RoamingScott wrote:
Their restocking fee SUCKS. If you get a decentered lens, you're out money.
Wouldn't you be able to take the lens back to BB and swap it out for a different copy? I don't think they will charge you a restocking fee for a defective product.
ramesesthe2nd wrote:
Wouldn't you be able to take the lens back to BB and swap it out for a different copy? I don't think they will charge you a restocking fee for a defective product.
That’s right, there is no restocking fee on defective items.
Whether or not BB would allow it as "defective" for decentering is a gamble on your local store. I've read stories on their forum saying they were not allowed to return a lens for decentering so YMMV.
chez wrote:
That’s right, there is no restocking fee on defective items.
How do you prove a lens is decentered? Do you have an optical bench that can produce a report showing the amount of decentering compared to a statistical average for this model of lens?
molson wrote:
How do you prove a lens is decentered? Do you have an optical bench that can produce a report showing the amount of decentering compared to a statistical average for this model of lens?
Show them the same images that told you the lens is decentered.
Proving a lens is defective to a store employee is a major risk. Do they have any knowledge of photography
Do they even care
They are going to follow policy
Who is to say even with images your not a hack at photography
What's believable
What is decentered
The list here goes on and on.
Best advice don't buy from Best Buy UNLESS you're willing to pay a restocking fee and that will almost always be the case as it is their policy. You're not saving anything here except to walk in and get it. You can have it overnight if that's the case via BH or Amazon Prime or even same day with Prime. Unless you're trying to use your Best Buy card then you have no option but Best Buy. Best Buy for me is the small stuff. I will buy from Amazon a lens or more of the big stuff. They have one of the best return policies. I have done it several times and never been questioned
Years ago I bought gear from BestBuy. No longer. I buy almost exclusively from B&H or Competitive Camera. Not only are their prices good as is their delivery (I like next day to minimize damage chances) but the rare times I got a lens that wasn't up to snuff, it was quickly refunded and replaced with a perfect copy. I can't speak for other companies but those 2 are tops.
It does happen. I bought a Fuji 35 F2 new from B&H and it was bad... a glass was definitely misaligned. Sent it back no questions asked and the second new copy was perfect.
I think I would have had a fun time trying to convince a Best Buy rep that the images weren't supposed to be soft and smudgy like that. I mean, the lens was technically functional, just that the output was awful.
chez wrote:
I think the vast majority of issues are imaginary or the result of user error. Posts like “is my lens sharp” just solidify my views.
If you're a Best Buy Total Tech member, you have a 60 day return window. You can always report the product as being defective.
Granted you'll have to be a TotalTech member for the expanded window, I buy more than just photography equipment there so it was beneficial for me to be a member.
I've bought my lenses at Best Buy with no issues.
Also never heard of "de-centering". If there's a focusing issue then it's defective.
People are confusing return policy with exchange policy. Most stores are very lenient on exchange or store credit. Having worked at BB, I did lens exchange for customers multiple times.
If you have already made up your mind on a particular lens ie. you have played with lens before and have no plans to return, go ahead and buy from BB. They will exchange if you get decentered etc copy.
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