70-200 f4L -- B&H return............

[ed rader]

i received a canon 70-200 f4L from B&H friday that was basically DOA. i was able to take about 50 shots before the AF quit working.

i talked to B&H today and they said they would send me another lens or issue a refund. i opted for the refund and now i will buy the lens locally and here's why.

originally the lens would have cost me about $45 more if i had bought it locally.

it took 5 days to receive this lens last time when i paid for 2-day service (ordered on a sunday and received lens friday).

i need the lens for next weekend so i offered to buy another lens that they said they would ship 2-day on monday (remember, last time it took 5 days). i said the only way i buy from them is if the send the lens overnight and pay for it because i need the lens for next weekend and 2-day service cut it real close last time.

remember it is costing me an additional $15 to return the defective lens.



they wouldn't pay for the delivery upgrade so i have opted for a straight refund.

now, i'm not angry....tho i am a little peeved at myself for trying to initiallly save $45 which looks like now will mean that the local purchase actually ends up costing me about $80 more because of the two shipping charges.

to B&H's credit they are taking back the defective lens and i will buy from them again in the future but probably only as a last resort because they weren't willing to meet me part-way on the loss.

also, whoever suggested i sand the contacts (this was on another forum) might want to be careful about offering that advice in the future. i was told if the lens was not in new condition after they inspected it the refund would be denied.

another thing, i am a big fan of internet sales. i have more than 300 ebay transactions and more than 400 paypal transactions. but sometimes when the savings are so slim and the product has a less than stellar history of arriving trouble-free it really does pay to buy locally where issues can be resolved quickly and at no extra cost.

FYI,

ed rader

[ed rader]

on another forum i was told that B&H should pay all postage on returns. this was not my understanding from the return info on the B&H website and from talking to a customer service guy this a.m

i just called B&H and talked to a supervisor and he said it is their policy to pay all shipping on defective products whether it is being exchanged or refunded.
therefore, i ordered a another lens from B&H while the refund is being processed on the first lens and the only shipping i had to pay was an upgrade to UPS 2-day priority which they say i will receive by wednesday.

he also said they will e-mail me a mailing label to return the defective lens.

the supervisor was the first guy that i've talked to at B&H who was capable of more than grunts and he has restored my faith in the company .

ed rader

[condyk]

Maybe the difference is in a RETURN (I changed my mind as it doesn't match my new carpet) and a DEFECTIVE (I opened it and noticed Mushrooms growing inside the lens barrel) item! If they find the lens works then maybe you'll need to stump up the postage cash. Seems fair enough, but sounds like youi'll be OK.

[cactusclay]

Yea Ed, I will have to agree with you on paying the extra 40 bucks to try the lens out in person. I have recieved a few defective lenses from B&H and I think they may have paid for the return, but didn't volenteer that, till I asked. I bought my last couple of lenses from a local dealer and got to try out several copies first to find one that I felt was a good example. In that process I discovered so much sample variation that I'm now convinced it's worth paying even even a couple hundred more, for a high end lens, just so that I get to pick one that isn't lacking in quality contol. The other upside of that is that I get to leave with the lens and use it that day, or not leave with a lens that needs to be sent back.