I was told that I NEEDED to have a Compact Flash adapter or an AC adapter because downloading pictures from the camera to the computer consumed so much power that the batteries would be depleted before the camera finished downloading. I was told that both items were proprietary to the Nikon camera and I COULD NOT use the Compact Flash adapter that I already own. At first I said okay but later in this conversation I told him that I DID NOT want the Compact Flash adapter.
He continued to tell me about other options and how much money I would save by ordering them with the camera. It was a little overwhelming and at first I agreed to several of the options. But when I was given the final total on the cost of camera and all the options I had chosen I was taken aback and said that I really could not afford to spend that much. Josh then started talking very fast asking what I did not want. He was talking so fast and I could hardly keep up with him while I was trying to decide which options I would get and which options I would have to wait until a later time to purchase separately.
I then told Josh that I had to discuss this expenditure with my husband and make some decisions and for him to hold off on this and I would call him back within an hour with my decision. Josh said that would be fine and to just ask for Josh when I called back.
I called back approximately thirty (30) minutes later and asked for Josh and was on Hold approximately ten (10) minutes before Josh picked up the phone. I identified myself and refreshed his memory on our previous phone conversation. He indicated that he remembered it. I told him that I had decided that I could not afford all the options that I had indicated I wanted in our previous conversation and that I ONLY wanted the Nikon Coolpix 950 digital camera, the optional telephoto lens (NOT the whole Lens Kit with telephoto, wide-angle and macro lenses) and the Lens Filter Kit. I did NOT want the optional flash, the Extended 3 Year Warranty or the PCMCIA Adapter. I did not mention the carrying case that he had said he would include at no charge. Josh said that he was in the warehouse and not at his desk but assured me that he would delete the unwanted options from my order and the camera, telephoto lens and lens filter kit would arrive at my house the next day. I requested that he FAX me an itemized list of my order and he said that would not be neccesary because the package arriving the next day would have an itemized invoice in it. I said okay as long as I was getting an itemized list.
On Tueday, June 15,1999 my packaged arrived just as promised. When I opened it, I found a Nikon Coolpix 950 digital camera, an optional lens kit ( telephoto, wide-angle and macro lensees), a lens filter kit, an optional flash, a PCMCIA adapter [that IS identical to the one I told him I already owned (a Sandisk Compact Flash Adapter and the price Josh quoted me for this adapter was FIFTY-FIVE dollars ($55.00) and the identical adapter can be purchased at Best Buy Stores for twelve dollars ($12.00) and from numerous vendors on the Internet for six dollars ($6.00))], an optional carrying case, and one card for a FIVE (5) year extended warranty (we had never even discussed a FIVE (5) year extended warranty, only a THREE (3) year extended warranty). I had been led to believe that these were Nikon brand accessories and none of them bore the Nikon brand. They were generic or off-brand accessories. There was an invoice in the package and the total amount that I had been charge for everything was ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY dollars ($130.00) higher than the price I had been quoted on the original selection of camera and optional accessories and SEVEN HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN dollars ($718.00) more than the price I was quoted for the Nikon Coolpix 950 plus telephoto lens plus lens filter kit plus overnite shipping. On the enclosed invoice there was one price listed for everything that was in the box plus an itemized price for shipping and handling. The FIVE (5) year extended warranty (five (5) years was NEVER discussed, only a three (3) year extended warranty was even discussed) was listed TWICE on the invoice. Since the prices were not itemized I have no way of knowing if I was charged TWICE.
I immediately called Best Stop Digital and asked to speak to Josh. I told him that there was a problem with the order and I had been shipped all the things that I had told him I did NOT want along with the three (3) items that I had told him that I did want. I think he apologized and said for me to send the things I did not want back and as soon as they received them I would be credit for the return. I told him that I would be sending the unwanted items back by overnite express and hoped that it would be credited back to me immediately after they received the items.
After ending the phone conversation I realized that I had no itemized invoice to show how much I should be credited and I also noticed the very small print on the bottom of the invoice I did received that said,
On June 14, 1999 I called Best Stop Digital, 12 Warren St., New York, NY 10007, to inquire about the availability of a Nikon Coolpix 950 digital camera. I talked to Josh and was told that it was in stock and available for immediate shipping. The price that he quoted me on the camera was $847.00. He then started telling me about the options for the camera.
I again called Best Stop Digital and asked to speak to a supervisor. I was told that none was available to talk to me and maybe the person that answered the phone could help me.
I explained the problem and AGAIN requested an itemized list be faxed to me so that I could return the unordered items. The person on the phone then transferred me to Josh again. Up to this point all the people I had talked to had been polite but when I AGAIN asked that Josh fax me an itemizd list, he informed me that he did not have one and WOULD NOT take the time to make one and fax it to me. When he stated this it was in a rude manner and of course put me on the defensive. I then stated that if I could not have an itemized list so I would know how much they were charging me for each item then I would be sending EVERYTHING back and would expect a TOTAL refund. I felt that since it was Best Stop Digital/Josh’s mistake that I should not have to pay a 15% restocking fee for items that I did not order when I finalized the transaction. Josh informed me that the 15% restocking WOULD be deducted from my refund and I WOULD NOT receive a refund on the Five (5) Year Extended Warranty (even though I had told him I DID NOT want the THREE (3) Year Extended Warranty and a FIVE (5) year one had never even been discussed). Josh said that he thought the extended warranty HAD been discussed and that he had a tape recording of our telephone conversation to prove what I had ordered and he would listen to it. I told him that I hoped he would and that I wished that I had also taped both our telephone conversations.
At this point I was extremely upset and said that my next phone call would be to my attorney. His responded that I could do that and my attorney would tell me that there was nothing I could do because Best Stop Digital was operating within the mail order sales laws. I then stated if I had no other recourse then I would definitely post a narrative about the sales practices of Best Stop Digital and the kind of service I had received from them on the www.resellersratings.com internet site. His response to that was that comments on that site did not matter anyway so he did not care if I posted there. It was apparent at this point that the conversation was going nowhere and it was ended.
After the last telephone conversation, my husband and I realized that it was a no win situation. If we sent everything back we were going to be charged at least THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT dollars ($348) for restocking and shipping both ways and that it could be much more if they had charged us for TWO of the Five (5) Year Extended Warranties (since there were two (2) listed on the invoice I received) and they refused to refund on those as the small print on the invoice stated. And we would have NOTHING! Since the prices were not itemized on the invoice, if we just returned what I had told Josh I did not want when I finalized the order, then Best Stop Digital could refund whatever they decided the price was for the returned items or refund NOTHING and claim that the price was for the camera and there was no additional charge for the accessories that I had returned.
As a final note, when Josh was telling me all the reasons that I NEEDED an extended warranty (in our first conversation), one of the things he said was that if something went wrong with my camera I would be able to take it to ANY Nikon service center for repairs or replacement. Upon examination of the Five (5) Year Extended Warranty, I discovered that I could NOT take it to ANY Nikon service center but would have to ship it to one specific camera and video repair service business in Springfield, NJ. It IS NOT a NIKON extended warranty it is an extended warranty with independent camera and video service and the wording of the warranty makes me wonder if they will find a reason to void the warranty if my camera does need repair. Josh had also told me that the One (1) year warranty that Nikon included with the camera only cover the cost of parts for a year and labor was only covered for ninety (90) days. The registration card that Nikon included with the camera said One (1) year warranty on parts AND workmanship.
Finally, we decided to keep what had been shipped and vowed never to do business with Best Stop Digital again and to consider it a VERY expensive lesson in mail order shopping.
If you or anyone that you know are considering doing business with Best Stop Digital, 12 Warren Street, New York, NY I would encourage you to read my story and pass it on to your friends. Also, before doing business with Best Stop Digital or any mail-order company that you are unfamiliar with, check them out at www.resellerratings.com and the Better Business Bureau of New York or whichever state in which the mail-order business is located. Don't leave yourself open for businesses with questionable business practices to take advantage of you. Also, research the item that you want to buy and any accessories that go with it so you know what a fair price is for the items and make all your decisions before you pick up the telephone or go to the online ordering site. DO NOT let a salesperson talk you into buying ANYTHING that you have not previously researched and decided to buy. We had research the camera and the accessories that Nikon listed for it but became a bit over-whelmed when conversing with a fast-talking, New York, salesman.