B&H is driving me nuts...

deuxcent said:

Respectfully, I find it amazing that you would post this. Really, you're upset that I haven't e-mailed you IMMEDIATELY -- within five minutes? 90 minutes? Would that have been acceptable to you Henry? I have a life, including a sick kid and half a dozen customers who are awaiting print and album orders. Check your inbox, I have just e-mailed you the information you need. Thank you.

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I'm not upset at all. Your original post in dpreview was almost two weeks ago. I presume since you posted a complaint then and now have initiated a new thread on the same topic you'd want this resolved as efficiently as possible.

Each of us has a life. I am sorry you have a sick child. I have received your email and from that can determine who here packaged your earlier orders. Their supervisors will be advised of the situation and I will add a note to the next shipment that proper packaging is not optional.

--
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video

henryp said:

deuxcent said:

Respectfully, I find it amazing that you would post this. Really, you're upset that I haven't e-mailed you IMMEDIATELY -- within five minutes? 90 minutes? Would that have been acceptable to you Henry? I have a life, including a sick kid and half a dozen customers who are awaiting print and album orders. Check your inbox, I have just e-mailed you the information you need. Thank you.

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I'm not upset at all. Your original post in dpreview was almost two weeks ago. I presume since you posted a complaint then and now have initiated a new thread on the same topic you'd want this resolved as efficiently as possible.

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Please do not make it sound like I didn't try to resolve the issue, Henry. I have spent considerable time on the phone with B&H over this problem, as I suppose is inevitable when products repeatedly show up damaged and the customer has to go through the hassle of calling the store, waiting in queue for someone to pick up, explaining the situation, asking for an exchange, then printing the return label and a separate return form, finding packing tape, boxing it all back up, and calling UPS for pickup. Times two.

That you were not personally involved (or that I didn't e-mail you today within your arbitrary deadline of 120 minutes) does not mean I was lax or in any way less than motivated to get the issue taken care of. On the contrary.

henryp said:

I have received your email and from that can determine who here packaged your earlier orders. Their supervisors will be advised of the situation and I will add a note to the next shipment that proper packaging is not optional.

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Thanks. That's more than your rep was able to promise, so I appreciate the help.

Now I'm not going to visit here for probably more than 120 minutes, as I have a studio to run. Thank you for understanding.

dc

deuxcent said:

That you were not personally involved (or that I didn't e-mail you today within your arbitrary deadline of 120 minutes) does not mean I was lax or in any way less than motivated to get the issue taken care of. On the contrary.

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Your original complaint ( http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=33767036 ) was posted Nov 22nd. I replied Nov 23rd. I'd have been happy to have addressed this on your behalf then, as I am to do so now. There's no 'deadline,' arbitrary or otherwise. Emailing me and posting here take about the same time.

I have already identified both earlier order numbers and know each individual here who handled our packing and shipping. I have composed a detailed and lengthy e-mail to their managers, the warehouse supervisor, the shipping dept & returns dept managers and their respective bosses, detailing every aspect of this. I included your images and quoted the entry which opened this thread in its entirety. I have also asked the product buyer if it would be possible to have the replacement item drop-shipped to you directly from the supplier to save time and help ensure uneventful delivery.

It's quite possible that if I'd had the opportunity to do all this during November, it would now be entirely resolved.

--
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video

Thank you. I will make a note that it is not advisable to call and e-mail B&H's customer service, as I have on four occasions in the past month, because it will only result in my being publicly berated for not contacting you personally in the first place, even though I was unaware of your offer.

Your efforts are appreciated. I hope for all our sakes that there will be results to match.

Best wishes,

dc

henryp said:

deuxcent said:

That you were not personally involved (or that I didn't e-mail you today within your arbitrary deadline of 120 minutes) does not mean I was lax or in any way less than motivated to get the issue taken care of. On the contrary.

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Your original complaint ( http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=33767036 ) was posted Nov 22nd. I replied Nov 23rd. I'd have been happy to have addressed this on your behalf then, as I am to do so now. There's no 'deadline,' arbitrary or otherwise. Emailing me and posting here take about the same time.

I have already identified both earlier order numbers and know each individual here who handled our packing and shipping. I have composed a detailed and lengthy e-mail to their managers, the warehouse supervisor, the shipping dept & returns dept managers and their respective bosses, detailing every aspect of this. I included your images and quoted the entry which opened this thread in its entirety. I have also asked the product buyer if it would be possible to have the replacement item drop-shipped to you directly from the supplier to save time and help ensure uneventful delivery.

It's quite possible that if I'd had the opportunity to do all this during November, it would now be entirely resolved.

--
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video

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... you've not been berated; if your perception is that distorted perhaps you've not handled your B&H phone conversations very well, either.

I understand Henry's point: you seem to wanna berate B&H instead of getting the problem solved ASAP.

I buy a lot from Adorama and some from B&H; both have sent packages that were not as well padded as I would have liked. Adorama seems to have fixed that problem. Henry appears to be trying to fix B&H's problem.
Do not alienate a powerful resource.
KP
--
Use the new site features to hide my homely face and banjo!!



http://www.ahomls.com/photo.htm
http://www.phillipsphotographer.com

'The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it.', H. L. Mencken

I've received many items from B&H over the past 10 years. Some come packaged well enough to withstand a nuclear blast, others not so well.

That said, I wholeheartedly understand the OPs concerns. Something as fragile as what he's ordered should have been packaged better first time around. And all the back and forth with subsequent replacements must suck when you're eagerly anticipating something.

I also must say that it might have been better for Henry to suck it up here with a few, polite 'sorry's' than pick a fight over email timelines. Its all about customer service when all you do in business is move merchandise.

--
BigPixel / Hawaii

he's the customer
he wants new stuff

B&H is the seller and the fact that a rep is here is a good thing but still it doesn't change the facts (that the OP wants new stuff without having to send it back all the time)

so what the OP did wrong again?

no, really .. I don't get what he did wrong.

seriously

care to explain?

now the facts:
the seller decided to sell via mail order. good.

packaging and recycling the returns is their responsibility, not the buyer's (us)

good the OP did exposing the issue so if I will ever consider buying that item via mail order then I know what to expect.

doing the mail-order for a living does include shipping and packing well by the way.
if not then look what happens: you get exposed on an international forum.

Ken Phillips said:

... you've not been berated; if your perception is that distorted perhaps you've not handled your B&H phone conversations very well, either.

I understand Henry's point: you seem to wanna berate B&H instead of getting the problem solved ASAP.

I buy a lot from Adorama and some from B&H; both have sent packages that were not as well padded as I would have liked. Adorama seems to have fixed that problem. Henry appears to be trying to fix B&H's problem.
Do not alienate a powerful resource.
KP
--
Use the new site features to hide my homely face and banjo!!



http://www.ahomls.com/photo.htm
http://www.phillipsphotographer.com

'The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it.', H. L. Mencken

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not enough to make your experience atypical or the OP's experience atypical

for example it could be that your experience is atypical, no?

when we're talking about 2 experiences that's what you get, 2

1 can be typical and the other can be typical too , or vice versa

one thing for sure: you wanted to a$$kiss and that's typical ? or atypical? who knows.. (actually I do know)

LOL

NJOceanView said:

I just received two large packages from B&H yesterday and there were enough protective peanuts in them to cover my next four shipments to clients. So I'd have to say that you have an atypical situation.

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deuxcent said:

therickman said:

perhaps it's not B&H's fault to begin with. It's Elinchrom's for not securing their products in proper packaging.

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Yeah, you know, I'm not touching that one. There may be a good deal of truth to it but I don't care. Bottom line is

(a) I'm repeatedly receiving a damaged product from B&H

(b) B&H has been made aware of the problem and still will not guarantee that this flimsily-packed product will ship double-boxed next time.

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Best of luck to you!

BigPixel said:

I wholeheartedly understand the OPs concerns. Something as fragile as what he's ordered should have been packaged better first time around. And all the back and forth with subsequent replacements must suck when you're eagerly anticipating something.

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That sums it up. It doesn't help that the item isn't one that B&H regularly stocks so they must order it from the manufacturer (importer) every time. This adds delays, obviously. I completely understand but it's no fun. If the next (third) beauty dish from B&H shows up in about ten days, as seems likely, it will have been six weeks since I placed my order. I could have been using the dish in my portrait work at last a half dozen times already. Oh well.

BigPixel said:

I also must say that it might have been better for Henry to suck it up here with a few, polite 'sorry's' than pick a fight over email timelines. Its all about customer service when all you do in business is move merchandise.

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I will remain diplomatically agnostic on that matter, other than to say that in MY business, I probably wouldn't take a customer to task (in public, too) for not sending a followup e-mail within two hours.

dc

From OP's (deuxcent) opening post:

deuxcent said:

Interesting side note: While packing up the damaged dish, I found a return
form at the bottom of the box that had been filled out by another B&H
customer -- HE apparently hadn't wanted a damaged product either...
And yes, B&H sold me the dish as new, not as a dented/refurbished/
pre-owned item.

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Hernry,

Could you please address this point. Several time in the past customers already mentioned that they got the feeling to have been sold previously (for whatever reason) returned items, even mostly without such clear evidence as above.

I myself included had this feeling at least once. Usually a previous sold/opened/used item just is not packed the same ... and dirt or scratches (that should not be there on a new unopened item) or missing documentation that should be included just adds to the bad feeling.

Don't take me wrong. I ordered over the years for thousands and thousands of dollars from B&H and are usually very happy with the products and service I received. Even the few occasions where there was an issue I got good service from the service reps and it was taken care of and fixed.

I just believe that returned items (even if they are checked for proper operation by B&H) or open box items should never be sold as new or without the customer being made aware off.

I may add that this is not a B&H only issue, but there are much worse offenders out there (BestBuy, are you listening ... and Circuit City already suffered the result of such doing...).

Anyway, I would appreciate and welcome a response to address this point.

Thanks in advance.
--
Regards,
JH
http://www.jh-photography.net

On the third try, B&H got it right. I now have a beauty dish without dents, scuffs, or missing paint. The product was at long last double-boxed with padding between box 1 and box 2. I'd like to thank Henry P. for stepping in and making sure that three time's a charm.

dc

deuxcent said:

I'd like to thank Henry P. for stepping in and making sure that three time's a charm.

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I am pleased to know this has been resolved to your satisfaction. Thank you for taking the time to say so.

--
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video