When Online Shopping Goes Bad

I balked at the prospect of buying bulb no. 3 for my Infocus
Screenplay 4805 projector. It's like buying a new stylus for your
phono cartridge (for you older folks out there), all that money ($300)
and you're merely back to where you thought you were to start with.
Not that the 4805 is a bad unit, it's just not nearly "state of the
art". So, the search for an alternative was on. I did a _lot_ of
research, planning and near buying (plasma, lcd, dlp rear projection)
before deciding to simply get a new front projector. I found the
Optoma HD72 (nice unit) for a great price ($1024 with a $200 rebate
bringing it to $824) from an outfit called www.bestpricecameras.com.
I decided to buy from them. As I filled out the order, I noticed that
the price stayed at $1024. Wondering when the $200 rebate would be
applied, I went to the end of the process (without filling out the
requested credit card information, and found that the price was still
1024 plus $40 in shipping (when the pricegrabber or whichever service
touted free shipping). Incredibly, the order went through even to the
emailed acknowledgment. I called them and got the order canceled,
learning in process that this was a mail in manufacturer's rebate--I
hate those. Looking at the rebate tab at Optoma.com, I discovered
that rebate expired Jan 31, 2008. My order was placed on Feb 10th as
the rebate still appeared on the bestpricecameras web site.

Doing further research, I came across the Mitsubishi HC1500, a unit
nearly identical to the Optoma in spec, except the best price (once
more from a price search service) listed bestpricecameras, again, as
cheapest at $699 with free shipping. I went back to this outfit and
ordered the Mitsubishi HC1500, even adding the $199, 3 year bulb
warranty which offered two free bulb replacements (worth $300 each) in
the three year period. Sounded great. Order completed, confirmation
in the email box.

This morning at just after 7am, I'm awakened (I'm retired, you know) with a call from J&K Cameras mentioning my order and requesting the 3 digit security code on the back of my credit card. I stumbled to my office, wiped my sleep filled eyes, got the card and gave them the number. The guy on the line then says "this is the wholesale version of the HC1500 which doesn't come with a bulb". What?! "Yeah, he says, now the bulb sells for $500, but since you took the bulb warranty, we'll sell you the bulb for $199. What?! "OK, he says, how about $99, would you pay $99 for the bulb?" This is absurd, I say, I've never heard of a projector being sold without the bulb, I'm canceling the order. He says, "You'll have to pay the cancellation fee." I reply that I'll dispute that. His response is to hang up.

I'm thinking, this bestpricecameras.com has a real security problem, they've been hacked and the hacker had the order information, probably the credit card number and now the 3 digit security code all wrapped in a nice package to get me mad enough to ignore the fraud and allow him to hang up and for me to fume, forgetting that I'd just passed along the last piece of info the crook needed.

I called the credit card company and canceled that card number, asking for a new card to be sent along. No problem.

Then I called bestpricecameras.com and gave my order number. I then asked, are you JK Cameras? Yes, they replied. I then asked where in the online ad they specified that the projector came without a bulb. The guy on the other end whose voice I just then recognized as the one that had called me said, "the order's canceled. I don't have time to talk to you" 'click'.

I can just imagine Mitsubishi sending out container loads of non-functioning projectors, leaving their customers on their own to find a bulb. I also know where the bulbs for the 3 year bulb guarantee program come from--I think they're the ones that JK Camera (DBA bestpricecameras.com) removes from the projectors they sell.

I strongly advise not doing business with either JK Cameras, or bestpricecameras.com. There's probably nothing illegal in their tactics, it's just sleazy and wrong.





Mr. Accessory, d.b.a. J and K Cameras, Inc., jandkcameras.com, Best Price Cameras, BestPriceCameras.com, Enterprise Photo, EnterprisePhoto.com, Razz Photo, RazzPhoto.com
1965 McDonald Ave.
Current location. Address found in a resellerratings.com comment for Best Price Cameras. For prior locations see pictures following. Razz Photo, the newest name, was first found at ShopCartUSA, where they are a featured merchant and have a static 3715 reviews. Domain created on: 10-Aug-07. For several months after this the only connection was the domain has the same zip code, the same domain registrar, the same whois cloaking, and the same IP as Best Price Cameras. The BBB has 1695 McDonald Ave for RazzPhoto's address. Just a few comments so far at ResellerRatings.com. Update: They had been using Century 21 Electronics, Century21electronics.com. The Century 21 department store sued them for trademark infringement and harming the stores' reputation. The judge agreed. When they first moved here they were also using MrAccessory.com, InfinityCameras.com, InfinitiCameras.com, and InfinitiPhoto.com, but they are all now down.