Lee:what does Delta do with returned lenses?

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30 days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer does!

Customer statements are just that, customer statements. What about an official statement from Delta? B&H made one.

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

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I've never seen Delta post here but anyone could just call them and ask that question.

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

Click to expand...

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

Click to expand...

According to Lee, the big deal about Delta, besides their customer service, is that their grey equipment comes in "factory sealed" boxes. How could they resell it as new? Could they possibly make/stock their own "factory" boxes and seals? Scarry/ interresing. Lets hope they post so we see an official answer, not third party "they say..."--Chris

I believe that Lee has said that ONLY ONE of his lenses from Delta came in a "factory sealed" box. Just one, not all of them.

wolfwatcher said:

According to Lee, the big deal about Delta, besides their customer
service, is that their grey equipment comes in "factory sealed"
boxes. How could they resell it as new? Could they possibly
make/stock their own "factory" boxes and seals? Scarry/
interresing. Lets hope they post so we see an official answer, not
third party "they say..."
--

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--The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net

Doug Walker said:

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

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I know this is their policy as I have bought a lens and returned it to them. They did not ask any questions and gave me a full refund in a timely manner. It is inconceivable to me that they ate the cost of the lens and did not resell it as new.

I actually went to Delta's office to pick up the lens. They let me see three copies of the same lens. One was in a sealed box, the other two were in the same "unsealed" box you would get from B&H.

DavidP said:

wolfwatcher said:

According to Lee, the big deal about Delta, besides their customer
service, is that their grey equipment comes in "factory sealed"
boxes. How could they resell it as new? Could they possibly
make/stock their own "factory" boxes and seals? Scarry/
interresing. Lets hope they post so we see an official answer, not
third party "they say..."
--

Click to expand...

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net

Click to expand...

BDF said:

I actually went to Delta's office to pick up the lens. They let me
see three copies of the same lens. One was in a sealed box, the
other two were in the same "unsealed" box you would get from B&H.

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B&H is the only retailer I've ever worked for. Before I came here I was a full-time shooter for 20+ years (and bought my fair share of equipment).

In all that time, the number of things I've seen come "factory sealed" could be counted on the fingers on one hand. and (except for some accessories for the Contax Dental Eye) were all digital cameras sealed so the software CDs didn't wander off.

I have never seen a "factory sealed" lens I can recall. Some big behemoth lenses, like the Nikon 600mm AF come one to a carton, since they're so huge, and the carton is sealed, but it's the same carton and the same packing tape as is used when a carton contains a dozen 80~200/2.8 models.

Photo stuff just doesn't come from Nikon or Canon or Hasselblad or any of the others "factory sealed." Same's true for "grey market."

Besides, as I've posted elsewhere, shrink-wrap machines are readily available. It takes a moment for a retailer to "factory seal" anything he wants to.--Henry PosnerB&H Photo-Video, Inc.

It seems to me that if Lee thinks B&H is the "Axis Of Evil" because it sells returned items that Delta should likewise get flamed for following the same policy. I guarantee you that Delta sells those returned lenses just like everyone else does. It would be financially inconceivable to do otherwise.

Personally, it doesn't matter to me whether or not someone returned the lens and the store sold it to me. Just so long as it is still "new" insofar as the factory warranty is concerned, I am fine with it.

If it is a big deal to people, they can ask that the item they receive be unopened.

Or better yet, they can march down to their local store and inspect the quality of a lens before they buy it. They just have to be willing to pay for that honor.

Scott Bourne
http://www.scottbourne.com

BDF said:

DavidP said:

wolfwatcher said:

According to Lee, the big deal about Delta, besides their customer
service, is that their grey equipment comes in "factory sealed"
boxes. How could they resell it as new? Could they possibly
make/stock their own "factory" boxes and seals? Scarry/
interresing. Lets hope they post so we see an official answer, not
third party "they say..."
--

Click to expand...

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net

Click to expand...

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All I can do is repeat exactly what Betty and Anna have told me repeatedly about this issue. My advice would be (for your own concern) to call her directly and ask her. What she told me (and I have no strong reason to doubt her based on what I personally have received) is that indeed they offer a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. She did also mention that the number of NON defective items that are returned are miniscule, and in fact they are NOT put back after being used and returned and sold as new merchandise. The defective's are of course returned to the distributor for credit or replacement with new items. In my own personal experience (although everyone seems to want to argue about it) I have received a 100 2.8 Macro in a sealed shrink wrapped box obviously from a European distributor as it had some seal on both ends of the box that stated "European Assurance Seal" and if it was ever removed (as it was when I took it off) would have left a tear because it was such a sticky seal and could not be fudged off and replaced without it being obvious. The only other lens I received that was "sealed" or in this case shrink wrapped was my 70-200 2.8IS. One way I have found that it is possible to tell (with Canon lenses especially) if the product has been previously opened is you WILL notice and agree that the kind of plastic bags used for them wrinkles so very easily that once you have unwrapped it it is wrinkled and every time I got a lens from them it was NOT wrinkled in any way when I took the lens out. This is just a way I have been able to determine whether or not the product has been pre opened in some way. Next time you get a lens check it out. You will see what I mean.

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

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It's time for your blood pressure medication now Scott. I know you love me dearly (yeah right!) but do NOT start putting words in my mouth....thanks a bunch.

Scott Bourne said:

Personally, it doesn't matter to me whether or not someone returned
the lens and the store sold it to me. Just so long as it is still
"new" insofar as the factory warranty is concerned, I am fine with
it.

If it is a big deal to people, they can ask that the item they
receive be unopened.
Or better yet, they can march down to their local store and inspect
the quality of a lens before they buy it. They just have to be
willing to pay for that honor.

Scott Bourne
http://www.scottbourne.com

BDF said:

DavidP said:

wolfwatcher said:

According to Lee, the big deal about Delta, besides their customer
service, is that their grey equipment comes in "factory sealed"
boxes. How could they resell it as new? Could they possibly
make/stock their own "factory" boxes and seals? Scarry/
interresing. Lets hope they post so we see an official answer, not
third party "they say..."
--

Click to expand...

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net

Click to expand...

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Lee, since you have such a good relationship with Betty and Anna would you be willing to ask them to e-mail you a statement of their policy regarding returned merchandise so you could post it here?

Lee Rothman said:

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

Click to expand...

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Better yet, ask their supplier.

Michael Porter said:

Lee, since you have such a good relationship with Betty and Anna
would you be willing to ask them to e-mail you a statement of their
policy regarding returned merchandise so you could post it here?

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--The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net

Good point!

DavidP said:

Michael Porter said:

Lee, since you have such a good relationship with Betty and Anna
would you be willing to ask them to e-mail you a statement of their
policy regarding returned merchandise so you could post it here?

Click to expand...

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net

Click to expand...

This is interesting information.

So, what do they do with the returned lenses?

If Delta checks out returned lenses and then puts a new plastic bag around it, then you will assume it is new when it might not be.

What does the one sealed box mean? Was it sealed from the factory or was it a returned item and was checked and that was why the "European Assurance Seal" was on it? Or could it have meant that it was a refurbished lens?

How do you know?

Allan

Lee Rothman said:

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

Click to expand...

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I have worked for two different camera stores and two other retail outfits. When someone returns an item that is not defective they are repackaged and re sold as new. Defectives are return to the manufactory, some will credit our account, some just send new replace merchadise, other fix the defect and send it back to us as new. One retail place I worked at had one persons whose job was to clean up the returns and repackage them. And ass far as factory sealed I to can only recall a handfull of otems come that way. Nikon D1 series cameras are , but Canon D-30 no factory seal.

Scott Bourne said:

Scott Bourne
http://www.scottbourne.com

BDF said:

DavidP said:

wolfwatcher said:

According to Lee, the big deal about Delta, besides their customer
service, is that their grey equipment comes in "factory sealed"
boxes. How could they resell it as new? Could they possibly
make/stock their own "factory" boxes and seals? Scarry/
interresing. Lets hope they post so we see an official answer, not
third party "they say..."
--

Click to expand...

--
The Unofficial Photographer of The Wilkinsons
http://thewilkinsons.crosswinds.net

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

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BDF said:

..... My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

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I ordered a 28-70 L and a 70-200 L IS from Delta at the end of December. Both boxes had been opened. The 28-70 came without the window serial number card--the number was hand printed on the outside of the box. The 70-28 box had a broken Euro seal. I returned them both (the 70-200 was very soft throughout-and I changed my mind on the 28-70) and bought three primes and a 2X extender. One of these boxes had clearly been opened---the flap was bent and the lens styrofoam packing didn't even fit the lens---it was floating in the box. The boxes for the other two lenses were unsealed but appeared unopened---and everything was pristine. The 2x was in a Euro sealed box. I kept them all...and am very happy with their performance.

I prefer unopened boxes but I appreciate the option of returning a product, no questions asked--without a restocking fee. I can't expect unopened boxes without paying for the privilage---and I don't want to pay.

However, I always wonder if I'm getting a defective product, returned by someone else.

Ed Caswell

I'll go one further. I'll request that she "Personally" make the post in her own name. I'll call her Monday morning....

Michael Porter said:

Lee Rothman said:

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

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Sorry, but read the post by Edw. I falsley accused you of exaggerating so lets not bring into question Edw's honesty. I guess even the great Delta is run by humans who watch the bottm line at thier business. I guess it all boils down to "Make sure you ask for an unopened box when you order online no matter who you buy from as the only way to know for sure" and hey, thats OK.

RobL

Lee Rothman said:

Michael Porter said:

Lee Rothman said:

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

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I ALWAYS ask for an unopened box no matter who I buy from....

Rob L said:

RobL

Lee Rothman said:

Michael Porter said:

Lee Rothman said:

BDF said:

Delta has a return policy that any lens can be returned within 30
days for a full refund, as long as all original materials are in
good condition. My question for Lee is what do they do with the
returned lens? They don't sell used or "opened box" itesms. My
guess is that they resell it as new just like any other retailer
does!

Click to expand...

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