Your experience with Adorama?

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

On 27 Jul 2005 11:54:43 -0700, kombi45@yahoo.com wrote:

>About to pull the trigger on a lens, and was wanting some personal
>feedback on these guys. There is a link to their site as a recommended
>vendor from Ken Rockwell, but I want to get some feedback from those in
>this forum who might have bought from them.
>
>Ben

Hi Ben,

I haven't had a problem personally, but I haven't purchased anything
from them for some time. I did a quick check of "Resellers" and it
doesn't appear that their more recent ratings have been very good.
Here's a like for you:

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1759.html

B&H Photo & Video is very good, although I'm often able to beat their
deals: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

I've also had very good luck with "Shop Digital Online:"
http://www.shopdigitalonline.com/

Good luck!

Hal Lowe

http://www.halogos.com (logo t-shirts, mugs, etc.)
http://www.halowe-graphics.com/photo.html (digiPhoto)
http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=7391019 (web hosting)
http://www.halowe-graphics.com/tin [...] =web_email

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

Hal Lowe wrote:
> On 27 Jul 2005 11:54:43 -0700, kombi45@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
>>About to pull the trigger on a lens, and was wanting some personal
>>feedback on these guys. There is a link to their site as a recommended
>>vendor from Ken Rockwell, but I want to get some feedback from those in
>>this forum who might have bought from them.
>>
>>Ben
>
>
> Hi Ben,
>
> I haven't had a problem personally, but I haven't purchased anything
> from them for some time. I did a quick check of "Resellers" and it
> doesn't appear that their more recent ratings have been very good.
> Here's a like for you:
>
> http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1759.html
>
> B&H Photo & Video is very good, although I'm often able to beat their
> deals: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
>
> I've also had very good luck with "Shop Digital Online:"
> http://www.shopdigitalonline.com/
>
> Good luck!
>
> Hal Lowe
>
> http://www.halogos.com (logo t-shirts, mugs, etc.)
> http://www.halowe-graphics.com/photo.html (digiPhoto)
> http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=7391019 (web hosting)
> http://www.halowe-graphics.com/tin [...] =web_email

Last fall I got around $20K worth of multimedia gear from them and it
worked out fine. Got some good advice from Izzy. They are closed during
Jewish holidays so plan for that.

Chip Gallo

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

<kombi45@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1122490483.536715.89010@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> About to pull the trigger on a lens, and was wanting some personal
> feedback on these guys. There is a link to their site as a recommended
> vendor from Ken Rockwell, but I want to get some feedback from those in
> this forum who might have bought from them.


I am a committed Adorama and B&H customer. I really don't see much
difference between the two other than Adorama are more direct in their
manner, give a more affirmative approach to selling secondary items, have
slightly lower prices and as a result seem to backorder items with more
frequency than does B&H.

In general Adorama is my first call and B&H my second. I have never had a
bad experience with either after 17 years of buying from both. My personal
opinion is they are equally excellent and fair. But I would say that B&H is
a better choice for the thin-skinned, even with their slightly higher
prices.

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

I have been buying from them for 16-18 years now and am quite satisfied
with their service. Some find them too abrupt, but that is New York. Some
say they've had trouble with Adorama but that has never been my experience.

--
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com
home of The Camera-ist's Manifesto
The Improved Links Pages are at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/links/mlinks00.html
A sample chapter from "Haight-Ashbury" is at
http://www.chapelhillnoir.com/writ/hait/hatitl.html

"Hal Lowe" <hallowe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6gnfe1h7snsat8ut9ucne24vob7aprv7eq@4ax.com...
> On 27 Jul 2005 11:54:43 -0700, kombi45@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> >About to pull the trigger on a lens, and was wanting some personal
> >feedback on these guys. There is a link to their site as a recommended
> >vendor from Ken Rockwell, but I want to get some feedback from those in
> >this forum who might have bought from them.
> >
> >Ben
>
> Hi Ben,
>
> I haven't had a problem personally, but I haven't purchased anything
> from them for some time. I did a quick check of "Resellers" and it
> doesn't appear that their more recent ratings have been very good.
> Here's a like for you:
>
> http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1759.html
>
> B&H Photo & Video is very good, although I'm often able to beat their
> deals: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
>
> I've also had very good luck with "Shop Digital Online:"
> http://www.shopdigitalonline.com/
>
> Good luck!
>
> Hal Lowe
>
> http://www.halogos.com (logo t-shirts, mugs, etc.)
> http://www.halowe-graphics.com/photo.html (digiPhoto)
> http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=7391019 (web hosting)
> http://www.halowe-graphics.com/tin [...] =web_email

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

Hi Ben,

I live in New Zealand and have bought both second hand and new items from
Adorama. I have no complaints. The goods arrived usually within a week
of me placing the order, they were properly packed and arrived in good
condition. I would not hesitate to recommend Adorama to anyone.

Alan

<kombi45@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1122490483.536715.89010@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> About to pull the trigger on a lens, and was wanting some personal
> feedback on these guys. There is a link to their site as a recommended
> vendor from Ken Rockwell, but I want to get some feedback from those in
> this forum who might have bought from them.
>
> Ben
>

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

I purchased a battery for a D70 from Adorama a couple of months ago. The
service was prompt. The price was right. And, I got exactly what I
ordered. Adorama is an excellent source. I'd order again from them without
any hesitation.
Dennis D. Carter

<kombi45@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1122490483.536715.89010@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> About to pull the trigger on a lens, and was wanting some personal
> feedback on these guys. There is a link to their site as a recommended
> vendor from Ken Rockwell, but I want to get some feedback from those in
> this forum who might have bought from them.
>
> Ben
>

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

"Eric Gill" <ericvgill@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns96A4AC63166C3ericvgillyahoocom@208.49.80.124...
> "Frank ess" <frank@fshe2fs.com> wrote in news:AP6dncSyzpNElHXfRVn-
> sA@giganews.com:
>
>> Eric Gill wrote:
>>> "Robert R Kircher, Jr." <rrkircher@hotmail.com> wrote in
>>> news:svednaeAnNZleHrfRVn-ow@giganews.com:
>>>
>>>> <kombi45@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:1122490483.536715.89010@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>>>>> About to pull the trigger on a lens, and was wanting some personal
>>>>> feedback on these guys. There is a link to their site as a
>>>>> recommended vendor from Ken Rockwell, but I want to get some
>>>>> feedback from those in this forum who might have bought from them.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Beware of Myer!!! He'll want you go call him so he can make a
>>>> better
>>>> deal with you. As long as you don't let him talk you into anything
>>>> you don't need you'll be ok.
>>>
>>> Then again, Meyer will email you more "deals" after you specifically
>>> ask him not to. He earned Adorama their very own killfilter on my
>>> mailserver.
>>>
>>> B&H and some other stores that pre-date the web now get my business,
>>> as they can take "no" for an answer.
>>
>> My favorite is B&H, but I've made several substantial purchases from
>> Adorama with none of the interventions mentioned here. They are
>> ocasionally a day or two quicker to the West Coast than B&H, my
>> experience.
>
> You've been lucky so far. There was a nice thread on DPreview showing this
> is a pattern and not an anomoly.

Well, I can say that my 17 year experience with Adorama certainly is a
pattern, and it has been uniformly excellent. Never late, never bad charges,
never misrepresented, backordered only on notice, and order cancellation and
card credits have been prompt and accurate.

I would think that at some point in 17 years I would have had at least one
of the experiences whinnied about by some....but that simply has never been
the case. And after about 30 grand of purchases over some 21 orders I cans
state without reservation that Adorama has been an excellent source for my
purchases. B&H and Adorama are equal in every measure except that Adorama is
generally a bit less expensive and always has more units in stock.

I always go to Adorama first and B&H second, and after that I go haggle with
my local shop.

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

"Eric Gill" <ericvgill@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns96A653336B545ericvgillyahoocom@208.49.80.188...

> <shrug> I've got a paper trail, if you'd like to see it. It's possible
> that you've always gotten a different CSR, or they were unable to muzzle
> Meyer when he saw that I'd ordered a premium lens.

I didn't doubt your individual experience at all. I doubted the veracity of
extrapolating that and some criticisms on the web to a conclussion of
overall deficiency on the part of Adorama.

The criticism of Adorama on the web isn't that much different than the
assumed accuracy of 20 years ago that Audi cars magically jumped from "Park"
into "Drive", accelerated and crashed themselves.....people heard it and
jumped on the bandwagon, and others later heard them and because of the
volume assumed it couldn't possibly be inaccurate.

Adorama is a good outfit. They don't deserve the bashing they take in
cyberspace.

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

"Ross Garrett" <frederickrossgarrett@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:BBNHe.41$N85.7663@news.uswest.net:

>
> "Eric Gill" <ericvgill@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns96A653336B545ericvgillyahoocom@208.49.80.188...
>
>> <shrug> I've got a paper trail, if you'd like to see it. It's
>> possible that you've always gotten a different CSR, or they were
>> unable to muzzle Meyer when he saw that I'd ordered a premium lens.
>
> I didn't doubt your individual experience at all. I doubted the
> veracity of extrapolating that and some criticisms on the web to a
> conclussion of overall deficiency on the part of Adorama.

I cannot see the problem. Meyer is obviously a repeat offender; I am not
addressing any other issue.

<snip>

> Adorama is a good outfit. They don't deserve the bashing they take in
> cyberspace.

Sorry, but as long as "Meyer" is working there, they deserve whatever
complaints his tactics generate.

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

"Paul Schilter" <paulschilter@nospamcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:FpmdnfdyjOmCfXLfRVn-pg@comcast.com...

> Ross,
> Audis only did this if there was a Pinto in front of them. :-)
> Paul

That's beautiful :^)

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

"Eric Gill" <ericvgill@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Xns96A6DCE03CA19ericvgillyahoocom@208.49.80.124...
> "Ross Garrett" <frederickrossgarrett@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:YUTHe.265$yr4.9940@news.uswest.net:
>
>>
>> "Eric Gill" <ericvgill@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:Xns96A6BA03A9F26ericvgillyahoocom@208.49.80.60...
>>
>>> I cannot see the problem. Meyer is obviously a repeat offender;
>>
>> "people heard it and jumped on the bandwagon, and others later heard
>> them and because of the volume assumed it couldn't possibly be
>> inaccurate."
>
> The complaints are specific and quite similar to my experience.
>
> Dismissing them by handwaving is no better than the herd mentality you are
> disparaging; it is in fact worse if you are unwilling to investigate their
> veracity.

You've had one experience with Adorama. I've been buying from them for more
than 17 years. You cite comments you have read on webpages, forums and
who-knows-what-else while I have friends and colleagues who have been buying
from Adorama with my frequency, and in some cases, for a longer term.

Bottom line is that you don't know what you're talking about, so you cite
webpage comments from people you neither know or know anything about. Is
this is the investigation you so proudly trumpet about? I'll answer....Yes,
it is.

And that is what's wrong with the web. A guy like you, with actually no
basis for most of the comments he makes, gets a global platform on which to
"disparage" an otherwise solid business that makes buying photographic
equipment, for the photo enthusiast or pro, a less expensive and more secure
experience.