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Ritz/Wolfe camera

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I'm not sure about the other 9 things, but this person is wrong about the Image Reward Card. I had a job that was 10 24"x36" prints at around $40 each.

The prints came out absolutely stunning and at 1/3rd the price my "old school lab" would have charged for the same print.

overall my discount, which mind you was applied directly to the price of my very first purchase, was more than enough to pay for the membership itself!

So my little hunk of plastic was more than free and I also got the membership discount applied on TOP of the free card.

I love these guys for my big show prints! It sounds to me this should be titled "10 confessions of a disgruntled minimum wage earner". No slam on the worker, I'd be disgruntled making the minimum too.
hockeynut said:
Saw this, thought it was something you might be interested in.

http://consumerist.com/368786/10-confessions-of-a-ritz-camera-salesperson

--
'Suppose you were an idiot and suppose you were a member of Congress.
But I repeat myself.'
  • Mark Twain
Click to expand...
--



http://www.meucciphotographic.com
 
I agree. You really have to wonder what the motivation for such a report is. I have dealt with Ritz for a long time, when I was still using film. I never had any problems with there sales or service. It probably also varies from store to store. After all, they are there to make money. A lot of what you find today at camera stores are people that were bagging groceries the week before. I find the people at Ritz and a select few others have actually turned on a camera.
 
I like Ritz. Their work is examplary, and when something goes wrong, they correct it with no hassle. I bought the card and use it frequently for both film and DSLR work.

Jack

--
http://jackandkelly.zenfolio.com/
 
Two years ago, I located (probably) the last existing Canon Pro 1 in box with warranty at a Ritz store in CA. The manager held the camera for me till we could find a way for Ritz to ship it to me in Texas (which apparently they don't usually do, since there are Ritz stores here as well, though none had any of those cameras left). Since the Pro 1 was discontinued, they sold me the camera for half-price and shipped it to me free of charge. It arrived in a couple of days in perfect condition - double boxed and with mega -bubble wrap. I think that is exemplary service.

Just had to share a very positive experience.

carolyn
--
Ranger a.k.a chammett
http://www.pbase.com/chammett

'elegance is simplicity'
 
Has anybody tried a price match from Ritz yet? I'm thinking about buying from them and I'm positive I can get what I want for cheaper elsewhere including on Amazon, but I like the flexibility of being able to return it to a store for a new one.
 
Hilarious... I don't know how they get away with the prices for their equipment. I was in the local Ritz just last week and they have a "brand new" Canon 20D in a besheveled box at a "sale" price of $775... "We've never been able to sell it"...

When I went to purchase my 85mm f/1.8, every store I checked carried it for $340-$350... yet Ritz has it for $435??? and that's without the protection plan... (but at least it comes with free shipping)!

I have never processed prints there, so I can't speak to that, but from an equipment standpoint, I can't seem to justify their prices.

Just my experience.
  • I
 
aswright02 said:
Has anybody tried a price match from Ritz yet? I'm thinking about
buying from them and I'm positive I can get what I want for cheaper
elsewhere including on Amazon, but I like the flexibility of being
able to return it to a store for a new one.
Click to expand...
Ritz will NOT price match online retailers. So basically, with the absence of a professional camera store in most areas of the country, Ritz's only brick-and-mortar competition is the over priced Best Buy and Circuit City next to the mall. Do yourself a favor, buy online from Beach Camera, Adorama, or B&H. They have exceptional customer service across the board, and way lower prices than Ritz.

I used to get my prints exclusively from Ritz. I had the discount member card which saved me only 4 cents per print over non members. I think digital prints were like .27 for non members and .23 for members about three years ago. But the quality was really good. Now I get all my prints at CostCo. The quality is superb and the price is ten cents less per print.

--
'That rug really tied the room together, Man!' - The Big Lebowski
 
Ritz never impressed me from the days that they failed to compete against peers like Adorama for the legit mail order market. When Chuck Wolf still ran his stores, I used to visit their big store in Atlanta (next to KEH), and the Sandy Springs store. They had a nice pro shop in Atlanta, as well as overall good pricing, and gear rental. It was like visiting a big NY store, and they had staff members who knew the photo trade, as well as the gear they sold. Since Ritz bought the name, the Wolf stores seem to have become..... Ritz stores.

I'm sure that some people enjoy that very high price structure, lack of quality assitance, and marketing framework, but it isn't for me. I wish them the best, but I'll spend my cash elsewhere.

That is not to say that Ritz does not employ some very talented people. They do. The problem is, I meet most of them outside of their working venue. I don't know what they pay, but judging by their prices, if Ansel Adams were still alvive, they could afford to have him work the counter at a store.

--
Voyager
 
with a big scratch in the sensor. Wear marks on the flash shoe. Loose lens mount. When I brought it back they said they were going to deduct $300 for the "extras" I forgot to bring back with me. These extras I never asked for were all coupons.

After I nearly tore the managers head off with one hand they capitulated and refunded my money.

I'll never shop there again.

CC
 
it really depends on the real peson whom you were dealing with. It could happen in any store.

What is unique in this store is very high prices. Now I know about their price match from this forum but how was I supposed to know earlier ?

Usually I can buy a small staff from them such as a lens cleaning kit nothing more.

I understand that they are compelled to maintain high prices to support their extensive net of small stores but it is hard for me to buy a camera that I know I could get 20% cheaper online or at big stores like BB, CC, Costco, etc.
 
Well, I suspect that the reason they charge such high prices is that they think they can, as opposed to thinking that it is a needed step. I also suspect that BB, CC, Costco, and other retailers have far more stores, in far more places. Even WalMart applies to the equation. They all offer the same training to their sales staff (very little), and make a good profit at a much tighter margin. The more limited brick and mortar stores like Beach, B&H, and Adorama destroy the Ritz corporate DNA out of hand. Internet only stores like Amazon offer better prices, and better service in every category. Why do the owners of Ritz even bother, if they cannot prosper in open competition? I suspect that it is because they depend on local "sucker trade". It is only a matter of time before high prices, and poor attention to customer needs set the stage for their demise (as I see it). I wish them the best of luck, but friends don't let friends pay way too much, and get nothing of value in return.

--
Voyager
 
I bought my 40D kit from the local ritz for the same price as the best pirce I could find online. I like the store personnel because they are never pushy and are always available to chat or provide advice etc. The store manager in particular is great because she shoots and is just into it as much as the rest of us.

I have talked to them about the 70-200 f2.8 specifically about how I can get it for less online and they verbally told me they would match the price. Since I do not have the cash available right now, who knows if they would actually match price but I certainly will give them the chance since I always prefer to support local business.

-E
 
esmarion said:
I bought my 40D kit from the local ritz for the same price as the
best pirce I could find online. I like the store personnel because
they are never pushy and are always available to chat or provide
advice etc. The store manager in particular is great because she
shoots and is just into it as much as the rest of us.

I have talked to them about the 70-200 f2.8 specifically about how I
can get it for less online and they verbally told me they would match
the price. Since I do not have the cash available right now, who
knows if they would actually match price but I certainly will give
them the chance since I always prefer to support local business.
Click to expand...
Well, I guess you found a "good one" as far as Ritz stores go. Before I bought my 40D, I went into two Ritz stores with price printouts from Adorama and Beach, and both store managers told me they do NOT match online store prices. At the time, I got the 40D body from Beach for $1299. Ritz wanted $1399 for the body, and - this is the big saver here - I'd have had to pay 7% sales tax. Buying from Beach online saved me about $200. Keep in mind, even if your Ritz will price match, you'll still have to pony up the tax $$.

Oh, and buying from Ritz isn't "supporting local business." It's not a locally owned franchise. It's a corporate rip-off chain. The extra $$ you pay by going there is going into the pockets of the Mall owners who charge outrageous rents to their tenants, and to the CEO and stockholders of Ritz who just sit on their rear ends and collect dividends off overcharging their loyal customers and underpaying their employees. (I used to work in a mall. Ritz pays near minimum wage to its large PT staff, and even management makes less than a moderately-sized clothing store in the same mall.) Let the "free market" decide how long Ritz can continue to hike up prices.

--
'That rug really tied the room together, Man!' - The Big Lebowski
 
Local Ritz shop in the Bay Area said he could get me a new 20D w/ kit for $757. Is that a bad price?
 
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