Axer Lens = Scam / Ripoff . Run Quick! Friend Ripped Off

[robbins.photo]

I really don't get it, yes if your father, your friend or your neighbor got ripped off, of course you say it, if nobody tries to stop it, it is like encouraging it, they won't feel good but it is the truth, won't you tell your kid that if they want to eat chicken, an animal has to be killed first? I know we live in a world of illusion but let's look at the fact, she has been stolen and there is no way in my book that anybody should get away with it.

Not only will I tell my kids it has to be killed first, I hand them an axe and make them do it themselves.. lol

Could just be me...

 

[JBrown]

Normally I wouldn't resurrect a thread, but pertinent information and I feel this thread serves the photographic community as a whole.

I would like to start by thanking everyone who replied to the thread in one way or another to help get the Google search ranking so high. Its my greatest hope at this time we at least saved a few people from the scam. I've also updated the thread title for more instantaneous recognition of the scam.

About my friend and the final resolution. Obvious one of those cases of buyer beware. For those curious there is no crime being committed as the shop can set any price for any item it wishes and come to a legal arrangement to sell that item. You aren't allowed to sell one thing and replace it with another in a effort to misrepresent. Since the origination of this thread my friend has a Nikon D800 with a 24-70mm that she uses to do lots of portraiture work. She has really come a long way in her photographic journey and her work is good IMO. This incident was but a minor bump in the road for her, but I'm sure for others it would be devastating.

Now onto the more interesting aspect. I have since moved to Orlando myself and have been finding some extra time on my hands which made me think of a project. If you've never been to Orlando there are no shortage of "camera" shops on International Drive (Tourist area near Disney / Universal Studios) which cater to this scam. Of course these shops are not reputable in any way and negative yelp, google, etc reviews mean nothing, but in the theme of this thread thought it would be interesting to pose as a innocent shopper and record the outcome.

Bump to the top!

 

[MRnats]

Without ever going into one, I always got this uneasy feeling from all those electronic shops that line the downtown/midtown streets of NYC. I guess I know why now.

 

[Vitasloma]

Hello!!

Hey, just wanted to tell you all... I have been scammed also, with the Axer lens. I was very naive, I was searching for a sony lens for my alfa 6000. I had of course done my research. But naturally, Axer is an absolutely fake brand, so never heard of it before. So the salesman was very sharp and started selling me the wonders of the lens. Moreover, he sold me 3 bower filters, altogether retail price of approximately $30, for the outrageous amount of $240. Amazing. But then again, I didn't know Bower. I was seeking for Sony, Sigma or Rokinon lenses.

In any case, I went back to my hotel and googled the shop and the Axer lens. Then I googled the filters. When I realized that I had been robbed, went back to the store and asked for refund (that was less than an hour afterwards). Of course no refunds policy. What's worse, in this shop if you want to exchange anything, you need to pay 25% on top for "stocking". Can you believe it????

I told the guy I knew the lens is fake. That it's a scam, and he came back asking me if I had looked into the AXER website. Which I had. But the website is fake. There are no references, there are no contact details no physical address for AXER. No names, no locations.

Now, this is a nice deal for the shop, right. Because indeed I am a tourist and what's more, I am European, so, what are the chances.

Well, I have put a claim with the Better Business Bureau. I have put a claim with the California Attorney. I have put a claim to the IC3 team (FBI Internet crime/fraud team - as the Axer website is extremely suspicious, being generous).

I have also made a claim via my credit card company but apparently here in The Netherlands they do not cover these kind of scams (I have noticed in US they normally do). Shame on them.

I got a response from the San Francisco Attorney (which got it assigned via the Cali Attorney), that indeed the shops can set the price they want, and they can have the policy they want as long as they inform the client (needless to say I was not informed beforehand). For the record, the guy even asked for CASH rather than credit, thank God I paid with credit card). They said they cannot do anything unless the product is not working correctly or has been misrepresented. There you go. Of course the product has been misrepresented and is not working correctly!!! The product is **** and the pictures are horrible. How can anyone think I (or anyone else, for that matter) would buy such a piece of garbage for such an amount?? Moreover, this scam is supported by a very questionable website.

I sent them all the information I have, including a link to this thread, and links to the Google + and Yelp reviews of this shop, plus proof that the items value is much less. I told them, I appreciate that there is commercial freedom and that shops can set their own prices, but this is a markup of 1000% over the actual value of the items. I highly doubt this can be defended by "commercial freedom". How can this be legal at all.

I really do not expect they will give me the money back (notice I paid $615 for a lens, 3 filters and 2 adapter rings which altogether value cannot be higher than $50-$60, being generous). What I told the Attorney's office is, at least, this shop has to go out of business. It made me hate San Francisco, which otherwise it's a lovely city, and it has ruined my Christmas holidays. Not to mention that I have to pay the credit card still :-/. Now thank God that I can "afford" this (so to speak). Other people go there with 5 years' savings. It's so disgusting.

The infamous shop is

BEST CAMERA
217 O'Farrell Street
San Francisco
CA 94102
There is no way of contacting them besides a phone number (which I haven't tried if it works, btw, it's 415 834 0935

Apparently the owner has another two shops in tourist areas as well (Fisherman's Wharf and somewhere else...) and they do the same.

I'll keep you posted with the resolution.

Ciao!

 

[Braineack]

That's the exact type of store you'd expect to sell you $20 products for $200; they prey on tourists. I saw that same shop on my SF visit last year and thought of this exact thread.

it's completely legal to sell a product to someone for a price he's voluntarily willing to pay.

 

[Vitasloma]

Yeah, I know that is legal.

However this case is about a scam, not about high prices. They convincing you to buy a product that doesn't work but of course they lie to you.
The Axer website in itself is a scam.
As said, I don't expect to get any money back, but if more people reported these kind of shops to the authorities potentially they would go out of business.