Question about camera stores.

[Netskimmer]

Hello Henry,

Thank you for talking with me about this issue. All the reasons you stated make sense to me. I guess I'll just have to roll the dice.

[TPF Sponsor]

[O|||||||O]

If I were to call Adorama or B&H and specifically ask them to make sure the lens I get does not have this issue will or can they guarantee it?

Our offices are in Manhattan; our warehouse in Brooklyn. The people here knowledgeable enough you'd want one to inspect your lens don't have physical access to it and the warehouse people, good as they are at what they do, don't have the knowledge or experience. In addition we're very reluctant to open and inspect new merchandise before shipping. First, it's prohibitively expensive in time and money. Second, people prefer new merchandise to be new and untouched to the extent possible. Third, if we did and subsequently there was a warranty issue the argument could be made the problem happened as a result of our handling. You and we both would prefer to avoid that.

Kind of what I expected. I was going to say (before reading the whole thread) that I would doubt they would want to open the box of a new lens. If for some reason the prospective buyer didn't buy it, it's an open box now. Nobody wants to pay 'new' prices for an open box...

The fact that the warehouse is physically in a different location than the store pretty much seals the deal.

[Joel_W]

Since a pre-inspection isn't going to happen unless you buy it at a store. I would suggest that you go with an online purchase from either store, since you can return the lens if it doesn't meet your expectations. As I said earlier, Adorama pays for the UPS shipping back to them, no questions asked. I'm sure that B & H has a similar return policy.

[Netskimmer]

Yeah, I'm going to place my order tomorrow, They both have deals where you get free filters with them. I think Adorama's has three and B&H has two but I don't know the quality of the filters. I'm at work now so I'll figure it all out before work tomorrow and place the order.

[henryp]

Since a pre-inspection isn't going to happen unless you buy it at a store. I would suggest that you go with an online purchase from either store, since you can return the lens if it doesn't meet your expectations. As I said earlier, Adorama pays for the UPS shipping back to them, no questions asked. I'm sure that B & H has a similar return policy.

B&H pays return shipping within the USA if the reason for the return is our error or an out-of-the-box product defect. If you ordered blue and simply changed your mind and now want green, return shipping's on you. I think that's reasonable.

[Netskimmer]

I ordered the lens this morning from B&H. I would assume that the flaking issue we have been discussing would fall under an out-of-the-box product defect. It is scheduled for delivery via UPS on Friday, hopefully all will be well.