B&H or Adorama

[Helen Oster]

What about Calumet?

Oh, that is so sad. Really, really sad.


































jk
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[slclick]

What about Calumet?

Oh, that is so sad. Really, really sad.


Well from my experience it's not sad but a shame they chose to not be service-centric. The stores I have been in recently have all been very Radio Shackesque. Items no one wants at prices you would laugh at. The business model of the 70's must adapt to work alongside online presences and competition. It shouldn't be a shock to anyone really. True it is sad when those with passion for any particular profession and hobby fall to the wayside, when jobs are lost and options are gone but imho this was no surprise.

 

[JustMeOregon]

@ Helen,

At the risk of my sounding real stupid (if the simple answer is easily there to be seen) is there any way to tell from an items webpage on Adorama.com whether or not the item is in-stock?

 

[Vivid Color]

What about Calumet?

Oh, that is so sad. Really really sad.

It is really really sad. I feel especially bad for Calumet's employees. I always received excellent customer service from them. And sometimes, above and beyond excellent customer service. But I also agree that Calumet declaring bankruptcy isn't all that surprising. I work in DC and live in Virginia so I regularly go to both the DC and the Tysons corner stores--mostly to pick up prints but occasionally photographic items and accessories. Recently, it seems like each time I've been in either of the stores that the stocks of goods have been dwindling. In fact, I actually wondered how they could stay in business with so few items to sell the last time I was in the Tyson store. I am saddened today to know the answer.

 

[Helen Oster]

It is really really sad. I feel especially bad for Calumet's employees.......

.....and the customers! For so many people Calumet will have been their local store.

When I started working for Adorama in 2007 I remember my Manager telling me that Calumet was a competitor, but that if anyone asked for advice where to shop when we were closed on Saturdays, that it was one of the places I should recommend

 

[Helen Oster]

@ Helen,

At the risk of my sounding real stupid (if the simple answer is easily there to be seen) is there any way to tell from an items webpage on Adorama.com whether or not the item is in-stock?

No, it's a valid question! In the past we weren't so good at this, but we've been updating our systems over the past few months to mean that when you put an item in your cart it SHOULD be in stock - unless it actually states otherwise on the product page.
The difficulty is that if we are already low on inventory, and then receive a number of orders for an item via our affiliates such as Amazon, buy.com, our eBay store, via our website, in our NYC store or by 'phone, it's possible that stocks could be depleted by the time you get to the checkout.

 

[Vivid Color]

It is really really sad. I feel especially bad for Calumet's employees.......

.....and the customers! For so many people Calumet will have been their local store.

When I started working for Adorama in 2007 I remember my Manager telling me that Calumet was a competitor, but that if anyone asked for advice where to shop when we were closed on Saturdays, that it was one of the places I should recommend

Thank you, Helen. I appreciate your concern for the customers too. I'm an online Adorama customer and I'm also one of those customers you mentioned for whom Calumet has been my local store since the DC area Penn Camera stores closed a couple of years ago. In terms of buying products, I'm not too worried. I often buy online from Adorama or other stores and I can drive 30 miles west of DC and go to a camera store in Loudoun County that carries a large stock of various products. And, there are a couple of other camera stores in DC that I'm aware of, but haven't ever been to. But none will be as convenient for me as was Calumet store in DC, which was just a 10 minute walk from my office. And, all of the employees I dealt with were very helpful. My biggest concern is what I'm going to do to print large sized prints. Calument was great with these for me. I know that Adorama has printing services so I'll have to check this out as an option. All in all though, I'm not a professonal photographer and my issues as a customer are pretty small in comparison with employees who have just suddenly lost their jobs, and in some cases, for the second time within a couple of years. And, in both cases, largely due to poor management practices.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

I buy from both, but prefer to buy locally. I'd suggest you consider establishing a relationship with a local dealer. In the long run, a few dollars more will be offset by having someone who gives you personal service.

I would like to buy locally but won't put up with the attitude from my local photography store. It is such a snooty unfriendly place to shop. The owners seem to have their small number of "favourite" customers that they will chat with endlessly while ignoring other customers.

One Saturday (a pretty busy business day), I saw a line of customers with photographic equipment in one hand and a credit card in the other hand, just waiting to give my local store money.... they were ignored to the point that far too many of them simply left. Why? Because the owners simply had to tell a long and boring story (yeah everyone in the line had to listen) instead of helping customers spend their money.

I am not a big spender on photographic stuff, but I buy a lot of small stuff on a pretty regular basis. I always felt that I was disturbing the owners with my tiny purchase. But guess what? Like most photography nuts, there came a time for an upgrade.

About 3 months ago, I purchased just under $6,000 worth of camera/lenses. But not from my local store. I went with Adorama/B&H. Got a better price, better customer service, and no attitude.

Note to local photography stores: Lay off the attitude. A small purchase customer today may be your big purchase customer next month.

Gone are the days where we had to deal with our local stores. The question is no longer "why shouldn't I shop local" but "why should I shop local". The attitude of the local shop owners governs the answer.

I would much prefer shopping local. But I don't deserve to put up with their attitudes.

 

[mpphoto]

We actually pack above and beyond the industry standard. Most packaging companies that come in and see our operation are taken back by the amount of pillows we use in one carton. They actually drool to try and get our business, because it is not the norm.
The industry standard is to put the item in the box to one corner and then fill the void with dunnage whether it be peanuts, pillows, foam, or paper. Our standard is to blanket the bottom and the sides of the box and then place the item in the middle - and then fold over the pillows and add more to fill the box where needed.
The only thing we don’t add any pillows to are items that ship in the vendor box, and soft goods (t-shirts, backpacks, hats, etc).

One package I got from Adorama had a strand of 31 air pillows in it. Amusing and effective. There were two umbrellas, a tabletop light stand, and a light in there. Hence the long box.

On the other hand, I got a monopod head that came in crumpled-up packaging. I think it was a thin layer of foam that was wrapped around the monopod head's packaging, then had the air vacuumed out. The head arrived intact, but I would have preferred one of those envelopes with bubblewrap lining or a box.

That said, B&H and Adorama tend to be even in pricing. Occasionally one is cheaper than the other. I usually purchase from B&H because I find their website easier to use, it has more product information, and the reviews are more useful. I've had to do two returns with B&H, and it was a trouble-free process.

 

[Helen Oster]

......I got a monopod head that came in crumpled-up packaging. I think it was a thin layer of foam that was wrapped around the monopod head's packaging, then had the air vacuumed out. The head arrived intact, but I would have preferred one of those envelopes with bubblewrap lining or a box.....

I forwarded on your comments, plus the picture of the 2nd package to our Distribution Center manager. My understanding is that a thorough 'risk assessment' was carried out for each item that is to be sent via this method.

 

[homestead65]

Anyone else in Canada having trouble getting product
From Adorama in less than 7-10 days? Was going to order couple
Of Canon lenses but have a small order I placed last Wed afternoon. App
Didn't ship till Friday and now in the hands of Bilsi
Who usually hang on to it for 3-4 days before
Contacting Fedex. Product from B&H by Purolator
Gets to me in 48 hours

 

[Helen Oster]

Anyone else in Canada having trouble getting product
From Adorama in less than 7-10 days? Was going to order couple
Of Canon lenses but have a small order I placed last Wed afternoon. App
Didn't ship till Friday and now in the hands of Bilsi
Who usually hang on to it for 3-4 days before
Contacting Fedex. Product from B&H by Purolator
Gets to me in 48 hours

These are the estimated shipping times, as per our website:

Estimated Shipping Times:
Alberta - Four to five business days

BC - Four to five business days

Manitoba - Three to four business days

Maritimes - Three to four business days

Ontario - Two to three business days

Quebec - Two to three business days

Saskatchewan - Four to five business days

Toronto - Next day to two business days

Bilsi doesn't actually hold onto items - it is that items are not usually scanned until they pass to FedEx at the Canadian border.

 

[BL]

@ Helen,

At the risk of my sounding real stupid (if the simple answer is easily there to be seen) is there any way to tell from an items webpage on Adorama.com whether or not the item is in-stock?

+1. This is quite irritating.

This doesn't happen often, but for the 2nd time in a month, I placed an order for an item and was notified several days later the item was out of stock. As of today, the item is still reported in stock on Adorama's site:

http://www.adorama.com/KIRPZ150.html

With the passover holiday closure, B&H won't be processing orders until the 23rd.

 

[Helen Oster]

Odd; when I go to that link I see, in red:

Please note: Although this item is temporarily out of stock, you can order it now and it will ship as soon as it arrives. Your card will only be charged once item is shipped.

 

[jdramirez]

That's never happened to me... but it would be frustrating. I live about 3 hours away from Adorama and B&H and I expect when I order and it is instock that I get it either the next day or the day after. If you want and need something for the weekend... waiting a few extra days (unknown quantity) can be incredibly frustrating. Especially since you could have bought it from another for a comparable price and it would already be in your hand.

 

[jdramirez]

Here's a quick question...

There are wind resistant umbrellas... sometimes I want to take my umbrella out with me on a shoot, but I dont' want to be the victim of some silent movie bit where I'm chasing an umbrella, a tripod and flash down the road/path.

So do they have the wind reistant photo umbrellas?

 

[Loswr]

This doesn't happen often, but for the 2nd time in a month, I placed an order for an item and was notified several days later the item was out of stock. As of today, the item is still reported in stock on Adorama's site:

http://www.adorama.com/KIRPZ150.html

With the passover holiday closure, B&H won't be processing orders until the 23rd.

Since you're going to have to wait anyway…might I suggest that you consider the RRS L-bracket for the 1D X?

It is more expensive, yes, but the design is excellent. It is modular, so you can remove the upright portion of the L bracket for a smaller profile when you don't need to mount in portrait orientation (that also means you can buy the body plate, and add the upright portion for the L bracket later). The hex key to convert stores right in the plate itself. It's a common size (5/32", IIRC), and for me that little easily-accessible wrench has come in handy in a variety of situations.

 

[Helen Oster]

That's never happened to me... but it would be frustrating. I live about 3 hours away from Adorama and B&H and I expect when I order and it is instock that I get it either the next day or the day after. If you want and need something for the weekend... waiting a few extra days (unknown quantity) can be incredibly frustrating. Especially since you could have bought it from another for a comparable price and it would already be in your hand.

If an item is in stock at Adorama, and your order enters our system before. 8pm, there is no reason why you wouldn't have it the next day (if you request o/night shipping), wherever you are in the US!

 

[BL]

Odd; when I go to that link I see, in red:

Please note: Although this item is temporarily out of stock, you can order it now and it will ship as soon as it arrives. Your card will only be charged once item is shipped.

Yeah, it's weird, i don't know what's happening then, as I can't see anywhere on the page telling me it's either backordered or out of stock

Here's what I see on my end as of this morning:

 

[Loswr]

Odd; when I go to that link I see, in red:

Please note: Although this item is temporarily out of stock, you can order it now and it will ship as soon as it arrives. Your card will only be charged once item is shipped.

Yeah, it's weird, i don't know what's happening then, as I can't see anywhere on the page telling me it's either backordered or out of stock

It shows up as out of stock on my phone when accessing the mobile site, with the notation in red as Helen states. But on my computers (I checked more than one, including with no possibliity of having the Adorama site cached), and I see the same thing you do - in stock and available for purchase.

Not the first time I've run afoul of a glitch on Adorama's website.