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General discussion

Buying Equipment from B&H

Feb 15, 2010 5:31AM PST

Hello. I am in the process of looking for equipment - and I need some opinions from people who have been doing this longer than I have! I have a few questions:

-I will primarily be filming interviews - so I need a light source that will look natural in living room type settings. So what size/brand Softbox should I buy?

-Which is a better/more reliable camera for documentary filmmaking purposes? GL2 Mini DV 3CCD Camcorder OR AG-DVC30 1/4-Inch 3-CCD Camcorder with Infrared Mode Nighttime Shooting System?

-Do the cameras usually come with a tripod if you buy from B&H?

Please help! Thanks!

Discussion is locked

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I can only talk to the last question...
Feb 16, 2010 9:06AM PST

B&H will mark the item as a "B&H Kit" and list the items that are included. To the best of my knowledge *most* of the camcorders they sell are the camcorder and what comes in the box from the manufacturer only... AC power adapter, rechargeable battery with a relatively low video capture time, shoulder strap, maybe a USB cable - other stuff depending on the camcorder you are looking at.

And will ask the question of the 2nd one... Since you will be controlling the lighting, you are master of the environment. Is zero light monochrome video capture something that is required?

And a couple of comments: The AG-DVC30 has been discontinued for a while; both are good, standard definition, miniDV tape based camcorder... and assume your computer has a firewire port. Learn to use the white balance, whichever camcorder you end up with...

A single softbox may not be enough
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-point_lighting

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Worst Customer Support EVER
Feb 7, 2011 8:21AM PST

I will NEVER buy from these scoundrels again. I bought an electronic piano and a stand. The stand never seemed to work right; after I moved the piano, I noticed that the stand was BY DESIGN unable to fit on the bottom of the keyboard. So I called them.

The call went from Customer Service to the wrong department to the right department back to Customer Service back to the right department who gave me a direct number to call for Customer Service (but was not, so increased wait) and finally back to Customer Service again. It took forty minutes. At that time, Customer Service informed me that it was too late and would not make an exchange. I asked for a Supervisor. After a long period of time, somebody claiming to be the Supervisor came on and told me they would not make the exchange. When I asked for his Supervisor, he informed me that he was his OWN Supervisor and refused to let me talk to anyone else, finally hanging up on me.

As far as I'm concerned, I was defrauded and they know it.

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Bummer.
Feb 7, 2011 10:28PM PST

I have had nothing but excellent service from, and praises for, B&H. The one and only return I've had to do was for a counter weight for a mic boom pole. The KTEC boom pole I had purchased from them was exactly what I needed - though the mic and shock mount made the "balance" a bit of a challenge. KTEC has available for sale a brass weight counterweight - clearly marked at the web site that it is special order and not returnable. I ordered it and when I got the counterweight, the day I received it, I found that it was not compatible with my KTEC boom pole. I contacted B&H via email that day and explained the issue - including that there is no information at the B&H site that neither the KTEC boom pole nor the KTEC counter weight web pages at B&H had any indication they would not be compatible - or whether specific KTEC boom poles were required to use the counter weight, or if the counter weight would work with only certain KTEC boom poles. B&H provided me instructions to return the counterweight to KTEC and B&H promptly processed a credit for the full amount of the purchased.

If you truly feel you have been defrauded, complaining publicly is one option - perhaps filing a police report with NYPD is an appropriate additional step.

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B&H - Police Report with NYPD
Feb 8, 2011 1:10AM PST

That, unfortunately, as richly deserved as it is, won't happen. I'm guessing you know that...

I don't know about your situation, but I'm letting people know that this incredibly rude organization which purposefully sends product that DOESN'T WORK BY DESIGN and then refuses to exchange it, and tries to cover its tracks by not letting you speak to others in the organization.

Don't buy from them.

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Like I said, bummer.
Feb 8, 2011 10:14AM PST

Out of curiosity, what was the duration from the time you got the electronic piano and stand until the time you notified B&H of the issue?

You said, "The stand never seemed to work right", so I gather you did not contact them when you first experienced the symptom. How long was it until you moved the piano to discover the issue you reported? And yes, the duration does make a difference.

I am merely trying to understand your situation. I thought I had provided sufficient detail on my situation - did you have any questions so I could fill in some blanks? I didn't know that you would not be filing a police report until you said so, and I'd like to know why. Saying a company has defrauded you in a public forum like this is a big deal - and I think we deserve some detail.

*Maybe* we can help get your issue resolved.

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Wow - the B&H Response Team Is On Target
Feb 8, 2011 8:55PM PST

Just who is the "we" that I'm talking to? Strange... How is it that you are in a position to resolve this?

I was suspicious when you added that "police report" comment, and now I wonder if B&H has a rapid response team.

In fact, I now wonder what percentage of positive comments come from B&H moles. I'm wondering how much B&H is now gaming the system.

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I am an
Feb 8, 2011 10:30PM PST

advanced video and audio "hobbyist" and live in Northern California.

I have never been to the B&H store in New York. I have never been an employee of New York based B&H. I have no relatives working there. I don't know anyone who works there well enough to remember anyone's name (just the one person I spoke with for my return). Basically, I have no affiliation with B&H at all - other than I am merely one of their occasional customers.

I never said I was in any position to resolve your issue - the "we" are the regulars on this forum. Many of whom successfully deal with B&H buying goods or occasionally using their customer service for whatever. Personally, I have purchased many items, and spent a few $ with them, over the years. This forum commonly provides assistance to various folks posting - I *thought* you might want assistance resolving your issue. I guess not.

Since you did not provide any information on the duration between when you got the piano/stand and when you reported the problem to B&H after moving the piano, one can only surmise that it was beyond the published return policy duration. At that point, while it is entirely possible that the stand design was indeed poor, being outside the warranty/return period means B&H is merely adhering to their published policy. It is here that the "we" in this forum could have been willing to help a fellow consumer having an issue with a (normally highly regarded) vendor many of us regularly use - but it seems you want no assistance. Fair enough - and your choice.

If you truly believe you have been "defrauded", then a police report is appropriate. That is very different from being an unhappy customer who, for whatever reason, did not abide by the terms and conditions of a published warranty/return policy.

My apologies for trying to be helpful.

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Helpful to whom?
Feb 9, 2011 1:35AM PST

Really, I suspect that a random person all of a sudden wanting to help me on behalf of "this forum" has more than passing interest in B&H, and it seems to me that they're more interested in helping B&H than helping me.

My first clue? That you said that I should file a police report.

Really.

Would someone who is trying to help me and not B&H quibble so much, and refuse to recognize that B&H intentionally sent me something that does not and could not work?

For extra profit, I suppose. That doesn't justify it, nor their rude demeanor. They weren't interested in solving the problem. They were interested in giving me the run-around.

I again wonder the extent of B&H moles and gaming the system. I really wonder how much of an effect it's had on the rating.

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wow.
Feb 9, 2011 5:22AM PST

I guess it is true. "No good deed shall go unpunished."

One of my cars had an expensive problem and I went to a model-specific web-site to see if this was common or if the price for repair I had been quoted from the dealer was legit. The short version is that the oil line and coolant line were very close - and there was a catastrophic collapse causing oil to infiltrate the cooling system. While not uncommon, the repair bill was a bit high but not totally unreasonable given the part of the country in which I live. Both the cooling system and the oil system had to be fully drained and cleansed. Very labor intensive. The car had been out of warranty about 3 months. With the help and guidance of one of the regular posters (a certified mechanic specifically trained on this family of cars - and a stranger to me), they agreed with me that the design was not exactly a good one. This provided me useful information I used to contact the manufacturer and the dealer. I was able to get substantial refund on the cost of the repair. It took about a month to get everything tied up.

I described my *good* experience with B&H. The boom-pole counter-weight product page said very specifically that it was not returnable - and yet, I was provided a very satisfactory end-result from B&H and the boom-pole counter-weight manufacturer. My apologies for not joining your accusatory bandwagon. I have every expectaion that what you report is accurate - but that still did not resolve your specific issue.

If you click on my profile, you will see that I have a few posts helping others here at CNET.com and I have been around here a few years - certainly not "random" on my part by any stretch. I don't mind sharing information, expertise or an opinion when others reach out. Providing assistance comes with the territory.

I offered to help you. You rejected my offer. Your loss - I had nothing to lose.

I'm done. Good luck. Life's tough. Wear a helmet.