expresscamera.com / camera

Expresscamera.com

I ordered a canon 20D with deluxe package. When I

called to confirm the order, the sales rep. told me he

would upgrade the canon 17-85 IS USM lens with a much

better sigma lens at no cost. The package is $1,379.

I added two lithium batteries which told me they were

70$ each. I turned down all of the other items they

offered. When I received my package I found my bill

was $2,299. On top of this the so-called upgraded lens

was a sigma 18-125 DC lens. This is an OK lens but it

is no upgrade from the canon lens. It's more like a

down grade. I called the company back to talk to the

salesman who sold me the package and someone else had

taken his place. I told him the first problem is they

didn't upgrade my lens but they gave me a "crappy"

lens instead. The salesman said he was offended by my

language and hung up on me! This guy must have some

serious mental depression issues. I have never heard

anyone offended by the word "crappy". I then called

back and tried to talk to him again. He told me the

sigma lens was a new version that had not yet been

released to the general public and it was much better

than the one advertised on sigma's own web site. I

then called sigma who told me this was not the case,

there was no new version. Sigma's representative then

asked me were I was buying my product and I told them

expresscamera.com. They said I was the 4th call they

had received this week by similar costomers. I then

called back expresscamera.com and demanded a full

refund for switching my order and then lying about it.

The sales rep. actually said sigma that didn't know

what they were talking about, that it really was a

newer version of the same lens. He said it would be

at lease a 5% restock fee, probably more, plus all

shipping costs. After arguing with him, he did offer

to exchange the lens for the original canon lens.

Then I tried to confront him about the huge price

difference. He explained that it was because they

didn't have the batteries I had ordered and they then

upgraded me to the 5 hour long lasting battery which

cost over $200 each. What I received were two Digital

Concepts 7.4V 1900mAh battery which Amazon.com sells

for about $40.00. (I didn't know this at the time and

looked up the price later). This outrageous mark up

still doesn't account for the price difference in the

whole package. Finally, I called customer service and

explained the situation with them. They still refused

to wave the restock and shipping fees. (The cost of

shipping to Alaska was $100, strange Amazon.com ships

here for free). They ended up offeing to reduce the

cost of the package by 12% and gave me a free 1G

memory card in order to offset the cost. I figured

that was the best I was going to get, so I counted my

losses and walked away.

Dr. Shane Anderson, M.D.

Chugiak, AK

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