Calumet helping with Jessops warranty claims

[Trev4]

Calumet have sent out a letter regarding the future of Photographic retailing in the UK.
In it they announced that they will help anyone with returning items for repair under manufacturers warranty that were bought from Jessops. Link

 

[PJ S]

What a joke company.
2 Sony NEX5
3 Olympus
3 Panasonic
0 Pentax listed on their site!

Trying to make capital from Jessops' and Jacobs' demise, and Jessops' customers left somewhat in the lurch.
Funny how they never bummed and blowed about how committed to photographers they were whilst both J's were still operational.

We continue to offer photographers at all levels every opportunity to handle and try all the latest equipment.

Okay, I'd like to see your demo stock of the Pentax K30/K5 II then.
Sorry, what's that? You don't carry them, only Canon and Nikon?

Choosing products online and getting free shipping* to your home is also a convenient way of shopping with Calumet. (*over £100.)

Pfft! I can spend £20 or so on Amazon and get free delivery.

 

[DemiLion]

What a joke company.
2 Sony NEX5
3 Olympus
3 Panasonic
0 Pentax listed on their site!

Trying to make capital from Jessops' and Jacobs' demise, and Jessops' customers left somewhat in the lurch.
Funny how they never bummed and blowed about how committed to photographers they were whilst both J's were still operational.

Okay, I'd like to see your demo stock of the Pentax K30/K5 II then.
Sorry, what's that? You don't carry them, only Canon and Nikon?

Pfft! I can spend £20 or so on Amazon and get free delivery.

Ever thought that all of those points (plus several more) are why Calumet is still trading whilst Jessops and Jacobs have been liquidated?

 

[seriousrikk]

What a joke company.
2 Sony NEX5
3 Olympus
3 Panasonic
0 Pentax listed on their site!

Trying to make capital from Jessops' and Jacobs' demise, and Jessops' customers left somewhat in the lurch.
Funny how they never bummed and blowed about how committed to photographers they were whilst both J's were still operational.



Okay, I'd like to see your demo stock of the Pentax K30/K5 II then.
Sorry, what's that? You don't carry them, only Canon and Nikon?



Pfft! I can spend £20 or so on Amazon and get free delivery.

Joke company?

They are the only remaining successful high street photographic chain, their business model is clearly far from a joke. They sell what they sell, like any shop. They do not over reach, the do what they are good at - service to professional standards.

 

[Martyn D]

By helping out Jessops customers they are offering a service which, if ex jessops customers use, will no doubt encourage them to use Calumet in the future.
Good business IMO and not letting things stagnate as others have found out to their cost!

 

[treeman]

What a joke company.
2 Sony NEX5
3 Olympus
3 Panasonic
0 Pentax listed on their site!

Trying to make capital from Jessops' and Jacobs' demise, and Jessops' customers left somewhat in the lurch.
Funny how they never bummed and blowed about how committed to photographers they were whilst both J's were still operational.



Okay, I'd like to see your demo stock of the Pentax K30/K5 II then.
Sorry, what's that? You don't carry them, only Canon and Nikon?



Pfft! I can spend £20 or so on Amazon and get free delivery.

Well they didn't have to offer any help at all. I'm guessing you've got issues with Calumet :shrug:

 

[ecoleman]

I hate it when people bitch about the lack of free delivery.

I would love you to approach any mail/courier company and see what you can get delivered for free. There is no such thing as free delivery. The cost is covered by the retailer which either comes out of the profit (hence companies not being able to keep their heads above water), or it's added to the retail price.

 

[Lynton]

erm... well firstly I could not tell yuo where the nearest calumet is to me, but i could soon find one if needed. Never had to.

Why is this bad? It's called smart business and is why they are trading in bricks and mortar shops and online.

Supposing you had bought a camera from Jessops and had a warranty claim but shop was now gone. Try ringing the manufacturer direct and see how far you get. (Not very)

As for Pentax K30 - small and the K5 II - well that doesn't do an awful lot more than a K5 does, unless you need to autofocus at 18 stops O/exposed. The software inside is tweaked - but not by much.

 

[Ebilpirate]

I hate it when people bitch about the lack of free delivery.

I would love you to approach any mail/courier company and see what you can get delivered for free. There is no such thing as free delivery. The cost is covered by the retailer which either comes out of the profit (hence companies not being able to keep their heads above water), or it's added to the retail price.

nothing is free.

 

[MWHCVT]

Joke company?

They are the only remaining successful high street photographic chain, their business model is clearly far from a joke. They sell what they sell, like any shop. They do not over reach, the do what they are good at - service to professional standards.

I think that London Camera Exchange might have something to say about that they have significantly more UK stores

 

[POAH]

Joke company?

They are the only remaining successful high street photographic chain, their business model is clearly far from a joke. They sell what they sell, like any shop. They do not over reach, the do what they are good at - service to professional standards.

They are not on the high street in Glasgow lol

 

[gman]

They are a 2 min drive away from the High Street in Glasgow and have free customer parking.

 

[camerassassin]

BUT - they are in Glasgow

The alternative seems to be Merchant City Cameras - and I'm certainly not going there

 

[st599]

Hopefully Calumet won't end up being dumbed down to Jessops and Jacobs levels.

 

[PJ S]

Ever thought that all of those points (plus several more) are why Calumet is still trading whilst Jessops and Jacobs have been liquidated?

Nope, probably more a case of only 8 stores to concern themselves with, not nearly 200, with none of them in prime retail locations, and minimally staffed.
That'll have more bearing on profits long before 20 cameras and lenses from other brands as demo will.

 

[PJ S]

Well they didn't have to offer any help at all. I'm guessing you've got issues with Calumet :shrug:

Guess again.
One and only time in the local store to enquire about a Pentax K5 - the time was spent surfing the web and asking why I wasn't considering Canon or Nikon!
At least they'd price match, but unable to confirm if they'd be able to offer a 2 year warranty as you get buying from a Pentax Pro dealer.
Don't get me wrong, nice person to converse with (and we did chat about a couple of things), but ultimately an outfit of absolutely no use to me whatsoever.
I obviously didn't fit their demographic, and they didn't give me any impression they were worth buying from, as I'd probably have to wait longer than if I bought online, elsewhere.

Phoned recently about their £40 light tent/cube, 2 in stock, but not one open to see what it looks like in the flesh - apparently that's because it'd get dirty.
Seems like they can't even invest in a vacuum cleaner either!

 

[ukaskew]

Supposing you had bought a camera from Jessops and had a warranty claim but shop was now gone. Try ringing the manufacturer direct and see how far you get. (Not very)

Whilst I applaud what Calumet are doing, the above statement is far from the truth in my experience. I've dealt with Sony and Nikon directly within the manufacturer warranty with no problems. The store only acts as an agent (completing paperwork, posting the goods etc), but you can do it yourself.

 

[DemiLion]

Nope, probably more a case of only 8 stores to concern themselves with, not nearly 200, with none of them in prime retail locations, and minimally staffed.
That'll have more bearing on profits long before 20 cameras and lenses from other brands as demo will.

Calumet are predominantly focused towards the professional market. Why would they stock kit that generally isn't used by their main customer base?

Feel free not to use them if they don't sell what you're after. I'm sure that it won't worry them too much.

 

[Dave *]

Guess again.
One and only time in the local store to enquire about a Pentax K5 - the time was spent surfing the web and asking why I wasn't considering Canon or Nikon!

Something that might surprise you is the fact that Pentax has become a pretty small (almost niche) manufacturer. I don't see any dealer with his head screwed on correctly putting his cash or credit into carrying Pentax stock (unless he happens to be a single shop niche retailer who trades on the reputation of being a niche retailer like SRS).

Like it or not, Canon and Nikon probably hold 80%+ of the market, and even more if its only DSLRs being considered.

Ask yourself, if it was your money buying the stock, what brands would you carry?

 

[PJ S]

Calumet are predominantly focused towards the professional market. Why would they stock kit that generally isn't used by their main customer base?

Go and read my quote in my first reply - which part of "all levels" is the pro market?
And by your own wording, "predominantly" means not solely.
If they had inserted "Canon and Nikon users" into their PR, then I'd have no complaint, but they're trying to make it out that they service all photographers, which clearly isn't the case.

Whilst I'm sure my measly few ££ won't be missed in the grander scheme of things, I wonder how many there are like myself in their local (and further afield) catchment area, who might've become a customer?

 

[PJ S]

As for Pentax K30 - small and the K5 II - well that doesn't do an awful lot more than a K5 does, unless you need to autofocus at 18 stops O/exposed. The software inside is tweaked - but not by much.

Your opinion of what Pentax's K-Series does or doesn't do is immaterial to the point I was making - I could've used Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, or Fujifilm as the brand, the point would've still remained the same, in the context of what I quoted from their PR.

 

[PJ S]

Something that might surprise you is the fact that Pentax has become a pretty small (almost niche) manufacturer. I don't see any dealer with his head screwed on correctly putting his cash or credit into carrying Pentax stock (unless he happens to be a single shop niche retailer who trades on the reputation of being a niche retailer like SRS).

Like it or not, Canon and Nikon probably hold 80%+ of the market, and even more if its only DSLRs being considered.

Ask yourself, if it was your money buying the stock, what brands would you carry?

If, and you're probably right, Pentax is such a small niche brand, then there'd not be much need to carry all that much stock, would there?
As I said previously, demo units alone would suffice off of which sales can be made, as the experience would offset any difference buying online (which iirc they were checking to see what price they could offer).

I'll forego answering the lame hypothetical question and instead refer you to my comment directly above.

 

[PJ S]

As this is now becoming more like the PJ S vs Calumet show, I'll bow out by stating the obvious - Calumet aren't the local retailer for me, and I'm not the local customer they're looking for.
Let's leave it there.

 

[Surrey Weddings]

calumet business model all along has been helpful and knowledgeable staff... so as said why they are here, sorry but you measure a company by it's pentax stock then you are the joke

 

[fracster]

I have bougt a lot of gear off Calumet, the service is superb, OK, the Manchester premises is only a 40 minute drive for me, but they are very good and will certainly see some more of my money.

Plus, if anything goes wrong, I can go and speak to a person in the flesh.

 

[PSILVERMAN]

Used them in the past with no issues and will continue to do so as the customer service is good.

 

[London Headshots]

Guess again.
One and only time in the local store to enquire about a Pentax K5 - the time was spent surfing the web and asking why I wasn't considering Canon or Nikon!
At least they'd price match, but unable to confirm if they'd be able to offer a 2 year warranty as you get buying from a Pentax Pro dealer.
Don't get me wrong, nice person to converse with (and we did chat about a couple of things), but ultimately an outfit of absolutely no use to me whatsoever.
I obviously didn't fit their demographic, and they didn't give me any impression they were worth buying from, as I'd probably have to wait longer than if I bought online, elsewhere.

Phoned recently about their £40 light tent/cube, 2 in stock, but not one open to see what it looks like in the flesh - apparently that's because it'd get dirty.
Seems like they can't even invest in a vacuum cleaner either!

Calumet has been a great company in my experience. I wouldn't purchase equipment from anywhere else.

Seems your issue is them not stocking some niche brand. That is what probably exacerbated your incredulity at not being able to "test out" a brand new, unopened product. Not many companies let you rip stuff out of the packaging, especially when those products are expected to go to a customer. I don't see how they could possibly be seen as in the wrong with that one.

Especially, look at it from this point: They have serious professionals in there on a daily basis. Some spending up to £35k on a new camera, or renting out £30k in equipment for a commercial shoot. Then, some guy comes in and asks to play with a 40 quid light tent. What do you really need to see? It's a white box that diffuses light. You can't learn a thing about it's function by looking at it, so why would they spoil the packaging?

I wouldn't want to open it for you either.



Hurrah Calumet!

 

[wegotitugetit]

I hate it when people bitch about the lack of free delivery.

I would love you to approach any mail/courier company and see what you can get delivered for free. There is no such thing as free delivery. The cost is covered by the retailer which either comes out of the profit (hence companies not being able to keep their heads above water), or it's added to the retail price.

THANK YOU

this annoy's me so much i sell on amazon and get feedback with high postage costs other had free delivery , erm no they didnt they added there to the item price but didnt see you mentioning you payed less then other for the item

 

[Trev4]

It's sad to see the likes of Jessops and Jacobs closing down, but regrettably it’s a sign of the times, there are many other large companies that have gone and a few more to come I suspect. To criticise a company for trying to fill the hole left and to improve their business by offering to help with warranty claims, and by putting a general statement out is ridiculous, its good business practice and good luck to them. As has been said, perhaps this is one of the reasons Calumet are still trading. It’s obvious that their business model is working for them and the two J's got it wrong.

In regard to getting ‘hands on’ with items, Jessops were not as good as you seem to imply. They were keeping in-store stock to a minimum, even with popular DSLR's. A few years ago, before they were in trouble (as far as I know), I couldn’t even get my hands on a Canon 50D (it was a newish and popular model at the time), I was advised by the staff to order one on line for collection at their store, then I could take a look and decide if I wanted to make the purchase. I had exactly the same experience with two local (to me) Jessops stores when I wanted a 7D, and at another time, a 100-400 lens. In all these three instances, I went to my Calumet store, examined the goods, and made the purchase the same day. It’s easy to paint a nice picture after the company has gone, but experiences like that didn’t bode well for them even then.

In defence of the two J’s, it’s very unfair to expect them to make any profits (the life blood of any business), when people only use them to examine goods with a view to making a purchase on line, and from a cheaper company that doesn’t have the overheads of the company you are using (and abusing) to look at the goods. Perhaps both of these companies should have embraced modern technology a bit more aggressively to compete with internet sales.

Regarding Calumet, the Birmingham branch that I use are a 40 mile drive for me, so not on my local high street, but the service, stock, informed advice, and price, make the journey worthwhile and I will continue to support them, they are a very professional and helpful outfit in my opinion and experience.

 

[PJ S]

Calumet has been a great company in my experience. I wouldn't purchase equipment from anywhere else.

Seems your issue is them not stocking some niche brand. That is what probably exacerbated your incredulity at not being able to "test out" a brand new, unopened product. Not many companies let you rip stuff out of the packaging, especially when those products are expected to go to a customer. I don't see how they could possibly be seen as in the wrong with that one.

Especially, look at it from this point: They have serious professionals in there on a daily basis. Some spending up to £35k on a new camera, or renting out £30k in equipment for a commercial shoot. Then, some guy comes in and asks to play with a 40 quid light tent. What do you really need to see? It's a white box that diffuses light. You can't learn a thing about it's function by looking at it, so why would they spoil the packaging?

I wouldn't want to open it for you either.

Forgive me for not being a professional commercial photographer wanting to spend £30K on buying or renting things, but if they had (as is not uncustomary) a display unit, then I could've went to the store and looked at it, to see if it was suitable for what I intended to put in it.
Is that really expecting too much from a bricks & mortar outlet in the 21st Century?

And what are you on about ripping open packaging for?
Was there any mention of such a suggestion?
In your haste to write a reply defending the wondrousness of Calumet, you just decided to make that up so you could have a bit of a rant about it?

 

[PJ S]

this annoy's me so much i sell on amazon and get feedback with high postage costs other had free delivery , erm no they didnt they added there to the item price but didnt see you mentioning you payed less then other for the item

I hope you're not lumping me in with those whom you refer to.
I'm well aware of postage costs, economies of scale/contract rates, and profit margin absorption.
My remark was in relation to an old fashioned marketing trick of trying to exploit customer spend against desire of free delivery.

 

[London Headshots]

Forgive me for not being a professional commercial photographer wanting to spend £30K on buying or renting things, but if they had (as is not uncustomary) a display unit, then I could've went to the store and looked at it, to see if it was suitable for what I intended to put in it.
Is that really expecting too much from a bricks & mortar outlet in the 21st Century?

And what are you on about ripping open packaging for?
Was there any mention of such a suggestion?
In your haste to write a reply defending the wondrousness of Calumet, you just decided to make that up so you could have a bit of a rant about it?

"2 in stock, but not one open to see what it looks like in the flesh - apparently that's because it'd get dirty."

So no, I didn't make anything up, I merely referenced something you had expressly stated.

And hey, nobody is saying Calumet are wonderful. You called them a "joke company", when the reality is that they simply didn't have some niche camera in stock, and were reluctant to open a brand new product for you to play with. Two completely understandable things.

In all honesty, what rational individual labels a company a "joke" because they don't stock a certain type of DSLR? It's a bit much, really. It's like you were personally offended by them not being able to help you.

Stands to reason that people would defend a company if they disagree with you.

The issue is that Calumet don't fit your demographic. If you ever need to buy Profoto or Bowens, or need a Peli case, California sunbounce, Spyder pro, top end NEC display, Hasselblad back, C-Stands, booms, magic arms or rolls of Rosco, etc.. Then Calumet is your place. Obviously don't go there if you want to by an obscure Pentax DSLR or mess around with a light tent.

Incidentally, I was in Calumet last week, and they had two light tents up. One small one and a larger one.


<3 Calumet

 

[graphilly]

I've always liked the local Calumet store, staff are well clued up on the kit. It's a good place to go and get some hands on with kit before you buy.

 

[steveo_mcg]

Last place in riding distance I can get 120 film and its not to badly priced so I like the place...

 

[Daryl]

I use Calumet for all our gear. Not one near me in Oxford. I do travel 40min to Milton Keynes or to the Birmingham store. As a reg customer I get great discount deals.

The service has always been next to none and even if none in store they get it from somewhere and to me next day.

Service is key not the cheapest price. Everyone harping on for the cheapest is what is finishing everyone off. You pay for what you get.... where's the back up online? Who can you speak too?

Jessops never had the the kit we would puchase in stock but Jessops was great to nip into to get periphirals. As we shoot all over the Country.


I think I read in the small print somewhere that PENTAX users may be laughed out of the store. Staff will attempt to serve you when they retain their composure.


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[Bascule]

I've had some bits a while ago (studio related, doing tethered shooting on a short notice product job) from Calumet via mail order, as they don't have a branch near me and they had the kit in stock for next day delivery that I couldn't get that quick locally.

I wish they did have more stores (as I much prefer to buy in person), as their service over the phone was excellent, they knew exactly what they were doing and the price was right.

 

[Daryl]

One reason they will still be here in years to come.

200+ stores = 200+ rent and rates. + wages etc Alot of cogs to oil before you start to make a profit.

Calumet = 8 larger stores much easier to run.

 

[2slo]

With the demise of Jacobs and now Jessops I wonder if the gap left will be incentive for the likes of Calumet to expand. I was recently contacted by Canon to see if I'd like to look at the 1Dx and some high end lenses. I would, but I've now got a 100 mile round trip if I want to.
The number of stores Jessops had made little sense in todays market. Indeed, the smaller stores were not much more than an internet order collection point with no high end stock at all. At least you got to examine the goods you ordered before handing over cash which was one thing I liked about Jessops.

 

[modchild]

I've never been in a Calumet store and with their locality and mine I'm never likely to 'nip in' to pick something up. I don't know if Manchester or Birmingham would be nearest to me in Lincoln, but it's a long way to either. I wont label them as a 'whatever' company for that though.

As a lot people on here ask about which is the best body for them, they seem to get a lot or replies to go to their local shop and handle the different makes to see which you feel comfortable with. I did just this when I went into Jessops, with the cash in my pocket to buy one, to look at a Canon 7D. The only Canon bodies they had was the 1100D, 550D and a 600D and 4 lenses to fit (an 18-55 IS II, a 55-250 IS, a 50 f1.8 and a Tamron 70-300) so I bought it elsewhere instead.

If people are going to follow advice and go into these shops and look at a model surely the shop needs to have it on display or be prepared to open a box (not rip it open) and let the customer have a look and feel of it. If they don't they run a pretty big risk of losing a sale of not just the body, but all the future purchases from the customer. Surely they can't expect to make a sale without them making a bit of an effort.

I went into L.C.E. in Lincoln when I was after a couple of lenses, A 100 f2.8l macro and a 100-400 L IS, and they had them in a Canon display unit. I asked to look at both and decided I was going to buy them there instead of waiting for a delivery. I expected to have to take the two lenses I'd just handled but they went into the back of the shop and bought out two boxed and untouched units. I would of quite happily done the same in other places if I was able to.

 

[markmullen]

If people are going to follow advice and go into these shops and look at a model surely the shop needs to have it on display or be prepared to open a box (not rip it open) and let the customer have a look and feel of it. If they don't they run a pretty big risk of losing a sale of not just the body, but all the future purchases from the customer. Surely they can't expect to make a sale without them making a bit of an effort.

And how exactly does Amazon or whoever allow you to handle a product (DSR aside)? You say they can't expect to make a sale without a bit of effort, the trouble is they do, or they rely on customers being dishonourable enough to try kit in store and then buy from an internet supplier.

The difficulty facing suppliers is the same facing many industries, customers wanting champagne service with lemonade budgets, they want an expert-staffed nice showroom, on the high street, where they can go, get advice, touch and feel, then pay internet minimal-overheads prices.

Well played Calumet for seeing an opportunity in the wake of Jessops, I've had good service from them.