Rant: The Nikon Factory Direct Store is a bunch of rip-off artists and hoodlums

[kundalini]

[LOL, when I buy anything expensive where I KNOW the company is making extremely high markups, the most irritating thing they can do - the biggest slap in the face to the consumer - is to offshore their sales and support centers.

I'm guessing you need a boost in income. I don't tend to give a lot of credence in the greater scheme of things when it come down to consumer consumables. That's the leading story dude. Consumables. It seems you're getting your knickers all twisted in knots over a few bucks. I'd rsather pay my local shop 10 to 20% over a deal that I'm bidding for that in turn, raises my blood pressure.

Now that we're done with your cheap assed attitude and your racial bias and your incomprehensible ability to get a grip on realitity....... I bid you farewell.
























WHERE'S THAT PHUQUEING IGNORE BUTTON? THERE'S THIS PRAT THAT...........................

 

[DukeBoom]

Now that we're done with your cheap assed attitude and your racial bias and your incomprehensible ability to get a grip on realitity....... I bid you farewell.

LOL, I guess now complaining about offshoring telephone centers qualifies as racist. Of course!!!!

I obviously hit a nerve when I called you a hypocritical hippie keyboard jockey. Go back to the reefer and your Dead albums, duuuuddde.

 

[KmH]

I'm in the market for a d300s body. I like to get the best deal I can, and have no qualms about purchasing used/refurb gear.

The Nikon Factory-Direct "Outlet" has a refurb d300s body for $1440. B&H has a NEW d300s body for $1450. On ebay, you can get the NEW Japanese d300s bodies for $1250.

I decide to call the Nikon Factory-Direct Store to negotiated a better price for the refurbs - I mean, come on, $10 less for a refurb compared to a new US one is ridiculous.

I tell the Sales guy I can get a NEW body for practically the same price and/or cheaper on ebay and at B&H. He tells me, "Don't get it on ebay."

I go, "why?"

He replies, "Because they're not US models."

I tell him that they're identical. He goes, "But we [as in Nikon] don't know where they come from. And we won't work on it or repair it for you. You will have to send it to Japan to get it repaired." I decide not to mention how some of these resellers have sky-high feedback ratings and offer warranties.

So instead I tell him that B&H has a new one for $10 more, and it would behoove him to go lower on the refurb body.

He replies, "I can't do that because this is coming factory-direct from Nikon." Uhhh-huh, ok. I decided against telling him that if it were really factory-direct, they'd be sending it directly from me from Asia.

After this a$$hole from Nikon, I'm reconsidering going to Canon.

Based upon my years in the retail industry, I guarantee B&H buys them new for likely between $800-900. I'm not asking Nikon to go down to $800 for a freakin REFURBISHED body because I understand they're "protecting" they're 3 or 4 authorized suppliers/distributors. But to not negotiate at all on a freakin refurb that is priced way out-of-line is RIDICULOUS.

Add to that the rudeness of the Sales rep, well, it's a big turn-off.

I wonder how the Nikon guy's side of the story goes.

That's one of the big advantages someone posting a diatribe like this has, a one sided story.

Considering what you have written here (OP and replies), I'd bet you were at least as equally insulting and abrasive on the telephone with the Nikon guy. Maybe you weren't, but I'd still bet that you were.

In my business, I disqualify customers like you.

 

[Gaerek]

Or negotiate better gas prices at the Mobil convenience store down the street? Of course not! Their price is their price... pay it or go somewhere else. Save the haggling for the flea market.

The used gear market for anything - musical equipment, industrial equipment, photography equipment - is essentially a flea market where everything is negotiable.

Once again, showing your ignorance on how things work.

Refurbished != Used

Used means that I had it, used it for a while, it got beat up, worn out, etc, then I try to sell it to you for less than what I paid. Refurbished means it was sent back to the factory where broken/worn out parts are replaced, it's cleaned up, and tested, to ensure quality. Then it's resold at a reduced price, almost always with some kind of warranty. With my experience with refurbished (and I buy quite a lot of refurbished stuff) it's essentially good as new. I bought a refurbished Kindle 2 from Amazon over a year ago for a savings of $40. It looked new (no nicks, dings, etc), came with the SAME warranty as on the new Kindle 2, and today, still works just as good as the day I bought it, minus the crack in the front that was my fault from rough handling.

You simply cannot compare a refurbished price to a used price because they are two completely different products and markets.

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

Ever hear the saying "Ya gotta pay to play" ?? You tried to bargain and it was a no go. Get over it and move on. I love how its everyone elses fault that you are cheap. Its not that they had accents, they just don't speak dipsh*t fluently.

 

[ulrichsd]

I'm going to have to go ahead and recommend that you get over it. Nikon will never under sell it's retailers and I'm quite sure they have contracts with them that explicitly state that. Being that places like B&H and Adorama sell refurbished Nikon gear I'm not at all surprised that it's treated the same way.

This is 100% correct. From a business perspective, the retail stores are also Nikon's customers, and if they undercut their retailers they will stop carrying (or at least stop pushing) Nikon inventory.

I noticed the same thing when I bought my refurb D90. The refurb was $100 more expensive on Nikon's site than it was through Cameta refurb. Bought it from Cameta (with a longer warranty). I'm happy, Cameta's happy, Nikon's happy.

Sorry you were treated poorly by customer service. Good luck!

 

[DukeBoom]

Or negotiate better gas prices at the Mobil convenience store down the street? Of course not! Their price is their price... pay it or go somewhere else. Save the haggling for the flea market.

The used gear market for anything - musical equipment, industrial equipment, photography equipment - is essentially a flea market where everything is negotiable.

Once again, showing your ignorance on how things work.

Refurbished != Used

Used means that I had it, used it for a while, it got beat up, worn out, etc, then I try to sell it to you for less than what I paid. Refurbished means it was sent back to the factory where broken/worn out parts are replaced, it's cleaned up, and tested, to ensure quality. Then it's resold at a reduced price, almost always with some kind of warranty. With my experience with refurbished (and I buy quite a lot of refurbished stuff) it's essentially good as new. I bought a refurbished Kindle 2 from Amazon over a year ago for a savings of $40. It looked new (no nicks, dings, etc), came with the SAME warranty as on the new Kindle 2, and today, still works just as good as the day I bought it, minus the crack in the front that was my fault from rough handling.

You simply cannot compare a refurbished price to a used price because they are two completely different products and markets.

No you're wrong. Used gear is graded on quality-levels. The higher quality used gear is typically the result of an unwanted gift, buyer's remorse, or selling the gear for some quick cash. The lower-quality gear is beat-up.

Refurb'd gear is gear that malfunctioned, or a demo gear in a showroom, that's sent back to the shop for warranty repair. The shop will often send a replacement piece to the user. The factory MAYBE switches out a capacitor, or reloads the ROM, then gives it a dusting and sends it back out the door. Usually it's demo gear or anything that was taken out of the box for whatever reason at a store.

They're essentially the same when you're talking like-new used or refurbd gear.

 

[DukeBoom]

Ever hear the saying "Ya gotta pay to play" ?? You tried to bargain and it was a no go. Get over it and move on. I love how its everyone elses fault that you are cheap. Its not that they had accents, they just don't speak dipsh*t fluently.

I'm glad you brought this up. It shows that you're an doofus who thinks purchasing used gear is the same as playing poker. Since you're so familiar with poker, I'm surprised you're not familiar with "bluffing." As they say, a fool and his money are easily parted. I wish I could play cards with you.

 

[DukeBoom]

In my business, I disqualify customers like you.

Thank you for warning us. Now astute customers like myself will not have to worry about purchasing overpriced goods and services from rip-off scam artists like yourself.

 

[kundalini]

Where do you get your information?

I want to punch them in the mouth.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

It shows that you're an doofus

Wait...Who's the doofus?

 

[DukeBoom]

I'm going to have to go ahead and recommend that you get over it. Nikon will never under sell it's retailers and I'm quite sure they have contracts with them that explicitly state that. Being that places like B&H and Adorama sell refurbished Nikon gear I'm not at all surprised that it's treated the same way.

This is 100% correct. From a business perspective, the retail stores are also Nikon's customers, and if they undercut their retailers they will stop carrying (or at least stop pushing) Nikon inventory.

Actually Canon's factory direct store discounts their refurbs from the "list" price of refurbs. Right now Canon's Factory Direct store is selling some of their refurbs for CHEAPER than Adorama is selling their Canon refurbs. However, Adorama will match or beat the price of any competitor when you point it out.

HEre is Canon's factory direct store: Canon Direct Store - Refurbished EOS Digital SLR Cameras

 

[DukeBoom]

Where do you get your information?

I want to punch them in the mouth.

Through company communication. Of course, you know more than me because you're probably reading Nikon's SOPs for returned gear and going over their source of Work in Process Refurb inventory as we speak.

*sarcasm off*

 

[DukeBoom]

It shows that you're an doofus

Wait...Who's the doofus?

Try not to skip past the pronouns when you reread what I have written.

 

[bentcountershaft]

Actually Canon's factory direct store discounts their refurbs from the "list" price of refurbs. Right now Canon's Factory Direct store is selling some of their refurbs for CHEAPER than Adorama is selling their Canon refurbs. However, Adorama will match or beat the price of any competitor when you point it out.

HEre is Canon's factory direct store: Canon Direct Store - Refurbished EOS Digital SLR Cameras

Looking at the very first item on the page you linked and I have to ask, since when is $599 cheaper than $549?