Amazon: Beware: Can be a Total Ripoff

I go on Amazon today as I have a few gift cards. I search for the 1D MKIV.

They have only one new and two used.

The one new one is from 6th Avenue Electronics, a complete sham, ripoff store in NYC. A tourist trap, and that's being kind.

Their price: $7599. Yep, almost a 100 percent markup.

Amazon should be ashamed of themselves for allowing a ripoff store such as that to sell on their site, and for allowing them to markup the price so ridiculously high.

That can only lead to an unsuspecting customer being ripped off blind and to me that is just sickening.

YMMV.

mark

If it was a rebel model or a 60D then I can understand having a customer being unknowingly ripped off. I HIGHLY doubt that the average Joe will drop $7599 on an a DSLR without having any knowledge whatsoever on the product. Whoever is looking for an 1D MKIV will most likely know what an 1D MKIV is. I will agree with you that it's messed up that Amazon allows it but it is a free market so vendors & sellers can place whatever price tag they feel like.

If you tell Amazon, I think they will listen.

I just checked and there is a listing for the 1D Mark IV listed at $7,499.95 and it is shipped and sold by Sixth Avenue Electronics, not Amazon.

If anything, I think people should be aware that Amazon carries listings from OTHER vendors, as well as their own.

I see people slamming Amazon in the product reviews on their site, claiming Amazon is ripping them off. Seems to be a case of misguided anger. You should be upset with Sixth Avenue, not Amazon.

LatinLegacy wrote in post #12255503
If it was a rebel model or a 60D then I can understand having a customer being unknowingly ripped off. I HIGHLY doubt that the average Joe will drop $7599 on an a DSLR without having any knowledge whatsoever on the product. Whoever is looking for an 1D MKIV will most likely know what an 1D MKIV is. I will agree with you that it's messed up that Amazon allows it but it is a free market so vendors & sellers can place whatever price tag they feel like.

Yeah, they will. My wife just got back from a photo school for new photographers and there was a lady there that had a new 1D and some L glass. She didn't know how to turn it on. She just walked into a store and asked for the best camera they had.

Yeah but most typical people try to do at least some market research before spending several £/$K on something. It is the rare extreme that manages to get that far into a purchase without doing any research at all.

As said it is a free market and the vendor can charge what they like for the product - doesn't mean that they will ever actually make a sale on it. You see these all the time from the normal price shifts where prices between shops can vary by $/£100s or even 1000s in many cases depending on the shop.

I've purchased from Amazon for years and they have products in stock by Amazon, but when they go out of stock other vendors autonatically fill the slot.

Even when I purchased my 5D MKII from them I monitored for about two months watching the price and finally purchased it when it came within the lowest monitored price.

I also watched Adorama on a particular product sold on Amazon and the price matched that of the in stock price Amazon amount, then as soon as the product went out of stock from Amazon the Adorama price automatically went up.

Just part of business that the buyer needs to be smart about and watch the price comparing to what others in the market are also charging.

MGW172 wrote in post #12255767
Yeah, they will. My wife just got back from a photo school for new photographers and there was a lady there that had a new 1D and some L glass. She didn't know how to turn it on. She just walked into a store and asked for the best camera they had.

when does the class end? I'll be watching TN craigslist

This is a very common occurrence on Amazon. One solution I've adopted is to sort out any seller BUT Amazon – they tend to not charge crazy prices for common items, but they do not offer everything you may be looking for. As this example points out, third parties sure can be a danger.

If you thought that was overpriced....

http://www.amazon.com …ital-Camera/dp/B0001G112O

http://www.amazon.com …TF8&qid=1303266​318&sr=1-2

Caveat emptor
Or if you like
A fool and his money will soon be parted…

Well Sorry but I don’t have that big a problem with asking $10,000 or more for the camera.

It’s the fools problem for the impulse buy they just made. They are already on the internet and they can’t click the “shopping” link in Google!?

This is whats known as a free economy.

Now if they pay for a 1D MKIV at what ever price and get something less then there is a major problem.

You didn’t buy it what makes you think someone else will?

don't blame Amazon if you can't tell the difference between a 3rd party seller and Amazon LLC

Bokehlicious wrote in post #12256953
don't blame Amazon if you can't tell the difference between a 3rd party seller and Amazon LLC

Indeed. I usually check the Sold by and Ships from or Fulfilled by before buying. If the Sold by and Ships from is not both Amazon, I wait until Amazon gets it back in stock (and they usually get it back in stock soon). Would not mind if the item was sold by a third party and fulfilled by Amazon either.

Amazon doesn't care what third party sells their items for. In Amazon's mind, the more they sell it for, the bigger the revenue.

Although I hate vendors like that, If someone is a complete un-educated consumer and would pay that much over retail, thats there fault.