Beware shopping at Adorama

Their return policy is absolutely horrible.

I ordered a Sigma lens with a Canon mount but somehow the system changed it to a Pentex mount. I even went back to my email and clicked on the link I bought it from and it was a Canon mount.

I called about the return. They require you to pay shipping to get the camera back.

Here is the kicker: they will charge you their part of the "free shipping" when the refund you the price of the item. So the list price is $630 with free shipping but you only get back $622 because they recoup the shipping charge.

This is absurd. I rarely say anything negative about a company but this is absolutely ridiculous.

Something does not sound right here. Adorama would not charge you return shipping if it was their fault. I am sure, Helen Oster will jump in and make this right - send her an email or PM!

Email her. You'll reach her faster.

Indeed! Something's not right here. I've had nothing but good results with Adorama.

I did not have solid proof that it was their ordering system's fault.

I emailed myself the link for the lens from work. That weekend I clicked on the link and ordered the Canon mount. I checked the link again and it still read Canon mount but now it was out of stock.

Somewhere in the process, the order was switched to a Pentax mount lens. Their system must have read Pentax and that I was full of S.

I asked them and the customer service rep said their is nothing they can do and I have to pay for the shipping but the exchange would be shipped free (too bad they did not have the right lens in stock anymore). I know I would not be able to ever prove that it was their error and not mine so I paid the shipping and asked for a refund.

It is absurd that they reduced my credit by the amount the shipping cost of the first lens.

Basically I ended up paying $25 for absolutely nothing.

I've never had a problem either. Generally, they immediately ship me a new item before I've returned the old one. You should have received an email conformation for your order.

I did get a confirmation but it only read this:
SG816PXAFG Sigma 8 - 16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM AutoFocu

It did cut off after the 'u'. I assumed it was the lens I wanted. I did not think to look to see if that SKU matched the Canon mount...which it does not. It was my fault for not checking I guess and that is why I just paid the shipping. I just thought it was an insult to injury to charge me the $9 for shipping it originally to me. It was free shipping.

davidcoelho wrote in post #11860564
I did get a confirmation but it only read this:
SG816PXAFG Sigma 8 - 16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM AutoFocu

Just a guess, but to me that PX in the lens model means that the order was indeed for a Pentax mount lens. Not saying you've ordered the wrong lens, but your order confirmation looks in line with what you got.

EDIT: just confirmed at Adorama web site that the SKU for the item you got in the order confirmation is for Pentax. Canon mount SKU is SG816EOS

Iv'e read a few posts now on people having a rough time ordering from them. And a lot of posts complimenting them. I wonder if there's not perhaps one or two individuals that are a bit less helpful than others, or it could be chalked up to someone having a bad day. we all have them.

I guess I'm not the most avid camera supplies buyer, But then again, I've never had to return anything either. I bought the last 3 new items I got through Adorama and had great service each time. In fact I guess I should give some props to whatever dept handles the older transactions. On my last trip my tripod broke, tipped the whole works onto the concrete. gear was insured, but the insurance needed reciepts for the stuff to get the replacement check to me. called up Adorama, and even though I had bought one of the items 2 years previous. they were able to dig up the receipt and e-mail it to my insurance within a few minutes.

DiMAn0684 wrote in post #11860585
Just a guess, but to me that PX in the lens model means that the order was indeed for a Pentax mount lens. Not saying you've ordered the wrong lens, but your order confirmation looks in line with what you got.

EDIT: just confirmed at Adorama web site that the SKU for the item you got in the order confirmation is for Pentax. Canon mount SKU is SG816EOS

In full hindsight I can see that but I do not normally look at SKUs on my confirmation. I just assumed, which is the problem.

Again I paid the shipping because even I would not believe me if I were them. All I know is I clicked on the link for the Canon mount but the order came to me as a Pentax.

The part I am gripping about is that they rubbed salt in my wound by charging me for the original shipping.

Maybe they are a great company as long as you do not have to return anything but I did so they did not meet my expectations.

davidcoelho wrote in post #11860700
In full hindsight I can see that but I do not normally look at SKUs on my confirmation. I just assumed, which is the problem.

I agree with you, most of the time I take a quick look at the confirmation just make sure that the name of the item looks right and the total is correct. Hopefully Adorama and you can arrive to a reasonable solution to this problem.

Well it is entirely normal to have to pay for return shipping on an item that was originally shipped for free. That being said, it is only normal (that I have seen) to have to pay if it is something you could control that prompted the return....maybe you just didn't want it or something like that. In your case even though there is no real way to prove that you ordered the Canon version of it I would think they would believe you and do what they need to do. That is how customer service works usually. They shouldn't give away the farm but at the same time if it is an honest mistake they know what they should do.

Paying for the original shipping is odd though. Doesn't seem right, but I only have Amazon returns to base my views off of.

Hope it all works out!

Surely is a sucky situation.

Thing is you should step back from this and realize if they absorbed all the return costs no question they would be taking a beating. I mean there is a fair amount of people out (t)here who purchase multiples(4-5) of the same lens to cherry pick the best one and later return the others. Now they're stuck either selling them used or shipping them back to Canon to have them refurbed.

I'd check my order history to see if it said the Canon version was ordered, either way once Helen gets involved things usually get sorted out.

Good luck.

20DNewbie wrote in post #11860920
Thing is you should step back from this and realize if they absorbed all the return costs no question they would be taking a beating. I mean there is a fair amount of people out (t)here who purchase multiples(4-5) of the same lens to cherry pick the best one and later return the others. Now they're stuck either selling them used or shipping them back to Canon to have them refurbed.

I agree with this, thing is they can and will ask questions which they should. The can see in each individual case if the returner is blowing smoke and they reserve the right to do what they want! In this case it seems somewhat fair and easy to believe an honest mistake and take the right action.

Too many people trying to scam for all of us to get treated fairly sometimes!

And yeah, seems like once Helen steps in people get what they need if the deserve it.

bsp wrote in post #11860752
Well it is entirely normal to have to pay for return shipping on an item that was originally shipped for free.

That might be ok if it was not a genuine mistake.

We don't know Adorama's side of the story but if what he says is true that's a bunch of garbage.