Internet sites for the S400?

[Russell]

Hello Everyone,
I've been shopping for an S400, and the best price I've found is at Digital Palm for about $420.00 shipped. Has anyone else had experience with this seller? Some of the other camera sellers I have dealt with in the past have been very slow to ship.
Thanks,

[khs8]

Check out Dell.com. I think it sells for under $400. Dell is reputable.

[Carter]

It does NOT sell for under $400 at Dell. It was recently selling for $449.00, but they were taking a couple weeks to ship it due to back orders. I believe Dell is now taking as long as 3+ weeks (according to the Dell website).

You can, and should, also check out www.JandR.com. This is a brick and mortar store physically located in Manhattan, they are reputable (I have made several purchases from them - including my S400), they ship, and they will match the price of any authorized dealer. In general, they will also flat out negotiate, so if you can convince them that you know of people who bought the S400 from them at $449 as I definitely did (if Dell is no longer running that promotion), then you can probably get the camera from them at the same price. Another good thing about JandR is that they actually have them in stock and are ready to ship (unlike Dell), at least they did last week.

Don't buy from any shady operations just to save $20 or $30. Best of luck. Carter

[khs8]

Read this:
http://www.techbargains.com/

Under Dell, Digital camera, Canan s400 is $385.15 after 15% discount and $40 coupon, free shipping. However, it does take a few weeks, and Dell is just as solid, if not more, as J&R.

[khs8]

Also, check this out. It sells for $373 and has a delivery of May7th.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=4924085

[Carter]

khs8 wrote:
Read this:
http://www.techbargains.com/

Under Dell, Digital camera, Canan s400 is $385.15 after 15% discount and $40 coupon, free shipping. However, it does take a few weeks, and Dell is just as solid, if not more, as J&R.


It is indeed true that Dell is currently running a 15% off promotion, but where exactly should we get this $40 off coupon?? According to Dell, we should buy a computer from them and they will give us one (if that is a promotion they are running at that time), but other than that, they are not readily available to us. As such, the price of $385.15 to which you refer is not something that we should be using as a guide.

Also, I did not say Dell was less reputable than JandR. What I said was JandR IS reputable and that they have the item in stock. JandR is a massive operation in NYC, spanning an entire block of downtown manhattan. They are the real deal. Use the Dell 15% off promo to get JandR to price match against Dell, have your new camera in a few days, and be done with it. Or wait three to four weeks for Dell to get it to you.

I do not profess to have obtained the absolute best price, but I ultimately paid $449 plus tax for mine (a very good price), had it within a couple days, and have already taken hundreds of pictures with it. Every day you spend trying to save $30 is another day that you have not taken pictures of a day in your life that will never happen again.

Go get it and enjoy. Carter

[Carter]

khs8 wrote:
Also, check this out. It sells for $373 and has a delivery of May7th.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1010&message=4924085


The link you provided takes us to someone who is talking about a "fellow" (prseumably not himself) who bought the camera at that price. This is unverified internet message board information, and worse yet, it is unverified, second hand, message board information. A quick call to Dell dispelled any notion that the informatiion in this link is accurate.

The coupon code provided in that link is a 10% off coupon code, and it is through their small business, not their consumer, division. Secondly, the code has expired. Thirdly, the 10% off code cannot be combined with other promotions (such as the 15% off promotion they are currently running), so even if you could use it, why would you?

As if that was not enough, the price figures discussed in that link, even if they were true, do not add up. The author claims that the camera sold for 10% off using the coupon code provided, IN ADDITION to the 25% off that Dell was already offering (I do not believe Dell has ever offered 25% off this camera). If true, that would mean that the camera was sold for 35% off of $499 (the retail list price). Assuming for the sake of argument that this is true (which it's not), the camera should have sold for approximately $325, not the $373 claimed by the author.

The link's author also says that the "fellow" was promised a delivery date of May 3rd. Since we do not know when he ordered it, this really is not relevant in any case. Dell is back logged at least three weeks -- call them and they will readily tell you that.

This is all silliness. In the current market, about $425 (15% off retail) is the best price I have seen verified from a well known dealer such as Dell (or JandR). Price match Dell against JandR or some other reputable dealer who has it in stock, but I would not spend too much time chasing your tail looking for prices below $400 from Dell, unless you have some special coupon that the rest of us are not in possession of. $425 (possibly plus tax and shipping depending on how you buy it) is a good and fair price from a legitimate operation like Dell or JandR, etc.

If you wait long enough, the price will eventually drop, I promise, but right now, I would say go with 15% off retail of $499 from a reputable dealer if you can get it.

Carter

[khs8]

Please read the Tech Bargain site carefully http://www.techbargains.com/

I accessed the Dell Home Software and Peripheral. Typed in item code number A0089356. It came back with 15% saving, i.e., 74 dollars off 499 list. Then I proceded to check out, and typed in the coupon code AC49146F565D, and it came back with a total saving of 114, making the price of 385. I don't see anything wrong with it, except that delivery is 3-4 weeks. If you are not in a hurry for a camera, 65 dollars is hard earned cash. Try it out, and tell me if you cannot reproduce what I did. BTW, the coupon of 40 dollars expires today at 11 pm, so hurry up for the great deal.

Dell has a funny way of doing business. They advertise discouts and coupon codes in different places. But, once it is advertised, you can use it. You do not need to have an actual coupon in youy hand

[Carter]

khs8 wrote:
Please read the Tech Bargain site carefully http://www.techbargains.com/

I accessed the Dell Home Software and Peripheral. Typed in item code number A0089356. It came back with 15% saving, i.e., 74 dollars off 499 list. Then I proceded to check out, and typed in the coupon code AC49146F565D, and it came back with a total saving of 114, making the price of 385. I don't see anything wrong with it, except that delivery is 3-4 weeks.

I stand absolutely corrected with respect to the $385 price and the $40 coupon. Dell incorrectly told me that was not possible. I believed them...silly me. Anyway, I would still prefer to have it now for $425 than have it in a month and save $40. That's just me though. At $385, if you don't mind waiting, that is a great price from Dell!!!!

[Russell]

Thanks for all the info guys.
That is a great price from Dell, but I need it sooner than that. I'll be road trippin in less than three weeks, and don't want to take a chance.
I have bought two S230's from J&R, and both times they took 3 weeks to ship, after being promised they were in stock, so I'm afraid to count on them either. Not only that, the first time they suckered me into the accessory scheme. They suddenly had it in stock if I bought $70.00 worth of extra stufff I didn't want. Oh well....
Now what. Looks like CC.
Thanks,

[Carter]

I have not heard of such problems with JandR and certainly have not experienced them. What happened to you sucks. I ordered a memory card from them recently and literally had it within 36 hours. Believe me, I don't work for JandR, so if you can get it somewhere else at a good price, with less aggravation, more power to ya. Best of luck. Carter

[Russell]

Hi Carter,
I think J&R is reputable. I wish there was some way to make sure thay ship on a timely basis. At this point, getting the camera on time is more important than price. I think I will give them a call.
Thanks,

[Russell]

Just an update. I ended up ordering the S400 from J and R. They had it in stock and I received it in one week exactly. That is much better service than my previous experiences. The camera arrived in perfect condition, so I am qiute happy with J and R. We haggled a bit, but they shipped it for $450.00, and almost no sales pitch for accessories.