B&H is refusing to replace my camera
- Thread starter John Alton Disciple
- Start date
SomewhereinLA
Well-known member
I have ordered many things from B&H, no problems. But their customer service has always been very bad, most people you talk to aren't very nice, and it take at least 20mn to get someone on the phone, and then you need to talk to at least 3 different people before you get your question answered (that's at least an hour on the phone). But they do have very good prices... And have mostly everything in stock, even very hard to find things.
SilverWolf
Veteran
It seems from reading this thread that the biggest problem with B&H seems to be their customer service. It appears that they have good prices and generally operates on the up and up but once you need to talk to one of their service reps thats when everything goes downhill.
Lenilenapi
Carbonite Member
I've always had absolutely great experiences with B&H. Until this occurred I never heard a bad word about them.
They do all of business though so its got to vary.
They do all of business though so its got to vary.
ullanta
Veteran
I think part of the problem here is just that some folks are Negative Nancies! Debbie Downers! I love EVS - but I've had some minor problems. All fixed. Do I publicize it and gripe? No! I know that they're great and that things happen. I love Full Compass. They've pulled off miracles for me. I've also had some minor problems. Do I publicize? Gripe? No! They do a great job. I love eBay. Have goten some great deals, and had one really bad experience. It took 3 months, but had it resolved by their dispute resolution. Do I publicize it, gripe? No! eBay restores my faith in humanity becuase it works so well almost all the time!
Now, I have NOT had problems with B&H. Does that mean I think there are no problems? No! But if (when?) I have a problem, I won't instantly write them off, gripe, and publicize. I'll do what it takes to rectify it, and balance it with years of outstanding service. Now, are they rude? Well, I'm from New York, so take this as you will... but no ruder than anyone else. Not smiley while they disregard your concerns like Californians; they tell you right out if they're disregarding and you can push back. Not a problem! And as customer service goes... well... I don't know about dispute resolution, not having been invovled in any, but the reps on the phone and the floor are actually knowledgeable about products, which is a rarity. The website is great. And in the store (sort of a Santa's Playland Theme Park), they have free candy, and as long as you don't get the nosepicking guy at the payment counter everything's cool. (Come on, if you've been there, you know the nosepicking guy, right?).
I sympathize with the problems some folks have had. Really. And I guess people from the smiley parts of the country may have trouble dealing with New York-style service. But people do seem to jump all over B&H whenever someone has an issue. People that just like to bash. Don't bash. Fill your hearts with love!
Now, I have NOT had problems with B&H. Does that mean I think there are no problems? No! But if (when?) I have a problem, I won't instantly write them off, gripe, and publicize. I'll do what it takes to rectify it, and balance it with years of outstanding service. Now, are they rude? Well, I'm from New York, so take this as you will... but no ruder than anyone else. Not smiley while they disregard your concerns like Californians; they tell you right out if they're disregarding and you can push back. Not a problem! And as customer service goes... well... I don't know about dispute resolution, not having been invovled in any, but the reps on the phone and the floor are actually knowledgeable about products, which is a rarity. The website is great. And in the store (sort of a Santa's Playland Theme Park), they have free candy, and as long as you don't get the nosepicking guy at the payment counter everything's cool. (Come on, if you've been there, you know the nosepicking guy, right?).
I sympathize with the problems some folks have had. Really. And I guess people from the smiley parts of the country may have trouble dealing with New York-style service. But people do seem to jump all over B&H whenever someone has an issue. People that just like to bash. Don't bash. Fill your hearts with love!
alexdias
Well-known member
Although I understand the frustration some people have with their experience, and I believe B&H have the responsibility to amend any issues caused by some miscommunication in this particular problem, I would also like to report an excellent exchange with the store for over 14 years receiving good service, competitive price and a great selection of products.
That said, we now have many options with similar qualities and sometimes even better offers.
This forum is a powerful tool for both parts to defend their positions and voice their disagreements.
This is an extremely well informed, diverse and active community; the only inexcusable act would have been to ignore the situation.
So far, it’s all good!
That said, we now have many options with similar qualities and sometimes even better offers.
This forum is a powerful tool for both parts to defend their positions and voice their disagreements.
This is an extremely well informed, diverse and active community; the only inexcusable act would have been to ignore the situation.
So far, it’s all good!
holleywood
New member
B&h
B&h
The last 2 times I dealt with B&H were Horible. I Bought a used HDMI Cable that said it was Monster brand (worth like 150) and they sent me a cheap no name brand probly worth 20 bucks.
Then I tried to order a camera, and they sent it to the wrong address, so I had to wait a month and a half to finnally get it. And before I ordered it, they were giving me a hard time about to prove my address, even though I always buy from them with the same address, and I already sent them a cable bill for proof. They are always rude to me on the phone and put me on hold forever and sometimes hang up on me. It is not the kind of service I would expect from this company, I am utterly discusted with B&H.
I will not buy from B&H anymore, to much hassle and risk involved. It's amazing what people will risk just save a few dollars.
B&h
The last 2 times I dealt with B&H were Horible. I Bought a used HDMI Cable that said it was Monster brand (worth like 150) and they sent me a cheap no name brand probly worth 20 bucks.
Then I tried to order a camera, and they sent it to the wrong address, so I had to wait a month and a half to finnally get it. And before I ordered it, they were giving me a hard time about to prove my address, even though I always buy from them with the same address, and I already sent them a cable bill for proof. They are always rude to me on the phone and put me on hold forever and sometimes hang up on me. It is not the kind of service I would expect from this company, I am utterly discusted with B&H.
I will not buy from B&H anymore, to much hassle and risk involved. It's amazing what people will risk just save a few dollars.
Ralph Oshiro
Veteran
My $0.02 . . .
B&H pawning off gray market for USA-warranted stuff? Now that's just plain wrong. I've had three customer service issues with B+H, all satisfactorily settled:
1. I ordered a digital still camera a while back. It wasn't until a month or so later (loooong after the written return period had expired) that I noticed that the LCD was actually defective since the day I had received it. I called, explained how I honestly didn't discover the defect until just then, and they believed me. They sent me a new camera.
2. I ordered a Steadicam Flyer, and they sent the wrong one. When I called, they apologized and immediately sent me a prepaid FedEx form to send it back to them. I shipped it back, and the right one showed up a few days later via expidited shipping, at no additional cost to me.
3. A promoted NAB show special was ambiguous, so I verified the sale price with a B+H person on the NAB show floor. After returning home, and calling B+H to order, the phone sales guy wouldn't honor the deal I had confirmed at NAB. But, instead, the phone sales guy did the best he could and at least managed to give me a $100 discount (instead of the $500-off, discounted show special price, which no one was really sure if it applied to my particular package or not).
B+H is a high-volume, low-margin, box house. You can't always expect retail-store level customer service from a place like this. The typical B+H customer knows exactly what they want, and often needs no pre-sale hand-holding. But when there's a problem, I've found that if you're polite, persistent, and patient (yes, they will keep you on hold for looooong periods of time), they seemed to have always done right by me. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've always found that the more polite you are, the more apt people are to try to resolve your problem.
B&H pawning off gray market for USA-warranted stuff? Now that's just plain wrong. I've had three customer service issues with B+H, all satisfactorily settled:
1. I ordered a digital still camera a while back. It wasn't until a month or so later (loooong after the written return period had expired) that I noticed that the LCD was actually defective since the day I had received it. I called, explained how I honestly didn't discover the defect until just then, and they believed me. They sent me a new camera.
2. I ordered a Steadicam Flyer, and they sent the wrong one. When I called, they apologized and immediately sent me a prepaid FedEx form to send it back to them. I shipped it back, and the right one showed up a few days later via expidited shipping, at no additional cost to me.
3. A promoted NAB show special was ambiguous, so I verified the sale price with a B+H person on the NAB show floor. After returning home, and calling B+H to order, the phone sales guy wouldn't honor the deal I had confirmed at NAB. But, instead, the phone sales guy did the best he could and at least managed to give me a $100 discount (instead of the $500-off, discounted show special price, which no one was really sure if it applied to my particular package or not).
B+H is a high-volume, low-margin, box house. You can't always expect retail-store level customer service from a place like this. The typical B+H customer knows exactly what they want, and often needs no pre-sale hand-holding. But when there's a problem, I've found that if you're polite, persistent, and patient (yes, they will keep you on hold for looooong periods of time), they seemed to have always done right by me. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've always found that the more polite you are, the more apt people are to try to resolve your problem.
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henryp
Active member
Not quite. There're two issues. The first is customers who bought used merchandise from our used dept. Used stuff never includes a manufacturer's warranty and is never eligible for manufacturer's rebates so the "grey market" vs "USA" issue is moot.Rezfactor said:
The other is that we did inadvertently sell a handful of new cameras to customers which we'd obtained from another retailer with overstock at a time Panasonic USA was unable to fill our orders. We were assured they were all "kosher," but some were not. In each instance, we've dealt with the individual customer privately and continue to monitor this forum (and elsewhere) to help ensure customer satisfaction
I am pleased to hear the resolutions have been satisfactory. Thank you.Rezfactor said:
Thanks. I want to clear up a couple of possible misconceptions. First, with a 35,000 sq ft retail store (which will be double this size when current construction is complete) we're hardly a "box house." Second, while many pro customers do know what they want, some know what they think they want and some are simply reordering the same stuff out of habit. Our sales guys are trained by manufacturer's tech reps continually and many of our guys are people like you -- pros with lots of experience in the industry. They're happy to help, make suggestions, share observations and experiences, relate anecdotes from other customers and so on.Rezfactor said:
Otherwise, I want to say thanks again for your kind words.
Finally -- we consider customer satisfaction THE MOST IMPORTANT thing there is. Any customer who ever receives less than ideal service, before or after the sale, is welcome to e-mail the particulars to me and I will certainly share them with the sales associate, his sales manager and whoever else here should know.
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