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General discussion

Where to buy...?

Nov 23, 2004 5:34AM PST

Hi All, I've made up my mind about the camera I want. Now I have to go find a place to buy it. I am looking at the Nikon D70 6.1 Megapixel with DX Nikkor 18-70mm lens. I have read horrifying reviews about buying cameras online from places like royalcamera.com and www.ExpressCameras.com where they have prices $200 less than everyone else. But I would like to buy it for less than the MSRP and possiblly online to avoid sales tax. Any advice on good reliable stores?

Thanks,
Joe

Discussion is locked

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 23, 2004 7:53AM PST

Yep, lots of hard-sell outfits out there.
Seems like most of them are in New York City, and Brooklyn.

Rule one, if you cannot find the sellers address on the website - Big Red Flag.

You should also be aware that Nikon is offering a $100 mail-in rebate on the D70 until the end of the year. Check the Nikon website for details.

I just checked my favorite mail order site and they do not handle the Nikon D70.

I have heard good things about BeachCamera but have not personally used them. I checked their website and don't see any red flags.

Wait a few days and see if anyone knows a good site and has personal experience with them.

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BEACHCAMERA
Feb 22, 2005 3:19AM PST

I have just concluded a very nice purchase with BeachCamera.com. They sent my item sooner than expected and it was just as they said it would be. They were also very courteous on the phone. I would try them again for a higher priced item like a camera with no worries.

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PC Connection has most of the good stuff, and is usually
Nov 23, 2004 8:16AM PST

pretty competitive on price. I don't hesitate to buy from them, and haven't had any problems yet. B&H Photo gets good ratings and has low prices, but I haven't bought from them yet. Amazon, surprisingly, is very competitive on most stuff including high end cameras. They should always be checked.

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 23, 2004 4:08PM PST

B&H in Manhattan. www.bhphotovideo.com is the site and please don't bother with sellers in Brooklyn (71Cool area code.

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 27, 2004 6:46AM PST

Anyone buy from buydig.com? Although they are in Brooklyn, according to CNET, they have a better than 85% positive rating, they are BBB certified, and their prices are really great. We are about to buy a digital camera and I'm debating about buying online versus a local camera shop with great service, but somewhat higher prices (not as much as Circuit City, but still significantly more than online).

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 27, 2004 9:17AM PST

I wouldn't buy anything from an outfit with an 85% rating.

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 27, 2004 10:32PM PST

On Cnet, that's the highest rating (the category is: above 85% positive rating). It actually seems to be a good bit higher than that.

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 27, 2004 10:50PM PST

I never realized that. I would assume any rating system would be, like the eBay feedback system, based on 100% being perfect.

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 27, 2004 10:59PM PST

"Q. What do the stars represent in the rating scale?
A. The rating scale is based on the four categories of site functionality, store standards, order fulfillment, and customer feedback. A store can receive a rating from 0.5 to 5 stars depending on performance.

4.5 to 5 stars = Excellent
3.5 to 4 stars = Very Good
2.5 to 3 stars = Good
1.5 to 2 stars = Fair
0.5 to 1 stars = Poor"

Still sounds like a 0 to 100% rating system with a little leeway within each group...I would choose a 5 star store but would do a little more investigating with Google or Epinions and check customer feedback.

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Re: Where to buy...?
Nov 30, 2004 8:44PM PST

FYI: It's a 5 star store, and on BizRate, it has a 96% positive rating, with a lot of reviews. I would never assume that any store is going to have a perfect rating, because there are some very difficult people out there. I think I'm going to try them and see. 96% is pretty good, and when you read the bad reviews, you can see that something else was probably going on there.

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Re: Where to buy...?
Dec 1, 2004 4:04AM PST

As someone mentioned before, Amazon is very competitive and I have always had a very good experience. J and R is very good and usually in the right ball park. I have pruchased twice and have been very pleased with the salesperson and the delivery. They are willing to bend on prices to match if needed and frequently there is free shipping as well. Lastly, don't forget Newegg.com which I have been very pleased with also. Very good pricing but you have to check prices frequently because they change.

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And then there is always Ebay
Feb 22, 2005 6:43AM PST

if you feel adventurous...and know what you are doing.

I have bought and sold nearly a dozen cameras on eBay with no problems at all.