Brooklyn camera stores: The scam stops here
dan tynan on Jan 18 2009 at 8:50 am | Filed under: Computerworld, Culture Crash, Da Web, Shopping, not dropping, The scams what am
Did you flunk out of 8th grade? Do you have barely contained aggressive tendencies and no scruples? Then, my friend, you may have a career in the Brooklyn camera store industry. But hopefully not for long. The chickens are finally coming home to roost for one of the most notorious bait-and-switch scams on the Net.
If you ever bought a camera online for what seemed like a great price only to discover you’ve been ripped off, you’ll be cheered by the following news.
The State of Texas has brought charges against two of the more infamous electronics retailers on the Net: Broadway Photo and Starlight Camera & Video. The Texas Attorney General is accusing the sites of bait-and-switch operations and other deceptive, overtly aggressive sales tactics.
All I can say is, what took them so long?
In the fall of 2002 I was part of a team of investigative reporters who bought cameras from seven of these shops – and investigated dozens more — for PC World magazine. That was my first encounter with one of the longest running scams in the electronics biz, which started in Brooklyn storefronts and has now spread across the Net.
A handful of families in New York and New Jersey have been running these stores for decades, and they all operate in the same way. The store advertises expensive cameras at prices hundreds of dollars below retail. When you call to order the camera, the salesperson patiently explains you’ll have to pay extra for batteries, memory cards, power cords, manuals, etc. By the time you’re done adding "extras," you’ve paid more than if you’d bought it from a legitimate retailer who sold you the complete package.
If you say "No thanks, I’ll just take the camera," you’ll find it’s suddenly and indefinitely out of stock. If you cancel your order or complain, you get an earful of abuse and even physical threats. Think you can avoid the scam by ordering it online? Fahgeddaboutit. The salesperson always calls back to "confirm" your order before placing it, so he can put the squeeze on you.
And they really don’t like having their dirty laundry aired in public…..
For the rest of this sleazy story, visit my Culture Crash blog on Computerworld.
