D.C. area beginners avoid Embassy Camera

[Newdude]

Hate for my first post to be negative, but I think people deserve a heads up. I was sold a faulty lens from Embassy Camera in Dupont Circle and they refused to give me a full refund. They insisted on charging a ten percent restock fee. Guess they would rather save twenty dollars than do the right thing. Go to Penn Camera instead.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry that you had a bad experience but restocking fees are rather common...and some are much higher that 10%. Did they offer to exchange the lens?

 

[hippychick]

I always go to Penn. Thanks for the heads up though!

 

[mysteryscribe]

my worst experience with a camera store was when I tried to return an adapter that wouldnt work as I thought it should. They flat refused to give me my money back.

Gave me a store credit instead. At the time I was on their preferred professional photographers list. I hate to think what their attitude toward off the street customers was.

 

[Alex_B]

I hate to think what their attitude toward off the street customers was.

probably very much the same, as some camera shops do not realise the value of regular customers .. the business is full of idiots (at least from my experience )

[no offense, not saying there aren't good camera shops and staff around!]

 

[PNA]

Posting negative camera shop experiences can only be helpful to the forum members.

 

[rmh159]

Yeah it's kind of pathetic when stores don't realize the value of repeat customers (or feel $20 is worth more... which is worse).

This might be a good spot to plug Adorama.com. I've ordered A LOT from that site and have always been happy. Granted the lack of problems hasn't given me a good idea of how their customer service is but I'd still recommend them highly.

 

[britonk]

In the UK your statutory rights depict that you MUST be given a replacement at no extra charge if the item is faulty. If it isn't faulty re-stocking fees are very common as said by Big Mike - I have known them to be as high as 25%!

 

[fmw]

Sorry, I come down squarely on the side of the store. If Newdude (with only a single post) had wanted to replace his defective lens with a new one, the store would have done it. Any store would have. Instead he returned it for a refund. That is what caused the restocking charge (credit card processing fees to sell and again to refund, inventory holding costs, administrative costs etc. etc. - roughly 10%) I'm not arguing whether the store should or should not have a restocking charge. That's a different issue. It is their business and their policy decision. Returns are definitely costly, however. I know that very clearly.

But I really dislike someone deciding to find a forum where he can trash a company's reputation because he didn't get his way. If the store had been unfair, then it would be appropriate. I don't believe the store was unfair. I think the store simply followed its policy and I'll bet they communicated this policy in some way before or at the time of sale. I think Newdude was unfair. Notice that he hasn't contributed anything else to the forum or even returned to this post?

Sorry, this kind of behavior really bothers me. Care to debate it, Newdude?

 

[fmw]

I did go through the trouble of calling Embassy camera and I asked them how they inform customers of the restocking charge. They told me there two signs, one at the counter and one above it on the wall that explains it.

I'm not defending their restocking charge. I'm defending their reputation which is being sullied unfairly at the hands of newdude. I don't know if they will come and defend themselves. I did give them the URL. Sorry, I really dislike trashing companies unfairly on the internet - a whole lot.

If Newdude had said: "Gosh I was disappointed that I had to pay a restocking charge. I don't like restocking charges and I won't shop there again" that would have been fine and fair. Instead he tried to hurt their business. That is not fair and it reflects badly on Newdude not Embassy Camera.

 

[Groupcaptainbonzo]

I am in the U.K. and we have different consumer protection laws than the U.S. But in my experience I have never come across this "Restocking Fee". On the only occasion that I have been sold sub standard goods (Yes , maybe I have been lucky). the chap at Jessops told me that there was no way I was leaving that shop unhappy, And exchanged the item there and then. He apologized for the glitch and found a few gizzits (Freebies) from the odds and sods draw which he hoped would recompense for my journeys and disappointment. At that moment that assistant made a newly committed customer. I have always returned to Jessops as a direct result of that service, So I do accept that one occasion will form a mold. But if you were sold a dud, why would you not want a replacement? or did you ask for one and it was refused?