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View Full Version : The joys of buying online


Chris Nahr
11-11-2005, 01:43 AM
From Lee Holmes' Precision Computing (http://www.leeholmes.com/blog/PermaLink,guid,dd5a95f4-4b5f-408d-8b0f-50abaa75be6d.aspx), about a colleague who tried to buy a digital camera online:

For some reason, there is an entire cottage industry (in the little cottage called Brooklyn, New York) that sells the camera for below cost, but cancels the order on you unless you buy hundreds of dollars of over-priced accessories.

“Don’t be cheap? Listen. That is ridiculous customer service. Cancel my order and goodbye.”
“Cancel your order? You really want to pay the 30% restocking fee for canceling your order?”
“What restocking fee? There is no order, and you’re not going to charge me one.”
“Oh yes I will.”
“Go ahead, and I’ll dispute the charges on my card and it’ll cost you even more.”
“Don’t you even dare. You do that, and I’ll break your neck. You hear me? I’ll come there and break your f-----g neck. I’ll …”

Evidently, intelligence tests are not part of “new hire training,” as this guy leaves a death threat on voice mail with an unblocked number.

“You better not pick up, b---h. I’m gonna to come down there and break your god damn neck. You heard me, alright? Kid, you better hear me, b---h. Do you hear me, B---H? Yes, you’d better believe it. You’re in biiiig trouble, my friend.”

<click>

Holmes goes on to report that these scammers, which change URLs and company names frequently, also have set up entire review websites that contain fake customer reviews for their products. Read the whole thing, it's hilarious.

Ben Sones
11-11-2005, 06:00 AM
This is exactly why I'm always leery of the places that have the absolute lowest prices on online ranking systems like Pricewatch. I'd rather pay a little more to buy from a merchant that I know.

Houngan
11-11-2005, 06:38 AM
Hah, somehow I knew this thread was about digital cameras. Royal Cameras, Prestige Cameras, etc. are all the same theory, and often the same people. My GF is a pro photographer, and she's in the market for Nikon's new 12mp SLR. Royal had it 1500$ below anyone else, which bring up the point: can't we point the finger back at ourselves for not remembering "If it sounds too good . . ."? We checked out the retailer and googling Royal Camera, the first five pages were all smear pages with horror stories. Needless to say, she didn't buy the camera.

While it sucks that this happens, a little common sense and a bit of research will protect against these fuckers.

H.