As many of you know, B&H went to a new credit card a couple of years ago and wanted their customers to switch to that card, assuming they qualified. Like the first one, you didn't pay sales tax, which could be huge if you live in high sales tax states like New York or California.
I applied for their new card 4 times and was rejected all 4 times it's a credit score over 800 because they kept telling me my credit was "frozen" yet even when I unfoze it, they kept telling me it was still frozen.
Yesterday I got a free credit check and guess what? There were all these credit inquires from B&H which LOWERED my credit score below 800 because they never issued the card so it shows up as a negative. My spouse has identical credit accounts without the B&H inquires and her credit exceeded 825.
I was shopping for a mirrorleas Canon but I haven't moved anywhere since then, but i was a customer of B&H since 1985 and this foolishness lost my faith in them forever. I tried to contact them several times but no one returned my email or my phone calls. I've been told that Sam's Camera is a great place to shop so when get more serious I'll check them out.
If you applied for their cards, just be warned that it may have lowered your credit score if you were rejected. I heard people say here that B and H were
really interest in people who didn't pay their total off and paid that high interest rate.
C'mon Bill. You KNOW that the only way they can afford to pay the sales tax for you is that it's really being paid for by customers who who don't pay their PayBoo (stupidest name in the world) card off in full every month. The whole thing is a scam to try to gain advantage over their competition and more importantly to take advantage of their customers who don't understand how it works, particularly in this era of legalized price fixing where on most items the selling prices are the same, down to the last penny everywhere on everything. The only interest B&H has in mind is their own.
Samy's is always my first choice for everything even though I have to pay the Ca. sales tax. That tax also pays for all sorts of things that benefit the citizens of California (or whatever state you're in that collects sales tax) and even though they seem expensive, they also help to make this such a great place to live. In addition, when I'm shopping at Samy's I'm getting a level of service and attention that I could never get at B&H, and they do run legitimate no sales tax sales several times a year where the participating manufacturers pay the sales tax with no need to hassle with Comenity Bank. The lowest price is so often not the best value.
Peter Figen wrote:
C'mon Bill. You KNOW that the only way they can afford to pay the sales tax for you is that it's really being paid for by customers who who don't pay their PayBoo (stupidest name in the world) card off in full every month. The whole thing is a scam to try to gain advantage over their competition and more importantly to take advantage of their customers who don't understand how it works, particularly in this era of legalized price fixing where on most items the selling prices are the same, down to the last penny everywhere on everything. The only interest B&H has in mind is their own.
Samy's is always my first choice for everything even though I have to pay the Ca. sales tax. That tax also pays for all sorts of things that benefit the citizens of California (or whatever state you're in that collects sales tax) and even though they seem expensive, they also help to make this such a great place to live. In addition, when I'm shopping at Samy's I'm getting a level of service and attention that I could never get at B&H, and they do run legitimate no sales tax sales several times a year where the participating manufacturers pay the sales tax with no need to hassle with Comenity Bank. The lowest price is so often not the best value. ...Show more →
Could be but it seems like they're back to having the no tax sales several times a year again after taking a holiday from them during the brunt or the pandemic. And I'm quite certain that the next lens I buy from them, the new Fuji t/s lens would likely be excluded anyway, but that will not keep me from buying it as soon as they get one in.
Thanks for the update. Then I guess I'll check them out.
Do they sell Pentax gear? I've been looking at the Pentax K3 Monochrome? It seems to be coming down in price, slowly, and I'm hoping for a price decrease after the new year. I was also looking at the lower end Pentax APS-C cameras. I've never used a Pentax before, but they seem like really interesting and fine camera and lenses and something very different than Canon, Sony, and all the other every day cameras that people grab. It seems like they're going towards being a specialty company as well, moving away from being a regular camera and having their own niche. Plus, the only other monochrome available at this time is the Leica, which is a spectacular camera, but it should be for $9K! A bit out of my budget just for the camera body.
Thanks.
PAFL-rev wrote:
Problem is no tax days only good for select items/brands
But at least they're legit and a lot more transparent than the completely opaque b.s. that B&H uses. It's really the folks who either can't or forget to or are too effing stupid to understand what revolving credit really means, combined with a bank that gives you preciously short lead times to pay your bill, increasing the chance with DeJoy's postal service that you'll miss your payment deadline, who are paying the sales tax for you. Not ever B&H. Not once.
I mean, I'm buying a ten thousand dollar guitar this week from a private party and I'll be declaring that on my next sales tax return and paying the use tax on that. Just part of the cost of doing business. You pay sales or use tax on virtually everything else you buy. B&H is trying to make you feel like you're getting away with something, and in a way you are, but it ain't free in the long run to all those unfortunate enough to not pay their payboo bills on time.
I totally get the disdain for the "payboo" credit gimmick that comes across as a sales tax savings. For some it is a deal, for others as is said here the savings are illusory.
I don't blame B&H for that, other than their shameless use of the tool to even the playing field with Adorama, who has a similar deal with their Edge card. It's a completely voluntary choice for a consumer to sign on. I refuse to, and without that distraction, am perfectly satisfied with B&H's service.
B&H lives in a world where credit come-ons are a ubiquitous part of our economy. I don't blame B&H for playing along, any more than I blame a gas station for selling lottery tickets (a regressive tax on the poor, in my book) or Carvana or other auto dealers for their scam auto-financing operations. It does require added diligence by a consumer, and its not fun to discover the financing partner of an otherwise solid business is not ethical. I just think of them as different parts of the business, with the core retail arm having a stand-alone reputation from the partners they work with. Anyway, my thoughts, offered with empathy for the hassles folks have had with payboo.
billsamuels wrote:
As many of you know, B&H went to a new credit card a couple of years ago and wanted their customers to switch to that card, assuming they qualified. Like the first one, you didn't pay sales tax, which could be huge if you live in high sales tax states like New York or California.
I applied for their new card 4 times and was rejected all 4 times it's a credit score over 800 because they kept telling me my credit was "frozen" yet even when I unfoze it, they kept telling me it was still frozen.
Yesterday I got a free credit check and guess what? There were all these credit inquires from B&H which LOWERED my credit score below 800 because they never issued the card so it shows up as a negative. ...Show more →
I am, sorry for this situation and share your dissatisfaction with Comenity Bank under the circumstances.
I tried to contact them several times but no one returned my email or my phone calls.
I'd like to look into this and, perhaps, answer some or all your questions. Please email me.
I had the original Payboo card but gave up trying to get the new one because despite un-freezing ALL my credit agency accounts the Payboo bank (I forget the name) said it was still unable to do a credit check. Went through this three times and even noted that one two occasions the supposed credit check date was well after the account at the relevant agency was unfrozen. No idea WTF was happening but I just lost patience (and B&H has lost some of my business as a result).
Peter Figen wrote:
C'mon Bill. You KNOW that the only way they can afford to pay the sales tax for you is that it's really being paid for by customers who who don't pay their PayBoo (stupidest name in the world) card off in full every month. The whole thing is a scam to try to gain advantage over their competition and more importantly to take advantage of their customers who don't understand how it works, particularly in this era of legalized price fixing where on most items the selling prices are the same, down to the last penny everywhere on everything. The only interest B&H has in mind is their own. ...Show more →
Totally disagree because by your logic every credit card is a scam. If some people don't pay it off and get hit with the (well documented) interest rate then that's their own stupid fault for not understanding how all credit cards work in the first place, and whoever doesn't understand how credit cards work in this day and age probably shouldn't have one anyway. Yes, credit card issuers make most of their money from the high interest rates they charge on remaining balances. It's always been that way and always will.
Not sure where all the disdain for the Payboo card is coming from. Sure it was some inconvenience needing to apply for a new one. I had some issues with the link to apply, but got past it. I think I also had an issue with my credit frozen, but that is my error, and if anything proved to me that feature worked as desired.
I’m guessing the card should be thought of more as a loyalty program. My guess is B&H are the ones paying the tax credit. It is essentially a discount on the product, but they can still claim the product was still sold at msrp.
The banks that run credit take a risk they won’t get paid back. So operating expenses and this risk is covered by merchant fees and interest, they also make a profit this way. I would be interested how people order a camera online if they don’t use a credit card.
As for those extolling the virtues of tax, my experience is government is horribly wasteful with the money they confiscate. In this program the tax is being paid, then you get a discount. Our state really crossed the line demanding additional sales tax on used items that have already been taxed.
B&H has been my go-to for many years. I like their 30 day return policy and their people have been courteous to me without exception.
Regarding the Payboo card, I read the rules once and turned and ran I've not had a credit card in 30+ years, just two debit cards. There's a huge credit card problem in America that few talk about.
bs kite wrote:
B&H has been my go-to for many years. I like their 30 day return policy and their people have been courteous to me without exception.
Regarding the Payboo card, I read the rules once and turned and ran I've not had a credit card in 30+ years, just two debit cards. There's a huge credit card problem in America that few talk about.
I buy everything on credit, pay off the bill every month and as a bonus I get two flights to anywhere in North America and Cental America for free.
Credit cards are only evil if misused…thinking of them as a quick fix to your cash problems.
chez wrote:
I buy everything on credit, pay off the bill every month and as a bonus I get two flights to anywhere in North America and Cental America for free.
Credit cards are only evil if misused…thinking of them as a quick fix to your cash problems.
For sure: And yes, *they are misused*. That is the "subculture" I mentioned above. And you mentioned the exact reason..."thinking of them as a quick fix to your cash problem."
btw, They have never been a quick fix for me, because I do not have cash problems. I pay cash (debit card) for everything and have for decades
I occasionally get offers from Delta but have never given them much thought. Maybe I will take a look.
Leveraging debt vs being in debt is the difference between classes. Debt is not inherently bad. Credit cards are not inherently bad. People afraid of credit are really just afraid of their own bad habits.
RoamingScott wrote:
Leveraging debt vs being in debt is the difference between classes. Debt is not inherently bad. Credit cards are not inherently bad. People afraid of credit are really just afraid of their own bad habits.
"difference between classes" ? What does that mean?
I feel genuine empathy for young people today trying to buy their first house. It is FAR more difficult than when folks my age were young. In those days houses sold for $30K and it was *easy* to buy one (yes.....easy!!) One simply needed a good job and a bank account that was established by simply having a checking account and maybe a modest amount of saveing.
CNBC is recognized as a world leader in business and financial advice. There is no subjectivity to what they say, as there is on these forums. This is what they say about current credit card debt.
"Collectively, Americans owe $1.14 trillion on their credit cards, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday.
The average credit card balance is now $6,329, a new report by TransUnion found.
As consumers lean on credit cards, more borrowers are also falling behind on their payments, both reports show. "
I've not had a credit card in 30+ years, just two debit cards. There's a huge credit card problem in America that few talk about. 