Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

B&H Photo Nightmare!! Please think twice....

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

spmiz12

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 17, 2009
180
0
Ok gang.... Please listen to me totally through. B&H has alot of very competitive prices, and I totally understand that, I fell victim to that; however, if you have concerns, changes or problems; then their customer service is horrible..... I work for a customer based company, and the way they treated me today is beyond approach. I totally understand if your order is great and you are happy then fine, but to save a few dollars is not always the right decision.....

I was disgusted with them today, so much so; that I sent back a $3200 order for Apple computers plus accessories. The way I was spoke to today on the phone was completely beyond professional.... They don't want to hear about problems; if you do, then they insist that it will take 5 days to receive items back and up to 2 weeks to issue a credit.... I frankly overnighted a few items back and am still waiting 5 days later for a credit. I totally adhered to their policy and procedures as discribed via their website, but that doesn't matter once they have your money; if there is a problem.... Funny how they won't ship until they can verify, ( which makes you feel good ) but if you have a problem; you don't have the same feeling back....

I discovered, I bought a mid 2010 MBP; or so thought I did... When I really figured out that it was a late model 2009..... Yes, Was I pissed; I was so upset, I asked for a upgrade and they told me that I was incorrect...... Trust me, I talked to Apple direct; they asked for proof of my sale, I provided and they told me to ask for immediate return.... Yes, I talked with a manager of Apple; they are NOT happy. A authorized dealer should follow and adhere to their guidelines, what has been proved is WRONG.....

My objective is to get my money back, go to a RELIABLE source and never think twice.... Yeah I feel victim to save a few bucks, but it is not worth it... I totally trust other sites, but I WILL NEVER trust this place again....
 
Just call your credit company to dispute the charge. Problem solved.

Anyways, I've never had a problem with B&H nor with returns.
 
alphaod said:
Just call your credit company to dispute the charge. Problem solved.

Anyways, I've never had a problem with B&H nor with returns.
Click to expand...


I am glad you never have, I trust what you bought you thought was legit; but what if you found out later that it truly wasn't??? Hey, It is just meant as a warning, nothing more and nothing less......

Let me ask??? Did you try to return ?? Did you research your purchase??

I heard Applecare is legit; but to purchase a Apple laptop and find out it is old stock is not cool to me...... Sorry, I work hard for MY money, I appreciate honesty and a company that stands behind their policies.....
 
perhaps you just got a CS rep on a bad day? I've never had a problem with them and they were more than willing to help me with my questions. Were you able to elevate your problem to a manager? In my experience, when it gets to that level, they are usually more than willing to help. You have to be persistent but you have to be calm as well.

Just curious, what kind of tone did you take with the CS rep? The level of your voice is inversely related with their willingness to help.. just something to consider. I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience.
 
Last edited:
Stvwndr219 said:
perhaps you just got a CS rep on a bad day? I've never had a problem with them and they were more than willing to help me with my questions. Were you able to elevate your problem to a manager? In my experience, when it gets to that level, they are usually more than willing to help. You have to be persistent but you have to be calm as well.

Just curious, what kind of tone did you take with the CS rep? The level of your voice is inversely related with their willingness to help.. just something to consider. I'm sorry you had such a terrible experience.
Click to expand...


Trust me, I was completely calm..... I am in the service industry, and fully understand that to get a matter taken care of, means to be very sane. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and I was told that I was already. I was told that they have policies to follow and if I was unhappy then they were sorry... I finally got a RMA but they indicated to me that it can take up to 2-3 weeks for a credit to be noted on my account.

Really, 2- 3 weeks; but when we order, they call in 10 minutes to verify..... I told them I would overnight ( at my expense ) the items back, all I asked was for them to please expedite the return. I was told that they get thousand of boxes a day, and for me to expect them to eyeball mine is NOT their policy..... Yet I sent overnight, signature guaranteed; and with the RMA # very visible on package.... I was then told would you like to speak to a manager; I did and he told me, if I decided to reorder through them then they could expedite but if I asked for a ' TRUE ' refund that can take up to 3 weeks.... OMG, I ship it overnight; it still takes 3 weeks.....

That is fine, Maybe I am the problem child; all I can say is please be aware of their return policy...... If you happy then fine, if not; they play with YOUR money....
 
spmiz12 said:
Trust me, I was completely calm..... I am in the service industry, and fully understand that to get a matter taken care of, means to be very sane. I asked to speak to a supervisor, and I was told that I was already. I was told that they have policies to follow and if I was unhappy then they were sorry... I finally got a RMA but they indicated to me that it can take up to 2-3 weeks for a credit to be noted on my account.

Really, 2- 3 weeks; but when we order, they call in 10 minutes to verify..... I told them I would overnight ( at my expense ) the items back, all I asked was for them to please expedite the return. I was told that they get thousand of boxes a day, and for me to expect them to eyeball mine is NOT their policy..... Yet I sent overnight, signature guaranteed; and with the RMA # very visible on package.... I was then told would you like to speak to a manager; I did and he told me, if I decided to reorder through them then they could expedite but if I asked for a ' TRUE ' refund that can take up to 3 weeks.... OMG, I ship it overnight; it still takes 3 weeks.....

That is fine, Maybe I am the problem child; all I can say is please be aware of their return policy...... If you happy then fine, if not; they play with YOUR money....
Click to expand...

Sorry if I upset or offended anyone..... This is a GREAT board, and I just don't want anyone to get taken like I have...... Trust me, I tried to work it out; I even told them I can post to apple boards and they told me, it wouldn't matter. At that point I contacted Apple, of course Apple can track everything with their products; they assured me that they would research and get back to me..... For Apple to say that, MEANS ALOT
 
Thank you for clarifying! I'll keep that in mind next time I'm looking to upgrade - that seems really shady... I mean a credit card transaction should only take as long as their bank does to process which should be no more than 5 - 6 business days.
 
I see B&H pop up on my searches for products all the time. Now I will probably avoid them completely without comparison.

It's not worth saving a few bucks to risk disasters like this. If I ordered a 2010 model, I should get a 2010 model. If they made a mistake, I expect them to go out of their way to fix it.

Judging by how B&H treated you, they don't follow that model.

Keep us updated if they update you or provide comps.
 
vant said:
I see B&H pop up on my searches for products all the time. Now I will probably avoid them completely without comparison.

It's not worth saving a few bucks to risk disasters like this. If I ordered a 2010 model, I should get a 2010 model. If they made a mistake, I expect them to go out of their way to fix it.

Judging by how B&H treated you, they don't follow that model.

Keep us updated if they update you or provide comps.
Click to expand...

I will keep the board up on my progress. I am not in the business to bash a company for showing their true worth, but they have totally tried to cover their a** on this..... I sent my package to them, next day and specifically asked for expedite handling. I was told that they get a ton of packages everyday; funny, because a next day, requires a signature ( or at least I specified that )....

I agree, they are great to deal with on the frontend, but what if you have problems??? When I contacted Apple, and moved up the chain; I found out, that they are the company ( B&H ) that we all can hope for......

Price is not everything, maybe customer support is MORE!!!!!! I can tell you, I work hard for my money; I expected to be treated the same way way back....... WITH RESPECT!!!!!!!!!
 
Sucks to hear. I have spent plenty of money with B&H (Photo gear) and haven't had a single issue with them. I also find their customer service to be top notch. Not exactly sure what happened with your sale however. Never heard anything like that happening with them. I also didn't know they sold Apple products there... hnmm
 
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

First, B&H has an excellent reputation and has been around for years.

Second, you "thought" you bought a 2010 MBP? Pretty lame excuse. Their site clearly labels each unit with its specs and in most cases, the Apple part number. Pretty simple to know what you're buying.

Admit it, you screwed up your order in your blind rush to save a few bucks. Now they have a slow return process and you're pissed. I loves me some Internet faux rage. This is real life, not Little League where everyone gets a trophy.

Seasons Greetings.
 
At least two people have suggested the easiest strategy (but you conveniently ignored both of them): just contact your credit card company and dispute the charge. You have the documentation of what you ordered. You have the documentation of what they sent you. If what they sent is not what you ordered, you don't have to pay for it -- it's as simple as that.

And I'm not sure I understand your hurry in returning the erroneous shipment, at your own great expense. If they sent you something by mistake and they know that you're not going to pay for it, then you can rest assured that sooner rather than later they'll be sending you a pre-paid voucher for the return shipping.

OR ... reading back again through your frothing rant ... is there maybe another thread there, barely visible between the foamy lines? Could it be, perhaps, that the original mistake was YOURS? You thought you were getting a super bargain on a mid-2010, but you mis-read the info and you actually ordered a late-2009? Is that what happened? If that is the case, then your position is ... shall we say ... considerably weaker.

cheers,

Henry
 
spmiz12 said:
Ok gang.... Please listen to me totally through. B&H has alot of very competitive prices, and I totally understand that, I fell victim to that;
Click to expand...
Uh if you paid attention then you would know that Apple doesn't give much wiggle room for discounts on new products. I'd seriously rethink your approach here and realize that right away what happened was you fell victim to your own inability to read the description of a product you just bought.


spmiz12 said:
however, if you have concerns, changes or problems; then their customer service is horrible..... I work for a customer based company, and the way they treated me today is beyond approach. I totally understand if your order is great and you are happy then fine, but to save a few dollars is not always the right decision.....
Click to expand...

The word is reproach, not approach. If you're going to rant can you at least double check which word you choose from your pocket thesaurus to emphasize your clearly misguided rant.

spmiz12 said:
I was disgusted with them today, so much so; that I sent back a $3200 order for Apple computers plus accessories. The way I was spoke to today on the phone was completely beyond professional.... They don't want to hear about problems; if you do, then they insist that it will take 5 days to receive items back and up to 2 weeks to issue a credit.... I frankly overnighted a few items back and am still waiting 5 days later for a credit. I totally adhered to their policy and procedures as discribed via their website, but that doesn't matter once they have your money; if there is a problem.... Funny how they won't ship until they can verify, ( which makes you feel good ) but if you have a problem; you don't have the same feeling back....
Click to expand...

This is all fairly standard policy. They have to tell you that it could take 2 weeks to see the credit (btw it is usually them telling you that it could take that long to SEE the credit at your bank as they don't control the banks). I think you intentionally have misunderstood them here.

They are rude, well rude is not what I'd call them. They're from New York and many who aren't within that general area feel that there is a sort of brazenness about them. I've dealt with them and have found them to be fairly rough around the edges. You also have to realize that they're orthodox jews, meaning, they have quite a few periods over the year where they're simply shut down. This could be something the guy is accounting for. Regardless of your experience or mine, B&H is a great company and they've done whatever it takes to ensure I get the product I want whether I ordered the wrong item or not, like you did here.

spmiz12 said:
I discovered, I bought a mid 2010 MBP; or so thought I did... When I really figured out that it was a late model 2009..... Yes, Was I pissed; I was so upset, I asked for a upgrade and they told me that I was incorrect...... Trust me, I talked to Apple direct; they asked for proof of my sale, I provided and they told me to ask for immediate return.... Yes, I talked with a manager of Apple; they are NOT happy. A authorized dealer should follow and adhere to their guidelines, what has been proved is WRONG.....

My objective is to get my money back, go to a RELIABLE source and never think twice.... Yeah I feel victim to save a few bucks, but it is not worth it... I totally trust other sites, but I WILL NEVER trust this place again....
Click to expand...

Uh so you called Apple and spoke to some manager who jumped on your ranty childish bandwagon based on misinformation hand-fed by you personally? That is awesome. Trust me, if Apple gives two ***** about your mistake and B&H's inability to coddle you then the facts will clearly line up in B&H's favor. You ordered the wrong item and you somehow believe that B&H needs to make it right over night. You somehow believe that you don't have to adhere to standard banking policy, in that, refunds can take 5-7 business days, that adds up to quite a few days not including their own processing time to make sure you're not swindling them.

rdowns is right, in your blind rush to save some cash you screwed up and now you're here in a futile attempt to tarnish the reputation of a company who has been a long standing retailer for longer than I can remember. That's cute.

Good luck disputing this charge, you ordered exactly what you were shipped. But I am sure it will be the credit card company's fault that they won't approve your dispute as well.

Pro tip: Take responsibility for your actions.
 
Last edited:
Sorry, but I have bought a lot of stuff via B&H with no problems. Yes, there is a 5 day turn around on the return, but some of that is the time that it takes to reverse the charges via the system and is out of their control.

FYI, disputing the charges may make matters worse and cause a longer delay in getting your money back as the credit card company will have to sort it out. They generally don't just give you your moeny back...

You ordered the wrong product, got hot headed and demanded they fix it. When they wouldn't make policy exceptions for you, you got mad and threatened them with posting on an Apple forum. Kudos, you just won customer of the year! :rolleyes:
 
I have to jump on the bh photo bandwagon here.
Nothing but good service from them.

I did purchase a 54 inch panasonic tv and wanted to return it after reading some issues that were popping up. Well If I read their return policy on such an item I would have thought twice about buying from them. However, their policy is as crystal as it can get. The manager i spoke to was very understanding but also very firm to stick with their published crystal clear policy.

I have purchased about $1100 work of stuff for this Christmas season.
 
spmiz12 said:
I work for a customer based company, and the way they treated me today is beyond approach.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, when you do the Internet post rage thing, for all intensive purposes, you need to get your idioms correct. WTF is "beyond approach'? :D
 
rdowns said:
Oh yeah, when you do the Internet post rage thing, for all intensive purposes, you need to get your idioms correct. WTF is "beyond approach'? :D
Click to expand...
Heh heh

When you do the Internet high-horse thing, you need to get your idioms correct. WTF are 'all intensive purposes'?

cheers,

Henry

PS for the clue-deprived: the expression is 'for all intents and purposes'
 
henry999 said:
Heh heh

When you do the Internet high-horse thing, you need to get your idioms correct. WTF are 'all intensive purposes'?

cheers,

Henry
Click to expand...


I guess the smiley and sarcasm escaped you. I could care less.
Now we wait for the next humor impaired person to come along.
 
I'll wait for our friend henry to blow a nerve and post the chart. :D :p
*sits back and drinks coffee*


edit: and the runner up for today's humor impaired member is ... simsaladimbamba!!!
 
spmiz12 said:
I bought a mid 2010 MBP; or so thought I did... When I really figured out that it was a late model 2009.....
Click to expand...

You should have screen captures of the specs. (For documentation purposes).


Happy B&H'er here. Hundreds of orders over the past 10 years. Never a problem. Don't hang the entire company just because you got a single New Yorker on a bad day.
 

Attachments

  • 4serious.jpg
    4serious.jpg
    28.9 KB · Views: 108
Status
Not open for further replies.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back