Attached Link: http://www.resellerratings.com/

Hey guys ... I meant to post this a while ago, but forgot about it. It's that time of the year again when many of us do lots of shopping on the net. You see some great sale price that you just can't resist. Before pulling out the credit card or logging onto paypal or whatever, give the above site a peek.

This is a great resource when trying to see if the store you're about to buy from is legit. The posts/reviews on each store are by customers who have dealt with them.

Back when I was looking at getting the 10D, I saw a great ad for it from Broadway Photo in NY. But I had never heard of them so I checked on RR and found they had something like a 1.1 out of 10 rating by consumers and almost every post included words like "Watch out", "Crooks", "Bait and Switch", "Horrendous", etc. That site saved me a huge amount of aggrevation.

-=>Donald

My credit card is for sale :-)

Nice link Donald. Unfortunately there are so many scams about it is just about impossible to be 100% certain unless the site is a major company name. Even then so many sites pretend to be who they are not, and if they get away with it just for a little while it is probably worth it for the perpetrators. Probably one of the biggest scams is the so called OEM software sites offering Photoshop/Windows etc for $80/$50, usually on an unsecured page to enter details and then harvest numbers/details etc (http and not https) Some of them get round the law saying it is for backup propose only in the small print. On that note Adobe dont offer OEM software under the Photoshop name other than Elements and the so called OEM is not genuine. I usually make a small purchase to test the water and see how it turners out. I tend to use the same sites all the time that I know I can trust. I good rule though is a site that has a physical address and phone number, is usually a good indicator (although not 100% certain to be legitimate) At the end on the day there is always a risk when buying online (or over the phone for that matter) But using a credit card is the best way rather than a debit card as it caries better insurance agenised fraudulent use.

The Truth is Out There

If You are looking for Genuine Bargains this Xmas, let Me recommend "Brick Shopping Incorporated"...a Limited Company of Foxton, New Zealand. If You place Your Order (before it gets dark at Night) ... I Guarantee it will be acquired before the Sun comes up the next Morning. Our Prices just cannot be beaten, and We have some smashing Products to offer...no Questions asked. Further to ease the pressure of Xmas Shopping and the confounded Paper Work, just put Your Credit Card or Cash in a Self Addressed Envelope, and I, President of "Brick Shopping Incorporated" will do it all for You. Our Company Motto..."In Tedz We Trust"

EVERYONE has a scam, and you get what you pay for. I distinctly remember buying something once, sometime, from Broadway Photo in NY. I (apparently, since I would remember a particularly BAD experience) had no trouble. They have been in business for a long time. Perhaps I just got lucky. It happens. This is certainly NOT a recommendation! I have dealt honorably with a couple of the East Coast discount mail-order stores for many years. [Not Broadway.] I do not feel it is appropriate for me here to endorse any particular vendor. But there are very honest bargains out there. Read the Fine Print. Understand exactly what you are buying. Do not expect much handholding; the vendors cannot afford it at their low prices. If you need handholding, there are local photo stores who will be very happy to provide enhanced service.

thanks Donald... I was pretty happy using cnet.com... they rate their vendors too, reviews, best price, etc. Tedz... will you take an I.O.U.? flutter, flutter

Dear Cynlee...flutter flutter...what ever You have will be Collateral enough for Me....wink....evil grin...sigh

As with all things, it's just another tool. The greatest tool you have at your disposal is your own common sense. Misha - From everything I've read, you may be in a happy minority of Broadway customers. I just went to check their ratings since I haven't looked in almost 2 years. They have the lowest 6-month rating I have ever seen - 0.07 out of 10. It's like the advertised price for the EOS 20D and 1D Mark II right now at Royal Camera (that's actually the thing that reminded me to post that site). It makes me wonder how anyone can see them selling what are probably two of the hottest cameras right now, at X-mas time, for around $600 and $1000 less, respectively, than other legit stores and not think something is wrong.

"for around $600 and $1000 less" Could be "Gray Market", though these prices seem much too good to believe. I certainly cannot defend any particular vendor. My point is to ALWAYS read the fine print. [I generally buy from one of the mail order places that, although slightly higher prices, has always delivered honestly.]

As Misha says always read the small print (however long winded and boring it is) Not so sure that you get what you pay for in all cases, but that is mostly true of genuine vendors. Common sense is your biggest weapon no matter whether it is on the web or a local shop. But even that can be flawed at times. I bought a "NEW" retail boxed and sealed hard drive form a big and respected retailer from a shop not online. To find that it had a copy of XP on it, along with personal details! Mistakes can be and will be made and rules broken, that is just a fact of life. Being vigilant when making purchases is the key. As Donald quite rightly pointed out looking at the experience of users is a good way of seeing if a retailer has a good track record or not. However these things can also be mis-leading, if there very few feedback reports the percentages may not reflect the overall quality of service offered.

The Truth is Out There

'always read the fine print'

True true ... problem is that many of these places have no fine print. Many of them don't tell you that they are selling gray market anywhere in their ads or on their sites. And many of these ripoff places don't mention that the camera comes with nothing at all. That they are removing every item from the box that normally comes with stuff (like only sending you the body of a camera and nothing else you need to make it work like the battery, charger, cables, manual, etc.). Or, my favorite, they never mention that the price they qoute is dependent upon you buying hundreds of dollars of overpriced accessories.

That's something that people need to understand, especially those who may not be as net savvy. You can't expect these people to play by any rules whatsoever. You have a slick website and ads in major photography magazines and in reality you're a hole in the wall, bait-and-switch shop that advertises under 4 different store names at the same time.

thanks