Dealer or Online purchase

Although some prices can be higher if you consider sales tax, are there certain advantages that dealers can offer? The ability to handle the product beforehand, along with ease of returning if not satisfied, comes to mind. Customer service is also important to me. I have the 18-200VR backordered through an online retailer, but am leaning toward buying the camera (D80) at a dealer.
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Al

Personally, I feel more comfortable about customer service buying from a dealer like the B&H compared to some very rude with incompetent salesmen and less customer friendly local dealerships.

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Speed is significant and interesting but accuracy is downright fascinating
http://www.pbase.com/pradipta

Pradipta Dutta said:

Personally, I feel more comfortable about customer service buying
from a dealer like the B&H compared to some very rude with
incompetent salesmen and less customer friendly local dealerships.

Click to expand...

Not all local dealers have rude salepeople. Unfortunately, it seems a lot of the good local dealers are disappearing.

Of course one needs to go in and acually check out the dealers. Also, if one finds a salesperosn they like, they should try to stick with that person. I can walk into my local shop and my salesperson gladly answers questionand pulls out stuff to show me even if I haven't bought anything in a few visits.
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-----Bear

I agree, and I also feel obliged to help high street shops after my favourite one went bust. I always popped in for advice, and I liked being able to take stuff back when I had a problem. I still buy stuff online, but my D200 came from my 'new' favourite shop.

we don't have any really good camera stores here......basically Ritz, BestBuy, Circuit City. if there any good ones, I haven't found them.

DesertCoyote said:

we don't have any really good camera stores here......basically
Ritz, BestBuy, Circuit City. if there any good ones, I haven't
found them.

Click to expand...

Have you tried using http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?goingto=wb_catalog&cmd=quicksearchzip&st=NAS to locate local dealers?

Try nearby cities. Phoenix lists 3 dealers who sell the D2X.
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-----Bear

Just to add my $0.02 to the mix:

I am planning to buy a D200 and three lenses (all around $1400 US each) along with an SB800 and some other Nikon accessories in early 2007. I have already decided to buy locally.

Here is my reasoning: I like the idea of being able to handle the merchandise and have a local place to exchange an unsatisfactory unit. Also, in the last few years I have decided that I am better served to support some local merchants and hope that helps keep them around. As far as my future photo gear purchase, I am fortunate in that the retailer, Idaho Camera, has 5 stores in the area and so they usually have several copies of a certain piece of gear in stock. Plus, they are a reputable store and the folks are good to talk to and work with.

I still support the online shopping experience, but in the case of this camera equipment purchase I am going to take the hit (about $400) in higher costs and taxes.

Ursus said:

Pradipta Dutta said:

Personally, I feel more comfortable about customer service buying
from a dealer like the B&H compared to some very rude with
incompetent salesmen and less customer friendly local dealerships.

Click to expand...

Not all local dealers have rude salepeople. Unfortunately, it seems
a lot of the good local dealers are disappearing.

Of course one needs to go in and acually check out the dealers.
Also, if one finds a salesperosn they like, they should try to
stick with that person. I can walk into my local shop and my
salesperson gladly answers questionand pulls out stuff to show me
even if I haven't bought anything in a few visits.
--
-----Bear

Click to expand...

--
Bob H.

My worry about online dealers is you are always at risk of receiving a 'return'. That happened to me twice with B&H. Although the items were fortunately not photographic, they were held together, including torn wrapper, with rubber bands. Let's just say I wasn't impressed!
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Al