"Cleaning" and "servicing" a new camera?

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

sfro asks:
>>ust bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 4600. The
salesman at Best Buy encouraged me to buy a 4 year service agreement
(about $50) because it includes free regular cleanings and adjustments
that he says are very important. There are lenses and alignments that
should be serviced regularly, he said. One cleaning ($40) almost pays
for it. Anyway, do these cameras benefit from regular "cleaning" and
"servicing"? He said most people never service their cameras and they
often live to regret it.<<

Twaddle. Typical salesman's bullshit. What lens service are you going
to get on a CP 4600, fer pete's sake? Cleaning? Get a microfiber cloth
for about 3 bucks. Use canned air to blow out the card slot every so
often. That's it. If they're charging 40 bucks for cleaning, they are
screwing you out of $30. If they charged you 50 bucks for the
agreement, they screwed you out of 50 bucks.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

sfrost2@nycap.rr.com wrote:
>
> I just bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 4600. The
> salesman at Best Buy encouraged me to buy a 4 year service agreement
> (about $50) because it includes free regular cleanings and adjustments
> that he says are very important. There are lenses and alignments that
> should be serviced regularly, he said. One cleaning ($40) almost pays
> for it. Anyway, do these cameras benefit from regular "cleaning" and
> "servicing"? He said most people never service their cameras and they
> often live to regret it. Any thoughts?
>
> MIFrost


He's half right - "most people never service their cameras" - but the
rest is bullshit.

They may have a decent sale price on items like cameras, but never buy
any accessory or add-on of any kind at BB - no cables, memory cards,
readers, batteries, cleaning kits, etc. They nail you on the high-markup
extras.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

sfrost2@nycap.rr.com wrote:

>I suspected as much. It's refundable so there's no real loss. I can get
>my money back. Thanks.

Do it soon and let us know if you got all of your money back. Did
hook you into a free trial subscription of sports illustrated on the
way out?

Wes

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Lycos address is a spam trap.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

In article <1110560082.303325.109640@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
<sfrost2@nycap.rr.com> wrote:

> I just bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 4600. The
> salesman at Best Buy encouraged me to buy a 4 year service agreement
> (about $50) because it includes free regular cleanings and adjustments
> that he says are very important. There are lenses and alignments that
> should be serviced regularly, he said. One cleaning ($40) almost pays
> for it. Anyway, do these cameras benefit from regular "cleaning" and
> "servicing"? He said most people never service their cameras and they
> often live to regret it. Any thoughts?

These cleanings and adjustments don't exist. 95% of the time, servicing
this class of camera consists of throwing it away and getting a new
one.

They don't require periodic maintenance, period.

If, and ONLY if, the service agreement allows for repair or replacment
of the camera in case of accidental damage, might this be worth while.

When I ran my camera stores, I paid the sales people a 40% comission on
extended warranties. They were the single most profitable thing in the
store.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

A major part of Best Buy training is selling...Warranty...(PSP).....They
make a hugh profit off-insecurity...Personally...If you still can..Take it
back...
"Peter Resch" <peter.reschREMOVE@THISgmail.com> wrote in message
news:4232604f$0$5596$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
> <sfrost2@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:1110560082.303325.109640@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>> I just bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 4600. The
>> salesman at Best Buy encouraged me to buy a 4 year service agreement
>> (about $50) because it includes free regular cleanings and adjustments
>> that he says are very important. There are lenses and alignments that
>> should be serviced regularly, he said. One cleaning ($40) almost pays
>> for it. Anyway, do these cameras benefit from regular "cleaning" and
>> "servicing"? He said most people never service their cameras and they
>> often live to regret it. Any thoughts?
>>
>> MIFrost
>>
>
> Generally, service contracts are one of the biggest rip-offs there are.
> Statistically, all electronic and most mechanical devices are most likely
> to fail
> within the first few weeks of use, the failure rate dropping steadily to
> stabilise
> after a few months.
> After a few years of use the failure rate will gradually start to rise.
> Environment and design factors, maintenance and long term reliability of
> components will determine the ultimate failure of any equipment.
> Normally, a 12 months warranty covers any initial failures so any extended
> service
> warranty only covers the period when a failure is least likely to occur
> during the
> equipments life (try getting a service contract on a 10 year old camera).
> There are a few exceptions to this, for example a service contract may be
> of value
> to a photographer that regularly uses a camera in extreme environments,
> say in
> dirty, humid and/or very hot locations or where a piece of equipment gets
> a lot of
> hard use like a photocopier in a school.
>
> Peter
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

True story about Best Buy Tech service..I worked for them...So this is no
bull... Yeah with a service contract(PSP) you get free cleaning...On a
VCR-we would stick a cleaning tape in-With a printer-clean the heads with
alcohol...Printers do need cleaned-nothing anyone can't do. But I had a
problem with cleaning a Digital camera(at that time it was a Nikon
5000...The supervisor stopped by that day...He asked why I didn't clean and
test that Nikon-5000(They like everything sitting on the finished shelves) I
simply said, "clean what?, I can wipe it off, that's all." He picked up the
camera-sprayed it with window cleaner, took a picture..Then said..There its
cleaned...Mark the work order, cleaned and tested...So would you really want
to know why people buy a service contract? Ok-Mess your camera up 3
times-within your contract...Take it back the 4th time...By then a new model
will be out...And get a new camera/computer/whatever...Dirty=yep/low
morals=yep/true=sure is....
<sfrost2@nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
news:1110560082.303325.109640@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I just bought my first digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix 4600. The
> salesman at Best Buy encouraged me to buy a 4 year service agreement
> (about $50) because it includes free regular cleanings and adjustments
> that he says are very important. There are lenses and alignments that
> should be serviced regularly, he said. One cleaning ($40) almost pays
> for it. Anyway, do these cameras benefit from regular "cleaning" and
> "servicing"? He said most people never service their cameras and they
> often live to regret it. Any thoughts?
>
> MIFrost
>