Store staff with no knowledge ARE useful................

[paul162brown]

Just thought I would share this one, as it keeps bringing a smile to my face.....

Gaving recently aquired a D30 (and loving every minute of it) I have been looking around for an EX flashgun. I had several beaten bids on E-Bay for both 380ex's and 420ex's. On e-bay, most good units were selling for up to 140/150 pounds.

I would keep an eye on the used stocklists of a number of shops and every now and then I would see one, for around 130/140 pounds, but everytime I called, the flash had already been sold.

One night I spotted a 420ex described as in mint condition, boxed, with manual, case and stand etc, on a secondhand list for what is probably the UKs largest photography chain store. This unit happened to be the other side of the country, but they will mail it to you. The website does not give prices as you have to phone them, but generally, their prices are higher than other secondhand options as all sales come with a 12 month warranty and so I was expecting it to be around 140/150 pounds, not far of the new list price.

I called them and spoke with a shop assistant who did seemed very un-interested in speaking to me and did not really seem to know what she was talking about. Anyway, I confirmed that the unit for sale was a 420ex in mint condition, etc etc and then I asked for the price........ she said, in a sarcastic tone of voice,

"Well I don't know, do I? (as if I had the cheek to expect her to know), they go for about 80 pounds I think, yeah, I think 80 pounds or so, I think".

I could not give her my credit cards quickly enough! But then came what I expected to be the downside of this great deal, the postage. "I think postage is free for items over 50 pounds, I think". Free it is then.

So I have ended up getting a superb 420ex, which really is as new with a box and all the bits, for around half the price they have been selling on e-bay, with free postage, and with a 12 month warranty, and this is all thanks to................the store staff with no knowledge!!

:lol: :wink:

Has anyone else had a similar experience?



Paul

[nosquare2003]

Thanks for sharing. But if the staff have no knowledge, how can she offer the price?

And it seems that the price is high in the UK...

[garethhhhh]

And it seems that the price is high in the UK...

Yeah, we live in rip-off Britain so we really have to try hard to get those great deals. Everything is so much more cheaper in the States that I've decided to start ordering there from now on...

[Bruce Hamilton]

...all thanks to................the store staff with no knowledge!!
I'd be really leary of doing business with store employees who are that stupid, she probably hasn't got a clue on how to use shipping.

"UPS? Isn't that the opposite of DOWN?" :lol:

[scottbergerphoto]

It could have been worse. She could have been stupid and sociopathic. That way you could have been abused and misled at the same time!
Scott

[paul162brown]

Thanks for sharing. But if the staff have no knowledge, how can she offer the price?

And it seems that the price is high in the UK...


I know what you are saying, I don't think there is much logic behind it, I just think her rushed, can't be bothered attitude lead her into guessing a price, for some reason, and then selling it, obviously without checking properly. I have half a mind to call her back and ask her to quickly tell me the price of a new 10D!

And, you are right, we really do pay high prices over here, which only makes getting wife approval for purchases even harder!

:wink:

[Cadwell]

I have half a mind to call her back and ask her to quickly tell me the price of a new 10D!

:wink:

If it's the store I am thinking of, don't bother. They won't have one in stock (they never have anything in stock) and their quoted delivery time will be exceeded by a factor of at least three. Personally, I've decided they are useless.

[RichardtheSane]

Aren't J*ssops great ;)

[Cadwell]

Aren't J*ssops great ;)

Yup.. they've managed take ineptitude to previously undreamed of levels. :roll:

[CyberDyneSystems]

Sounds like Jessops is competing with ur "Ritz" for most incompetent Photographic sales of the year...

[paul162brown]

Aren't J*ssops great ;)

Yup.. they've managed take ineptitude to previously undreamed of levels. :roll:

Agreed, but this is a good new direction for them. This is the style of poor service that we should be encouraging! Store staff who guess the prices of their stock at very low levels! I am half minded to say that the next time I come across this type of thing, I will buy the stuff whether I want it or not, just to make a profit, but maybe I should just start buying my gear from the US, you guys have got it so good over there for prices!

[Cadwell]

Agreed, but this is a good new direction for them. This is the style of poor service that we should be encouraging! Store staff who guess the prices of their stock at very low levels! I am half minded to say that the next time I come across this type of thing, I will buy the stuff whether I want it or not, just to make a profit, but maybe I should just start buying my gear from the US, you guys have got it so good over there for prices!

True... you didn't happen to get this jewel of a Jessops employee's name did you? It would be helpful if we all knew who to ask for ;)

[Canuck]

And it seems that the price is high in the UK...

Yeah, we live in rip-off Britain so we really have to try hard to get those great deals. Everything is so much more cheaper in the States that I've decided to start ordering there from now on...

And you think you have it bad...try making your paycheck in US Dollars then having to buy punds for stuff over here and you wonder why I call it an extortion rate? Ok, case in point...I got a 512MB CF card from Jessops in late April last year. It was like £140 so in US dollars it is like $225! Now you mention expensive. Now to put this on a level playing field, could you imagine paying £225 instead of £140? This is because the US $ isn't worth much compares to the £. Been there done that every time I buy stuff on the Economy (in £). I had to laugh though, I was in Bury St Edmunds one day and at another Jessops enquiring about high speed CF cards. The person asked me what I was gonna use it with and I said my 10D. The original CF from Jessops is kinda slow, like 1x maybe on a good day, man I'd hate to see it in the cold...it might not work at all! (Note: There is sarcasm there on the speed and cold.) Ok, so I had it with me and pulled it out and the salesperson has one too and I was amazed! This became a rapid fire session with me and my 10D. It was sometime in late Nov/Early Dec as I had the pics of Concorde final flight from Heathrow to Filton and that is the only time marker I can think of. The final flight was in mid Nov last year. I should write the book, Canon EOS 10D for Dummies. :)

[DaveG]

A friend who owns a photography studio in another town was complaining that his wedding orders were down. I suggested that he have a female friend call his studio and act like a bride, just to see how she was treated.

She called and got "We're not allowed to give prices over the phone. You've gotta come in." instead of "Gee, we'd love to tell you all our prices but we have so many different and wonderful packages that I wouldn't know where to start. Boy if you could come in we could show you some really interesting wedding photographs that we're really proud of."

Both approaches do the same thing while one gets the client in, and the other doesn't. Now it may be the clerk who's at fault. But her boss may well have said, "Don't give prices over the phone.", and that's what she was doing, literally. And in the England story that woman's boss might have been saying, "Why don't you have those shelves stocked?" and the clerk was hurrying to get back to that. Often the clerk is sent the wrong message by the boss, so if you are a boss you better check on this stuff from the customer's perspective.

[ron chappel]

Yes! call back and ask the price on a 10D!! :D
I suppose she'll abuse you even more buying something that big :lol: :lol: ...and why is this starting to sound like a monty python scetch :wink:

[Canuck]

Yes! call back and ask the price on a 10D!! :D
I suppose she'll abuse you even more buying something that big :lol: :lol: ...and why is this starting to sound like a monty python scetch :wink:

I can see this, we want a shrubbery! it will provide contrast against white dresses on brides and suchlike. Let's write a Monty Ptyhonesque sketch! :lol:

[CoolToolGuy]

Yes! call back and ask the price on a 10D!! :D
I suppose she'll abuse you even more buying something that big :lol: :lol: ...and why is this starting to sound like a monty python scetch :wink:

I can see this, we want a shrubbery! it will provide contrast against white dresses on brides and suchlike. Let's write a Monty Ptyhonesque sketch! :lol:

But we would have to change the script a little - from the "Knights Who Say NI(kon)" to the "Knights who say CA(non)" :roll:

[Canuck]

Yes! call back and ask the price on a 10D!! :D
I suppose she'll abuse you even more buying something that big :lol: :lol: ...and why is this starting to sound like a monty python scetch :wink:

I can see this, we want a shrubbery! it will provide contrast against white dresses on brides and suchlike. Let's write a Monty Ptyhonesque sketch! :lol:

But we would have to change the script a little - from the "Knights Who Say NI(kon)" to the "Knights who say CA(non)" :roll:

I was wondering about that exactly! Good call!

[paul162brown]

And it seems that the price is high in the UK...

Yeah, we live in rip-off Britain so we really have to try hard to get those great deals. Everything is so much more cheaper in the States that I've decided to start ordering there from now on...

I have never actually purchased anything from the States, but one possible problem does spring to mind.... what is the situation in regards to import tax/customs duties etc. I can remember seeing a US company selling new 300d cameras on E-Bay, before I got my D30, for what was really cheap money, and they were stating that they would help to minimise any import duties, but would not say how much would be payable, although I suppose that is for us to find out. Has anyone got any experience on this, how much have you paid? are there any ways around the duties such as buying the goods as gifts etc?

In fact, I have had an idea........lets all chip in a few quid each, offer to move the store assistant from the store I dealt with from the UK to the USA, and then we can all deal with someone who guesses prices, but in dollars!!!! That would be the best of both worlds! :wink:

[ron chappel]

That sounds VERY similar to here in OZ.We have no import duties but do have a 10% vat
Imorted items less that about au$450 are let through with no GST/VAT applied.Anything marked as a gift may be exempt BUT i THINK they need to be giftwrapped.
We have the same seller on ozEPAY.Basically he is being less than honest about how much you'll be slugged with once the item hits customs... :? :? :?
The only way to be sure there is to call the tax office and find out precisely what happens

[Cadwell]

I have never actually purchased anything from the States, but one possible problem does spring to mind.... what is the situation in regards to import tax/customs duties etc. I can remember seeing a US company selling new 300d cameras on E-Bay, before I got my D30, for what was really cheap money, and they were stating that they would help to minimise any import duties, but would not say how much would be payable, although I suppose that is for us to find out. Has anyone got any experience on this, how much have you paid? are there any ways around the duties such as buying the goods as gifts etc?



OK. If you purchase a camera from outside of the UK/EU then Customs will charge you VAT (@17.5%) and Import Duty (@6%). The Post Office will also levy a fee for sorting all this out for you. I can't remember what that is.

In order to be import duty exempt the goods need to have a value of less than £18.

Some vendors will sell you goods and ship them labelled as "Gifts" with values less than £18. This is of course dishonest and illegal. The goods may get through or they may not - it all depends on how closely they are checking on a particular day as customs has the right to open any parcel it feels like - obviously the larger and heavier the parcel the more likely they are to look. If you know the vendor intends to do this before you purchase then you are guilty of smuggling and can be prosecuted for such should Customs find out. You may be lucky and just be charged for the VAT and duty which should have been paid.

The other thing to think about is; how much confidence do you have in a vendor who is willing to comit an illegal act? Do you want to trust them with a substantial quantity of your money? Your choice.

[tivoli2]

It's a little premature to start celebrating. You have not yet received either your 420ex or your credit card bill.

Are you sure the girl knows what mint condition means? I hope the mints that she stuffs into the battery compartmnent don't melt.

[paul162brown]

It's a little premature to start celebrating. You have not yet received either your 420ex or your credit card bill.

Are you sure the girl knows what mint condition means? I hope the mints that she stuffs into the battery compartmnent don't melt.

LOL :lol:

I have received the 420ex. It is as new, with the box, manuals, case, stand and has no scratches or marks and works perfectly! I double checked the bill, thinking that maybe I misheard her saying 180 pounds, but it does say only 80 quid! The unit was described on the website as in mint condition before I purchased it and I kept a copy of that web page awaiting the unit's delivery.

So far I have had superb results from it and have been having loads of fun bouncing flash from walls and ceilings etc. The best thing of all is being able to experiment with all sorts of different settings and positions without fear of processing costs.

Unlike some who have lots of experience with digital, I spent years with a manual Nikon and manual flash and costly slide film. At this stage, I still feel like auto focus is a luxury, let alone the marvels of of E-TTL, which has been fairly consistent so far. The learning curve of getting to know how to use properly a new bit of kit is soooo much quicker with digital.

I am seriously thinking about thoroughly checking out what else they have at this store in their used section and establishing the prices etc. If I come across any similar bargains, I will let you know.

Any requests for any half price bits of mint condition EOS kit!?........

[Chrisc]

Paul162....
I know Jessops (sorry J#ssops!) have a very handy way of recording the price they paid for used equipment and it's a great bargaining tool if you have the item to hand in the shop. All used eqiuipment comes with a serial number sticker. The first three numbers of the serial backwards is the price they paid for the item from the sucker that part ex'd it.

I have used this a few times to haggle down the price knowing they had a £150 mark up on a lens.

They also manage to offer the lowest part ex value around, I was offfered £10 for a lens recently which I sold on Ebay for £90.

Chris

[paul162brown]

Paul162....
I know Jessops (sorry J#ssops!) have a very handy way of recording the price they paid for used equipment and it's a great bargaining tool if you have the item to hand in the shop. All used eqiuipment comes with a serial number sticker. The first three numbers of the serial backwards is the price they paid for the item from the sucker that part ex'd it.

I have used this a few times to haggle down the price knowing they had a £150 mark up on a lens.

They also manage to offer the lowest part ex value around, I was offfered £10 for a lens recently which I sold on Ebay for £90.

Chris


Chris,

Thanks for that....very interesting! I'll check the numbers on my 420. What's the bettings that it is more than the 80 pounds I paid!!??