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Archive 2015 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

sciuro
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

Just wanted to share a good story. I bought a ballhead and a L-plate for D600 from RRS in spring. It happened that I had several mishaps with my gear over next months and in the end I had a D750 to keep and a D600 to sell (just sold). My L-plate was used couple of times, so it probably had couple of microscratches...and it was way out of return time window for RRS.

I called RRS and explained the situation, trying to sell the L-plate here at the same time. They suggested I ship it back and they may take it if it passes their inspection... no guarantees. It didn't sell, so I shipped it to RRS... and got a brand new D750 L-plate replacement just for the price of shipping!

This was really generous and nice.

BTW, the D600/610 plate DOES NOT fit D750. I tried

Oct 28, 2015 at 04:24 PM

DLP
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

I've had nothing but positive experiences with RRS. Great products, nice people and good customer service.

Oct 28, 2015 at 06:50 PM

duronboy
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

Well that wasn't my experience with RRS. I inquired about a return on a brand new 42-day old item that had never been used and they told me they might be able to help. Might be a restocking fee of $15. But, they couldn't tell me for sure, or even if the item would be accepted. I had to, and these are the exact words, "try it and see what happens." I just sold it to someone else. Now, technically their return policy is 30 days, so I couldn't expect them to accept the return. However, I do expect to know what's going to happen before I send a return. Right!?

That experience was enough to make me question why I was spending $55 on lens feet and $170+ on L-brackets that I could get functionally more appealing items for $5 - $15(or less) on the auction site we all love to hate.

Oct 28, 2015 at 07:34 PM

sciuro
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

duronboy wrote:
Well that wasn't my experience with RRS. I inquired about a return on a brand new 42-day old item that had never been used and they told me they might be able to help. Might be a restocking fee of $15. But, they couldn't tell me for sure, or even if the item would be accepted.

That's exactly what I was told as well. So I did try it out (because I couldn't sell it) and my results are above. I guess they cannot guarantee that they accept back a used item until they see how much wear is present... but they did their best responding to my request.

Oct 28, 2015 at 07:41 PM

duronboy
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

they cannot guarantee that they accept back a used item

I can understand that, but it wasn't a used item. They didn't know that, but they didn't ask, either. Just, "try it and see what happens." struck me as an odd thing to say to a customer. I would have been understanding if they stated that they could not do it at all, and I even said that in my initial email.

Oct 28, 2015 at 09:12 PM

Bacalhau
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

Duronboy - I don't think you have any valid point here. They tried to help beyond their obligation, so their only fault was being too nice, Good luck with returns on EBay - read the rules very carefully, and even so, only in a few situations you can get your return shipping back aside the sending to you amount.
Then you have the overall product quality - yes, I bought knock-offs, and they....work when they don't suck or fall apart.
no one is perfect , and no surprise if someone else indeed got some bad service from RRS, but is not you case...peace

Oct 28, 2015 at 10:02 PM

duronboy
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

They tried to help beyond their obligation? No. It was up in the air as to whether or not I'd be helped. Their reply of "try it and see what happens." wasn't help.

I'm not going to say anything more in this thread because it's not my thread.

Oct 28, 2015 at 10:45 PM

rdcny
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

not impressed with RRS - I had a B-55 ballhead fall apart in my hands (about 1.5 years old) - almost lost a 500mm F4 Canon lens. This happened in Nepal.

When I returned to the USA I contacted them - they charged me for fixing the ballhead...and shipping it back to me - despite the fact that they told me they had been having problems with the "glue" that held the ball head together...It was their ballhead and their problem...

Also, if you go back a couple of years they were involved in political campaigns to deny equal rights to non-heterosexual people. Was that Prop 44 or something in California? Do a google search and details will emerge...

Anyway, I think they are 50% overpriced; and I choose to no longer buy their products because of their political donations to support causes that are anti-gay rights.

Oct 29, 2015 at 08:41 AM

Bacalhau
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

rdcny wrote:
not impressed with RRS - I had a B-55 ballhead fall apart in my hands (about 1.5 years old) - almost lost a 500mm F4 Canon lens. This happened in Nepal.

When I returned to the USA I contacted them - they charged me for fixing the ballhead...and shipping it back to me - despite the fact that they told me they had been having problems with the "glue" that held the ball head together...It was their ballhead and their problem...

Also, if you go back a couple of years they were involved in political campaigns to deny equal rights to...Show more →

you mean this previous campaign you had?
http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=66680.0

let's not bring politics to a non-political thread please....or at least rant in the appropriate sub-forum

Oct 29, 2015 at 09:17 AM

rdcny
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

yes that campaign exactly. Why not bring in politics? why support a business that is anti-people?

Yes this is the appropriate place to post my experience with RRS. I will continue to post this info when needs arise.

Oct 29, 2015 at 09:35 AM

Bacalhau
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

duronboy wrote:
They tried to help beyond their obligation? No. It was up in the air as to whether or not I'd be helped. Their reply of "try it and see what happens." wasn't help.

I'm not going to say anything more in this thread because it's not my thread.

Actually it's no one's thread truly - after all the site belongs to Fred Miranda
yes someone started, but that's the nature of the "business" here at FM - open discussion and everyone has an opinion.
What was trying to say is, as you well know the return time expired. Other companies not even consider a return, or if so, impose stocking fees that make it less attractive to do so.

Sure their "language" was less than professional and a bit too laid-back, promoting too many "if" and doubts, leading you to feel completely insecure to proceed with the return. That should not happen - they should have been more assertive and clear about your options, and conduct the business in a less of " mom-and-pop"- type of attitude.

In the end, to me it seems they were trying to go a bit further than some other companies would go - maybe there are other really doing more - but they still provide excellent products and a better costumer service and support than other comparable competitors.
Are they perfect? well no. Do they deserve some praise? most of the times, but they should get feedback directly too if you haven't done that already.

Oct 29, 2015 at 10:05 AM

frdjohns
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

Have to agree that RRS sells a great product and provides top-notch service and support for their products. They are not the cheapest by a long shot, but you definitely get 1st rate quality.

I have several of their items (ballheads, tripods, plates, rings) and am happy with all of them.

Being upset because they didn't guarantee a full return or refund well past their stated policy of 30 days makes no sense to me. They were willing to take a look and do what they can.

As far as their politics are concerned - I don't care. I am buying their products, not their opinion.

Oct 29, 2015 at 10:12 AM

sciuro
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

Generally, at any online forum there's a tendency to post about experience with certain products/companies only when it's negative. We remember to complain and write a negative review but forget to speak up when things go well. That was the main reason for me to post the story here.

Also, as I expected, it takes less than 10 posts in any RRS-related thread till someone brings up the LGBT story.
If anyone is interested in details, this link: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/956293/1&year=2010#9051155 is the RRS owner's explanations on the whole thing. There are many responses in that thread that I find good and sufficient so I don't see a point to copy them here. For one thing, I am completely satisfied by the fact that the person who has views completely opposite to mine (i.e. RRS owner) had an opportunity to exercise his rights and donate personal funds to a cause he wanted to support. He was willing to associate his name with this cause, and he is fully experiencing the consequences of his decision (as demonstrated in this thread and elsewhere).

Oct 29, 2015 at 10:19 AM

peter_n
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

rdcny wrote:
Also, if you go back a couple of years they were involved in political campaigns to deny equal rights to non-heterosexual people.

Let's just make it quite clear with this matter that RRS the company did not donate any funds to anyone and AFAIK is not interested in the sexual orientation of its customers. The owner made a donation as he saw fit as I assume many do on this forum. I am also tired of this issue being raised in RRS threads even though I too have opposite views to those of Joe Johnson. Enough already.

Oct 29, 2015 at 10:41 AM

Gochugogi
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

My experiences with RRS has been good too and I don't care about the politics of the people making the product. If you obsessed with the politics of people making your gear, food, cars, clothing, etc., you could never buy another item...

Oct 29, 2015 at 11:39 AM

rdcny
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

glad you are tired of it pete_n - but it is a fact that he funded a political cause to deny rights to people. Unfortunately in the digital age such information never goes away.

I find his explanation in the thread linked to above not very good - and no apologies have been issued by him. The country has moved ahead on the issue compared to 2010...has the RRS owner?

Oct 29, 2015 at 01:35 PM

Sharona
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Great experience with RRS (just sharing)

Gochugogi wrote:
If you obsessed with the politics of people making your gear, food, cars, clothing, etc., you could never buy another item...

I also disagree strongly with Joe Johnson on this issue, but the above quote says it all. If we researched every company we do business with we all may end up with brain bleeds. I've also had very good experiences with the company, I should add, since that's what the original post was about...

Oct 29, 2015 at 02:45 PM


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