I don't know if the consumers are getting any smarter per se; or is everyone
just believing what they're being told- that they NEED a digital camera?!
I too, ventured out shopping, just for a short while as I had to work Black
Friday, and they tried to give me the classic "bait and switch". I too, went to
an electronics store- "6th Avenue Electronics" (don't know if they're outside
the NYC/NJ area) for an advertised Olympus D395 for $88. I know it's an older
model by now, but I wanted something simple, I'm giving it to my daughter for
her trip to Italy and Switzerland in a couple of months, and she won't have
to worry about film and X-rays, and she isn't going to want to learn the E-10,
AND her "Polaroid" brand digital takes really crappy, dark photos.
I was there when the store opened, and most of the customers were at the
digital camera counter. When it was my turn, I asked the 20 yr old salesman for
the advertised camera. (D395) He handed one to me and stated (without pausing
to
take a breath) "It's a really old model and it doesn't come with any software
and it doesn't come with a USB cable, that'll cost you $45 extra if you want
one." And he thrust a different Olympus into my other hand and said "I can
let you have this one for $150." I politely told him the equivalent that he was
full of sh*!, and it most certainly DID come with software and a cable. He
went over to his computer and went on the Olympus web site and advised me there
wasn't any info on that camera there. After I turned the monitor around so I
could see it, I pointed to "Product details" and told him to click on that. He
did and exclaimed with mock surprise: "What do you know, it DOES come with
those things!" He put my order in for it and told me to go to the payment
counter.
I did, and they told me $98 plus tax. I told them it was $88. They seemed
surprised and asked me where in heaven I had heard THAT? I pointed to the sales
ad that was right in front of them. BIG problem. They didn't know how to fix
the price. I suggested they cancel that purchase order and write a new one. The
looked at me like I was speaking Martian or something, and they just froze. A
manager came over and asked if there was a problem. I told him that first the
salesman tried to bait and switch me, and now I was being charged $10 too
much. He stopped, turned to look me in the eye and touched my arm: "Oh NOoooo,
that would NEVER happen here. WE don't do that. This is just a mistake. I'll
take
care of it." He did take care of it, but only after I insisted I receive and
open the box before they put my credit card through. They also seemed
surprised that I would ask that. (What, don't you trust us?) And another
customer came
over and complained they talked him into another camera, and he now wanted
the D395, and he said one other customer had just walked out all angry after he
was told he couldn't get one. So I'm certain they try very hard not to sell
what was advertised. I shouldn't be surprised since it's been tried before on
me, but mainly thru phone sales, It's been a very long time since I experienced
it face-to-face. I still may complain to the Better Business Bureau or some
such watchdog agency, but it's just about impossible to prove intent when they
can claim it was merely incompetence.
George S.
farali@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> This past weekend as I ventured out on Black Friday (for those of you
> who reside in the U.S.)...I noticed people snapping up DSLR's left and
> right. Certainly there were people buying the P&S digicams but I had
> never seen so many people hot on the DSLR's. Especially at places like
> Best Buy, Target, etc. Either consumers are getting smarter or prices
> are falling too quickly!!
>
> I feel really bad for the poor saps who got suckered into buying some of
> the crappy P&S digicams at places like Best Buy...cuz the sales people
> knew next to nothing about them and made recommendations off the handle.
> Being the smarter consumer...I did a comparison of online retailers vs.
> brick &mortar and found online having some damn fine deals.
>
> - Ali
>
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