Buying a lens - A query

Dear group,

I am planning to buy a lens online from Adorama (www.adorama.com).

As I am buying a lens online for the first time, my question is "Will you trust camera stores (like Adorama) to send you the "right" (sharp) copy of the lens?" Can the camera stores "trick" you by sending you the "not so sharp" copy of the lens which a customer at the store might have rejected because of the "sharpness" issues?

Thanks in advance for the replies and suggestions.

what? You don't know if a lens is sharp or not until you try it, the stores don't test them..if you get a soft copy send it to canon under warranty..

So you want to know if it is common practice for large and well respected retailers to send customers who order on-line, products that they know to be defective... ummmmmm...

mguffin wrote in post #13505017
So you want to know if it is common practice for large and well respected retailers to send customers who order on-line, products that they know to be defective... ummmmmm...

No no .... Was just clarifying this issue ....

Shadow on the Door wrote in post #13504983
what? You don't know if a lens is sharp or not until you try it, the stores don't test them..if you get a soft copy send it to canon under warranty..

Thanks for the reply

If it's soft, call Adorama and send it back for another. I've not had to do that, but that ability is the reason I've purchased plenty through Adorama and B&H. there is absolutely no question in my mind they will take care of you as long as you follow their policy.

OK, let me be more exact... you want to know if Adorama would send you a lens that a customer at the store didn't like because it was soft... if the lens is soft, Adorama would send it back to the manufacturer... they wouldn't waste their time, or yours, if they know it's bad...

mguffin wrote in post #13505049
OK, let me be more exact... you want to know if Adorama would send you a lens that a customer at the store didn't like because it was soft... if the lens is soft, Adorama would send it back to the manufacturer... they wouldn't waste their time, or yours, if they know it's bad...

Thanks for clarifying.

Just to specify -- Helen Oster, the Adorama rep who pops up here, recently stated that Adorama sends lenses/cameras that have been returned by a customer to Canon. Canon refurbishes. Then, Adorama gets refurbished products directly from Canon. If they get a lens that turns out to be faulty it goes right back to Canon. And, if you are within the Adorama warranty period, I believe they handle the shipping costs.

tonylong wrote in post #13505442
Just to specify -- Helen Oster, the Adorama rep who pops up here, recently stated that Adorama sends lenses/cameras that have been returned by a customer to Canon. Canon refurbishes. Then, Adorama gets refurbished products directly from Canon. If they get a lens that turns out to be faulty it goes right back to Canon. And, if you are within the Adorama warranty period, I believe they handle the shipping costs.

Thanks. As I am a 'new online' customer, I thought of clarifying.

Thanks once again.

As others have said, the vendors don't know if it's a 'sharp' copy or not - they sell what they receive from the manufacturers in the boxes. With that said, every so often a bad one sneaks by quality control at the manufacturer, and that's why it's smart to buy from reputable, trustworthy vendors such as Adorama or B&H. They have good return policies and will always make it right for you. Both of those dealers have customer service reps here on POTN who monitor threads and pop in often to make absolutely sure that things are taken care of.

Buying from the 'fly by night' vendors is a good way to get burned with something like a 15% restocking fee for a defective return - or worse yet, no return policy at all! As has often been said - if a deal looks too good to be true, it often is. I'd rather pay a fair price at a reputable dealer and know things will be taken care of if anything goes wrong, rather than saving a few bucks and being left holding the bag if something turns out to be defective/damaged.

That Adorama rep mentioned above is quite responsive, and she basically says they have a great return policy, I believe for the first month. Canon is excellent also, particularly if you are buying pro level equipment, in my experience. They try harder than most other companies.

caspase8 wrote in post #13504975
Dear group,

I am planning to buy a lens online from Adorama (www.adorama.com).

As I am buying a lens online for the first time, my question is "Will you trust camera stores (like Adorama) to send you the "right" (sharp) copy of the lens?" Can the camera stores "trick" you by sending you the "not so sharp" copy of the lens which a customer at the store might have rejected because of the "sharpness" issues?

Thanks in advance for the replies and suggestions.

Before you buy a lens read THIS

Clif notes: cameras and lens vary. A lens that seems to be "out of specs" on one camera may be dead on on another and vice versa.

EDIT: actually THIS is the link I meant to post. But the other link is also a good read

Make sure you read the fine print if you are not from the US. The warranty is still technically valid under an international warranty but there are still fine print loopholes. If you are from the US it won't matter, but even so. You will need to ship it yourself to a canon repair shop, rather than taking it back to the store you bought it from. Not sure about Canon but Sigma won't cover shipping costs despite being under warranty, I suspect other third party companies are similar.

eRichard wrote in post #13506919
That Adorama rep mentioned above is quite responsive, and she basically says they have a great return policy, I believe for the first month. Canon is excellent also, particularly if you are buying pro level equipment, in my experience. They try harder than most other companies.

That must be me!

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