Overpriced Accessories
So you find a digital camera at a price you can't pass up. It's 40-50% less than the competition. Be careful of another "bait and switch" technique. Some merchants make up the low price of the digital camera by selling overpriced accessories. Even worse, you may be charged for items that should already be in the package!
When looking for deals on my Nikon Coolpix 5700 some time ago, I visited a site selling the camera for $625 compared to $995 that I saw in Ritz Camera at a local mall. As you can imagine, I thought "Wow, what a bargain". Buyer beware ... what glitters isn't always gold!
After completing my order online, I received a phone call from a representative who wanted to verify my purchase (this should have been a sign for me to run for the hills). The salesperson proceeded to recommend different accessories I could use for the camera. Since I was impressed with the low price of the camera I was open to his suggestions. I pretty much fell into the trap! Here's what I ended up buying:
- Nikon Coolpix 5700
- Battery with a charger (this should have already been in the package)
- Zoom lens (regular price $250 but on sale for $125)
- Wide angle lens (regular price $375 but on sale for $160)
- Camera case
- Table tripod
- 64 mg memory card
When I received my order, I was ecstatic. I loved using the new Nikon and took lots of pictures. I really liked the quality of the images until I used the zoom and wide angle lenses :-(. They weren't Nikon brand and provided very poor image quality. I attributed the lack of image quality to the fact that I was a newbie and wasn't using the lenses correctly. Six weeks later, I tried to visit the company's website to check the return policy and to my surprise the website was completely gone!
From this experience, I realized that:
- The lenses I bought were never on sale for the exaggerated prices
- The lenses weren't Nikon brand even though I was told other wise
- I was charged for a battery and battery charger that should have already been in the box along with the manual and usb chord.
- I would have paid about the same price if I visited a local Ritz Camera store and probably received better service.
This leads to another common but sneaky sales tactic, selling gray market merchandise.