any names yet). I am still shaking with shock and needed to vent a little in the hope that I will be rational and calm on the phone tomorrow.

Thanks for listening 😉

 

[photogdave]

I just meant it's too bad that we all can't just walk into a store, look at something in person and buy it. The state of the world these days!
I'm sure they will correct this mistake for you. Good luck!

 

[jpmac55]

Yea, I'm thinking the same thing. Shop owner probably sent you the wrong lens by mistake.

I recently ordered a pair of hiking/canoe pants and learned it was back ordered for a month or so. When the shipment finally arrived, inside the box was a pair of Chaco sandals, not the pair of pants I ordered. Not even close although the sandals were coincidently my size. Anyway, the shop corrected the order but you get my point.

 

[freeranger]

You should have walked into the head office wearing those new shoes ... With no pants on - "I wish to make a complaint!"

 

[jpmac55]

freeranger.......😀 😀 😀

 

[Eugen Mezei]

It's a shame that in some places a reputable brick and mortar camera store is not available and you are forced to rely on internet/phone ordering.

I had more unpleasent experiences with brick and mortare stores than with online ones. The virtual stores always acted profesionally, the others were unprofessional, arrogant and expensive.
To be honest I am tired of the crying about every store getting closed. The reason they get bankrupt lies not in evil online concurrency, they loose on their own unprofessionality. They survived for so long only as no alternative was given. Now we can see which ones were worth the money and which ones not.

Eugen

 

[freeranger]

Well, I got in touch with them and sent them the pictures - they were as shocked as I was! They think that they have been supplied with a returned lens instead of a new one and told me to ship it right back to them.

I am relieved, but I will be completely happy only if they refund my shipping charges. They said that they had no legal obligation to do so, but considering the extraordinary circumstances would see what they could do.

So I suppose that although Eugen is correct in that mortar stores can be arrogant, unprofessional and expensive, there is a lot to gain in going in and handling the merchandise before you hand over your cash.

 

[Jonas]

You should have walked into the head office wearing those new shoes ... With no pants on - "I wish to make a complaint!"

Ha ha ha 😀

 

[pachuco]

They said that they had no legal obligation to do so, but considering the extraordinary circumstances would see what they could do.

Are they serious? They sent you the wrong package! How could they not have an obligation to you??😕

 

[hans voralberg]

Check the Distance Selling Act 2000 😉

 

[dnk512]

B&H once send me a new camera that had an issue (cosmetic). I called them and they suggested to have UPS pick it up for free and ship me a new unit for no additional shipping charge, *IF* I was willing to let them charge my card for a second unit while the first camera was getting to them. I did. They shipped the replacement that day. UPS came and picked up the damaged unit the next day (from my door). My card was refunded the cost of the first camera few days later.

 

[Eugen Mezei]

So I suppose that although Eugen is correct in that mortar stores can be arrogant, unprofessional and expensive, there is a lot to gain in going in and handling the merchandise before you hand over your cash.

They don't have to be, unfortunately I can count the ones not acting as such on one hand. But I know at least 50 different stores where I bet that entering them they would have at least half of the things I wish to buy not avaible and from this half they are unwilling to order the most part or asking for a fee. Normal procedure is to convince me buying something they have on stock, although this has not te slightest resemblance with what I need.


So this being my experience I will not spend a minute to care if these stores need to close.
Online stores have schooled personel, not the dummies you will find today in brick and mortar stores. They also mostly have things in stock and are fast.

The most catastrofious are brick and mortar stores beginning to sell online. They combine the disavantages of both selling forms. Not being schooled professionals in their store they are even more crap knowing the rules of online selling. But they pretend to be well paid for their amateurism.

Eugen

 

[George S.]

I think somebody scammed the store and returned a broken lens, or it could have been an inside job and an employee either worked in concert with the person doing the return, or is switching things in the stock room. Either way, with the condition that box is in, somebody should have said "Whoa, let me take a look inside this box before it goes out." I've worked in retail loss prevention and there's thousands of ways to steal. You'd be surprised how many times customer service doesn't open the box that's being returned before refunding the money only to notice later that that big screen TV box contains a box of rocks to give it some weight!

 

[photogdave]

They don't have to be, unfortunately I can count the ones not acting as such on one hand. But I know at least 50 different stores where I bet that entering them they would have at least half of the things I wish to buy not avaible and from this half they are unwilling to order the most part or asking for a fee. Normal procedure is to convince me buying something they have on stock, although this has not te slightest resemblance with what I need.

Maybe if you go to a big box store like Future Shop, but not if you go to a professional photo retailer.

Online stores have schooled personel, not the dummies you will find today in brick and mortar stores. They also mostly have things in stock and are fast.

My experience is almost exactly the opposite. I guess it depends on where you shop!