Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

I'd like to remind everyone of a great non-partisan website called www.reselleratings.com. If you find an online dealer with a "too good to be true" price, they're probably on this site.

Now, keep in mind that these are end-user reviews and are indeed very subjective. But, man, is there some great reading there! John Grisham should take note...

Tommy Mack
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Hi, i am an argentinian videographer and i want to buy the dvx pal model. The us warranty is not a requirement to me because in case of use it, i must to deliver the camera to another cauntry, so usa or indonesia or europe is just the same. Now i am in spain, but i return to my country in a month and want to buy the camera before this.

any secure site to recommend?

i visit www.expandore.biz (good price with a pack)
www.biz-max.net
www.globalmediapro.com
www.bhphotovideo.com (secure, but even more expensive)

thanks

sebastian
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Hi
living in uk as i do you have to be carefull when buying a product online due the vast range in prices for the same product.

I eventually picked http://www.ukprovideo.com as they replied to me very quickly.

The sales guy helped me in picking a zoom controller for my dvx100 and a new case.

Great i though found a company i can deal with again.

the camera and stuff arrived on time, only problem the guy had recomended the wrong zoom controller, so i phoned them and they assured me they knew about it and the correct one was on it's way.

3 days later and many phone calls/faxes still no sign of it and i'm getting pretty fed up with the response i get for them.

will keep you updated

kenny
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

This all seems just crazy.

What I want to know is, why can't I buy it directly from Panasonic for whatever Willoughbys pays Panasonic for it, plus shipping from wherever Panasonic is? What is the point of having all these intermediate stores that either add a small number of $100s to the price and then try to high-pressure me into buying extras or else add a large number of $100s to the price for a straightforward sale?

Say I buy it for $3799 from some fancy authorized dealer vs. for $3249 from Willoughbys. What am I buying for that extra $550? (I'm not someone who needs a salesperson to help me figure out what camera I want or to help me figure out how to use it. I just want a new camera with a warranty in case something doesn't work. If I need an extra battery, a tripod, a case, or whatever, I'll buy one when I need it.) Isn't the warranty provided by Panasonic, not by the store I buy it from? So if I ever do need warranty service, better service isn't what the extra $550 is buying me, right?

Jan, you sound like a reasonable and well-informed person. Can you explain why someone like me who doesn't want or need sales handholding would pay so much more? What would I be paying for?

Also: hypothetically, what if I did manage to get, say, amphotoworld.com to sell me one for $2229, and it arrived in a box with a warranty card and I sent the warranty registration in to Panasonic. Would they be within their rights to deny me the warranty coverage just because of the store I bought it from? Isn't a warranty supposed to cover all newly purchased equipment?

Sorry if I seem agitated, but I just don't understand why the prices vary so much, and I feel like I must be missing something, so I really would like information. Why isn't there just one price, determined by supply & demand, and everyone who wants one pays that price?
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

You can buy from an authorized dealer like B&H or EVS for around $3400, so it's not like there's that much of a price difference.

And you cannot buy from amphotoworld.com for $2229. It is absolutely impossible, that price is a flagrant lie.

If you did manage to get one, with a warranty card in the box, it depends on if it was sourced from Panasonic USA. If it is from Panasonic USA, you should probably be covered by warranty (depending on how the dealer got ahold of it... if it was stolen off the back of a truck, you won't have warranty coverage I'm sure!) Places like amphotoworld CANNOT buy their cameras from Panasonic, so they have to get them somewhere else... usually they resort to buying them from other countries/territories, and those cameras are not from Panasonic USA, so Panasonic USA does not honor their warranty -- you'd have to send it back to the country of origin if you needed warranty work.

So... basically, the Internet has changed buying and selling, and I suspect that big companies like Panasonic, with regional marketing arms, are probably going to have to adapt someday. But until then, you gotta live within the way the system works.

Why not just one price? World currency markets, for one thing. Import duties, taxes, fees, etc. for another. Sheer shipping costs for a third -- it costs very little for them to ship it from a Japanese factory to a Japanese consumer, but it probably costs a whole lot more to ship it to Australia or Panama or wherever.
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

cyclamen asked:
What I want to know is, why can't I buy it directly from Panasonic for whatever Willoughbys pays Panasonic for it, plus shipping from wherever Panasonic is?
Click to expand...

Well you would have to be a dealer and in doing that you would have to have an established credit line and a storefront facility. We do require that our dealers have demo inventory because not all customers buy off the internet. We ask them to be knowledgable, although in some cases that does not work, but in many like Rush it works very well. We could not pass credit on individuals fast enough in one months time to get all the product out of the warehouse.


What is the point of having all these intermediate stores that either add a small number of $100s to the price and then try to high-pressure me into buying extras or else add a large number of $100s to the price for a straightforward sale?
Click to expand...

Not all of them do this, some do, and most of them are the ones that hang a very cheap price out there to suck you in. I don't happen to care for this brand of marketing, but in some cases the dealers are not even authorized.


>Say I buy it for $3799 from some fancy authorized dealer vs. for $3249 from Willoughbys. What am I buying for that extra $550? (I'm not someone who needs a salesperson to help me figure out what camera I want or to help me figure out how to use it. I just want a new camera with a warranty in case something doesn't work. If I need an extra battery, a tripod, a case, or whatever, I'll buy one when I need it.)
Click to expand...

That is why you shop around. If you are not wed to a dealer because he is going to back you up when things go wrong, then I can see your point. But for that kind of point spread I would think the higher priced guy would have some additional services. And if not, then I would buy it from the next authorized place. The authorized reseller BTW has a DVX which includes the Magic Bullet and the DVX Book-DVD from Barry. If the product does not include these, then you do not have a US Panasonic warranty.

Isn't the warranty provided by Panasonic, not by the store I buy it from?
Click to expand...

Technically the warranty is with Panasonic, somewhere in the world. If it is an authorized product here in the US, yes we do the repair or rather our authorized service facilities do the repair and we pay them.

So if I ever do need warranty service, better service isn't what the extra $550 is buying me, right?
Click to expand...

I think this is a question you should ask the guy who quoted you the higher price. It is his to justify, not mine.

Jan, you sound like a reasonable and well-informed person. Can you explain why someone like me who doesn't want or need sales handholding would pay so much more? What would I be paying for?
Click to expand...

You should ask the dealer.

Also: hypothetically, what if I did manage to get, say, amphotoworld.com to sell me one for $2229, and it arrived in a box with a warranty card and I sent the warranty registration in to Panasonic. Would they be within their rights to deny me the warranty coverage just because of the store I bought it from? Isn't a warranty supposed to cover all newly purchased equipment?
Click to expand...

Trust me when I say that amphotoworld will not be selling a DVX100A that is an Authorized product here in the US for $2229. There will not be a warranty here in the US, maybe in Japan somewhere, but not here. There will not be a warranty card and the manual will be a xeroxed copy of the one available on the internet. Been here too many times before with other disappointed customers, and frankly you would not get the Book, the Magic Bullet nor would you qualify for the $300 rebate which starts today, and you wouldn't have a warranty.

Sorry if I seem agitated, but I just don't understand why the prices vary so much, and I feel like I must be missing something, so I really would like information. Why isn't there just one price, determined by supply & demand, and everyone who wants one pays that price?
Click to expand...

Unfortunatelly the world is full of scammers and they know that human nature is to look for the lowest price and some will fall for it. World currency markets are very diverse and many of these guys will put the $2249 price out there and then charge you $350 for the AC adapter, $120 for the battery, $40 for the mic clip etc, until they get the price to about $3400. Point is, buy one from a dealer that has the Magic Bullet and Barry's DVX Book and you will be happy. Unfortunately the US Government back in the 70s made the decision that Gray Market would promote competition, I think it has only promoted confusion.

Anyhow I hope this helps,

Jan
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Hi Jan,

Thanks in advance for your patience in answering all these questions...you've probably already answered this question, but I am new to this forum, and haven't found the answer yet...

I am considering purchasing a DVX100a, and in my research, have found that the authorized Canadian retailers are WAY out of line price-wise....

I understand from what I "HAVE" read that it is my choice where to source my purchase, but my question is as follows:

If I do decide to buy it from an authorized dealer in the States, say B & H, or EVS as an example, will the warranty be valid? I understand that I would probably have to deal with the retailer I got it from, but will the fact that it came from a Canadian address affect the warranty?

Thanks again for taking the time to reply, and I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Gerry_Emm ???
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Gerry asked:
If I do decide to buy it from an authorized dealer in the States, say B & H, or EVS as an example, will the warranty be valid? I understand that I would probably have to deal with the retailer I got it from, but will the fact that it came from a Canadian address affect the warranty?
Click to expand...

Your warranty will be in the United States. Probably the best thing to do is to funnel it through the dealer that sold it to you.

Best,

Jan
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

EVS is the way to go! Just picked up my DVX last thursday. Rush hooked me up with a sweet deal (thank you Rush!). So if you want good customer service and great prices send a message to Rush.

Thanks again Rush,
Shaun
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Thanks Shaun, it was nice meeting you, and we appreciate the business! ;D
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

I'm soon to buy my DVX and after reading/skimming this entire thread I wanted to run a couple of places/deals by all of you to get a feel for whether or not im going down the right road.

The first is a store site

http://www.leobarnet.com/shopping/home.asp

They advertise their DVX at 3,039 and seem careful to reassure that the product is not grey market. Has anyone else dealt with them?

The second link is a deal that is on ebay from J & K cameras.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=20332&item=3871718304&rd=1

My concern is that the lenses and camera deal might be too good to be true. If they are the pro quality lenses then they would normally retail for 399.00 a piece. The camera would normally retail for 3,400-3,500. So with the glut of other extras they throw in it seems risky.

I'm just trying to find a reasonably priced kit deal that will give me what I need. My primary concerns are the wide angel and telephoto lenses, the filter kit and batteries.

Thanks in advance for the help.
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Both look to be gray market from here. The rebate click though didn't deliver the form. No mention of Magic Bullet or the DVX Book. Frankly you can't claim the Rebate until you have it and by then it is too late.

Find a better dealer.

Best,

Jan
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Jan -

Do you have a projection as to when the new DVX100a offer with DV Rack, etc. will be available?

Thanks

Dan
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

[quote author=kingcujoI link=board=nws;num=1091645002;start=180#193 date=02/12/05 at 16:45:57]Thanks Jan I went with Willoughbys.  I eagerly await the camera's arrival.[/quote]


kingcujoI,

Did you get Barry Green's book and DVD included? It's not listed on the website. BTW did you order online or telephone? With whom did you deal with? Thanks in advance for your feedback.

LHB
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Lucas,

I ordered on the 9th from their online store. It hasn't shipped yet. I will say in their favor that they have not charged me for the item yet. It says there is normally a 2 days processing time. I think I will call today to check the situation.

It says the rebate and magic bullet software is included so I assumed that Barry's Book and DVD were included.

Let me call and see what is going on and I will report back here.

Thanks
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Thanks for your reply. Another thread on this subject told of an order from B&H. Their sales rep didn't know about the book and DVD and it arrived without them.

Best,
LHB
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

Lucas,

The shipment situation was resolved today. It turned out it was the bank holding up the transaction...I should have asked about the book but I was changed over to their billing dept. before I could remember. I should find out in a few days however.

Thanks
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

As an authorized dealer, all the current camera's shipping are arriving with both the Magic Bullet as well as Barry's Book/DVD. So unless they are shipping you older stock, it should be included.
 
Re: Authorized Dealers - Where to buy

[quote author=abeljerrod link=board=nws;num=1091645002;start=195#198 date=02/16/05 at 18:03:37]As an authorized dealer, all the current camera's shipping are arriving with both the Magic Bullet as well as Barry's Book/DVD.  So unless they are shipping you older stock, it should be included.[/quote]

This is exactly what I was wondering. In the times I visited their site, the price fluxuated from 3248.00 > 3219.00 > 3275.00. So maybe they buy lots as the dollar fluxuates. I tried sending an email with my questions to Willoughby's customer service but it failed twice. Ended up at Willoughbyscam@AOL.com. Strange. Sent another to their sales email and have yet to receive a reply. Kinda makes one wonder if it's worth trusting this place even with the positive reports posted here.

Cheers,


LHB
 
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