Complain about a product or service

Cambridge Camera Exchange

119 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011

Matt of Danville CA writes (10/31/01):
About 4 weeks ago I placed an order on the Cambridge Camera Exchange website for about $530 worth of products. I got an instant online receipt and order number for my purchase. I paid to have the items shipped via 2 day UPS.

After not receiving anything after 6 days, I began to become concerned and called the number posted on the company's website. I was then rudely told that their computers were off for the day and to call a new number tomorrow. This number was of course a long distance call.

So I called them the next day and was given a runaround of a bunch of rude sales talk and when I inquired upon the whereabouts of my product, they said that it was back ordered and had not yet arrived and should be there later that week.

Five days later, I still had not received the product so I placed another long distance call to the company. I was rudely given yet another run around. Upon again inquiring about the whereabouts of my products, I was hung up on. I called back 4 days later and asked to speak to the manager and was told that it was too late and that my product had arrived and SHOULD HAVE BEEN shipped.

Through the entire process, I was treated extremely rudely and never received any help at all. I had to make many long distance phone calls and still have not received my products, yet my credit card was billed on the day of purchase.

By not receiving the product in timely fassion, I was unable to preform the work for 2 contracted jobs for my company, resulting in a loss of approximately $500.

Tom of Portland OR writes (9/21/01):
In the first week in August I ordered by phone over $8000 worth of camera equipment from Cambridge Camera Exchange, Inc. I was told at the time that the items were in stock and were first-class Nikon equipment.

After waiting for nearly a month I called to be told my shipment was on the way. subsequent calls yielded nothing, a manager and owner who never seem to be in and a purchase perpetually on back order. I have called and stated I want my money back, sent a certified letter stating the same and emailed that I want my money back. This has not happened.

I do not want to do business with this company. I have contacted the Attorney General Office in Albany. What can I do to expedite the return of my money?

They have $8438.65 of mine and refuse to return it. I get lies about the manager is never in, the computer is down, they act like they do not know who I am, etc. This is ridiculous.

If Tom paid by credit card, he should immediately contact the credit card company and dispute the charge. The company is required by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations to offer a refund if it cannot ship the product on time. Besides teh New York Attorney General, Tom should also file a complaint with the FTC.

Lee of High Point, NC, writes:
On the evening of 12/2/99 I placed an order over the Internet for a camera. As their web site did not provide S&H cost I included a note on the order to provide this info by return e-mail before processing the order.

On the morning of 12/3/99 I had not received any e-mail. I called their toll free number (800-221-2253) to obtain the S&H cost. The sales person that answered the phone wouldn't give me the shipping and handling charge but insisted that I place another order through him and then he would cancel the Internet order. I reluctantly agreed and gave him all of the information again.

He still would not give me S&H cost but gave me a high pressure sales pitch for camera accessories. I told him over and over that all I wanted was the camera. The sales pitch continued. Then he told me that the camera I had ordered was not the US version and that it came with a 60 day warranty. He also told me that if I needed warranty service I would have to send the camera to Japan.

I told him to cancel the order, that I did not want the camera. His sales pitch continued, explaining that for only a few dollars more I could get the US version.

After several more minutes of sales pitch and me telling him to cancel the order, he told me that to cancel the order I would have to call their Customer Service, not a toll free number.

I called their customer service where the sales pitch continued for several more minutes.

He finally said that he would cancel the order. Then he threatened to make sure that I could never order anything over the Internet again. I forgot what my response was but he reduced the penalty. He would make sure that no one would sell me that camera over the Internet. After this final threat he hung up on me.

Now I find a charge for the camera on my credit card. They shipped the camera anyway! With any luck I will catch the UPS man and be able to refuse delivery

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