CHEAP cameras -- too cheap?

[Grimace]

Hey all, I am well aware of the "if it sounds too good to be true..." line, but I wondered what you thought about USA Photo Nation as a cheap e-tailer. For example, the Canon 30D (body) is going for $739.

http://www.usaphotonation.com/products.asp?product_id=12760

Any idea what (PC Body) stands for? I assume just "body".

 

[liketom]

i'm just loving the pop up on that page on IE6 GRRRRR


if it's too good to be true then .......

 

[Grimace]

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8278.html

Nevermind....sorry -- a "good find" always inspires thoughtlessness in me...

 

[jared_kipe]

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8278.html

Nevermind....sorry -- a "good find" always inspires thoughtlessness in me...

Its funny, according to their resellerratings it looks like people actually GET their cameras, but are sometimes missing the warrantee card or their manual's bag is open.

Maybe I'm crazy, but if the camera is working fine and it doesn't have a few hundered exposures on it I'd take a 30D for less than $1000.

 

[Grimace]

They are selling refurbs or used cameras by what I can tell. It doesn't have Canon's warranty card, so you don't get support from the manufacturer. I can only imagine that the dealer will give a real hard time with any warranty claims.

 

[Clix Pix]

They are selling refurbs or used cameras by what I can tell. It doesn't have Canon's warranty card, so you don't get support from the manufacturer. I can only imagine that the dealer will give a real hard time with any warranty claims.

They may be one of those shady outfits which sends the camera without the battery, battery charger or cables, then pressures the customer into paying fo those separately. And, yes, they are probably also grey-market items as well, and Canon USA wouldn't honor the warranty.

 

[jared_kipe]

If you have the money, buy it from a "respectable" store and don't shop around. If you're like me and you care more about the product then getting Canon "support" or a manual or cable. The camera body is the expensive part, if you can get it for $400 less than anywhere else because its "grey" market or doesn't have a battery, I say go for it.

 

[Zeke]

Ooh, I'd order one since apparently some people get them (use a good credit card) and simply dispute the charge if you get it and it's not new as they describe. Very illegal to sell things as new when they're in fact refurbished.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Hey all, I am well aware of the "if it sounds too good to be true..." line, but I wondered what you thought about USA Photo Nation as a cheap e-tailer. For example, the Canon 30D (body) is going for $739.

I just looked and the price is up to $889, still far below what other more reputable dealers are charging for the 30D body.

carletonmusic, I have to ask - not an attack of any sort, just trying to understand the consumers mind - with even Amazon having a lowest price of $1324, what lead you to believe that this could be a "real deal"? Do you think that camera shops get 50 to 100 point margins on hardware like the 30D? We do not, rest assured.

This may come off poorly, but it is not meant too, but would you have asked this same question if you were looking at a base Toyota '07 Camary (with a MSRP of $23K, an invoice of $21K - according to Edmunds.com), and found an internet dealer offering that same car for $14K? Or even $16K?

Sounds ridiculous? I used the same 33% "discount" off the last price I saw on that sight you posted about the 30D. I guess that I am hit with price match requests such as yours day in and day out. So I am taking the opportunity to get inside the mind of a consumer here.

Hope that as a fellow MR member you can give me some insight as to the thinking on this pricing, since you probably saw what most others were selling the item for.

They are selling refurbs or used cameras by what I can tell. It doesn't have Canon's warranty card, so you don't get support from the manufacturer. I can only imagine that the dealer will give a real hard time with any warranty claims.

Given how long the 30D has been available, it is unlikely that there would be any refurbs or truly used cameras at this point. More likely they are a best grey market (bought from other overseas markets).

One also has to look at their accessory costs. $89-139 for a battery? Heck, the Canon BP-511A at my shop sells for $59! A 1gb flash card of no name for $449? A Lexar 4gb 133x CF card sells for $269 at my shop.

IMO places like this play the odds that they can recoup their "loss" on the body by requiring or "beating you down" to get the profit back.

 

[Grimace]

I just looked and the price is up to $889, still far below what other more reputable dealers are charging for the 30D body.

carletonmusic, I have to ask - not an attack of any sort, just trying to understand the consumers mind - with even Amazon having a lowest price of $1324, what lead you to believe that this could be a "real deal"? Do you think that camera shops get 50 to 100 point margins on hardware like the 30D? We do not, rest assured.

This may come off poorly, but it is not meant too, but would you have asked this same question if you were looking at a base Toyota '07 Camary (with a MSRP of $23K, an invoice of $21K - according to Edmunds.com), and found an internet dealer offering that same car for $14K? Or even $16K?

Sounds ridiculous? I used the same 33% "discount" off the last price I saw on that sight you posted about the 30D. I guess that I am hit with price match requests such as yours day in and day out. So I am taking the opportunity to get inside the mind of a consumer here.

Hope that as a fellow MR member you can give me some insight as to the thinking on this pricing, since you probably saw what most others were selling the item for.

Given how long the 30D has been available, it is unlikely that there would be any refurbs or truly used cameras at this point. More likely they are a best grey market (bought from other overseas markets).

One also has to look at their accessory costs. $89-139 for a battery? Heck, the Canon BP-511A at my shop sells for $59! A 1gb flash card of no name for $449? A Lexar 4gb 133x CF card sells for $269 at my shop.

IMO places like this play the odds that they can recoup their "loss" on the body by requiring or "beating you down" to get the profit back.

I have found a lot of AMAZING deals on Ebay, simply by searching for stuff that I was interested in, but spelled slightly off. Very few bidders will ever see those auctions, so I can win them for far less. Occassionaly there are those people who just don't know the value of something (sealed, new) and I swipe those up.

It was a knee jerk reaction. I posted to MR within 10 seconds of finding the place, and then immediately googled the store name. I'm not one who needs all the extra services of B&H etc. I use my local camera store for little accessories, tripods, and tips.

That's all -- just an elated misjudgment.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

I have found a lot of AMAZING deals on Ebay, simply by searching for stuff that I was interested in, but spelled slightly off. Very few bidders will ever see those auctions, so I can win them for far less. Occassionaly there are those people who just don't know the value of something (sealed, new) and I swipe those up.

It was a knee jerk reaction. I posted to MR within 10 seconds of finding the place, and then immediately googled the store name. I'm not one who needs all the extra services of B&H etc. I use my local camera store for little accessories, tripods, and tips.

That's all -- just an elated misjudgment.

Cool. It is just that in my time on the net I have seen many posts such as yours. Yet, given what you may have seen else where - why did you even remotely think that this could have been a "good deal"?

Was there not an inner voice saying that given the other "real" pricing on the net, that there was something wrong? Just trying to understand the "consumer" mind set here. Not trying to beat you up, not in the least. You have been a respected poster here on MR IMO. You and I have shared some threads together.

I guess I am hunting for explanations as to why some of my customers here in Fairfax County, VA fall prey to these types of places. If you will allow me to follow up. Did not the pricing of the "accessories" on the link you provided, tell you something was up?

I understand amazing deals on eBay. I troll eBay some times to feed my Leica habit for missed placed auctions. But I assume that this auction would have shown up with a simple "30D" search; as opposed to a "lieca" search on eBay. But in the end we are talking about a current product that has been out for under 45 days (more or less) by my count at least here in the US.

Misspellings are a big clue though IMO for current product. But with the link you you provided, you never addressed the over pricing for the accessories. Was that not a clue that something was wrong?