Am I Unusual?

Am I unusual for saying this isn't acceptable?

  • Yes, seems fine to me, businesses have to make money somehow.

    Votes: 29 60.4%

  • No, if you're paying for something advertised, you get whats advertised.

    Votes: 19 39.6%
  • Total voters
    48
Digitalize

Digitalize

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Messages
1,372
Name
Matthew
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No
After umming and ahhing and emailing my local LCE, I headed in today to trade in my 7D kit and buy a 5D3 body and 24-70 2.8, upon arrival the assistant began to take the 24-105 out of a kit lens and do the box back up, I questioned this, and he said it was normal "to be able to offer the prices we do", but I said I wasn't happy with this, after all I'm paying full price for a 5D3 body, so why am I not getting a 5D3 Body box? And come the inevitable resale in years to come, I have a 5D3 with a kit box, which would put me off for sure.

The assistant said it's usually not a problem, but I told him it is for me, and they're now ordering in a 5D3 Body only. What's really annoyed me is that they had ordered this camera in for me, full well knowing I only wanted the body!

If I wasn't trading in my camera for a good price, I would have already placed my order online and be done with them.

Am I unusual though? Would most people presented with this problem, and the possibility to be playing/using a 5D3/24-70 in the next hour, decide it's not an issue?

It's obvious this is how they make extra money, as the kit is worth more separate, but to pass NO savings at all on to me? Just doesn't seem honest to me, or right.

But maybe I'm wrong eh?
 
Its not disshonet..

otherwise I agree wiht you.. Widening the goalposts at the last minute is a bit sneakey.. will catch most people off guard who will think they got it wrong and ...

you did well to have presence of mind to say STOP! .. so well done you :)..
 
Were you paying the full list RRP for it then? If not, you have at least some of the savings I suppose.

Same thing happened to me when I bought my 5DIII from Park Cameras, and my first 5D yonks ago - both kit boxes with the lens removed. Sold on the original 5D here with no 'hit' on price because the box was the wrong size, so was quite comfortable to take a split kit the second time.

I would have preferred a body only box because it takes up less space at home, but not enough not to walk away with it.
 
I wouldn't have batted an eye lid and would have taken my camera home and enjoyed it it's brand spanking new and 5 minutes after you get home the box will be gathering dust in the loft!
 
I had the opposite experience several years ago when I bought my D70 - the shop didn't have the kits in stock, only the body and kit lens as separate items. No problem, they did me the kit price for the 2 items. Only 1 box still in the loft - sold the 18-70 for few extra quid since it was boxed.
 
Personally, and sorry to be blunt, but I think you're being quite pathetic. It's only a box! I've ordered a Canon 60D body-only from DigitalRev before and it arrived in a kit-box. I knew it wasn't a kit. I hadn't ordered a kit. Later I sold said 60D and the buyer had no problem with the box.
 
I have had the same, many moons back when I brought my d80 they only had the 18-135 kits and I wanted the 18-70 lens, they just swapped lenses around, no issue to me, never had an issue when I sold, Would I have an issue with what they have done with you, no not at all. I must confess I do think you are being a bit fussy its only a box and it wont effect the second hand value of the camera if you sell it because lets be honest how many people keep the kit lens and dont upgrade it at some point.
 
It wouldn't bother me at all, boxes got thrown out once I've established that everything is working properly, but it's your money and I think you're entitled to insist on the boxed body if it's important to you.
 
Hmm fair enough, it is just me then!

In the end got the body from Jessops, and surprisingly, much preferred the staff in there! Just seemed more welcoming. Still bought the lens from LCE and traded my old kit in.

Saying that, I have just unboxed everything and put every wrapper back where it was, including the tie wrap around the power cord! Just how I am, bit of a box hoarder.

Honestly just wondered what everyones reaction was to it. And the kit box was twice as big! So some storage space saved, not that theres much left with all the boxes!

Time to enjoy.
 
Well I bought a Panasonic G3 body only from Wilkinson cameras last year when Panasonic had their cashback promotion.

Wilkinson advertised the cameras as being eligible for the (£50) cashback offer but sent me an opened box from a G3+14-42 kit lens with the kit lens removed and their own barcode stuck firmly over the original one. This meant the camera was NOT eligible for cashback (which was actually £30 for body only not the £50 Wilkinson advertised) as you had to submit the correct box bar code to qualify.

There was no mention of these being split from kit bodies on their web site and by the time I had submitted (or tried to submit) the cashback claim the 7 day window under dsl regulations had already gone by.

I have seen lenses sold and clearly marked as 'split from kit' or 'white box' but to sell a body in this way and not mention this thereby making it not eligible for the cashback promotion despite advertising it as being so is dishonest advertising in my book.
 
Furtim said:
Were you paying the full list RRP for it then? If not, you have at least some of the savings I suppose.
.
Click to expand...

This^

You're getting a camera cheaper than RRP, do you expect them to be making a loss on it?
 
Phil V said:
This^ You're getting a camera cheaper than RRP, do you expect them to be making a loss on it?
Click to expand...

No, but if they can't make money on it, why are they selling it at that price?

I don't think it's that they don't make money at the price they were selling, just they had no Body only boxes so were gonna split a kit. Would have been nice to be told this was going to happen though.

Guy at Jessops did say as I wasn't buying anything with the camera that they probably effectively lost money on the sale if you worked his pay out by the minute, seems they're being sold with no profit at all in them at the moment.
 
Digitalize said:
No, but if they can't make money on it, why are they selling it at that price?

I don't think it's that they don't make money at the price they were selling, just they had no Body only boxes so were gonna split a kit. Would have been nice to be told this was going to happen though.

Guy at Jessops did say as I wasn't buying anything with the camera that they probably effectively lost money on the sale if you worked his pay out by the minute, seems they're being sold with no profit at all in them at the moment.
Click to expand...

Because things are tough in the retail trade at the moment,dont forget Jessops when under not long ago,and is only just getting back into the market again.
 
Makes no odds at all, it's not like the box takes the pictures and I fail to see how it can have any effect on the resale value at all. A little OCD really
 
Given that the body only camera and the one in the kit are exactly the same, I don't really see the problem.
 
It's more principal, and it wouldn't have been right, I'd have had the wrong box.

Anyway, it's really interesting to see I'm in the minority here.

Just letting the battery fully charge and sit charged before I start to use it.
 
While I have no problem with a company doing that, indeed my 5D3 came on the same basis, I would want to know about this beforehand.
 
neil_g said:
because people go on line (who have less overheads) and get a better deal. normally after using up store resources looking/asking questions about the product.

some money is better in the till than none.
Click to expand...


Well put that man :)
 
I bought a 5D2 with a 24-105 kit, I ended up selling the body in the box, to raise money for a 5D3, and the buyer didn't bat an eyelid about it not being a body only box. I've still got the 24-105 in the kit box and I've no plans of getting rid of it. I doubt it'd stop a sale cause it wasn't in the box though, I've bought enough gear without boxes and never worried about it.
 
When I bought my 5D2, it arrived in a plain white box having been split from a kit. The price was no cheaper than other large retailers. When I spoke to the customer services department, the lady was downright rude. I wished they had been upfront from the start, but the attitude I received for questioning my purchase was far worse.

My main concern was that it might have been "open box" / returned for some reason (dead pixels etc) and they were trying as sell as new. It just felt underhand to me and their shirty response did nothing to help! It really put me off supporting my local camera shop and buying from them again. They've been mentioned already in this thread.
 
I agree with the OP, The shop probably make more from selling the two items separately than together, why should he not benefit from it?
Take a look in the classifieds and see how many people try to get a price drop when theres no/or a damaged box!
 
Matthew, I don't think you are being at all pathetic.

When you part-ex, most all dealers like to have the item in its original box.

Whether they actually pay you more for something that's in its original box, that's another matter.

I recently upgraded from a 7D to a new 5D Mklll, and contacted three well known retailers, that operate a part-ex system, for a part ex quote.

Each one of them asked "is it in its original box".

So yes, I believe it does make a difference to have original box if selling to a retailer, but perhaps not so if selling privately.

Dave
 
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Your money your choice, no right or wrong just personal preference

My 24-105 came in a white box and was cheaper that way, can't say I would pay more just to get the red and white one.
 
I'm a 'want it now' person, but I can completely understand where you're coming from - we know it isn't a big deal really, but to you it just wouldn't be 'right', and that's fair enough IMHO.
 
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