How's B & H nowadays?

[oddball]

I'm planning to use B&H as my vendor for my photo wants/needs at the end of the month (and beyond), but I'm curious on how they are coping with the aftermath of the fire. Are items shipping on time? Any evidence of "smoky" lenses or cameras? Any "crispy" packaging? I might be overly cautious, but I can not think of any other way of getting this type of info other than this forum. Thanks...

[KenW]

I ordered some items on Friday night(2/25), packed up Sunday night, shipped on Monday, arrived on Wed. All perfect, no problems at all. I would order tonight if I wanted something.

Ken

[rebel61021]

Just received my new 100-400 "L" today and no smoke smell and the box was in perfect condition only delay I had was shipping to address rather than billing address, they call and confirm the order before they ship it, but I would rather wait couple extra days than to have somebody steal my credit card and order something and not even know they ordered anything. I will highly recomend B&H to everyone that I know.

[tim]

I've ordered from B&H a few times, and returned something because I didn't like it once, and i've not had a problem.

[charlesu]

B&H is usually pretty good though they once shipped me a strobe that had either been damaged in their warehouse or on the way from the manufacturer to them (they packed it nicely in a larger box to ship to me so they HAD to know it was previously damaged). Because I had a deadline I had to buy yet another light from them and then return this one for credit. Only, they didn't credit me, they sent me a replacement that I did not need. Then I returned it and went thru that again. After several months I finally got it resolved. But despite notes on my account and promises from multiple service reps they just kept screwing up.

They made me pay for their mistake and then they made me pay for it again and again when they kept shipping replacements instead of crediting me. They finally credited me the cost of the light and ONE return shipping.

So, I generally deal with one man now. Mike Bard at Newtonville Camera. They are a very large dealer. Very. Not quite so big as B&H but you know, the nice thing is that I can call, ask for Mike and he knows his a$$ from a hole in the ground. He gives great service and he is very supportive of his customers.

[Southswede]

Placed an order on Monday and received it today.

[wintermute76]

I ordered my 20D and Tamron lens last Sunday and it arrived a day ahead of schedule on Wednesday. Should've been today. I have no complaints.

[PacAce]

I ordered a G6 for my sister yesterday morning and it arrived today. It can't get any better than that!!! :D

[wolf]

Ordered a flash meter late Monday evening Feb 28 and received it today Thurs Mar 03 In Alberta Canada. Looks like it is business as usual.

[FlipsidE]

I still like 'em. With the exception of my actual camera and my Lumiquest Pocket Bouncer (now retired in favor of the 80-20 ProMax kit), I have used B&H for all my camera gear. They have been perfect for me so far. Not a single complaint.

FlipsidE

[MDJAK]

B&H and I have a thing going on, as the song goes. I am lucky to live in N.Y. about 50 short, very short miles from their store, which, by the way, is being enlarged from a football field in size, to two stories, so make that two football fields. They are a truly amazing place which one has to see to appreciate. They have a conveyor belt that wends its way across almost the entire store along the ceiling level with boxes hanging therefrom. When you place an order with a salesman (and there are no saleswomen) it comes up from the basement in a large green box. The items are shown to you, a receipt printed, and the box is placed on a hook attached to the conveyor belt where it makes its way to the front of the store behind the "registers." It is truly poetry in motion and the most efficient store I've ever seen. I love to go there just to look around. I have no trouble spending hours there. I also have no trouble spending cash and lots of it. Their mail order is equally as good.

Charlesu reported a bad experience. I have no reason to doubt him. But I can assure you this is the exception rather than the rule. No place is perfect, and of course that shouldn't have happened.

As far as mail order is concerned, however, for me, living in N.Y., I'd rather not pay sales tax and have recently ordered larger ticket items from elsewhere, but for that reason and that reason alone.

I can also tell you from my conversations with two different salesmen just this past Sunday, it was not, repeat not their warehouse that burned but their neighbors which was separated from theirs by a brick wall. One row of their merchandise was smoke damaged and they believed it was television boxes. B&H has not built the world's largest and most successful photo/video store by selling damaged goods.

As an example of a reliable store, J&R Music World, which is located about five blocks or so from the World Trade Center, had their entire inventory replaced by their insurance company after 9/11 as a result of "dust" damage.

I'm sure that B&H pays very high insurance premiums and would not hesitate to make a claim when warranted.

[RJSorensen]

Yep, B&H is and has been the best. My last order took seven days, but that was the day of the fire so no harm no foul. Mostly it is four days to my place. I will order again, and again, and agian et at and etc.

[robertwgross]

The best online camera store to deal with is one that is just one state away from where you live. That way, there generally isn't any state sales tax, yet it is close enough that shipping is cheap and fast.

---Bob Gross---

[lmelendez]

Ordered a 20D on Wednesday at 10am EST, they shipped it the same day. Should be here today. Great store, highly recommended...

Leo.

[sdommin]

From what I understand, the fire wasn't actually at B&H's warehouse, it was the one next to it or near it. B&H people had to evacuate, but their stuff was undamaged and business was back to normal in a few hours.