From: Cotty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
On 16/11/08, Boris Liberman, discombobulated, unleashed:
>Bill, here in Israel the following is very common practice. You walk
>in a store and ask for something. They walk away and return with the
>box which they put on the counter. You ask to open it and actually try
>it before you commit your money. They respond that by doing so they
>risk so many shekels worth of goods. You parry by saying that you
>cannot buy something that may not work. They respond in turn that
>whatever is the problem you will have it resolved by the warranty and
>that they'd be happy to assist you should invocation of warranty
>become necessary.
I can see both sides.
I once went into a well-known photographic shop in London with the
intention of buying a lens (I think it was a Canon 24mm f 1.4 IIRC) and
it was not cheap. I had made my decision and marched in. I asked if I
could please see (said) lens as I would like to buy one (eg - I made my
intention clear). I was stunned when the proprietor refused and said I
would have to pay first before he would even open the box.
I tried to make him understand that I was fully intending to purchase
there and then. He explained that he could not take the chance that I
would not buy the lens once opened - and he certainly would not mount it
on a camera (I had my 1DmII with me). He said that 'people were ever so
anal and wouldn't buy a lens if it had been handled or mounted already',
and that 'people come in and try things out and then go buy them on the
internet...'
I explained that the idea of a camera shop was so that customers could
indeed try before buying, rather than purchasing site unseen on the net.
He still would not open the box!
At this point I had decided on a matter of principle not to buy from
him. I informed him that as he was indeed emulating an online web store
by not letting me see my intended purchase first, that I would indeed
wait and use an online store instead and save another 60 quid in the
bargain (we're talking about 900 GBP here). He was unrepentant, and I
left the shop.
My only thoughts were that I would not enter a camera shop again. I
would seek out a colleague or acquaintance in future to 'try out' a
lens. I would buy from an online dealer in future.
I have not changed my opinion.
YMMV.
So how long has it been since that "well-known photographic shop in
London" went out of business?
I'd have had to make a few pungent comments to him on my way out the door.
There are two good independent dealers in town, and both seem more than
willing to allow you to try a lens you're considering. One of them has
rental equipment, so you can sometimes even give an intended purchase an
extended workout ... at least a similar lens you can try before plopping
down your credit card for the new-in-the-box lens.
Both USED to be Pentax dealers. One still has a marginal relationship
with Pentax, but has stopped stocking because they told me, they can't
get the Pentax rep to come around and it takes forever to get orders
fulfilled. They WILL order from Pentax for you, but have on more than
one occasion advised me to order from B&H because they have no idea if
or when Pentax will fill their orders.
But even the Wolf/Ritz Camera chain will allow you to get your hands on
the camera/lens to test it in the store.
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