*VENDER Problem!

With the help of everyone here I decided to Stay with Canon as I have been for 10 years... I posted a thread asking to see some samples from everyone with a 1D mk IV. I decided to get Updated models of all my L Glass also, I moved them rather quickly, thus finding myself almost starting from scratch with only 2 lenses left and 2 flash units... I saw this as an opportunity to jump ship to a Nikon D3S and had to decide... What I saw here swayed me to stay on board, and I wanted to say thank you to all that posted.

No to the Crux of the matter... I shopped around, and decided to lay down my hard earned cash at a "Certain" establishment. $10,000.00 !!!

I bought the farm, A:

EOS 1D Mk IV
EF 24-70mm f2.8 L
EF 16-35mm f2.8 L II
EF 70-200mm f2.8 L IS II
Sandisk 16gb Exreme Pro UDMA 6 CF card.

I anxiously awaited the package staying home all day, and repeatedly pressing the refesh button online as I was logging on to UPS tracking, and listening for the truck

I had planned taking focus tests for the camera & lenes all Weekend... When It came I was instantly destroyed when I opened it... Everything Thrown into the box with (Single Ply) with NO Padding on 4 Sides one being the Bottom. While No visable damage was evident outside, The 1D box was crushed on 1 side and had a Big Dent in the other, and one of the lenses the 70-200 L IS II box was opened, and the contents spilled out into the outer box... I was Furiated to TEARS... I had told the saleman I was worried about packing and of course he assured me that the packing would be top notch!

I would not expect ANYTHING of value to be packed this Poorly, Let alone something delicate that costed $10,000.00 !!! of the money I had saved for this for Years!

Well this being Friday Night, and them being closed Saturday that is not much I can do about it right now except sit and calm down and wait, and with my Nature calming down is a good thing... Especially for them.

Now I have not touched the contents except for inspecting the product boxes and writing down serial #'s... What caught my Attention was the 1D box had been Re-Labeled! and you can read the original # on the box through the new label... It was slightly newer on the original box, and the new label was a slightly Lower # meaning the New Label put on top was OLDER??

Now I'm not posting their Name just yet cause I want to see what the outcome is on Sunday Morning... Needless to say I will be there with Bells ON!

At first my Reaction was get all new equipment with Higher Numbers... But on considering... I'm thinking of just getting my money back now, as I feel I don't know If I can trust them, with my Weekend being ruined I have a bad taste in my moth...

Your Thoughts On This Matter, and also what you think about the Label Sitsuation Please...

Thank You,

Tony B

The packing does not seem that unusual. Most of the 1-series bodies I have purchased over the years have had boxes with the corners crumpled. Most lenses come in a box with only a couple air pillows. It is odd that you say the 70-200 box came open. My 70-200/2.8 II was very tight internally such that it took some effort to get the foam out.

The bottom line is that the lens and camera boxes are sufficient on their own to protect the product during shipping. The only use for an outer box is to keep the product boxes clean.

I would be hesitant to overreact. If nothing is actually damaged why don't you go ahead and see if there is even a problem?

I once received a Sony VX-2000 camcorder that came in a box that looked like it had been in a train wreck and then run over by a truck afterwards. But inside the actual Sony box was fine and the camera worked perfectly and continues to do so to this day.

FFS! did you buy boxes or cameras?

man up and get out and takesome pictures!
--
in black and white, everyone's a hero

You guys are missing something... The Label.

Why would a Sticker with a LOWER Serial # Be Put Over the Original On the Box...

Plus you have to see the boxes... The 1D box has so much wear on it... And BIG DENT in the Side, besides one side being Crushed. I man up everyday.

But if you want to be Cavielier... Do so with Your $10,000! Not mine.

Something is fishy here beside the neglegence in packing. See that stuff in there a $5,000 body, and a $2,500 LENS! Just thrown into a bare box like JUNK!?!

The more I think of it the Sicker I get.

Tony B

sorry for your troubles. i would not accept that kind of mess. return them all and try another vendor B&H or Adorama.

armen hzor said:

sorry for your troubles. i would not accept that kind of mess. return them all and try another vendor B&H or Adorama.

Click to expand...

Ok... perhaps I missed something here. I just assumed the OP bought this new gear from a reputable dealer. If that's not the case then perhaps he has reason to be suspect about the 1D. I've never heard of getting boxes with multiple serial number tags - especially for NEW gear. I would be more concerned about that than I would the packaing.

Why withhold the name? Tell us who you purchased from and perhaps you can find out if they are notorious for this type of thing.

Regardless of the outcome, let us know who the vendor is so we can avoid them.
--
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'Hit Refresh if pix do not appear. Flaky ISP at work.'

The label issue alone is enough to be "suspect". The packaging issue only exacerbates the situation. I would not waste one moment doing anything other than iimmediately getting an RMA and my money refunded to purchase from a reputable Vendor.

Please let us ALL know which Vendor we should steer far away from.

KS
--
http://www.pbase.com/kstockton
gallery.me.com/kstockton

I am very sorry to hear about this. In my opinion you paid for new equipment so you should get new equipment and be happy in the way you got it. If I received USED equipment in a manner you describe I would instantly return it and I think most would do the same. Wy would you ever accept less for brand new equipment? I think you should open as little as possible, leave everything as it is and return it and demand your full money back. You need to bail on this vendor because there are too many odd things going on, probably more than you know about. In addition to box damage indicating potential content damage, even boxes matter when it comes to resale - you simple get a better price with a complete and clean kit. Would you care to post a picture of the damage?

You need to bail on this quickly and don't change your mind about it.

IMHO

Dont be an idiot, when someone spend that much money EVERYTHING has to be perfect, because you big "man" you also pay for packaging for example, if you ever do such a large purchase, send the box over to me first, I will kick it around some before sending it back and see how you feel....

mayfair_magpie said:

--
in black and white, everyone's a hero

Click to expand...

--
Jean-Claude
http://www.opusmeum.com
Personal Creative



Even lucid Giuseppe could not manage a prose
A Cab Uncured Youth Yin Unto
A Baa Conducted Fury Huh Union Ivy Noun Out Yo

Split the 1D and 5D into separate forums petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/1D_5D_Split/

John, I think you might be dismissing this a bit too quickly. I've also received shipments from some well-known online vendors that were packed rather poorly in my view - though I've never encountered a situations quite like that described by the OP: contents spilling out? box half crushed?

One answer I heard to the "why don't you pad the shipments more carefully" was that the product boxes themselves are quite well padded. There is some truth to this, but the idea of padded lens or camera boxes banging around loosely inside of a larger shipping box is not exactly one that encourages confidence.

Perhaps the OP should start by photographing the box and contents. Then contact the vendor and explain the situation, asking them whether or not he should try the gear first or just ship it right back. He would likely be within his rights to do the latter, and being prepared to do that is probably a good context with the vendor. If the vendor says to go ahead and open and try the products and states explicitly that they will take any damaged or questionable products back then he could do that if he wishes.

On the other hand, if he is convinced that the packaging was insufficient and does not want product that has likely been banged around in shipment it might be better to return the whole thing and purchase from another vendor.

Of course, if the buyer took a chance on a low price vendor without an established reputation it may be hard to demand first-class service. You often get what you pay for.

Dan

John-G said:

The packing does not seem that unusual. Most of the 1-series bodies I have purchased over the years have had boxes with the corners crumpled. Most lenses come in a box with only a couple air pillows. It is odd that you say the 70-200 box came open. My 70-200/2.8 II was very tight internally such that it took some effort to get the foam out.

The bottom line is that the lens and camera boxes are sufficient on their own to protect the product during shipping. The only use for an outer box is to keep the product boxes clean.

I would be hesitant to overreact. If nothing is actually damaged why don't you go ahead and see if there is even a problem?

I once received a Sony VX-2000 camcorder that came in a box that looked like it had been in a train wreck and then run over by a truck afterwards. But inside the actual Sony box was fine and the camera worked perfectly and continues to do so to this day.

Click to expand...

--
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G Dan Mitchell - SF Bay Area, California, USA
Blog & Gallery: http://www.gdanmitchell.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gdanmitchellphotography
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gdanmitchell/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/gdanmitchell
IM: gdanmitchell

Gear List: Cup, spoon, chewing gum, old shoe laces, spare change, eyeballs, bag of nuts.

They are one of few camera shops closed on saturdays. ive seen relabeled stuff from them before. Buyers beware, when you buy from a place that lets you return cameras and lenses, chances are that your gonna buy something that has been used already. Canon takes months to get vendors RMAs if they(canon)(customer not liking does not send a camera back to factory for refurb....) decide to accept it. and most items are returned by people looking for a free rental. so its easier for these vendors just to turn it around and sell it as new again because securing new inventory is not easy.

Let me guess - closed Saturdays but open Sundays and have a reputation for their bad packaging that's been written about here on these forums over the years. Might it be BHPhotovideo?

Tony, I'd be getting a load of shots for proof and if you're going to take the gear back to the shop in person I'd also be taking a large tube of KY gel!

Hope it works out for you mate.

Richard

Excellent point about re-sale value... I sold my 28-70 f2.8 L and 70-200 f2.8 L IS in 1 day with a buy it now on e-bay because of the Pristine condition all items were in... Box, and packing included...

And the trouble is... You can't sell your used item in pristine condition, and get good resale if it was not in that condition when you got it... I got just about what I paid for my L glass that was 6 Years Old!

Thanks,

Tony

I have not opened ANYTHING other than the outer box... My friend and I were looking at it, and came to the conclusion that someone dropped the 1D 4 box before packing it... The corner was crushed in just like it slipped out of your hand and fell on that corner...

It the camera ok... Probably.. But I don't want to own this camera for years, and always wonder what happened to it, and does it function as well as if whatever DID happen to it DIDN"T?

The RE-LABELING is another matter... That REALLY Spooks me! Point is taken from poster that said if you take stuff back no questions asked... There is a good chance that what you get could be what someone else brought back!

I'M DRIVING THERE... I WILL BE THERE WHEN THEY OPEN!

Question is... DO I TAKE ALL NEW EQUIPMENT OVER THE COUNTER.. OR DO I JUST GET MY MONEY BACK???

I am kinda Ill at ease with the whole thing, but I really wanted to get this stuff, and test it all weekend... If I took fresh stuff, at least I would have most of Sunday.

They kinda broke my Trust though... Don't know what to do.

Thanks,

Tony

I'd be taking all new gear Tony without doubt!

Richard

tony b said:

I have not opened ANYTHING other than the outer box... My friend and I were looking at it, and came to the conclusion that someone dropped the 1D 4 box before packing it... The corner was crushed in just like it slipped out of your hand and fell on that corner...

It the camera ok... Probably.. But I don't want to own this camera for years, and always wonder what happened to it, and does it function as well as if whatever DID happen to it DIDN"T?

The RE-LABELING is another matter... That REALLY Spooks me! Point is taken from poster that said if you take stuff back no questions asked... There is a good chance that what you get could be what someone else brought back!

I'M DRIVING THERE... I WILL BE THERE WHEN THEY OPEN!

Question is... DO I TAKE ALL NEW EQUIPMENT OVER THE COUNTER.. OR DO I JUST GET MY MONEY BACK???

I am kinda Ill at ease with the whole thing, but I really wanted to get this stuff, and test it all weekend... If I took fresh stuff, at least I would have most of Sunday.

They kinda broke my Trust though... Don't know what to do.

Thanks,

Tony

Click to expand...

I don't mind a few dents & dings on boxes, but not what you describe. And definitely not affixing a different serial number label on a box. Good luck with whichever course you choose to redress this & get new gear. I would like to know which vendor this is.

Best regards,
Doug

Get new equipment over the counter and tell them "I AM GOING TO CHECK IF THIS TIME I AM GETTING NEW STUFF RIGHT AWAY", and if you get ANY kind of attitude from an employee, dont be afraid to speak up!!

tony b said:

I have not opened ANYTHING other than the outer box... My friend and I were looking at it, and came to the conclusion that someone dropped the 1D 4 box before packing it... The corner was crushed in just like it slipped out of your hand and fell on that corner...

It the camera ok... Probably.. But I don't want to own this camera for years, and always wonder what happened to it, and does it function as well as if whatever DID happen to it DIDN"T?

The RE-LABELING is another matter... That REALLY Spooks me! Point is taken from poster that said if you take stuff back no questions asked... There is a good chance that what you get could be what someone else brought back!

I'M DRIVING THERE... I WILL BE THERE WHEN THEY OPEN!

Question is... DO I TAKE ALL NEW EQUIPMENT OVER THE COUNTER.. OR DO I JUST GET MY MONEY BACK???

I am kinda Ill at ease with the whole thing, but I really wanted to get this stuff, and test it all weekend... If I took fresh stuff, at least I would have most of Sunday.

They kinda broke my Trust though... Don't know what to do.

Thanks,

Tony

Click to expand...

--
Jean-Claude
http://www.opusmeum.com
Personal Creative



Even lucid Giuseppe could not manage a prose
A Cab Uncured Youth Yin Unto
A Baa Conducted Fury Huh Union Ivy Noun Out Yo

Split the 1D and 5D into separate forums petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/1D_5D_Split/

I can't believe how angry you are, and how much everyone is egging you on. You received some expensive items with shipping damage, and your new camera has a serial number sticker on the box that you don't understand. You're interpreting this as B&H intentionally sending you broken and possibly fraudulently labeled equipment before you've even had a chance to talk to their customer service.

Yes, B&H isn't known for packing stuff incredibly securely. Most items come packed with air bags taking up the empty space, which seems to work reasonably well, for the most part. UPS beats the hell out of every package I get from them, and I did have one item arrive with the box very slightly dented, but it hasn't been an issue. I have no idea what you think they're trying to pull with the serial number thing. Seriously, explain it to me.

Stuff happens. Relax a little and wait for them to open and resolve the situation.

Chris

Really?

I can't believe how amped up YOU are! I'm Not Angry... I'm seriously dissapointed...

Further more... I NEVER SAID IT WAS B&H !!! So Cool your jets buddy.

Thirdly... I don't understand the sticker myself... THAT'S WHY I POSTED HERE!

Since it's seems like you know it all maybe you can tell me? It's another Identical Sticker placed over the original, and you can see through it to the original # It is A Lower # on Top... The sticker underneath has a Higher Serial Number.. $10,000 is a lot of money to me... So I am very concerned and upset yes... Another thing if you read all my posts is... The outside box is NOT damaged... The Camera box was put into the outer box already damaged!

Now care to shed some light on what you might thing this is? I would welcome it.

Tony B