Adorama Camera

Let me tell you what these scam artists pull. I searched the internet for an MXL V88 microphone and Adorama.com had the lowest price at $113.80. I ordered two that showed in stock. Within 24 hours, I received an email claiming that the items were back ordered, and would be coming to their warehouse. The very same day adorama.com listed the same products on eBay, and they showed on buy.com, both at a higher price. When I saw the items on eBay, I emailed and asked why they back ordered my items I bought at their web store, when within 24 hours, they listed the item at a higher price on eBay.

They send me a bunch of crap about they didn't like the feedback I had left on eBay, which had nothing to do with me ordering from them at their website. These people are complete amateurs. They have a nice web presence, but they operate like a freaking Baghdad flea market. The only thing I can think is that these scam artists advertise low-ball prices online, in order to get search engine preference, and bug their competition, but they have no intention of selling at their advertised low prices.

As a result of their "abah-dabah" routine, I got jerked around, and had a PayPal charge to be reconciled, but eventually bought the item, and a lot more from their competition. People do need to know to stay away from these wannabes, because they are ricking getting get jerked around, lied to, and inconvenienced. They have a nice web store front, but under the surface, these amateur clowns are complete jerks. The New York Attorney General needs to put a muzzle on this operation for their fraudulent advertising and sales practices.

They should get zero stars, but system makes you pick one. I bought a 50" TV through Amazon on Black Friday weekend. The item arrived double packed, in the original box and then another box with foam packing on the outside of that. No sign of damage on outer box, but interior box was slightly damaged. The box was open, TV was damaged and styrofoam packing was all busted up. It looks like the TV was damaged, then packed up and sent to me.

I notified them 14 days ago and still no resolution. The TV still sitting in the box in my garage, new car parked outside and they still have my money. I had 12 emails to Adorama and they still haven't even scheduled someone to come out and look at the damage so I can ship it back! Amazon is now involved to try and resolve, but that can take 14 days. Stay away!

I ordered a Lee filter form Adorama, on May 15, 2011 through Google Wallet for $129.95. It was on sale in their Spring Catalog for $109.95. My credit card number changed during the summer, and Google requested to update my credit card info on Dec. 08, 2011, which I did. Adorama informed me that they automatically cancelled my order, because they did not get the payment from Google on Dec. 09, 2011. Now, they want to sell this filter to me for $160. Based on this treatment to a long time customer, I recommend everyone to be careful in using Adorama, for buying any product from them.

I ordered a Bescor Charger with Next Day Air. After drop shipping me with a bait and switch, they will not allow me to return it. Bescor won't even replace it. Don't buy here! Don't buy Bescor!

I purchased a "brand new" TV through Buy.Com serviced by Adorama. The TV arrived on a Wednesday and was left on my door step by UPS (no signature). On Friday, after working all day, I opened the outer box and noticed no packing material between the outer box and the factory box the TV was in. I then opened the factory box and removed the TV. The box was missing part of the TV stand. When I plugged the TV in I only got half a picture. The TV had been damaged.

Upon further examination, I noticed that the factory box had been opened and resealed at the bottom. I immediately called Buy.Com and was told Adorama was responsible, so I called them but their customer service department closed at 1:30 p.m. I then called Buy.Com back and was told that they would intervene on my behalf. I called Buy.Com back yesterday (Thursday) and was told Adorama responded and stated that I did not meet their return policy (which I did) and also, that I need to call the manufacturer and make arrangements for repair. I also e-mailed Adorama but never received a reply. Buy.Com is still working on this for me.

I ordered a TV through Buy.com and this company filled it. When the TV arrived, it sat on my door step until I got home from work on Wednesday. On Friday, I opened the outer box and the TV was inside in the factory box, but there was no packing material between the two boxes to prevent movement of the inside box. When I opened the inside (factory) box, part of the TV stand was missing, and when I plugged the TV in, it was damaged (partial picture).

I also noticed that the bottom of the factory box had been opened and resealed. I tried calling Adorama, but their customer service closes at 1:30 p.m. on a Friday. I immediately logged a complaint with Buy.com and they contacted Adorama on my behalf. Adorama is stating that I exceeded the time limit for returns, which I did not. I also contacted Adorama by e-mail and received no response. I am awaiting Buy.com to resolve this. Stay tuned.

I placed an order with Adorama on 09-Jul-11 for a box of 5 qty E100VS film. When the box arrived there were only 2 in it. I contacted them the Monday after receipt (18-July) and explained the situation. They argued that the packslip showed 5 qty. After a long discussion they told me that they'd ship 3 more rolls. I received several emails stating that these 3 rolls were now back ordered. On 04-Aug I asked them to cancel this back order and credit the 3 rolls back to my visa. They are now refusing claiming that my visa was never charged. It was charged in full.

I had an issue with them selling an open box as new a while back. I complained to them, and on the boards. Helen **, their damage control Internet cop, started posting Googled information, which she perceived, as negative on me.

Anyway, this went on for a bit and was finally forgotten. Recently, I place an order through Buy.com for an item (NOT knowing), that Adorama would be the shipper.

To make a long story short, the item was shipped, and while it was out on the truck for delivery they recalled it.

Now, a company that bites off its own nose, to spite its face-- is not a good company to do business with anyway. I am also glad that they recalled the item that was out for delivery.

Anyway, as I never would have ordered, if I had known that it was this den of thieves that I was doing business with. Stay far away from any type of company that has complaint after complaint behind it, and some full-time clown doing damage control.

Ordered a product thru them without knowingly doing so (Through Buy.com) Had problems with this company sending used mershandise as new in the past. The truck had the package out for delivery (UPS) and out of spite they recalled the package on the day it was scheduled to be delivered

This is one good example why people should not buy from Adorama, the online camera store, especially if you are buying from outside the USA. Before I get into the details, I should express that I have purchased approximately 5 items from them over the last 7 years or so. I have been burnt twice. On the first time, I forgave them because I had bought a voigtlander lens that had a known common manufacturing flaw. They accepted my return for refund (they didn't answer my emails though; not much help!). Imagine returning a lens overseas with the hope that they will refund but not knowing for sure. The second time will be the last time I will be burnt by this company. I won't turn this into a rant. But I can provide evidence of my correspondence with them at every turn to support my arguments that they are into shifty business (these are saved in my email correspondence with them).

On the 21st of January 2011, I had purchased from their online store what I thought was a used Leica m 35mm summicron 7 element version. It was made in Canada (note the 7 element bit as this identifies the lens as a v.4. Summicron). Why did I think it was the 7 element version? It's because it was listed as the 7 element version (there is only one 7 element version that is made in Canada, the V4). This was purchased for $1249.00 (the invoice does not include the 7 element bit). Because it was such an expensive item, I decided to email them, just to make sure that they had listed the item correctly. This email was sent on Friday, January 21, 2011 at 4:32 pm. Adorama then replied on Sunday, Jan. 23, 2011 at 09:32:38 -0500, with this reply: "The lens has already been sent to shipping. It is not available for inspection."

Because it was an expensive item, I knew I had to pay tax on it, and hence I needed to track the item. So a few days had passed, and I emailed them to get a tracking number (via UPS). And on Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 at 10:04:15 -0500 (a week after I had bought the lens), they wrote this: "As soon as the order ships, you will get a confirmation email with the tracking number." What? I thought the lens was sent for shipping. I thought you didn't have the time to check whether you sold me the item that you listed. By the way, that's a week after I bought the item!

Then, I emailed them back. They confirmed that it has not been shipped yet. So, I waited. When it arrived to Australia, I had to pay $200 of the import tax (which I knew about and factored into my purchase). But to my surprise, they had sent me the Leica 35mm Summicron the 6 element or v3 version, not the v4 version which I thought that I had purchased. For those of you who are not familiar with the Leica lens line up, the v3 is much cheaper than the v4 version. I have seen them sold used for under $1000. Hence, I had good reason to think that I was purchasing the v4 version, especially when it was advertised as the 7 element version.

I have tried to contact them via email, and I am yet to get a reply. To me this sounds like a scam. They falsely advertise an item (especially to an overseas buyer). They reply to their email dishonestly. The buyer gets charged $200 tax on a lens that he did not intend to buy. They cease contact with the buyer once they have ripped him off.

I ordered a used Canon 5D from their used dept. and just received it today. This camera was rated "D" for "Demo" on their website. "Demo" is described in their scaling guideline as: "Demo (Like New) Like New with little or no signs of use." This rating is second only to "New" on their scale. So with "Like New -- little or no signs of use" one would expect that the camera would come with all that is included in a nearly new or demo camera. Instead, I got a camera body, manual, battery and charger and CDs wrapped in plastic, no original box. Okay, I can live without the box, but I can't accept that it was missing several of the items which comes standard with a new 5D.

Missing were the following: eyecup, wide neck strap EW-100 DGR, video cable VC-100, USB interface cable IFC-400PCU and no data cable, which is necessary to download files, no video cable, which is necessary to view images on a TV monitor and no neck strap, which is standard when you buy any new Canon camera body.

But most telling of all is that this camera has at least 9,000 shutter actuations on it, 8,870, to be exact. My first shot with the camera, using a newly formatted card, was 100-8871. The "8871 is the shot number using Canon's "continuous" numbering system. Like new! Little or no signs of use? With nearly 9,000 shutter actuations registering on the card, hardly! When I buy a demo or "like new" camera with "little or no signs of use", I do not expect there to be nearly 9,000 (or more) shutter actuations on it.

I feel ripped off and am now going to have to fight with the credit card company to reverse these charges, unless Adorama makes good on this by either giving me a full refund or a credit which reflects the difference between the fallacious "Demo" rating and a much lower rating, e.g., an E- or lower. E- camera bodies go for around $1050-1100 on their website.

I had bought a camera and was planning to give it as a gift to my friend. This camera never came to me and was returned to shipper. I got the refund after calling 1000 times. I asked for compensation from Adorama since they did not reship the item and I had to buy the same item again and send it back to my friend via courier, which cost me another US$140. Had this been reshipped, it would have taken no cost for a courier. I want a minimum compensation of $US100 from Adorama Camera. I was very frustrated emotionally and had to call them over and over again. I also could not present this gift to my friend on his birthday, which is a very big setback. Now I have to send this gift through a courier, which will be a financial and emotional setback for me.

We received an order from a customer for a Meade 9mm illuminated reticle (this is a $70 eye cup, not a "piece of precision astronomical equipment" as is claimed in his posting on your site). Upon receipt of the item, the recipient emailed to advise us that it was clearly used and was "in a horrendous condition". Our shipping records lead us to believe that this is blatantly untrue; nevertheless the customer stated that unless we gave him a 25% discount to keep the item, he would post bad feedback on every possible board in an attempt to bring down both Adorama Camera and to put me out of employment.

We immediately sent him an apology and a pre-paid label to return it (actually, we sent 4 labels), but he is blasting us in every forum he can find. He has reduced his demand to 20% of the cost to keep the item. However, he has been advised that this is against company policy; if the item is in fact used, that is how it arrived to us as part of our inventory from the manufacturer and we need to return it. You need to be aware that in the posting on your site, this person has materially altered some of the emails which he claims to be from either myself or a member of our sales team. He has also quoted the experience of one customer whose case I dealt with personally, and who I remember very well was refunded and compensated in full.

Coincidentally, this member has placed a significant number of defamatory and harassing comments across a number of other websites and review sites, (which have subsequently been proven to be fictitious), involving other retailers and service providers in an attempt to reap financial gain. You are most welcome to contact me directly for additional information. In the meantime, we request that you consider the removal of the individual's posting. Thank you.

It's amazing how these companies can commit suicide by attempting to silence those that they've ripped-off. This company sent me a used\repackaged\open boxed piece of precision astronomical equipment and tried to pass it off as new. I paid full price, complained, and now they go on a campaign of lies and harassment to appear to give the feigned aura of legitimacy while they emit the stench of an open grave. I encourage anyone reading this complaint to go to the link that Helen the "Ambassador of Customer Service" has provided to get another glimpse of just how dishonest and outright spiteful these types of companies can get in an effort to salvage their self-appointed image. If they accuse one customer of trying to rip them off, then they are suspecting all of their customers to do the same.

Would you want to do business with this company? Google "Adorama complaints" are no fewer than 20,400 complaints! I'm sure Adorama believes that they were all trying to rip them off also. I make a very good living and do not need Adorama's 20% discount. But what I do need is for companies like this to stop sending out used merchandise as new. Enclosed please find the letters of harassment:

First Email: On Wed., Apr 28, 2010 at 5:11 am, Helen wrote: Mr. ** before you speak with Monique, a question; why Adorama? I actually fretted about you last night and slept badly, believing that we had treated you very badly. The Internet is a very big and powerful tool, in both honest and upright hands, as well as being a weapon for the dishonest and unscrupulous.

Second Email: **. Following your scurrilous and altogether unacceptable postings on certain websites, we have instructed our legal team. We have been advised by our legal team, following their initial investigations, that you filed for bankruptcy in Arizona, that you have claimed, falsely that you were formerly a licensed commercial pilot and that you have a Ph.D in Science. We are also aware that you use a number of aliases to attempt to solicit funds from retailers and service suppliers. I feel it is only fair to warn you that each and every false allegation that you make against Adorama will be refuted, and will be used in evidence against you. Therefore, be warned; this 'case' as you call it, is most certainly not closed.

Email from Jerry **: "Raymond, Based on your classless email to Helen, and yesterday's verbal abuse towards our customer service representative, it is quite obvious that your attempted blackmailing at trying to get a cheaper price and failing has upset you. It didn't work at some other companies as well as you are well aware (just google it). We gave you your final offer to return it and now we retract that offer. While you may have a lot of time to waste, we on the other hand are confident that for every customer we lose, we can gain another. The internet is a powerful tool and we use it to our advantage. Have a nice day. Sincerely, Jerry **, Supervisor/Adorama, Inc., 42 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011"

These people like to post lies about other people and go on a campaign of revenge when those people complain about their service.

When I ordered something used, I expect to be compensated for it. Upon reviewing my order, this item was purchased as a "new" item and a premium was paid to Adorama for that privilege. Upon opening my boxed shipment, I was stunned to find it in the condition in the attached photograph with tape holding it together and fingerprints on the lenses. Is this how Adorama does business? Charging retail price for open boxed shipments?

Three choices are possible now:

(1) I can return the item postage paid by Adorama and stop billing on my credit card.

(2)A 20% discount will be applied to my merchandise for receiving an open and repackaged box not marked as such, and notification of the proper authorities will be dropped. (Local BBB, YouTube video, Ripoffreport.com, Astronomy boards) among others.

(3) You can send me out a "new item", overnight it. This was my first order via Adorama and quite possibly my final one. The outcome is dependent on your response. I will also email the owner(s) if I receive a blow-off. This package tells a marvelous story about Adorama.

July 22 I registered a complaint against Adorama, but now we reached a planly satisfactory agreement. Adorama has made all efforts in order to resolve my problem. Full refund received.

Adorama Camera sold me a binocular (Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX w/case, US$ 770.80) with both internal prisms cracked, problem that the shop refuses to admit, affirming by email and by phone that they do not sell damaged products, or that the fault is not theirs.

I refused the product, and returned it to UPS, in order to have my duties' money back, what UPS actually refunded. Adorama refused to repatriate the product, in reason of the costs implied, and pleading that I should have returned it under "Warranty repair and exchange or Vendor repair", what I did not do, because Brazilian laws do not allow such kind of shipment from here, as I was informed by UPS, besides the fact that it will imply for me more duties. The point is: I refused the product not because I did not want it, but because there was a problem whose fault is not mine, but Adorama's, and I initiated a damage claim because it was the only legal way I had to ship the product back to Adorama.

The shop insists in the blind reading of their website's text, which says In the event a shipment is refused and returned, any taxes, duties, custom fees, brokerage fees or shipping charges incurred from this return, will be the responsibility of the customer, but if it would aply to a cracked product also, it means that any Adorama's fault will cost to the consumer at least the loss of his duties' money. Since I cannot legally ship to them the product in the way they requested, in fact they force me to choice between two options, both implying losses: or only my duties refund, or remain with a cracked binocular.

In other words, instead of investigate and put the blame on the responsible for the crack, to whom these costs must be ascribed, Adorama insists in this grievance against consumer's rights, understanding that what I did was a frivolous refuse, without taking its own charge.

I believe I was the victim of a bait and switch. I called the store to ascertain whether they had a product in stock. I was told by the person who answered that yes, the product was available. I made the trip, on my lunch hour, to the store. Asked for the product. Had to wait for the product to be brought out from the stock room. When it came out, it was not what I wanted. The cashier told me to go back to the person that helped me. Perhaps that just happened to be the guy's lunch but the person that originally helped me was no longer there.

I had to wait (after an initial wait of 10-12 minutes) another 15-20 minutes to speak to an associate. I explained what I wanted and had a print out from their website. He said I would be getting the same bag I got before. They are two completely different bags. I thanked him and the store for wasting my time and told the associate the store needs to change what is online because it is defective and inaccurrate.

As a result, I was not able to go to a competitor store, as I had not more time on my lunch and the store hours do not comport to my work hours (and Fridays they close earlier for Shabbos observance). I believe this is probably not the first time this has happened. And I would have been just as angry even if I got the product elsewhere but now I have nothing and I needed it for a trip.

I attempted to purchase a large ticket item from your establishment and was met by trickery, disrespect and misrepresentation of products.

The item I intended to purchase was described online and in the store as the letter D or Demo or Demonstration. The aforementioned terms describes the item as (the act of presenting something; "he gave the customer a demonstration" Excerpt: showing; exposition, demonstration; exhibition, production..."). I was appalled by the treatment I then received, and is it your policy that if a customer disagrees with your rating system he is then subjected to treatment equivelent to that of a Criminal?

I am hopeful that this letter reaches the appropriate individual(s) so that they may take a PRO-ACTIVE position rather than a re-active one when another customer disagrees with these individuals.