giellaleafapmu
Well-known
Dear All,
I recently tried to buy a new lens and some other stuff from a very well-known dealer from the US (I guess he might even be the best known).
The whole order was what I would call "middle size" (around 900 US$). After a few days I received an e-mail message asking for some details of my credit card. I gave the details. I received another message with requests of more messages. After checking it was a genuine message I gave the details. Then nothing...nothing and more nothing.
After almost two weeks I asked to please send the stuff or tell me what was going on (card was charged) and after a few days without an answer they canceled my order. No explanation (of course my card is fine!), nothing. The only reason I can see is the country I am in (a South American one).
Is this common behavior? Of course, I now do not want to buy stuff from them but is there not a law which somehow oblige to sell if the client is paying or at least to give clear explanations of the reasons why a card is rejected? How/to whom should I complain?
GLF
I recently tried to buy a new lens and some other stuff from a very well-known dealer from the US (I guess he might even be the best known).
The whole order was what I would call "middle size" (around 900 US$). After a few days I received an e-mail message asking for some details of my credit card. I gave the details. I received another message with requests of more messages. After checking it was a genuine message I gave the details. Then nothing...nothing and more nothing.
After almost two weeks I asked to please send the stuff or tell me what was going on (card was charged) and after a few days without an answer they canceled my order. No explanation (of course my card is fine!), nothing. The only reason I can see is the country I am in (a South American one).
Is this common behavior? Of course, I now do not want to buy stuff from them but is there not a law which somehow oblige to sell if the client is paying or at least to give clear explanations of the reasons why a card is rejected? How/to whom should I complain?
GLF
Thardy
Veteran
Sometimes they claim to have a hard time "verifying information". I had it happen when buying my first dslr. I just bought from another reputable online dealer from the same city ( Adorama) without problems.
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Steve Bellayr
Veteran
Not really. Usually I call direct on items of the magnitude.
kshapero
South Florida Man
Never had this happen
35mmdelux
Veni, vidi, vici
No, and no.
They may not want to sell in South America? Sounds strange tho. I would be careful providing financial data online.
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
It has happened to me. A middle-sized order from B&H (just under the AUD$1,000 GST threshold) was knocked back when they went to verify my credit-card details. I was told that banking privacy laws in Australia would not allow them to make sufficiently intrusive checks on me. So I placed the order with Adorama. They gave me no fuss and the goods arrived 3 days later. I was reluctant to deal with B&H afterwards, for fear of going through the same futile rigmarole, but I have done since and they've been perfectly fine. I still give my preference to Adorama, though, partly due to fall-out from the original incident and because they've always given me good service.
...Mike
...Mike
peter_n
Veteran
There's at last one dealer in the US that doesn't accept credit cards from foreign countries, maybe it is KEH?
kingjon
Established
No, never had that problem. But when I was stationed in Guam there were several companies who had never heard of Express Mail or Priority for that matter. I had to re-order a couple of times using horrifically expensive UPS international service.
Jon
Jon
colyn
ישו משיח
I believe KEH requires you to register by setting up an account but they do sell worldwide with credit cards..
By registering it gives them a chance to verify your information..
I've been dealing with them for several years now with no problems whatsoever. In fact I placed a $1198.00 order this morning and have already gotten the shipping notice..
mike kim
Established
I've bought from B&H when I lived in Argentina without many problems. They request you to send them a photo of your credit card, front and back, to verify the information though. And customs fees were 50%, but that's another (Argentinean) story.
Tuolumne
Veteran
So, who was the dealer?
/T
/T
giellaleafapmu
Well-known
So, ok I feel less bad...
The dealer was the one everybody else mentioned: B&H. I had already used their services without much problems, they also asked for a copy front and back of my card and told me I could cover some of the digits of the card as well as the security numbers, they later asked for the telephone number and fax number of my bank but I know for a fact that here where I am banks don't even confirm whether a given person is their customer or not unless the request comes from some administrative agency so for sure they could not have any intrusive checking on me and they refused to complete the transaction.
I have no problems buying from another dealer because I was not buying an exotic item and have nothing against the fact that they want to protect themselves from frauds but it would have been nice had they been quicker telling me there could have been problems and if they had not charged first the card to say later that they could not complete the transaction and that they would give a refund. Now I have to wait for the refund before having the possibility to reorder from somewhere else and I will have my stuff almost a mount later and will have to use something different than the friend who was traveling from the States to bring my stuff here...
GLF
The dealer was the one everybody else mentioned: B&H. I had already used their services without much problems, they also asked for a copy front and back of my card and told me I could cover some of the digits of the card as well as the security numbers, they later asked for the telephone number and fax number of my bank but I know for a fact that here where I am banks don't even confirm whether a given person is their customer or not unless the request comes from some administrative agency so for sure they could not have any intrusive checking on me and they refused to complete the transaction.
I have no problems buying from another dealer because I was not buying an exotic item and have nothing against the fact that they want to protect themselves from frauds but it would have been nice had they been quicker telling me there could have been problems and if they had not charged first the card to say later that they could not complete the transaction and that they would give a refund. Now I have to wait for the refund before having the possibility to reorder from somewhere else and I will have my stuff almost a mount later and will have to use something different than the friend who was traveling from the States to bring my stuff here...
GLF
David Murphy
Veteran
wgerrard
Veteran
GLF, credit card companies typically track your use of their card and will refuse any transaction that falls outside that established pattern. It's all done via software and should trigger a phone call to you to ask if you actually made that purchase. However, that phone call may be separated by a few days from the day of purchase. And, some times, it may not come at all.
In addition, use of an American card in another country will often be rejected unless the user alerts the company beforehand. Presumably, the same could happen in any country.
All this is done to thwart fraud. It is annoying. But, at least in my case, it has caught someone attempting fraudulent use of one of my accounts.
The merchant only knows that the credit card has been refused. He does not know why.
In the future, alerting your credit card company to any unusual purchases will probably pay off.
In addition, use of an American card in another country will often be rejected unless the user alerts the company beforehand. Presumably, the same could happen in any country.
All this is done to thwart fraud. It is annoying. But, at least in my case, it has caught someone attempting fraudulent use of one of my accounts.
The merchant only knows that the credit card has been refused. He does not know why.
In the future, alerting your credit card company to any unusual purchases will probably pay off.
wgerrard
Veteran
Well, there is a lot of credit card fraud going on. Perhaps B&H has recently been burned by fraud from your location. Don't blame you for being annoyed. But, on the other hand, it's unlikely that B&H would turn down sales unless they though they had a reason.
Speaking of KEH and worldwide sales: Once upon a time I lived for some time in southern Africa. Stopping in Oxford in the UK on the way there, I asked Blackwell's bookstore if they would ship books to me in Africa and how I could pay for them. It was as simple as opening an account and showing a credit card. Took less than 15 minutes. I doubt that would happen today.
nikon_sam
Shooter of Film...
On one Sunday afternoon American Express called to ask a few questions...I was a bit course with them at first (calling me on a Sunday) but then she got to the real reason for the call...someone in Brazil was charging a bunch of stuff on my card number...
The big tip off was that I had just used that card the night before and now someone was using it in South America...$1500US was the total of their spending spree...I'm guessing this isn't the only time this has happened...
The big tip off was that I had just used that card the night before and now someone was using it in South America...$1500US was the total of their spending spree...I'm guessing this isn't the only time this has happened...
Steve M.
Veteran
I've had trouble w/ both B&H and Adorama w/ this type of thing. I'm grateful that someone posted a thread about a lawsuit settlement B&H made a while back over their dastardly unfair treatment of non Hasidic Jewish workers at their store, and refuse to do business w/ either business. It was always a trial calling either.
It's worked out great too. Not only do I feel good about not giving my money to people why practice discrimination, I discovered Freestyle Photo. Between them, fleabay and KEH there's very little I can't get.
In the main NY dealers are rude and less than friendly, but Sammy Koh still gets my business at Koh's Camera. He's very knowledgeable, especially about Leica, has great prices and will go to the shelf and look at the item to describe it to you on the phone. Four star guy.
It's worked out great too. Not only do I feel good about not giving my money to people why practice discrimination, I discovered Freestyle Photo. Between them, fleabay and KEH there's very little I can't get.
In the main NY dealers are rude and less than friendly, but Sammy Koh still gets my business at Koh's Camera. He's very knowledgeable, especially about Leica, has great prices and will go to the shelf and look at the item to describe it to you on the phone. Four star guy.