Digitalcorp ripoff ebay Handle Bait and switch upselling tactics and outright merchandise misrepresentation Dania Beach Florida
It always seems too good to be true, that spectacular deal you find on e-bay. As some of us know, it typically is. However, given the large base of positive feedback this particular e-bay seller/store has received, I figured that it would be a safe bet to purchase from them. I was wrong.
I called the store's toll free number to place my order after seeing it listed on e-bay as an auction. They have you do this for credit card orders. The item was a Nikon D80 camera package with 2 lenses. It included a pair of Nikon (Nikkor) lenses (18-70 and 70-300), as well as a memory card and a few other items, all for roughly 1,400 dollars shipped, a good but not "too good" (read: suspiciously good) deal.
The call started out terribly. The phone was answered with "Hello." in a thick, east coast accent, belonging to someone that was obviously disgruntled. I figured - hey, great deal, I'll put up with a little crappy customer service. I mention the e-bay auction and that I want to purchase a camera from them. So they start processing the deal when he mentions some "upgrades".
I had seen feedback from a few users about desperate attempts to upsell - so I was not surprised when I started being told that I should upgrade my battery. He mentioned that the battery packaged with the D80 was a "low capacity" battery that would last only 40 minutes on a full charge. That, and the charger takes upto 7-10 hours to charge that 40 minute battery. Normally, the "quick charger" and "higher capacity, 2 hour battery" cost $299.00 each (a grand total of just under 600 bucks), but he would give them to me for just $340.00.
Of course, I was right on the internet as he talked to me, so I asked him for the model number(s) of the battery. He read them off to me, and I looked them up.
First of all, the "higher capacity" battery he mentioned doesn't exist. Second, the battery packaged with the D80 is touted by Nikon to last upto 2,500 shots or more (www.kenrockwell.com saying that in the real world, it lasts at least 1,000, minimum). In other words, the average user wouldn't even be able to use the entire battery in one sitting. Not to mention that this "quick charger" the salesman tried to con me into buying was also already packaged with the camera. To add insult to injury, the battery is only 50 bucks, with knock off brands being in the 20 dollar range. Seriously, $299.00?
Of course, it didn't end there. When I showed hesitation, I was told that my lenses would be "upgraded" for free if I purchased those accessories; the lenses that came bundled in that package were not "D-SLR" lenses, but just normal SLR lenses.
Now think about this. Why would a company bundle non-D-SLR lenses with a D-SLR camera? For bait and switch tactics, of course. The lenses that they wanted to "upgrade" me to, for "free" were a pair of Tamron digital-slr lenses. For those that don't know, Tamron is a low-end knock-off brand that makes cheap, inferior lenses for Nikons and other cameras. Tastes in lenses aside, they meant to sell me less valuable lenses as an "upgrade".
At this point, I requested politely to have my order cancelled while I thought on the whole thing. The 'gentleman' told me that he'd just ship what I ordered. I replied with a "Well. No. I'm cancelling the order".
We exchanged back and forth, and it boiled down to this: he wanted to charge me a 10% 'cancellation fee' for cancelling an order I had just made literally 5 minutes earlier. Obviously total bull - why would someone process and close an order while they're trying to sell me more merchandise?
I called my credit card company, disputed the charge (which was apparently never filed, contrary to what the salesman said), based on their misleading advertising, outright lying and bait-and-switch tactics. This sort of abusive retail is what makes the internet what it is.
The shameful thing about it all is that there are a good number of people out there that have purchased cameras from these rip-offs, probably not even realizing (due to inexperience with the camera market) that they're throwing money away.
L.P.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
U.S.A.
4 Updates & Rebuttals
Martin
Birmingham,Europe,
United Kingdom
Some confusions in this report
#5Consumer Suggestion
Thu, August 09, 2007
I have no connection with the company, nor with previous posters.
However, I do want to correct a couple of confusions.
First, although the Nikon 18-70 and 70-300 are not 'DX' lenses, in other words Nikkor's 'Digital Exclusive' lenses, there is absolutely no reason why they should not be used on a dSLR. They are both older lenses, but lots of people do use them, and both have been offered by Nikon in the past with dSLRs. For example, the 18-70 was the standard kit lens for the D70.
Secondly, Tamron is not a "low-end knock-off brand that makes cheap, inferior lenses for Nikons and other cameras", it is a highly respected independent lens manufacturer which, along with Sigma, competes directly with Nikon and other original manufacturers. Without knowing the lenses that you were offered, it is quite possible that the Tamron dSLR specific lenses were a genuine upgrade: although the Nikon 18-70 is quite well respected, the older (non-VR) Nikon 70-300 is considered to be 'soft'.
I came to this thread from Nikonians - where we are discussing a DigitalCorp potential sale, and your original comment was referenced.
Having looked at DigitalCorp's offering for the D2Xs, I would not personally recommend it, since they are offering obsolete low-end kit lenses for a top of the line professional camera. However, for the sake of clarity on the particular points you made about their 'bait and switch' tactics with lenses, I felt it was important for the sake of other readers to point this out.
I agree entirely with your thoughts on the battery, and I am not trying to detract from the validity of your experience.
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.
Yuun
Appleton,Wisconsin,
U.S.A.
Digitalcorp - Not strange, genius
#5Author of original report
Fri, June 22, 2007
I'm sorry, "Joseph" - or whoever you might be, perhaps a representative of Digitalcorp even.
1) Wrong. Just wrong. "Most lenses around are for slr not dslr" is factually untrue. There is not one, not a single factory package that comes from Nikon, where the camera body comes with a non-DSLR lens. Period. Maybe you need to do some research.
Packaging NON DIGITAL lenses with a DIGITAL camera is absolutely a bait and switch tactic. It is true that caveat emptor holds in this case - it is one's own fault for assuming that a company will be responsible and state clearly that a lens is not digital (auto focus) rather than being ambiguous. That does not, however, eliminate blame for Digitalcorp.
2) Wrong again. There are more scam artists on e-bay than there are grains of sand on a beach. They don't "kick off" companies with disreputable and shady business practices, they make money off of these people. The only time they "kick off" scam artists is when they cause them legal liability. Digitalcorp does a good job of covering their own hides with fast talking, lies, and high pressure sales. In other words, they've skimmed along by not outright breaking the law, only bullying and lying to their customers.
This package was absolutely NOT a good deal - the non-D-SLR lenses lowered the value of the package to a point where it's actually cheaper to buy from a *reputable* company at close to MSRP. Do the research, it becomes clear quickly.
3) If anyone feels that my review of this company is biased, all one has to do is look in their feedback ratings on e-bay. Don't take my word for it. It appears largely positive, but looking closer and reading actual reviews, you'll find MANY of their customers were unknowingly duped into paying more for "upgrades" (read: cheaper lenses, 3rd party knock offs like Sigma).
I stand by my words. I hope they "scare people away" from doing business with this unprofessional mimicry of a reputable business.
Joseph
Hollywood,Florida,
U.S.A.
strange but my situation was the oposite
#5Consumer Suggestion
Fri, April 27, 2007
i ordered and had no problems, declined on the extra offers and wasnt pushed far. And for refference most lenses around are for slr not dslr so you diddnt do your research i guess.
i suggest you call and report the rep to their admin because your experience is like day and night compared to my mine.
postings like yours scare people away from good deals and if they were all you say they were ebay would have booted them years ago.
Thomas
Anderson,South Carolina,
U.S.A.
Some camera (and other) shops did this before the internet
#5Consumer Comment
Sat, November 25, 2006
I will not give names (some are gone) but all you can do is stop the parade as soon as any upsell is begun. Ditto if you get an email requesting that you call them about your order. There are too many other vendors on the internet to bother with this. Of course, these other vendors often advertise a slightly higher price, but aspirin are not free either.