123Camera - legit?

[cwright]

Hey everyone. I'm looking for the best deal on a Canon GL2 to buy soon before the $250 mail in rebate expires on March 31.

I stumbled across this website while searching: www.123camera.com
Their prices are incredible: $1299 for a GL2 and $2499 for an XL-1S

On the order now page, there is a guarantee that these cameras are "brand new, not graymarket, not refurbished, factory sealed, with full US warranties and free shipping".

However, I still cant help but think if its too good to be true, it probably is. Here is my concern: They temporarily do not accept credit cards, and require you to use a MoneyGram transfer. My dad, who is paying for this, told me that this usually means the product is in fact greymarket, stolen, etc.

On the other hand, I have sent the company a few emails, and each was answered quickly. Their reasoning for such low prices is: "Our prices are so low because we have strong relationships with Japanese manufacturers who make almost all electronics for the US market.:

Has anyone here heard of this place or ordered from them? Are they legit? Just thought I'd see what you all know...

Also, if the decision is to avoid this place, does anyone know of any other stores offering good prices on this camera?

Thanks!

 

[Applespider]

However, I still cant help but think if its too good to be true, it probably is. Here is my concern: They temporarily do not accept credit cards, and require you to use a MoneyGram transfer. My dad, who is paying for this, told me that this usually means the product is in fact greymarket, stolen, etc.

On the other hand, I have sent the company a few emails, and each was answered quickly.

I'd agree with your Dad on this one - although I'd go further and say that it probably means the product doesn't exist. When shopping online, by phone or by mail order, never deal with anyone who won't accept a credit card. If they were legit, they'd take it. If they're too small to have a deal themselves, they'd have one with Paypal. If they're too small for that, then there's no way they have the clout to have that many good connections in the Far East.

Emails are easily answered - they want your money. It's in their interest to see above board! The test will come after they've taken the money out of your account and you're waiting for your camera.

I have bought stuff for cash before. But only from a physical shop where I handed over my money and took my item home with me!

I'd suggest trying to get hold of a phone number for them - don't ask them for it by email but check their local business listings to see if they do exist and ask their Chamber of Commerce if they are a member.

As far as getting the best price, I think www.dpreview.com has a pretty good cost comparison scheme and good forums.

Edit: Naturally this is all my opinion. These guys might be completely above board but I'd certainly be cautious about buying something in these circumstances

 

[cwright]

Thanks for your help. I went to www.dpreview.com but it seems that they only offer still cameras. Anyway, I found a GL2 at Broadway Photo...

http://www.bwayphoto.com/product.asp?id=cngl2&l=ib

... for $1879, making our final cost after rebate $1629 plus whatever their shipping costs is. I dont know if we have this much money, but this place seems to be the next best option, and they do accept credit cards.

Has anyone dealt with Broadway Photo before, or know of anyone offering a better price than $1879?

Thanks!

 

[jimsowden]

Thanks for your help. I went to www.dpreview.com but it seems that they only offer still cameras. Anyway, I found a GL2 at Broadway Photo...

http://www.bwayphoto.com/product.asp?id=cngl2&l=ib

... for $1879, making our final cost after rebate $1629 plus whatever their shipping costs is. I dont know if we have this much money, but this place seems to be the next best option, and they do accept credit cards.

Has anyone dealt with Broadway Photo before, or know of anyone offering a better price than $1879?

Thanks!

Broadway is gray market (not us model, no warrenty). They are also rude and don't really answer questions, nor do they send the item unless many accossories are purchaced with it. i bought by GL2 from willoughbys.com, the best real price on the net.

 

[cwright]

Thanks for the referral.
Willoughbys.com has a decent price ($1769 after rebate), but my dad has also been looking and found a few sites that are even lower. I know I can't expect to get much lower than $1700 and most of these sites are probably greymarket, but i'd like you hear everyone's feedback anyway. Have any of you ever bought from...

Infinity Cameras (www.infinitycameras.com)
Best Sale Prices (www.bestsaleprices.com)
Abe's of Maine (www.abesofmaine.com)

Again, these are probably all greymarket, but worth a shot anyways.

Also, would anyone here recommend buying this camera now anyway? Is the GL3 coming out soon, and if so, would it be better to wait or would the new model be more expensive than the current GL2. Any thoughts?

 

[jimsowden]

Thanks for the referral.
Willoughbys.com has a decent price ($1769 after rebate), but my dad has also been looking and found a few sites that are even lower. I know I can't expect to get much lower than $1700 and most of these sites are probably greymarket, but i'd like you hear everyone's feedback anyway. Have any of you ever bought from...

Infinity Cameras (www.infinitycameras.com)
Best Sale Prices (www.bestsaleprices.com)
Abe's of Maine (www.abesofmaine.com)

Again, these are probably all greymarket, but worth a shot anyways.

Also, would anyone here recommend buying this camera now anyway? Is the GL3 coming out soon, and if so, would it be better to wait or would the new model be more expensive than the current GL2. Any thoughts?

Abes isn't grey market, but their practices are. They won't ship your camerea untill you buy a crap load of extra stuff.(Learned from experience). There have been no rumors of a gl3, and there isn't much to improve on really. Except for hd, but you can get some pretty high res widescreen on this bad boy. Go to an apple store (the only ones who are not cheap enought) and check out the display one. I love cameras with handles.

 

[cwright]

I've tried to find a local place that carries the GL2, but there arent any... lol

I live in Kansas City, MO, and there is no Apple Store remotely close to me, unfortuneately. I would love to have one...

Also, the local Best Buy, CompUSA, and Circuit City don't carry them, and the Brandsmart has gone out of business

I guess its ok though, any local retail store would have prices much higher than online prices, and I am familiar with the GL2 already. I use one at school all the time. I'm just trying to find a good price so I can buy my own

Thanks again for the help

 

[flyfish29]

don't waste your cash. I can say exactly what they are saying and develop a web page that says anything. The best thing to do is contact the manufacturer such as cannon and ask them if they are a legit dealer. If they have such a good relationship *which I would figure someone such as Best buy would be considered a good replationship where I am sure they sell far more than 123blahblah camera web site* but anyway, ask canon and I am confident they will tell you one of two things. Either, they are not an authorized dealer or if they are, they are on a very small scale. these scam sites usually purchase a handful of product from either a distributor or manufacturer to hold on hand to send out to customers who complain on these types of board and risk shutting down their operation. There was a mac web site that someone was supposedly selling cheap macs...they were not and hardly ever shipped. IN fact, the only people who receveied there product *which was usually not what they ordered spec wise* were the ones who started a thread like this and said they never received the product. These people who had been told for weeks and months their product was coming just happened to receive it a couple of days after they complained on the forum. Of course, the machine they received actually cost less than they paid so much was lost.

buy from authorized dealers only to support the manufacturers you believe are making great products so they continue to do so.

 

[bousozoku]

According to the postings about Infinity Cameras elsewhere, they're the same people as Broadway Photo as well as 5 or 6 other camera and electronic-related names.

They are to be avoided.

 

[cwright]

ok, we will avoid Infinity Cameras and Broadway Photo. Now... I have two more places to research

My dad is ready to buy, and is looking at the following online shops:
www.expresscameras.com
www.amphotoworld.com

Both of these shops have guaranteed me over the phone that the GL2s they offer are brand new, US-NTSC models, with full warranties. Can anyone validate either of these shops and let me know if i should feel safe buying from them?

thanks!

 

[Frisco]

There are so many people out there trying to rip us off!

Please, when making online purchases if you have to ask, "Is this Legit?", don't purchase. Save yourself some aggravation and always buy from a reputable dealer or reseller whatever you purchase.

 

[FuzzyBallz]

Whenever you shop online, check out resellerratings.com first. Even if your credit card company protects your money from scams, it's better to steer away in the 1st place from deals that are too good to be true.

And that money transfer thing should set off a big red alarm. PayPal's fine, but money transfer is straight hustling.

 

[bousozoku]

You might go to http://www.bizrate.com to check some others. That may have been the website where I saw the information in the first place. They do after-the-sale ratings, so you're guaranteed to find customer experiences.

 

[andy74]

BH Photo

as the manager of a small camera store, i can tell you for sure that you will get scammed if you do business with any of the companies you listed.

if you want the best deal, go to BH Photo. these guys are cut throat with prices and steal a ton of my customers, but they are legit. sometimes they are pushy on add-on sales, but other than that are ok. most of the time i find their prices are right at dealer cost. anyone selling for less than the manufacturer charges the dealer is working an angle. nobody in retail is out to lose money.

 

[bousozoku]

as the manager of a small camera store, i can tell you for sure that you will get scammed if you do business with any of the companies you listed.

if you want the best deal, go to BH Photo. these guys are cut throat with prices and steal a ton of my customers, but they are legit. sometimes they are pushy on add-on sales, but other than that are ok. most of the time i find their prices are right at dealer cost. anyone selling for less than the manufacturer charges the dealer is working an angle. nobody in retail is out to lose money.

You have to be careful when buying used equipment from them. I've noticed that they sell U.K. equipment with no notice.

 

[flyfish29]

Why would Bhphoto sell at cost? If they make no money they don't stay in business. Andy74, why don't you offer to sell him the camera using a credit card and make it a done deal????

NOte: Andy74 has only made one post(this one)_ on Macrumors and joined today?!?! I hope he joined simply to give us good advice...sorry Andy if your comments are genuine, but it does look suspicious I would hope you would agree? In the past there have been numerous people who have joined the day a thread comes up about a Mac web store that hundreds of people post about as being a rip off, etc. and the ones who say things positive about those stores have ALWAYS joined that day. I am not saying you are one of these, just pointing out some fact and behaviors I have seen on the rumors forum. I wonder if you would be able to sell him the camera if you run a store?

Just by from Amazon, one of the mac catalogs Mac zone, mac mall,club mac, JR World (or whatever it is called) or from CDW who all carry high end canon cameras for a decent price. Support people that do legit business and don't rip us off!

 

[solvs]

I can second B&H Photo. Good prices, fast shipping, no graymarket stuff. The GL-2 is about $2300 there. Amazon and J&R are also good. So is Crutchfield, but I don't see it listed there.

I'll buy some things refurbished or discounted, but I stay away from "too-good-to-be-true"s or auctions for the expensive stuff. You get what you pay for, and in cases like this, it's best not to skimp.

 

[bousozoku]

Why would Bhphoto sell at cost? They make no money they don't stay in business. Andy74, why don't you offer to sell him the camera using a credit card and make it a done deal????

NOte: Andy74 has only made one post(this one)_ on Macrumors and joined today?!?! I hope he joined simply to give us good advice...sorry Andy if this is the case, but it does look suspicious I would hope you agree?

Just by from Amazon, one of the mac catalogs Mac zone, mac mall,club mac, JR World (or whatever it is called) or from CDW who all carry high end canon cameras for a decent price. Support people that do legit business and don't rip us off!

Even though I warned about used products, I know of several people who have done well buying from B&H and I would be eager to consider new products from them. J&R have good prices and if you're close to the retail store, it's even better.

 

[cwright]

Thanks for all of your input. I finally decided to follow Jimsowden's advice and order the GL2 from www.willoughbys.com
I also orderd this accessory kit off eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll
ViewItem&item=3805196373&category=23780

 

[RichardS]

123Camera

Hello everybody.I also noticed this low price on canon Gl-2 from 123Camera, I e-mailed them, they replied soon, saying that stuff is new, but did not answer on my specific question( does it come with all standard accesories or it's just a camera by itself?),I beleive it was auto reply. Later I tried to locate them on yellow pages Canada, but they were not listed as a organization in the World Trade Center (Vancouver).I emailed them about their phone number, cause it is really dangerous to invest money to something what does not have a contact info, what if it's damaged or bad? Since that day (telephone number request)they ignore me and never replied since than. So guys, it's up to you , I , probably will not buy from them.

Hey everyone. I'm looking for the best deal on a Canon GL2 to buy soon before the $250 mail in rebate expires on March 31.

I stumbled across this website while searching: www.123camera.com
Their prices are incredible: $1299 for a GL2 and $2499 for an XL-1S

On the order now page, there is a guarantee that these cameras are "brand new, not graymarket, not refurbished, factory sealed, with full US warranties and free shipping".

However, I still cant help but think if its too good to be true, it probably is. Here is my concern: They temporarily do not accept credit cards, and require you to use a MoneyGram transfer. My dad, who is paying for this, told me that this usually means the product is in fact greymarket, stolen, etc.

On the other hand, I have sent the company a few emails, and each was answered quickly. Their reasoning for such low prices is: "Our prices are so low because we have strong relationships with Japanese manufacturers who make almost all electronics for the US market.:

Has anyone here heard of this place or ordered from them? Are they legit? Just thought I'd see what you all know...

Also, if the decision is to avoid this place, does anyone know of any other stores offering good prices on this camera?

Thanks!

 

[andy74]

bonafide

yes, i am legit and no i couldn't sell him the camera. we do mostly still cameras and though we do have a relationship with canon video, he wouldn't want to buy it for what i have to sell it for.

as for your question, why would bh sell at cost? it's kind of complicated, but here goes. with most of these businesses, you either make money on margin (what you can get for it over cost) and/or terms (cash discounts offered by the vendor if you pay on time or early). discounts range from 3-5% usually and rumor has it you can get better discounts from vendors if you do higher volume. don't know that one for sure. so if you do enough volume, like bh photo, than you can sell at right around cost and still make money on the discounts. not as much money granted, but more than you would make sticking into the bank. especially at the rate they turn over product.

the other theory is that they get better cost. supposedly nobody gets a better deal than book net on a product. if there is a listed 4-piece price, it doesn't matter if you buy 100, you pay the same price. at least that's what the vendors say. my guess is that super high volume stores like these get at least some kind of break. i've heard stories of them walking around PMA in Vegas with briefcases full of cash looking for the best deals they can get. that'll probably save you money.

in conclusion, whatever, buy from where you want. i did just join to post on this topic but not for self-serving reasons. i'm not affiliated with bh and in fact, i lose a lot of business to them. as to the other guys, well, i do hate to see someone who doesn't know better get scammed. as for someone who has been warned, well, that's just funny.

cheers folks, happy shopping.

Why would Bhphoto sell at cost? If they make no money they don't stay in business. Andy74, why don't you offer to sell him the camera using a credit card and make it a done deal????

NOte: Andy74 has only made one post(this one)_ on Macrumors and joined today?!?! I hope he joined simply to give us good advice...sorry Andy if your comments are genuine, but it does look suspicious I would hope you would agree? In the past there have been numerous people who have joined the day a thread comes up about a Mac web store that hundreds of people post about as being a rip off, etc. and the ones who say things positive about those stores have ALWAYS joined that day. I am not saying you are one of these, just pointing out some fact and behaviors I have seen on the rumors forum. I wonder if you would be able to sell him the camera if you run a store?

Just by from Amazon, one of the mac catalogs Mac zone, mac mall,club mac, JR World (or whatever it is called) or from CDW who all carry high end canon cameras for a decent price. Support people that do legit business and don't rip us off!