Ridiculous price?

[goblynn93]

I feel silly for even posting this... but this has got to be fake/trap/thief right??

http://www.pricingdepot.com/compare.asp?item=AGHVX200

$1449?

$1619??

Love this camera and at this price I'd be willing to fly out and deal directly with these guys if its real, or even possibly real! lol

[mb72378]

Please dont order from anybody other than a Panasonic retailer. If they could sell the camera to you for $1600 they would. All of those places that offer the camera for less than $4999 are a bait and switch. B and H is pretty reputable and they have the HVX for $5199 which is a good deal.

When in doubt, check the panasonic website for the dealers they recommend you should use. Also, go to Google or any other search engine and type in reseller rating and go to their website. It's like a Better Business Bureau for online stores. You can read comments on the websites and see each stores review.

[Luis Caffesse]

Total and absolute scam.

Read over the following stickies before you buy a camera anywhere:

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=70059

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showpost.php?p=71941

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=104891

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=12269

[wgzn]

jeezus christo! havent we already covered this topic like 78 times?!?!??!

nobody - i mean NOBODY is going to sell new, legal HVX's for under about $4800 - PERIOD. dont even LOOK at anyone advertising for less! its a SCAM.

if ANY dealer could sell that low - THEY ALL WOULD!

[Luis Caffesse]

jeezus christo! havent we already covered this topic like 78 times?!?!??!

Yes - and it's probably going to be covered at least 78 more before the end of the year.
Alot of people wonder how these places can stay in 'business' - and they do it by finding a new crop of people everyday who are looking for that 'great deal.'

I remember back when I got my first camera I almost feel for one of these things - because its hard to resist the allure of a killer deal.

While it may be frustrating to see the same questions asked over and over (which happens alot), I'd much rather respond to these types of things 100 more times than see 100 more people get scammed in some way because they were too afraid to ask.

:thumbsup:

[goblynn93]

I order 99% of my stuff from BnH anyway, love those guys... their shop in New York is one of the most interesting places I've ever been...

But with what I'm planning on doing with this camera the lowest price is best... warranty will be voided almost immediately... still $1500 for such a lovely camera just seems really really low.

Had to ask!

[goblynn93]

Luis Caffesse (http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/member.php?u=5625) : appreciate your take on my question! =)

[Luis Caffesse]

By the way - here are some reviews (from Reseller Ratings (http://www.resellerratings.com) of the places with the 'super low' prices:

Express Cameras (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Express_Cameras)
(a .91 rating out of 10...yes, that was POINT 91)

"This company are CROOKS!!! dont waist your time unless you want to upgrade from thier packages"

"Buyer beware!!!! This place is running a criminal operation."

"This company is an absolute fraud. Everything about them is geared towards screwing the customer"


And then there's Trusted Photo (http://www.resellerratings.com/store/TrustedPhoto)
(with the LOWEST score I've ever seen...0 our of 10. Yes, that's ZERO)

"ordered on line, they called for secureity code and tried to sell crap"

"Just a bait. STAY AWAY !!!!!!!"

"this is not a serious company at all! they have a nice website but they are not a trusting one. BEWARE."



EDITED TO ADD:
I realize the point had already been made that these were scams, but I figured these quotes and links might help anyone who comes across this thread in the future

[goblynn93]

does ordering off an amazon.com site offer any umm... security is a bad word... comfort maybe??

I've been mostly still camera stuff until now, doing timelapse work with a RebelXT and a modified remote for intervelometer...

never done a purchase of an item this expensive... its scary! lol

[Luis Caffesse]

It depends - Buying directly from Amazon is generally okay.
But Amazon does offer third parties to sell through their site, and it's often difficult to tell if you're buying from Amazon, or someone else. If it's someone else, then you just need to do your homework like with any other retailer.

Don't get overly paranoid either - as long as you do your homework, ask around, and make sure not to fall victim to the "too good to be true" deal - you'll be fine.

If you ever have a question about a specific retailer, do a search on here (as well as on Reseller Ratings) for that store. Chances are, someone has had some experience with them here.

By the way - just to give you an idea of how these scam outfits work... looking around online it didn't take me long to find out that 'Express Cameras' and 'Trusted Photo' are both actually the same company. They operate numerous sites under different names, which is not uncommon when running a scam like that.

[goblynn93]

yeah i had figured out that Express and Trusted are one in the same with a little research myself. Calls to them get you the same squeaky voiced guy who sounds like (not a dig at non-english speakers) he's struggling to speak without a foriegn accent. TrustedPhoto.com is registered to a p.o.box in VA, while Express camera (or vice versa) is listed as a Italian company owner, very interesting. I also found a couple other sites linked to these guys as well... these guys go to great lengths to catch people...

as far as paranoia goes, thanks DVXuser users for the help! Your site rocks... been a reader for a long time now, and an active user from now on =) I'll be sure to check back before I make any final purchases!

[ProfessorU]

It bugs me that companies like Google are still willing to take their money for ad placement in search results. Almost all the ads that get rotated in for "hvx200" on Google are scams.

[wgzn]

i say youre best off if you can find a local authorized dealer in your area. there is a lot to be said for face-to-face transactions. you might pay a couple hundred bucks more on a $5000 camera, BUT youre going to benefit from:

1. having someone to go to in case of problems.
2. creating a support network for last minute needs or special deals

good local vendors will often comp repeat customers on small things (rent wise) or let you test out new gear free for the weekend. or cut other various deals here and there

- youre not going to be able to get that kind of extra service from mail order