vaughnmr:
Actually, like all companies who were moving into the web as a point of sale, B&H had their hiccups early on so I am sure there are people who are gun shy.
I know there are other sellers of camera gear who today are far better regarded than how I persoanlly would rate them, but I won't buy from them for the same reasons as
rhadin. There are a couple I tried again after a while but did so via a 3rd party marketplace like eBay or Amazon with great results. I found the security net of a 3rd party venue made me feel better than just a credit card. Now I order directly from them if I find items on sale I can afford or have been wanting.
But I have been buying mail order for AGES...my first programmable HP calculators (HP-25 then an HP-67...still have the 67 somewhere
) were bought via mail-order when I was a teen. Back then it was send a check/MO and wait 6-8 weeks as a rule. And I never had problems. For the life of me I don't remember the company but I do know they are still in business because when I see their ads in the back of photo mags the name pops back into my head.
rhadin's problem was obviously early on in the B&H move to online sales. Back then there was a common practice by some salespersons to "upsell" everything. They did this even is the company had policies to not do this...it took time to develop solid customer oriented sales SOP's for online/phone orders which don't put on the pressure to upsell because retailers learn that the web has lots of competition and better to sell less to a customer today but make them very happy so tomorrow they will keep coming back. I give companies like B&H (Adorama is also very good as well...sorry Henry but gotta be fair...d'oh!!) but I give these companies credit for improving the process and making it far less intimidating for the consumer who is reluctant to buy from the stereo-type "NY Camera & Electronics Store" with pushy sales folks and constant upselling. Today that siimply is not the case. I really do say to ANYONE who ever bought from B&H but might have had a problem to try something small someday and you will be pleasantly surprised. I really am picky about companies I stand behind but B&H is one of those companies.
Still it's perfectly understandable if a bad experience in the past puts a person off a company. The thing to remember is the world and markets have changed since then and today is a totally different approach to online/mail-order/phone-order selling because of all the options people have. So the real difference maker is the personal contact with the company which, in this case, will be the sales staff for the most part. I mean look how once Henry was contacted he was here to fix the issue which turned out to be a first time thing and will be addressed...as many here like to say, things go wrong so it comes down to how a company handles it when those things happen.
So, sure I have no problem believing that
rhadin had a bad experience in the past. That was likely early on as the company moved into the web and things were just, well, different. Remember in-store in NYC it was just part of "the game" to upsell the customer and people were fine with just dealing with it...it was part of the fun that makes NYC, well, NYC. Still as with all things, businesses who want to be successful change and adapt....today it's a different ballgame and B&H might well be the best of the best sellings of electronics online. And no I don't buy just from them but they are my first choice when I am shopping for a treat or needed gear.
Still, everyone screws up...it's how they handle the screw-ups that makes the difference. And one bad sales person can have a long term effect on a the image someone has of a company...but should one bad experience color your opinion forever? Probably not but it can for any of us.