I tried ordering a used Canon 10-22 lens from KEH - having heard that they are a reputable outfit to deal with.
NO - they are not! I have never dealt with a more disorganized and sloppy business.
I placed the order on 11/02 at 2pm. Yes, 4 days ago! And silly me - I paid for 2 day delivery. Little did I know what kind of circus I was entering.
This darned thing is STILL pending!! No answers to emails and I finally called them today only to be told that they have to send an email to the web department.
Well, I am fit to be tied and told them to cancel the stupid thing. So I am told again, they have to send an email to the web department - or perhaps to Neptune. Makes about the same sense here. So I do not know when they might act upon this "email" and they just might charge me for the darned thing I no longer want from them.
It can happen anywhere, that's a pretty small operation from what I've been told. Guess someone is on vacation. I sold them a lens a while back, went very smooth and fast.
I've bought a ton of equipment from them - in fact, they first place I turn when I'm looking for equipment...
Over the years, I have had some minor problems - description showed a lens hood that wasn't shipped (they immediately corrected the mistake and shipped a hood)... I made the mistake of ordering a TC that wasn't compatible (they took it back with no questions asked) and IIRC, I ordered a lens that was accidentally double sold (sold once over the phone and once over the web). They canceled the order, and I placed it again a week later when they got another one in (they apologized, but I also understand that that stuff does happen)... I also had a situation that the lens I ordered did not meet their specs and asked if they could substitute...
Stuff normally goes out same day as the order, but there is occasionally a delay (even with expedited shipping)....
I'm guessing either they double sold the lens or they went to ship it and discovered a problem with it and didn't have a substitute... Truthfully, I've not had any problems with communications with them - they've been very good to me...
My recommendation is take a deep breath and give them a call - if it hasn't shipped, and the person you are talking to can't cancel the order, speak with a supervisor.
Overall, my experience with them has been very good, and the few transactions that didn't go perfectly, they made good.
I tried calling - twice, but ended up with a person who said she had to "email" the webmaster! I finally canceled the order, but again, she said she had to "email" this person for that too.
I am just glad to be away from that nutty place.
Nobody's perfect. Sorry to hear the problems, but like monochrome said, I can happen anywhere. They are indeed a reputable place. It sounds like while there may be a lack of communication or a Byzantine internal process to get things done in your case, the fact is from your posts they responded to your request & have tried to help.
Because of the fact that they mainly deal in used items, for those I prefer to call in the order, that results in a smooth transaction. When I bought a new lens, they called me to verify the order; different ship to & bill to raised a flag & they checked to prevent fraud--how much more reputable do you want than that?
IMHO this sounds more like an annoyance than a nightmare.
I've bought four lenses from them without problem. If you ask about KEH on the alt forum you'll get a cacophony of responses lauding them. Every company occasionally has a snafu and nothing they have done in your case rises to the level of being disreputable. They failed to ship your lens in a timely manner, have they charged your card? You say not, so...
They are known for having a less than stellar IT structure such as an old POS router for their site that doesn't work with newer Linux kernels. I have to provide a special rule for them. http://en.opensuse.org/SDB:Problem_with_establishing_TCP/IP_connection_in_openSUSE_10.2
I've purchased maybe 30K worth of stuff from them, never had an issue. I've never ordered via the web though. Always by phone with one salesman (Art).
Funny thing, I run opensuse 10.2 and couldn't connect to KEH from that box, but if I used a box behind it that nat'd through it, it worked fine. Didn't work for months to KEH, there was even a thread about it on dpreview asking about who could or couldn't connect to KEH. This was the answer..
KEH is the best site for used photography equipment. PERIOD. I think you just caught them on a bad day. Customer Service there is very good and they answer emails within 24 hours. I don't doubt you had a bad experience but it is a rarity rather than the norm. Give them another chance. Good luck with your lens.
KEH grossly overstates the condition of their used equipment, and don't stand behind the defective products they sell. Their customer service is probably the worst of any retailer I've ever dealt with.
Overstates? You're completely opposite basically everyone else who has ever commented on that. IMHO, and in many others' they UNDERstate the condition of their equipment in comparison to other sources.
But again, nobody's perfect & everyone makes a mistake. It would be amusing if it weren't so sad that so many people instantly brand a company as "worst" or "scam" or "crook" if everything does not go absolutely smoothly. Boy are we ever spoiled these days.
1 or 2 reports of problems running counter to numerous favorable experiences? And this is supposed to offset all of the positivie? Not hardly. My experience was fine. There, KEH is perfect again.
It seemed he was casting aspersions
Hey, we can shop where we want to - even those awful Brooklyn places. If KEH has been good to you, then stick with them. And I will stick with BH
Btw, I have gotten good used equipment off the Buy/Sell forums here and POTN.
papagei wrote:
It seemed he was casting aspersions
Hey, we can shop where we want to - even those awful Brooklyn places. If KEH has been good to you, then stick with them. And I will stick with BH Btw, I have gotten good used equipment off the Buy/Sell forums here and POTN.
