42nd Street Photo Overview
42nd Street Photo has a 2.2-star rating, derived from feedback provided by 18 customers. In the Photography category, it secures the 18th position out of 175 companies.
Rating
Contact Information
Website
www.42photo.com
Phone
(888) 810-4242
15 West 36th Street, New York, New York, 10018, United States
42nd Street Photo Reviews
Anonim
Weird Business
Ordered a camera from 42 Street Photo online. After waiting over 4 days with no shipment notice (they claim to ship within 48 hours) and after sending a follow-up email asking why it hadn't shipped, to which nobody responded (they claim to respond within 24 hours, and they didn't), I cancelled my order via email. Amazingly they responded quickly in confirming the cancellation. Their price was great, but anyone can have a low price if they don't deliver. Very weird way to do business. Maybe they do better at the store in person.
David
Bad Communication/Shipping
Updated by user Apr 02, 2019
I did receive the camera, nearly a week after the order. I finally got through to customer service and the item was shipped overnight UPS.
Mike at 42nd Street Photo expedited the order and didn't try to up-sell me or offer the "U.S." model for a higher price. Low...
Original review Mar 30, 2019
On 3/26, I ordered a camera through 42nd Street Photo. On 3/27 a customer service representative contacted me to ask if I wanted signature delivery confirmation. I told him I did, and he said that the order would ship that day "express," and I would receive a tracking number shortly. On 3/28, I sent an email to request the tracking number I did not receive. No response. On 3/29, I sent another email to request the tracking number. No response. On 3/30, I called 42nd Street Photo's Internet customer service and sales telephone numbers. No answer. Phone rang, and rang, and rang. The status of the order on the website shows "shipping on 3/27"; however, I have no idea if/when the item will ship or when to be home to sign for the delivery. Terrible communication and shipping.
albert
Resolved: Bait switch and con
Updated by user Oct 30, 2018
the general manager called explained the situation and promised to refund the disputed $100 charge
Updated by user Oct 30, 2018
after talking with general manager he refunded the $100 disputed charge. he explained that they have over 300 employees and tyat he would do his best to stop what happened to me.
Original review Oct 29, 2018
I ordered a nikon d7200 online for the price of $649. Jack called my home a few days later and chatted with my grandson. According to Jack what was ordered was a demo Japanese language model, contrary to their web site that boasted "brand New" one. He said it would cost an additional $300 to get the English model camera. He kept saying no then the price came down to eventually $100 more which he conned him into it, mind you he is a minor who is not on my cc account. After reading reviews from others it looks like this bait and switch lies practice of theirs is common play for them. What kind of business does this other than con artists. And you can bet that all along it was the same product they just scam you for as much more as they can. So if you want to be lied to, scammed for more money and charged for priority shipping and receive ground shipping then buy from them but if you want to be treated right and not basically robbed stay away from these guys
Lawrence
Resolved: Buyer Beware hiden policies
Updated by user Oct 11, 2018
I received a call form 42nd St Photo today (10/6/18) and the representative was very apologetic, sincerely apologetic and offered to refund the purchase price and a returned label for the defective camera as I requested. I must say it was redressing to get such concern, genuine concern for a company.
After offering to give me what I ask for, a refund, he went on to say that 42nd St Photo would like to earn my business, since I had used them in the past. He offered to personally send the camera making sure it was new in the box. He also offered a financial incentive, which I felt was very generous and a real show of good faith on 42nd St Photo’s behalf. Everyone makes mistakes even companies, but what they do when presented with the mistake is what shows the real character of an individual or in this case a company.
Once the situation came to the attention of someone of authority in the company, 42nd St Photo, the matter was addressed in a manner befitting a reputable company. I will have no hesitation making further purchases from 42nd St Photo. My wife is a professional photographer and we know how professionals should act, though it may be hard to find these days. I believe 42nd St Photo has acted in a very professional manner in resolving this problem.
My recommendation when dealing with a problem with any company is get to top, or at least to someone of authority and make your issue clear with that individual. If you get double talk or jibber jabber from the first person move on to the next.
There is usually someone who really cares about the company’s reputation. I found that someone, Thanks 42nd St Photo for restoring my confidence in your company.
Original review Oct 04, 2018
Invoice 390992 I ordered a NEW Canon 5Ds camera and two lenses for my wife. My wife is a published professional photographer. We have numerous Canon cameras and lenses so we are not naive when it comes to Canon products. So I purchase a new 5Ds and when we receive it this is what we found. 1) It was an opened box resealed with 42nd St's label and a sticker over the factory product ID. 2) There was a missing part, which they replaced. 3) The battery was dated 2015 and would not take a full charge. We bought in in September 2018. 4) The setting were reset from factory specs by another customer in Los Angels, CA. So it is a used camera. 5) When we tried to take a picture it would not. The shutter would not actuate. The camera just does not work. So I called for a refund and was told I was making things up and there would be a 20% restocking fee. $599.80 to return a used, broken, defective camera. The representative was argumentative, obnoxious, uncaring and accused me of making things up. How the $%^$ does he know since I have the camera in hand and he's 6000 miles away. They did offer to send a replacement, but after the treatment I received and the quality of product I received I frankly do not trust them. Their customer service is a joke. They should warn customers that any returns for any reason, even broken or goods sold as new that are not, and it will cost 20% up front before you actually make the purchase. I recommend purchasing from a reputable company like Amazon. Lawrence Peck
jean
Scam artists Bait and Switch
let's be very clear, this company engages in consumer fraud. I ordered a Nikon d-850 online in response to one of their ads that claimed they had a camera in stock and ready to be shipped. These cameras are tough to come by and I needed one for a job later in the month and rather than rent one I decided to buy it. I got a confirmation of my purchase and thought all was well. I got a call a few days later and told that it could only purchased as a kit. After purchasing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of gear, ranging from RED camera to every lens imaginable for my Nikons, here was a con artist play I thought had been abolished in the 90s. Nikon does not sell kits, nor do they allow this practice, I am going to contact them next. I paid for this in full of course and will be calling American Express as well. stay away from people like this.
Anonim
Not to be trusted
Classic Bait-and-Switch tactics used when I ordered a Canon 80D from the online store. There was no indication that the camera was Gray Market on the web site. After placing the order I got a call form "Jack" at 42nd Street Photo asking about delivery. Then by the way he asked why I ordered the "International Model" ($799). I told him I did not want a Gray Market camera and they just happened to have a US model for $926 which I ordered. He also said it was indicated on the Web site that this was an "International" model. I went back to the site to double check and there was no such statement. After that I canceled the order and did get a very prompt credit to my PayPal account and a confirmation call from Jack. I think Jack should look for a new job.
Anonim
Tricked into upsell, bundle keeps me from resolving it
I ordered a sigma lens for $1499. I ordered a Hoya lens kit for $279. I have an email receipt to show this. I received a call from Adam telling me that the Hoya lens that was a pop up accessory on your site with my lens would not fit. He said he will do a "bundle" with a "Precision Optical Lens" which is better. I resisted. He pressed and pressed. I wanted the lens so I figured I would just return the "precision optical" filters and keep my lens. HOWEVER, when I checked your site to check the status of the order, they bundled all together for $2000, so I'd have to pay a $400 restocking fee to send back the filters. Considering contacting the attorney general.
Robert
Resolved: Wanted to buy a new camera. Got a heavily used one
Updated by user May 17, 2018
They refunded the camera, the cost of sending it back and the cost of having it checked.
Updated by user May 17, 2018
After I sent the camera to them they refunded me the camera and the cost of sending it and the pre-sale check.
Original review Apr 26, 2018
I found 42Photo on the internet and saw that their price was much better than in other photo stores. B&H Photo had for example the Canon 6D camera on sale for 990$, but the offer was over when I got to New York, so I went for the Canon 6D from 42Photo which they priced at 1090$ which I thought was a good deal for a new camera. When I got to the store I asked for the 6D body and I was told that I was the third person to buy this product, which was weird as they had only been open for an hour. He went to the back of the store to fetch the camera, and some elderly gentlemen started to sum up the bill in front of me. The bill was handwritten. When he got back with the box that contained the camera, I noticed that the box was beaten up and looked like it had some wearing and tearing. I asked them if the camera wasn’t new, for I wanted to buy a new camera. The old man in front of me told me that everything they sold was brand new. Then he offered me to take a look at the camera which I did. While I was inspecting the camera they started to try to sell me extra battery pack and faster memory card. I didn’t find anything wrong with how the camera looked so I thought nothing about it. At the hotel I tried to charge the “Ultra battery pack” they sold me. It was broken, so I had to go to the store the day after to ask for a replacement. The clerk tried to charge the battery and replaced it after he saw that it was broken. When I got home and was going to put a mounting bracket on the bottom off the camera, I noticed that there had been a mounting bracket there before, as there were marks from it. So I wanted to make sure that my suspicion from the store was not correct, so I used GPhoto2 which reads shutter clicks from cameras and found out that my “brand new” camera was already 39800 clicks in. So it was actually heavily used. Canon guarantees up to 100.000 clicks. I sent email to the company, and a person named Elliot told me that he didn’t know how this could happen and asked me to call him immediately. After a discussion with him, he wanted me to send the camera to the store and they would replace it. After discussing this issue with my credit card company and reading the bad reviews this store has got, I decided to take the advice the credit card company gave me and hold back the payment. My experience is very bad and I am not even sure if the battery I got is also used or extended as they claim. I have asked for a discount as I do not want to return the camera for another used camera. Apparently that is how they work. I doubt that they are selling new Canon cameras.
Martin
Too Good to Be True...
I ordered a Nikon D750 camera. I was so happy. Then, the dreadful reverse bait call came in. The man first used gray market method. Telling me that the camera was not a domestic version. Blah blah blah... Then, he went for the kill. He flatly announced all that all 42 street photo offerings are Gray Market anyway. Wow! I said. I told him that I didn't mind at it all. So, he jacks up the price by close to 300 bucks so I could a domestic Nikon. No, GM Nikons, he said. They all are backordered. He would even give a call when they become available. I told him not to! I will get mine from the BH store next door. My order number 695****
Anonim
Do NOT buy from 42nd Street Photo - sketchy Scam Store.
DON'T buy from 42nd St Photo. I agree with the previous negative comments. Do not trust the positive comments probably written by the Store themselves. My personal experience was I ordered a camera online, the next few days they keep calling you to buy warranty or have questions about your purchase order before they ship out. Due to time zone differences I could not call them back, instead I wrote email to them asking what do they need or any concern about my order, they never replied to my emails. They shipped out my camera and later found the camera was a used camera with damaged on the side. They said their refund policy is 20% restocking fee. Notice they wrote twenty percent not in numerical number 20%. Also if you want to exchange the purchase, only 10 days. So be careful. Here is their refund/exchange policy from their website: *******RETURNS******** No returns are accepted without a RMA# on the outside of the box (for RMA # see below). Warranty repairs that are provided by the manufacturer covers repair or replacement of defective parts, subject to the conditions set forth by the manufacturer. On most items, 42nd Street Photo offers an exclusive 10-days exchange/refund policy to mail order customers. All Extended Warranties and Digital Media Memory Cards are final purchases. The following products are not acceptable for credit, refund, exchange or cancellation after processing or shipping and must be repaired by manufacturer's authorized service centers: TVs and monitors 20" and up, computer products, laser printers, fax machines, all international shipments and in store purchases. To locate a service center near you, please refer to your product manual. Unused computer software may be exchanged for a different title, if unopened, with some exceptions. Defective computer software may be exchanged for the same title only. Some software programs are not returnable to 42nd Street Photo under any circumstance and must be returned to the manufacturer. Car Stereo and electronic equipment should be "bench-tested" PRIOR to installation (units that have been installed, scratched, or abused WILL NOT BE accepted for return or credit!); Pre-recorded video tapes, cassettes, CDs, DVDs and laser discs can only be exchanged for a different title, if unopened! Defective, pre-recorded video tapes, cassettes, CDs, DVDs and laser discs may be exchanged for same title ONLY; beepers and film are NOT acceptable for exchange, credit or refund. DOA (defective) merchandise is for repair or exchange only. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for exchange or refund within 10 days of receiving it and after receiving a return merchandise authorization number from 42nd Street Photo (see exceptions above). All purchases must be mailed back with a RMA # and no returns to the Retail store will be accepted. Shipping and handling are non-refundable for all returns, exchanges and refused shipments. Return freight and return customs fee are also non-refundable. Additionally, acceptance of returned shipments is dependent on the condition of goods and packaging material. In the event the merchandise is opened and is not in its original state, we may reject delivery of the shipment or the restocking fee will be subject to our approval and the fee will be determined after inspection. If rebate forms or warranty cards are filled out we cannot accept any returns. Partial returns on packages are not accepted. If a RMA number is issued for one item and we receive more items for return we cannot accept the return. If you have removed the UPC code from the merchandise or box we cannot accept the return. All issued RMA numbers are valid for a period of 5 calendar days only. We are not responsible for lost or delayed shipments. For a RMA number (Return Merchandise Authorization) on returns call Customer Service at 1-21*-594-****. All Returns require an authorization number. Please note that a RMA# does not guarantee final disposition. All returns are subject to inspection. There is a twenty % restocking fee for all returns and refused shipments.
Herschel
Lied to by Sales Team
I accidentally ordered the Nikon D7500 instead of the D750 but exchanged it (I paid for the shipping). On the phone, they initially told me the camera had already been shipped "OVERNIGHT" and when I mentioned a deal (here in Atlanta - see attached), I was then promised that they would MATCH this "bundle" deal. I felt GREAT that they would honor their words to me about "matching another deal"until I received my package. When I received the camera, I noticed they sent me a "knock-off" motor drive (that doesn't even work), when I specified that it was a NIKON on the phone AND through email (see attachment). I've talked with Michael, David, and several other sales guys - they all have said the same thing... it's MY FAULT and that they'll have to CALL ME BACK, "they're very BUSY". I will absolutely NEVER do business with this company again and would not be surprised if my D750 is GREY:(.
Anonim
SCAMMERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
100% LYING *** BAGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS PLACE IS NOTHING BUT A SCAM!!!!!!! They do not sale usa versions with warranty of any thing they sale total GRAY MARKET!!! I bought over 10,000.00 of gear to only find out that none of it has warranty and most of it can't even be serviced total JUNk!!!!!! When i was buying the gear i made it clear i didn't want gray market gear and was told that i was getting usa with full warranty. So today i call them and act like i'm buying another lens and ask ( Micheal the same guy i bought every thing from) over and over that i would not get gray market cause i did not want it!!!!! O NO EVERYTHING YOU HAVE BOUGHT FROM US HAS BEEN USA AND WE WOULD NOT SALE GRAY MARKET TO YOU WE WOULD ONLY SALE YOU THE USA GEAR WITH A USA WARRANTY PLUS THE EXTENDED WARRANTY YOU ALWAYS BUY CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT!!!! Micheal is a lying piece of ***!!!!!!!!!! What a joke they will be getting a call from my lawyer!!!!!!!
Anonim
Crooked Company
This place is a cooked they are not authorized dealers so you do not get the manufactures warranty with your new camera or lenses. Just learned this after spending over $12,000.00 over the past year with this company. What made me check was the latest purchase (July of 2016) of a Canon 7d mark ii. The camera was not focusing so I called canon and sent it in for service. I get a bill for nearly $300 because I did not buy it from an authorized dealer. So the only warranty I have is an Extended warranty. Extended warranties by definition is to pick up when the manufactures is up so I should have had a 4 year warranty with the 3 year extended. The Tamron lens we purchased are supposed to be covered with the 6 year manufacturers but now it is just a 3 year extended. If they were authorized it would have had 9 years of warranty. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM GO TO B&H OR ADORAMA they are authorized dealers.
Anonim
Never do business with 42nd St. Photo - they suck!
I recently purchased a camera online from 42nd street photo. I found the camera body for a great price and placed the order. The next day they called me to confirm my order - this is where the bait and switch takes place. They told me that the camera was an international version with no valid US warranty and that no Canon dealer would ever work on it and that the software / firmware of the camera would never be able to be updated. They then offered to sell me their "retail" US version for $400 more. It is interesting to note that this one is not found on their web site. Then they offered me a $100 discount and I fell into their scam and ordered the camera and a lens the recommended. Later I did a bit of research and found that they like to deal in the "gray" market of cameras and I called back to cancel my order. They had already shipped it and wouldn't take it back. I needed to wait to receive it and then call them for an RMA #. The sales guys was very shady on this point when I pressed him for the process he wouldn't tell me how it worked, just to call back when I received the camera. Now I know why...they want to charge me $170 bucks as a "restocking fee" to get an RMA number. Rip off!!! They sales rep was a *** to boot.
Anonim
Another 42nd Street Photo Bait-and-Switch
I also had a bait-and-switch experience with 42nd street photo. They had a Canon 6D on sale on their website for $1399. I got an email saying I had to contact Robert before they could complete the order. Robert asked me if I knew Japanese, because the camera on sale was "grey market". He said I should know that because it didn't specifically mention a warranty anywhere. As I tried to clear up my confusion over this, he got a bit agressive saying that "he'd explained it to me and now I'm clear" I told him to cancel the order (apparently, he's not one to say no :) and he eventually dropped the price to $1,650 - about $300 more than on the website. I told him I'd buy in on condition that he guarantees I'll get it by Tuesday (it's Friday now) So, let's see what happens next.
Anonim
Bait and Switch!
I bought a camera from 42nd St. for 869.00 online (Sony Alpha Nex 7) on January 29. On January 31, Michael emailed me, stating that I must contact him before he could send me my camera. On Monday 2/3, I was able to contact him from work (because he said they were closed over the weekend). He tried to high-pressure me into buying additional items. I said my husband would kill me if I spent anything, and reluctantly only agreed to one digital 32 GB 700x card that he said was $199. He tried to sell me another and I repeatedly said, no, just one. He then said he would throw in an extra warrantee for me, due to buying the one card as long as I gave them a good rating on Biz Net. I said I would. He said it would be sent to me quickly and wanted to know if I would be home to sign for it. I said no, I work. So, it was to be left on the porch but w/ tracking. It was delivered Feb. 5th. I rushed home to find extra things shipped to me with extra charges. He added another 32 gig card and charged me another $300 on top or the $199. I e-mailed him immediately, because they were closed. He called me 20 minutes later and said it was a misunderstanding. I said I would send it all back. He said no, keep it. He said he just wanted a good review. He would not charge me the extra $300. I have asked for confirmation of this refund in writing -via e-mail, but he now will not respond by email or phone. I filed a dispute with my discover card and was advised not to open any of my items, so I can send everything back, just in case I must. I am not sure what his intentions were/are but he will not verify this refund. I have camera equipment that I can't use, and I am stuck. I discussed this with Discover and decided to file complaints w/consumer agencies (BBB and AG’s Office). My office coworker discussed my phone call from work immediately after the call, due to her interest in a camera. She can verify I was certain that I had just one card for roughly 199.00. That was the only figure quoted. I was never quoted 499.00. I would have stopped the whole transaction there on the spot! He even said at the end of the phone conversation, that he would send me coupons to by another card from them and other accessories, since I bought only one item. He was very aware there was no misunderstanding. Now, he will not respond to e-mail or calls. It was just a bait and switch. The invoice that came w/ the camera says you have 10 days to return things in original packing and you will be charged 20% restocking. No matter what, I am screwed. They will get 200 to 300 dollars out of me. I should have bought off Amazon. I have never had a bad experience there and the camera there was just slightly more expensive w/no add-ons. That just seems like such a better deal right now! I could have had it w/ a Delkin card and been in much better shape!!