Sigma 85mm.. where to buy?

I'm looking to buy one after i replace my 5Dc with a 5D2. what store is the best to buy it at? I love shopping at adorama, bh, and amazon.. but which would be best in the event that sigma's AF is faulty? I don't want to have to ship it back, wait a week for them to get it, wait a week for them to process the return, then order a new one and wait some more.

If it does malfunction, do return it and then order another.. or will the store be able to just exchange it for another copy?

any suggestions and experiences are appreciated

iwasinvertedx wrote in post #12663300
I'm looking to buy one after i replace my 5Dc with a 5D2. what store is the best to buy it at? I love shopping at adorama, bh, and amazon.. but which would be best in the event that sigma's AF is faulty? I don't want to have to ship it back, wait a week for them to get it, wait a week for them to process the return, then order a new one and wait some more.

If it does malfunction, do return it and then order another.. or will the store be able to just exchange it for another copy?

You need to be aware that unless Amazon is the actual supplier that retailers are only permitted to give refunds, not exchanges.

If ordering from Adorama directly, you can select either refund or exchange when returning a unit.

If you feel that the lens is faulty even before buying it, I'd suggest going to your closest brick & mortar shop so you have a place close by to exchange it out with little loss of time.

If you're going in with the assumption that it's going to be bad, go to a physical store and purchase it. That way you can test and validate it's performance at the time of purchase. Otherwise, buy it from a reputable on-line dealer. If you do get a bad copy, send it back.

I've purchased 10 Sigmas, all on-line. The only one that I've had issues with was my 120-300, the vendor arrange for it to go to Sigma, should be back today. I had to suffer without for two weeks.....then again, I went 50 years without it prior to that.

HelenOster wrote in post #12664102
You need to be aware that unless Amazon is the actual supplier that retailers are only permitted to give refunds, not exchanges.

Why?

Unregistered.Coward wrote in post #12664815
Why?

Amazon policy - yes, it's extremely irritating!

I went online and found an authorized store in Portland and tested it out there before buying. Little did I know, there was an issue with focusing at long distance that I couldn't test in the store. I sent it into CRIS which is a Sigma auth 3rd party repair facility in Az. Paid for shipping and got it back just to notice it has the same issues. When I posted my findings on the lens thread, it had mixed reactions so now I'm faced with the decision to either send it directly across the country to Sigma HQ in NY and fork up for shipping again. Or sell it and pick up the 85L. I haven't decided yet but I need to make the decision soon.

Helen,
Does amazon require refunds if they werent the vendor?
if that's the case, i'll just go with adorama, lol.
In the event the lens has issues, does adorama do exchanges for fault equipment? or must i return it, be refunded, and then buy another?

Why would you need to buy from a 3rd party seller when it's available from Amazon LLC?

When exchanging, they'll even give you free upgraded shipping if you ask and return shipping is free.
You'd probably get the new lens before you even ship out the defective lens at least that's my experience.

Bokehlicious wrote in post #12665545
Why would you need to buy from a 3rd party seller when it's available from Amazon LLC?

Quite often a market place seller will have it for less than direct from Amazon. Market place sellers often don't charge sales tax for out-of-state sales. I saved $200 on a lens by going market-place vs Amazon.

iwasinvertedx wrote in post #12665518
Helen,
Does amazon require refunds if they werent the vendor?
if that's the case, i'll just go with adorama, lol.
In the event the lens has issues, does adorama do exchanges for fault equipment? or must i return it, be refunded, and then buy another?

This is the Amazon policy:
Changing Orders Shipped by Merchants or Marketplace Sellers

Order details, such as shipping address and payment method, can't be changed on Amazon.com after an order is placed with a third-party seller. You'll need to contact the seller directly to request that the order be cancelled. Visit Your Account at www.amazon.com/your-account, view the Order Summary, and click the "Problem with this order?" button to find contact information for the seller.


We MUST ship to the address on the order - NO changes are allowed.
We MUST ship the item that is on the order - NO changes and or exchanges are allowed to me made.
We must ship within 1-3 business days of receipt of the order unless there is an item on back order and we notify the customer
We can’t reship to customer (since the reship can’t be done on the original order within the required time.) So any returns must be processed for refund. We cannot make an even exchange.
The original order will have to be processed for refund and the customer can place a new order

My 85mm 1.4 sigma AF was bad and I sent it back to Adorama and within two days I got refunded! I would of ordered my 5D II from them but they did not have any refurbs...but I always order from Adorama when its in stock. Great return policy.