Stop & Shop Digital (stopandshopdigital.com) is the latest bait and switch website to appear on fake price comparison site everyprice.com. They are operated by either soniccameras or http://www.closeoutgenius.com/ (or both), both of which are notorious bait and switch operations.
How did I link stop and shop with closeoutgenius? Simply take a portion of the text from the stop & shop about us section and put it in Google. I used this text: "In-stock items are generally shipped within 24 to 48 hours after confirmation". There are only two results, one of which is www.closeoutgenius.com. (Searching in Yahoo yields more results).
Stop & Shop also uses the same “About Us” language found at soniccameras.com. Put “isn't your average online retailer. Among the earliest to sell consumer electronics online” in Google and you’ll see this language on numerous rip off sites such as soniccameras, bluestripephoto, and bigcameradeals.com. I believe that these are all operated by the same individual. See this post, and check out their actual world headquarters…very impressive! I’ve also noticed exact language used on the stopandshopdigital site on various Broadway Photo websites, so there could be a link there as well (Broadway Photo is currently being sued by the State of Texas for their deceitful business practices).
To reiterate…Stop & Shop Digital is a bait and switch operation. You will not, in any event, ever be able to purchase an item, for the advertised price, unless you agree to purchase over-priced accessories that negate any “deal” you may have thought you were getting. This company constantly changes its name in an attempt to stay ahead of negative web reviews. I check daily for new sites, and uncover them immediately.
Additional information:
Here’s a comment from someone that tried to purchase an item from them, written on January 26, 2009 (link):
How ironic. I just ordered a Garmin 760 GPS and was skeptical since the price was so good. I called to try to find out a little about the company after ordering as I was afraid that I was getting scammed. They assured me that they were a very reputable company and to take a look on their website and customer reviews were posted. Then they tried to sell me an expensive extended warranty. I declined. Shortly after, I received an email saying that when the order reached shipping, their inventory was negative so my order would be placed on a temporary backorder until the product was received back in stock (3-4 weeks). I called the company back and asked where I could find customer reviews on their company because I couldn't find on their site. They told me that they were a new online company and that is why I couldn't find any reviews for them. They said they used to be a brick and mortar store in California under the same name. I searched and couldn't find any record of the store. I told them to cancel my order. I am going to monitor my credit card activity very closely to make sure bogus charges don't start showing up. When I did a reverse phone number lookup, it was unlisted. When I did a reverse address lookup for the address they have on their website (Brooklyn, NY), it came up with a company called MY Realty. These could all be coincidence's and they could be a legitimate company but something just didn't feel right. If you decide to purchase from them or find any reviews on them, let me know. Thanks.
How ironic. I just ordered a Garmin 760 GPS and was skeptical since the price was so good. I called to try to find out a little about the company after ordering as I was afraid that I was getting scammed. They assured me that they were a very reputable company and to take a look on their website and customer reviews were posted. Then they tried to sell me an expensive extended warranty. I declined. Shortly after, I received an email saying that when the order reached shipping, their inventory was negative so my order would be placed on a temporary backorder until the product was received back in stock (3-4 weeks). I called the company back and asked where I could find customer reviews on their company because I couldn't find on their site. They told me that they were a new online company and that is why I couldn't find any reviews for them. They said they used to be a brick and mortar store in California under the same name. I searched and couldn't find any record of the store. I told them to cancel my order. I am going to monitor my credit card activity very closely to make sure bogus charges don't start showing up. When I did a reverse phone number lookup, it was unlisted. When I did a reverse address lookup for the address they have on their website (Brooklyn, NY), it came up with a company called MY Realty. These could all be coincidence's and they could be a legitimate company but something just didn't feel right. If you decide to purchase from them or find any reviews on them, let me know. Thanks.
UPDATE: DECEMBER 13, 2009: The State of Texas recently announced that they shut down several fake price comparsion websites, including shopcartusa.com and everyprice.com. Read the article here. Stopandshopdigital.com still proudly claims that they are a 2009 Gold Award winner from Everyprice. These guys are criminals. Here's a screen shot taken on 12/13/2009:
Stay far, far away from these guys.
153 comments:
I wish I had done better homework. I did 6+ hours of research on the camera I wanted to purchase,plus in-store testing, but unfortunately didn't research Stop & Shop Digital. Duh.
I ordered a Lumix LX3, but ... as you said, was told I needed a high-speed SD card and "super" battery. I didn't recall reading this, so I went back to a few camera review sites and learned these items were suggested, but not necessary. First red flag I all but ignored.
I called back to cancel my order, but was gullible, their salesperson very persuasive, and i fell for it. now, instead of the "deal" I originally thought I was getting, I'm paying far more. Sure, i got a few things added in below thier sites's cost because i called back to cancel my order. But, they still "got me."
Unfortunately, this was at the end of their phone hours yesterday, and when I called back now to once again cancel -- my order has already shipped. Surprise. The C.S rep acted insulted when I told him I found 8 GB (!) high-speed SD cards for far cheaper elsewhere. He pretty much dismissed me and told me they were low-qualtiy (uhhh, SanDisk? I don't think so). I've no recourse that I know of, other than to learn from this mess. I can return everything for a 10% restocking plus S&H fees. By the time I do that, order a new camera .. and if I ever DO want the upgraded accessories again ... I'll probably end up spending nearly the same amount. I would've been better off paying more and ordering from a known online seller.
Sorry to ramble. Be warned - don't be gullible like me. I thought I was being smart, was going to cancel, etc., and was STILL totally sucked in. Do your homework. Be firm. I'm really embarrassed.
This is what I ordered and what I will pay:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 camera
Two 2 GB SD high speed memory cards
The best battery available for the camera (149.00 at all sites I checked)
3-yr warranty (will have to take camera to Best Buy)
LCD protector
camera bag (probably not of good quality)
"free" shipping
ALL THIS for the low, low price of $649, when I originally expected to pay $348 for the camera including shipping. I thought I was smarter than this. Its an expensive and embarrassing lesson. Don't be like me!
I just ordered from stop&shop digital last night. I ordered the Garmin Nuvi 760 GPS for 184.00 with tax. After. I didn't feel to good about my great deal. Something didn't seem right. I googled reviews on this site and I came across these blogs on the switch & bate. I immediately called my bank and let them know to place a hold on any charges by this company. Today about 1:00pm I received the call for the verification of my account info and then they tried to upsell me the maps. Thanks to this blog I told them that I was on to there game and that I wouldn't be buying any maps and to cancel my order. Thank you for policing these garbage internet site. You just saved me 185.00 plus my security!!
I ordered a nuvi 760 on Friday. Today I received an email requesting me to call "Dave" and confirm my order. I got the sales pitch and declined all offers. He said my order would arrive in 7 to 12 days. Later I checked my order status on their web site and it has been changed to "back ordered". Does this mean they will cancel it ? What action should I take ?
Thanks,
Fred
I purchased the Garmin Nuvi 265WT on Saturday, and got the call on Sunday to verify my order (why should THAT be necessary?). He then pushed hard to sell me on "high speed memory cards" (as if a GPS requires it!). They charge $150 for a 1GB card that you can easily pick up for $10. I declined that as well as a charger for it (according to their website, the charger is included). I was told I should have my unit in 2 weeks.
I called back today and was hung up on twice by customer service. The third time they didn't hang up. However, they told me the GPS is now backordered and wouldn't ship for 2 weeks. After I asked a couple of questions, I asked again about when it would ship and was told 3-4 weeks.
There is something definitely shady about this company. At this point, I'm holding out to see what happens as my bank will cover my back if there is anything remotely fraudulent. That said, I expect that when I check back in 2-3 weeks that the unit will still be "backordered."
I called today to check on my back ordered nuvi 760. I was put on permanent hold twice. On my third call I was told they were very busy, and someone would call me back. No call so far. How can I cancel my order if I can't talk to them ? I would like to place another order with some company that will actually ship the gps. Should I just contact my credit card company ?
Fred
I filed a complain with the New York BBB this evening. I hate getting jerked around !
Fred
I posted a complaint earlier today, as well. Perhaps a bit premature since my order is supposedly still being processed, but I felt it was worth commenting on their heavy handed tactics.
Brad
I too, researched my camera way more than I did stopandshopdigital. I ordered a Canon SD100 at a price too good to be true - on 2/4. I never had a that great of a feeling. On 2/5 I see this blog and panic sets in. Today 2/6, I receive the email to contact them 'to complete the order'. I do so, with the intent to cancel. First, the rep notices that I failed to order an additional battery (he says that the one that comes with the camera is good for about 15 pictures). I decline, as I do the SD card sales pitch.
I am told that the item will ship in about 2 weeks. I ask him to cancel, which they do. Well, I received a poorly written cancelation email. We shall see.
My CC company has been notified, just in case.
Thank you for this blog - Something doesn't seem right with this company. I was looking into ordering, but glad I didn't.
Yep, my wife ordered a Canon camera from these people, then they called her and told her she'd need a battery because the one that came with it would only last for a few pics and by the time they had finished with her, the $180 camera had jumped to over $450She told them she would have to wait and discuss it with me. I called them and told them all we wanted was the camera, no accessories of any kind. Jason the rep (probably not a real name)then told me the camera was backordered and he could place me on a backorder list. I laughed at him and told him he was a silly little crook playing the game of bait and switch. I also asked him if he thought people were stupid enough to fall for this scam and now I see that there are, sorry to hear that.
I finally got an email confirmation that my order is cancelled today after all of the the same experiences others have had with stop and shop digital. Actually it seemed that they change their website yesterday when I tried to cancel and am grateful I found your article when trying to find the website. Today their website is back on. Has anyone had a problem with their cards etc. being charged after cancelling though, I am still concerned about this. thank you.
i had the same experience, they told me the battery only comes with 20 minutes, sent me cancelation email, i stupidly called back and they offered a "bargain" i declined and they said they will ship it,. After researching online - thanks to your site- i email to canceled and reported my credit card as lost.
haggleing with them on the phone was a super frutrating experiance.
Thank you SOOO much for this post!
I did not read these comments when I was ordering the camera sd990IS yesterday. It appeared it has same pattern with other people who posted their comments on this web. My status was on "need verification". After I called the company, they wanted to know what my shipping address and wanted to sell more batteries and other accessories. I told them it was included on my purchased (listed on web). However, they said that the battery will only hold for 25 min. I told them it was ok and just shipped what I ordered. Then, later I found out that my order status was in backorder. I called them again. The customer service is rude and said "if we don't have it, we don't have it. We cannot guarantee the item is available". Can someone from BBB take a look on this bussiness? Is it a scam?
I did not read these comments when I was ordering the camera sd990IS yesterday. It appeared it has same pattern with other people who posted their comments on this web. My status was on "need verification". After I called the company, they wanted to know what my shipping address and wanted to sell more batteries and other accessories. I told them it was included on my purchased (listed on web). However, they said that the battery will only hold for 25 min. I told them it was ok and just shipped what I ordered. Then, later I found out that my order status was in backorder. I called them again. The customer service is rude and said "if we don't have it, we don't have it. We cannot guarantee the item is available". Can someone from BBB take a look on this bussiness? Is it a scam?
I did not read these comments when I was ordering the camera sd990IS yesterday. It appeared it has same pattern with other people who posted their comments on this web. My status was on "need verification". After I called the company, they wanted to know what my shipping address and wanted to sell more batteries and other accessories. I told them it was included on my purchased (listed on web). However, they said that the battery will only hold for 25 min. I told them it was ok and just shipped what I ordered. Then, later I found out that my order status was in backorder. I called them again. The customer service is rude and said "if we don't have it, we don't have it. We cannot guarantee the item is available". Can someone from BBB take a look on this bussiness? Is it a scam?
I placed an order with 86photovideo.com on Friday and had the same issues as others. When I cancelled the order, I started to do more search and came accros stopandshopdigital.com, so again, I fell for their game. I went throught the same situation with them! I'm just hoping that my credit card does not get charged!
I ordered yesterday but it just didn't seem right. They ask for your bank number... I called after trying to leave it blank but it said it was required. They said they wanted the number to verify that the funds were there. So I filled it out and placed my order. Today I randomly decided to search their name and found several forums as well as this site all saying the same thing. I called to cancel my order tonight. They never asked for my name or anything, they just wanted the order number and didnt ask any other questions. I also called my bank and had a note placed on my account about this place so I don't have to bother if they try and charge my card, my bank will fight it all for me.
Just goes along with the saying, if it seems to good to be true...
THANK YOU THANK YOU. I have unfortunately already ordered a camera from them; $286.20, but I got so pissed at this scam that I have decided to take matters into my own hands. I have figured out that their profits come from the batteries they force people to buy. They see profit margins upwards of 800% on them. I've decided to contact the battery company and sever the ties between them. A huge blow to them. It will cripple, if not shut them down. If anyone wants to help in my scam site sabotage, I'm open to contact at rcman50166@yahoo.com. Please place the topic as StopandShopDigital Scam. I'd prefer people with experience with legal practices.
I was about to buy a camera from them good thing I did a litle research :)before, thanks for keeping this blog !!!
I just got my "We regret to inform you that by the time your order reached the shipping process, our inventory on the product(s) you ordered was negative, therefore your order will be placed on a temporary backorder until we receive the product(s) back again in stock which will be in about 3-4 weeks." This was following the typical "bait and switch" email requesting a personal phone call to "verify your order." If you purchase the over priced accessories the item is shipped ASAP. If you decline the wonderful offers, you get this email and no camera!
Be on notice that the email requesting you call them to "verify your order" is their chance to sell you more! CANCEL YOUR ORDER! This is not a DEAL! Classic way for the seller to hustle you into spending more than you expected to pay!
David
I wish I had read this website before I made a purchase....
StopnShopDigital is questionable at best. When I sent email to their support team the email was returned to sender as the mailbox didn't exist! In fact, all the emails on that page don't exist.
I ended up calling them to complain and the person on the phone actually hung up on me!
Without a doubt, these folks should be avoided.
Wish I would have seen this post before I ordered. They tried to up-sale me, I told them no thankyou just the camera. I check the website shortly after my order and found it on back order status. I emailed them about all the comments on the web about there busy practices and my order was canceled shortly after that.
has anyone ever actually RECEIVED merchandise from these crooks?!
I was looking to purchase a new camera and found stop and shop digital through an internet search. LUCKILY before purchasing I also found THIS BLOG! Thank you!! I will not be ordering from them and I hope they are caught and prosecuted for this scam!!
Thank you soooooo much for this comment site. It saved me a lot of potential problems.
I am very thankful that this site is available, as I was about to drop $500 on a camera. The price simply seemed too good to be true, now I see that it is. Needless to say I will keep looking for my Camera.
Thanks again.
I actually did receive a product from them. I ordered a camcorder (Canon fs100) in blue at a too low to be true price. Got an email to call and confirm my order. Got talked into ordering some battery upgrade and other junk along with an upgrade to 2day shipping because I had a momentary lapse of idiocy. When I received my product it was the wrong color camcorder and no extra battery or charger as described which I was sold on, plus the additional accessories were not as described. Called and was told the color change was actually an upgrade because the blue has been rubbing off on people's hands (bullsh*t) and the battery upgrade is actually in the camcorder box. Looked in the box that night and the only battery is the BP808 (the battery that normally comes with this camcorder). Called the next day (after finally reading some posts about this scamming company), so this time I called with an attitude. Was told same thing about the color and that the battery actually is an upgrade because the one that comes with this camcorder is much weaker. Called him out on it and demanded an RMA number for return of all merchandise. He said I would have to pay shipping and a 20% restocking fee so it wouldn't be worth it. I said he can't charge a restocking fee because the merchandise sent was incorrect, so he waived it. Then he said to call back Monday for the RMA number because customer service was "down". Told him no, that he would be giving me the RMA today. Finally he relented and did. Sent the merchandise back the next day. We'll see if I get my money back, but I did give my credit card company the heads up and they are good about having your back. Shady shady place...
Unfortunately I already had registered and entered my credit card number before I got spooked. I just hope that they don't try to bill me for anything!
I wish i had come across this blog before placing an order for Garmin GPS nuvi 255.. on 01/03/09. The price was too good to be true and so i decided to order it after reading their web on "about us sections and their priority to customers security as they said!.. I can see that all those were lies!!
Just like the rest, the next day (sunday) I received an email that needed my confirmation over the phone. I called in to confirm my order.. The associate asked me if i wanted an advanced software CD which costS $99, I then asked him asked him if I can not operate the GPS without the software, he told me that I can, so i declined that..
After declining that, he asked me again to purchase a CHARGER for GPS, of which as far as i know on the web it said that the GPS kit included all that, when i asked him he said that what was there was only a cable (??!!) that i could do with only when the car was running, He was offering me that for $65, I told him that the GPS was all i needed and so i declined that too.
He then said my order was confirmed and that i will receive a confirmation email shortly! I waited for the email and tried to reach them but i couldnt.
Now, when i was trying to log on their web today(03/03/09) i came across this blog, and as all have being said, i log on my account on shop and digital.com to check my order status which i found it as "BACK ORDERED".
I believe that everything said about stop and shop digital is true and I am going to cancel my order today and call my bank so that to prevent them from getting money from my account.
Thank you Dave for the blog.
I hope this scam online store wont steal from me!
Dora.
I wasn't smart enough to research this worthless company before placing an order. I read this blog and other sites warning me. Sure enough, just as described, they tried to sell me a battery for almost double what it cost on amazon.com, when i declined.....backordered! If you have a similar experience, file a complaint online at the NY BBB. STAY AWAY from Stopandshopdigital.com
Camera Giants Inc and all those like it need to be put out of business. You can help by calling the manufacture of the product that they have misrepresented, like Canon, Nikon, Garmin and wage a complaint. I did and they are interested in learning about these companies because they are bad for their Corporate Name and customer relations. Call your credit card companies; especially if you like I did and gave them a card number. I don't trust them because slime like this might just be slimy enough to steel your ID and sell it. Contact the Attorney General of New York and file a complaint which is available on line. Contact the Federal trade commission because this crosses State lines and might constitute fraud. We don't let them continue to operate in this manner we can take action and protect others also.
Bastards.. bastards.. bastards!
Don't buy from these people!
Also, call or write the New York Attorney General's Office and report this scam company and evey alias these use.
I was scammed also. A relatively inexpensive lesson but Im still pissed how stupid I was. There were several signs when I placed the order. Karma will prevail in the end. Still waiting for some shitty add on that they upsold me on.
I was scammed also. A relatively inexpensive lesson but Im still pissed how stupid I was. There were several signs when I placed the order. Karma will prevail in the end. Still waiting for some shitty add on that they upsold me on.
I'm really sorry for everybody that has had a poor experience with them.
But, thank you all SOOOOOO much for sharing your experiences. I was about to purchase a camcorder from them at a price that was too good to be true, until I came across this site.
As someone else stated i did hours of research about the camera i was about to purchase - Yet when it came to stopandshopdigital i was all too eager to hand over my credit card information
less then 24 hours after placing my order, i received an email stating my camera is out of inventory and my order has been canceled and my sensitive information has been deleted...
A quick check at my account on their website displayed my sensitive information
So, less then 24 hours after placing my order with stopandshopdigital... i canceled my credit card...
STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!! I now know to research ANY online store before purchasing anything from them... I think I'm going to stick with eBay from now on... I always used to, but the "deal" on stopandshopdigital was amazing it was 1/3rd the price of anywhere else online - I should've known better
Now i have to deal with them to delete my information, my credit card number is useless now, but i still don't like having the info there...
Again... STAY AWAY FROM stopandshopdigital... How to places like this exist?!?
Rip off scamers. I just called and their phone says they are closed. Seems like it might be owned by the Gambino family
Thanks for alerting us to this Dave.
Experienced all the things everyone mentioned above. Placed order for a Panasonic Lumix LX3 b/c of the low price and surprising availability (completely sold out in black everywhere). Received a "verification email." Spoke to Dave who tried selling me a "longer-lasting battery." I said I'll call him back. No one picked up the phone so I sent an email stating that I didn't want any accessories and to confirm shipment of the order. A few days later, I received a "backorder" reply. Email states that I can cancel my order online. Doesn't let me. Also read under FAQs that only a phone cancellation is allowed and email cancellations are not sufficient (surprise, surprise since NO ONE PICKS UP THE PHONE OVER THERE!). I emailed my cancellation request several times. No reply. Called today at 2pm and auto attendant says the store is closed despite the contrary stated on their hours of operations on their website. AVOID!!!!
Sad a place like this can still exist. Thanks for the heads-up, Dave!
I am lucky! That's several weeks I'am trying to buy a Nikon D90 at such great prices... I'm from Europe.
First I found SonicCameras, had the story with the battery not included and I first said ok for the battery, after that he said I need a charger, each were 199$... I said I hadn't enough money for that and he canceled my order right away!
Second try: Digitals Future
They refused my Credit card because it was not a US one. Order cancelled!
I really want this camera...
Third try: Stopandshopdigital
First e-mail: Order processing
Second one: Order cancelled due to No inventory! I asked per e-mail for how long and get an answer (amazing...) "3-4 weeks thank you." (that's the whole text!)
You want more?
Fourth try: CameraGiants
Again I had to call to "verify" and confirm the order. He first wanted me to fax front and back side of my credit card. Then he tried again to sell me a battery for 199$.
I think they are used to custumers cancelling orders because as I said I don't want to pay more he just said "I cancel your order" *clic* call was over and I got a mail confirming cancellation.
I found a new one: I don't know yet if it is the same company but it could be:
http://www.5thavedigital.com
I can follow my credit card records online, I've never been billed until now.
I'm glad having now found this blog!
I wish you will be able to kill this organisation!
Goodluck!
S. Pichard
www.sebpichard.net
I am another sucker who didn't research the company before buying. Got the upsell scam on extra "super hi capacity" batteries and a special "super fast" charger and fell for it. Also was lied to about problems with the coating flaking off of the camera color that I had originally requested so they could switch me to whatever they had in stock. Fell for that too. Just got my camera today and found that they totally lied about the battery and charger upgrades. Went to the Canon website and found that I got exactly what that model comes with normally, plus an extra battery that sells for $5 on Amazon. Which Stop and Shop charged me an extra $129 to "upgrade". I am sick to my stomach. Have to start making phone calls tomorrow to try and get the charge to my credit card stopped and see if anyone will answer the phone at SNS. AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!
I ordered 2 garmin 760's and of course, got the backorder e-mail. The strange thing is I didn't suspect anything because they didn't try to sell me upgrades when I called to confirm (i did think that was odd to have to call and confirm). Guess I'll start calling Sunday to cancel my order and then stick with Amazon!
March 14, 2009
I ordered a Canon G10 for $210 on March 10, since then they have increased the price to $279. They sent me an e-mail and called me on the phone to “confirm” the order. At that time, they attempted to sell me another battery for $60 since the one in the camera lasted for only 15 minutes, I knew that wasn’t true and declined. My initial doubts about this “company” were confirmed. Since then, my charge card has not been used and the tracking system on their website still has my order listed “to be confirmed”. I know I will never receive the camera at that price from them.
Has anyone contracted the NYS Attorney General about this? There is little doubt that this is a criminal activity. I am also very concerned about the fact that they have my credit card information.
Thanks so much! This is very informative and very generous of you all for sharing.
Wow, Thank you all for your helpful information. How do they allow companies with a history of scamming the customer contiune to be in operation. Fox5 news "shame shame shame!" should do a special on these three companys. Stop and Shop digital, Closeout Genius, and Camera Giants should no longer be in business.
Great feedback. Since you’ve taken the time to comment, please take the time to ensure your comments have an impact against this business.
The link for Stop and Shop Digital’s listing with the NY Better Business Bureau is below:
http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx?id=106392&pid=44&page=0&FindStr=Stop+and+Shop+Digital&SearchBy=company&Address=&City=&Phone1=&Phone2=&Phone3=&MembersOnly=False
To file a complaint with the NY Better Business Bureau:
https://odr.bbb.org/odrweb/public/getstarted.aspx
To file a complaint with the NY Attorney General:
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/bureaus/consumer_frauds/filing_a_consumer_complaint.html
As you can see, only a few people have taken this step to ensure their feedback truly makes a difference and Stop and Shop Digital is held accountable.
Please take the time to follow through and ensure appropriate action is taken against this business.
7 RED FLAGS. I Learned my Lesson.
I Placed an order for a Garmin nuvi 765t GPS for $270 on 2/28/09 (RED FLAG #1). I my checked S&SD account on 2/29/09 and it showed the order was being processed.
On 3/5/09 I checked the website and low-and-behold the item increased from $270 to $365 in five days (RED FLAG # 2). I called them because the order never changed from the state of being processed in five days (RED FLAG #3). The person I talked to said he had to verify my information and order before placing the order. I asked why and he said because I was a new customer (RED FLAG #4). So I did. I told him "you mean to tell me if I waited around for two weeks my order would have been in limbo!" He said “we were just about to call you.” (RED FLAG #5) I said I really needed this, and now that I waited around for five days I probably wouldn’t get it in by the end of the week. He said there was still a shipment today and the order should go out tonight.
A day or two later I received an email stating the order was now on backorder (RED FLAG #6). The email also provided information on how to cancel the order if I chose. I didn't.
A couple weeks went by; the order remained in backorder status. I decided to call from another phone and not provide any order information, and pretended to order another unit. When I inquired if the item was in stock, Richard (I’ll call him Dick) said "it is available." I asked what that means. He said "it's available." Again I said, "do you have this in stock?" He said, "Sir, do you have one of these on order already?" I said "yes." He said (hold on here) "Why are you being so dishonest with me?" (RED FLAG #7) CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS! I stayed calm and told him “…I'm not being dishonest.” He said "…yes you are. How can I provide you the correct information if you are being dishonest?" He used this word about three times. I remained calm and finally got out of him these typically come in 10 days to 2 weeks."
Another week later, I called and asked about my order and all I would get is they have no information on when they will receive them.
Canceling the order was simple. A phone call and a few seconds later I received an email. No questions, no concerns, nothing. These guys never tried to sell me any high priced accessories. I just couldn't the flipping thing I wanted.
Amazing. I experienced the same exact scenario. These guys are crooks and certified psychopaths. I finally called my Mileage Plus Visa and they are investigating. I will post everywhere so that these people come down. I will contact the California consumer protection agency as well as the federal one.
Purchased a Canon from www.5thavedigital.com and received an email requesting a call to confirm order. Called and confirmed info, then was asked if I had a memory card (high speed). I had just done some research on cards and turns out I knew more about the card than the dude on the phone. He kept telling me "these cameras are fast and need a high speed memory card" I told him I have a card "class 6" and it would work fine. He didn't know squat about the card and stated the order would be shipped out that day after processing. Sure enough, camera is back ordered and will take 3-4 weeks. I also took screen shots of each time the camera price went up. Camera went from $244 - $297, and today... it's $325. This company is doing exactly what everyone else has experienced on this site. DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM WWW.5THAVEDIGITAL.COM. Guess if it's too good to be true, it probably is!
I wanted to order the new Canon PowerShot SX10 IS, and the best prices posted were from Close Out Genius, Shop & Stop Digital, and Camera Giant. Boy, and I glad I had a bad feeling about it and did some research first. Thanks so much for keeping this blog!
I wish I had read these comments - last night I ordered a Canon at the best price online and today I got the email - they tried to sell me accessories that would double the price and all the while the sales guy was trying to add on batteries, memory cards, etc - just like all of you before me have experienced. now what? I just got off the phone with them -
I will second the "Stay away from Broadway Photo". I learned a valuable lesson a year ago on a camcorder purchase. Broadway Photo are a bunch of liars and crooks and I ended up spending $200.00 more than if I would have shoped with my normally used, TRUSTWORTHY B&H Photo. What started as $600.00 cheaper in the beginning turned into a stupid mistake. Please beware of Broadway Photo!
same story guys=)
i ordered lumix fz28 with 3-days shipping for 210 $
but when i saw this post, i call to bank and closed my credit acct and ask him to send new card..
now I'm sure what this site is fake.
Credit Card Protection: I had similar problems with other companies. Remember, your credit card company protects you, not the vendor. You are not responsible to pay for items that you did not order or that were not as described. I would call the company and request a pickup from a shipper before I paid to ship back an item that was not what I ordered. I called canon and was told certain model numbers are strictly US. I.E Canon H10 is not made outside the US yet I was told it was cheap because it was imported and not covered by a US guarantee. tick with the reputable stores, it more but at least you will get your monies worth.
A new one just showed up on google... On Time Digital
www.ontimedigital.com
They also have cheap prices, with way overpriced warranties and accessories.
Watch out!
Thanks for the warning!
My general rule of thumb for online shopping for mostly electronic stuff is that if the price is drastically different (on either side) from Amazon.com's price, beware.
This is a place where the prices are too good to be true. After you order, you get a phone call and they try to sell you "essential" accessories at astronomical prices. If you decline, your item will shortly be on back order. After reading some of the other posts and getting no response from phone messages or emails, I decided to cancel my order. I don't believe that waiting 3 to 4 weeks would have gotten me the camcorder I ordered.
Thanks to all of you for posting your experiences. You folks all saved me a lot of aggravation and money. I had bookmarked this vendor when I was looking for a Nikon D300.
I just wanted you all to know that your posts are very valuable! Thank you.
JB
Trust your instinct. I was two inches away from ordering a 1500 item.
I could not find the physical address and can't afford to lose money. To me this is not a luxury item but an income factor.
I was very fortunate to learn about their "catch".
Imagine amount of people they can rip off on a daily basis.
thank everyone for your comments...
Yep, same scenario here with stopandshopdigital.com. Tried buying and "good" priced lense and then got the upsell call.
Small time scammers is all they are. Pathetic.
What i dont understand is why do these guys put all this time and effort into a giant scam.
Seriously, they have a decent operation as far as marketing and business sense. I bet if they went legit they would be pretty successful. Until then, STAY AWAY!!!
I almost was going to buy from this company but the website was close out genius . I didn't understand how they could be so cheap so I did a google search. Found this blog. I would rather buy the camera cannon fs100 from JandR.com they are a huge company and I have bought from them before and I trust them for only 50.0o more than the bogus site listed. Thanks for makeing this blog.
I almost was going to buy from this company but the website was close out genius . I didn't understand how they could be so cheap so I did a google search. Found this blog. I would rather buy the camera cannon fs100 from JandR.com they are a huge company and I have bought from them before and I trust them for only 50.0o more than the bogus site listed. Thanks for makeing this blog.
Thank you, everyone, for posting your comments. I, too, was moments away from completing an order for a canon lens which the price was "too good to be true". i stepped back from the order to search for the location of the business. i found the address on their website: 6605 20th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11204. if you have time, use Google maps' Street View feature to look at the physical location.
As it turns out, there is no street-level presence. it is most likely run out of a small office or apartment above the nail salon or oriental market.
when i googled 'stop and shop digital reviews', i discovered this blog. I GREATLY appreciate the time each of you have taken to express your concerns, frustrations, and suspicions about this business.
lesson learned: if it seems too good to be true, it is most likely not true.
thanks!
We have tried for days to confirm a Nikon D 90 camera with 18-200mm lens was in stock. After holding on the phone for over an hour I got them to answer. "Yes it is in stock,do you want to order", yes I replied "Do you want a battery?No I replied, "Can you hold for a moment"? yes, Da,Da,Da,etc for an hour before I hung up just to run their 800 bill up.I emailed them with notice that I was filing a complaint with the State of Tennessee Attorney General's office for fraud. Everyone is telling it exactly how it is with STOP AND SHOP DIGITAL!!! Hope someone nails these bastards. John
I have tried to call them at least 10 times and couldn't get through. Line was either busy or your office was closed and it was way before closing time. I have e-mailed them now 4 times and no response. So I cancelled the credit card because of this scam and will report it to the proper authorities. Wish I would have read these psts first, but thanks for posting this info.
I have tried to call them at least 10 times and couldn't get through. Line was either busy or your office was closed and it was way before closing time. I have also e-mailed them now 4 times and no response. I have also cancelled the credit card because of this scam and will report it to the proper authorities. Thanks for letting me know about this scam, wish I would have read it sooner.
I was just going to order canon camera. I wanted to order because i thought it was safe (stop&shops). I learned that its not related to stop&shops. its good to learn. thank you.
Saw the price for SD970 Canon digital camera on the infosync website. The price was significantly less (over $130.)then other retailers.I gave the company a call and the salesman said they can offer cheaper prices because they buy in bulk. I told the salesman I would call him back and before I could finish my sentence he hung up on me. I'm very glad I did research on the company as it saved me lots of money. Always remember, if it is too good to be true then it is...
Still on hold as I write this comment, i just got off the phone with capitol one to cancel my charge fpr my digital camera lense. was talked into a better lense that was made of titanium (not plastic) this lense they sold me does not exist on the internet. i paid double for what i could buy elswhere...Raymond I hope this all catches up to u and your staff.
Dishonest company and rude customer service comes free with cheap price.
Stopandshopdigital should be named as stopanddontshopwithus because we are the most dishonest company you will find who will process your order and cancel it without your notion and offer the same to you at a higher price on the same day.
Avoid this company at ALL COST.
I was about to order a Canon Powershot SD970 IS. The recently launched camera is running for about $379 in major stores. However, when I saw "Stop and Shop Digital" advertising it for only $269, it hit a switch! I'm going on vacation in a few days and can use a really good camera but don't want to spend too much! Deal! ....Deal? Well, I got a fishy notion from them. I was reading through their policies, not sure if it was under About Us or Privacy Policy but they kept referring to StopnShop.com. I said, wait a minute, that's not their website. I then logged on to Google - Maps to check out the street view of the locations (thank God for Google Maps!!) and found their 'location' was in a dingy factory spot. No name, no number...nada. I zoomed in, in what was supposed to be there address and even saw an empty hallway...LOL. Goodness, thank God I was saved! Thanks for these blogs too, cause they really helped. I aint stopping to shop here!
Also beware CameraGiants.com. Same classic bait and switch. Me being too eager initially ordered. Spoke with them, went through the lies and offers of $40.00 batteries for $150.00 and $30.00 chargers for $200.00. Told him to cancel and called my credit card company to issue a new number. One thing to remember, no need to cancel, just have a new number issued.
Beware of the FRAUDULENT StopandshopDigital.com outfit. After receiving order, they ask you to call them to "verify" the order. They try to sell you other items and also ask you to verify your credit card number and the security code. If you do not buy other items, they cancel your order stating no inventory available for the item. I have no doubt that they make fraudulent charges to the credit cards as well. DO NOT ORDER FROM STOANDSHOPDIGITAL.COM.
Stop and Shop Digital?
Stay away from these SCUMBAGS. Hope someone will blow away their guts!
unfortunately I placed an order for a TZ5 with these guys earlier this week without bothering to do research on this website. They tried to run the same scam they do with everyone else. it was a good thing that I knew enough about the camera to know the sales guy was BSing me. That's when I found this blog! too bad I didn't find it sooner. I went ahead and filed a complaint to Better Business Bureau. Don't know if it do anything but it's worth a shot. It at least made me feel better. =/
Here's the website in case you want to do the same....
http://www.newyork.bbb.org
I had the same exact experience as Grrrr, including ordering the same camera even. I filed a complaint with the BBB and gave them the link to this blog.
Yikes, I dogged a bullet - I have a scheduled call back for Monday from Stop and Shop Digital to "arrange the details"... Only by accident did I find this blog.
Thank you very much for hosting this blog.
Tri State is another (or the same one) with the same Brooklyn address. They must sell something, though, or how would the website be paid for? But who would buy anything from them? AVOID like the Swine Flu.
Tri State Electronics or Digital is another. It Looks like the same Brooklyn storefront.
Thank You! I was just about to call them when I found your site. You saved me a lot of headaches and 700.00.
Thank you... I was saved being scammed.. by this website by reading this blog
Sounds like ProPhotoNation.com Same names, Dave, Jason also a Victor at PPN. Same tactacts. If not the same people, the same kind of people.
I tried this and a few other sites, looking to purchase a Canon G10 for the "incredible" advertised price. The pattern is exactly the same, among many such sites. You have to call to "confirm" the order, thus they upsell you expensive stuff you do not need. Then when you do not bite, you get an email the item is not in stock ... you never get anything. I have been monitoring such sites for over a year now and the pattern is the same. They are run either by Jewish or Russian people, but to date I have not figured out a legal way of putting an end to them .... The saying "buyer beware" is certainly try.
Thanks for the post. As soon as I saw they were asking for my credit card info before I'd seen the final price I thought I should google them. Tossers.
Thank you for the wonderful watchdog post.
I too played the game with Stop and Shop Digital, even though I was very skeptical from the get-go. When they called, I played stupid to hear what their pitch was going to be, I figured they were going to try to sell me crap I didn't need; but to flat out lie to me by saying that the lens I ordered would not work on the camera that I had was just plain criminal!
When I explained to the guy that I was on Canon's website countering his lie and quoted for verbatim that he was wrong, he simply told me that HE was a 15 year photojournalist veteran and expert on Cameras and knew more than the manufacturer's website (REALLY? Why doesn't he just work at Canon then?)
When I told him I was a 17 year expert on Photography and equipment, he pretty much told me I had no idea what I was talking about and that I had obsolete knowledge. As if insults would convince me to buy more from him.
Why not just sell me the item, period, and leave me with my error if that was the case. Why tell me I had no idea what I was talking about. I told him to just send me the lens, and that's that, I said I don't care if I am wrong. Of course a couple of days later, I get an email saying the part was back ordered for 3-4 weeks.
I too was suspicious about Stop and Shop Digital, but I have a secret weapon that pretty much protects me from online scams, I have a Platinum American Express Card. Platinum Amex loves to shut down payments in a blink without question for its customers, which is why a lot of vendors who have an even slightly sketchy business operation that risks chargebacks can't stand using Amex for transactions. I usually will not do business with a vendor who refuses to use Amex--their reason that Amex charges too much is just disingenious. I am sure many of you Amex holders have heard that before. As a vendor, if you sell a lot legitimately, and don't have a lot of chargebacks you get better treatment and rates from the merchant transaction operators.
But these guys are definitely a Bait and Switch operation. A total boiler room operation from Brooklyn. I used to do this sort of thing when I sold cars in college. The best business lessons I ever learned, I learned selling cars. It made me a well informed consumer.
My best advice, get a Platinum Amex card!!
Regards,
Fellow New Yorker
Thanks for the blog Dave! I thought that the prices were way to good to be true and you saved me a big hassle.
We were about to buy from stop and shop digital and it was good we changed our minds. The reason for that was because we called and spoke with someone quite rude. This really made me think twice about the company, and still I wasn't sure if maybe this was just this one person being like that. Then we called again to ask another question. We were almost ready to buy it. We spoke with the same person. We asked him if he can give us free shipping like many sites do on very expensive purchases. The guy seemed very annoyed with us and said he never heard of free shipping in his life and noone would ever give us one. We didn't argue with him, cause we saw there was no point. We decided if we do buy the camera to be from the website and not through this person. But one last thing we noticed that in the kit of the nikon d60 camera we were considering the battery was not mentioned. So we called again for the third time. The guy probably saw it was again and kept us on hold for 15 minutes before picking up. Then when he finally picked up (it was the same person once again), he was eating and chewing with full mouth while speaking with us. He lied to us that nikon d60 comes with regular AA batteries that die after 30 minutes of shooting pictures. I don't know if he was just fed up with us and wanted to get rid of us.. thankfully, he did. I then researched the company because of his weird behavior and thank god I stumbled on this website. Thanks to everyone who shared their experience. I couldn't believe such thing was possible.
They are Bait and Switch SCAM artists! I knew it when I saw the price of the Camcorder, but since it was for a friend overseas I ordered it. Surprise, surprise, surprise, I receive an email to "confrirm my purchase." Right there I knew what was up, called, and the guy tried to sell me what comes with the camcorder from the factory. AND it would only cost about $150 dolars more than anyone else's advertised price! Such a deal!
I did the worse thing you can do to these scumbags, I wasted their time, I kept him on the phone for a good 30min. before I told him to cancel the order. That's 30min he wasn't trying to scam someone more gullible.
I hate these tactics, I've gotten to the point where I won't even bother with ANY retailer based out of NYC.
I found a GREAT price for a Canon lens. I called just to check and see what the scoop was....I asked if the canon 10-22 f/3.5-4.5 lens was the USA version. He said Yes...Then he reluctantly said, "we 'actually' have 2 versions". - Like I was really getting a deal, or like I was so lucky to have 2 to choose from. So, I asked him if the $379 version was "imported". He said yes. I asked him how much the USA version was and he said'$799". That is more like it......It was alot like pulling teeth though....So, thanks Dave for this great blog to warn others about these sites who are SCAMMERS! Hopefully people will do their homework before buying electronics online!
one more thing,- makes me wonder how many people buy these from companies such as these and RESELL them on ebay for MUCH more! for the normal prices.....hmmmm. Don
't think I will be buying this lens on ebay either.....
Yes they are so bad...!!! I got all excited about my Lumix camera. So when I saw it for $175 I jumped on it. I called 3 days later to get my tracking # which was not issued yet. When I called they had not processed my order because I did not buy a battery and battery charger. Have you ever heard about a car not coming with tires? So they tried to push a charger @79 and a battery @99. I did not fall for it. They were rude, cancelled my order without me asking and hang up on me. So yes it is cheaper on the screen but you won't get it. Don't do business with them.
You can also add ontimedigital.com to the scammer list.
Same exact email, same exact routine.
Angered me beyond belief. I've no problem with the hard sales pitch..., I've taken advantage of a couple of time share "freebies" and I know how to say no, and walk away.
But not delivering what you sell, at the price you sell it... That's unacceptable.
I also wish I had done my homework before making a purchase from Stop n Shop. I was searching for a camera for my husband's birthday, and I couldn't afford to pay full price. SS's price was less than half of their competitors--way too good to be true, and I knew it. I studied the specs and as far as I could tell, the only difference was their camera was an import model and came with no accessories. I couldn't afford to pay more and was prepared to buy the accessories later, so I placed the order and was told the item would ship in 8-10 days.
A week later (just days before my husband's birthday), an SS rep called to "confirm" my order. He, of course, tried to sell me the accessories, at a price that was equivalent to his competitors' full price. I declined. Repeatedly. He was rude, angry, condescending...the cliche sleazy salesman. Then he told me the item would ship in 2-3 weeks. I told him that the website said I'd get it in 8-10 days, and he said that was only possible if I upgraded to a full package domestic model. Again I declined, but the rude patronizing continued. I explained I needed the shipment within three days, as it was a birthday gift, but he accused me of negligence and even insincerity to my husband since I was giving him a discounted camera as a gift! Finally, I asked him to cancel the entire order, but his comments still didn't stop until I reached my limit and told him I was canceling simply because I didn't want to deal with him anymore. At that point he hung up on me.
I called back to confirm the cancellation only to be put on hold. Eventually I called back again and spoke with another equally glib and condescending rep. I asked to speak to someone in management or customer service, but conveniently, those departments were closed. He told me my order was canceled, but I'm still worried. They have all my credit card and contact info, and I'm just waiting for mysterious charges and sales calls to come flooding in at any minute. My instincts were right--the price was way too good to be true. Don't even consider a purchase from this vendor!!
I did not find this site until I attempted to place a Cannon camera order with two different websites. The first site was ontimedigital.com and they gave me the same story that the camera was wholesale and did not come with a battery. I canceled my order and found Stop&ShopDigital.com I ordered and received my verification email, called them and verified my address, but I checked the site today and it says the sale still needs to be verified. I will call them tomorrow. I don't expect anything positive to happen and will more than likely cancel my order. Thanks for all the previous comments. I will call my credit card company and also Cannon.
Well, I thought i was pretty intelligent getting a good deal for but after reading this blog and knowing my gut instincts from yesterday - I feel like an idiot. I ordered just the camera for a small price (Canon) and was not planning on buying any accessories. I got a call from Alan who wanted the security code from my credit card and I was very skeptical and asked him a lot of questions. He tried to convince me to buy more accessories with the camera and a different battery and told me a load of Bull**** on the phone. He didn't say anything about the order bring final and that there was no option for return which I saw on my email this morning. Luckily I called my credit card company and informed them and I will be disputing the charge and sent an email and left phone messages to cancel the order. I will cancel my credit card also in the next few days as I have a couple of legitimate purchases that I need to let go through as I don't want this company to have any up to date information on me. I will also be complaining to the business bureau about these people.
CAMERGIANTS.COM IS THE SAME LIKE STOP&SHOPDIGITAL.I ORDERED A CAMERA FROM THEM LAST WEEK WHICH SHOWED IT WAS IN STOCK.THOUGHT EVERY THING WENT FINE TO THE LAST CHECK OUT .RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION OF THE ORDER. THEN THE SECOND DAY ,RECEIVED AN EMAIL GIVING ME THIER TEL.NUMBER TO CALL THEM . WHEN I CALLED I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY CAN NOT SEND THE ITEM.OUT OF STOCK..WE'LL HAVE MORE IN TWO TO THREE MONTHS. WHAT DO YOU THINK ????
I am embarrassed to say I have been scammed by this illegitamate company as well. I was talked into and sold a Sigma lens that doesn't even exist, I found this out unfortunately after it was too late to cancel my order. When I received the item it turned out to be a lens that retails for hundreds of dollars cheaper than what I paid and not what the product he told me. Now furious I called the customer service which i might add is the worst I have ever run into. When i told them i was disputing the charge with my Credit Card the rep told me that they weren't going to let me return it. He also said that if the Credit Card company disputed the charge he threatened to send it to collections. He finally went on to tell me there was a 15% restocking fee. So now I have no lens and paid $35 dollars for shipping both ways and a $50 restocking fee for nothing. I am very angry with them and myself for falling for the scam. Lesson learned though, always do your research and trust only certified retailers. I will be contacting the Better Business Beau and recommend anyone involved in a similiar scam to do so as well. This scum factory needs to be taken down!!!
I'm usually not easy to scam but it looks like I was too. I ordered a Panasonic DMC-TZ5K digital camera from the StopnShop website on April 10. Of course the price was fantastic but I thought they were legit because when I did a web search for the product their site came up with a 5-star rating, plus I knew Pana was coming out with a new model and thought perhaps they were overstocked. The order was accepted as in stock and I would receive it in 7-13 days. After that time period expired I emailed them, no answer. I called and that was when they said it was on a 4-6 week backorder and did I want to cancel the order? Since I wasn't in a hurry I just said no, I want my camera. Except for the rudeness I was still not alarmed, thinking that it could just be an in stock mixup. I emailed them a few days ago and asked for my order status and there has of course been no reply. With the info on this blog I will be cancelling the order and contacting AMEX. But this got me wondering why no phone call or hard sell? Is it because AMEX is involved? I know I should consider myself lucky but I sure wish there was some way to "rescam" them and make them send me the product as ordered. Thanks for the info. I wish I had seen this blog sooner.
i think we should collaborate and scam them back.
now, just how to get some underground carding black ops crew to charge their credit cards on the site and order everything egeriously overpriced and have it sent...then give them chargeback hell.
lol...or just have people drop ship their items to different places and have the Visa, MC, Disc, Amex deal with them.
Like several others, I too thought I was a bit more intelligent to fall for the "unbelievable" price on everyprice.com. Looking at a Canon Vixia camcorder that was selling at most places for at least $700, Stop and Shop had it available for $289. So I ordered. The next morning the price on their website showed $599, so I called to confirm that I paid $289. They said I did, but that it was the "overseas" price and just the camera...no accessories. I complained and said the website did not indicate that and I wanted accessories and the $289 camera. They said it would be 3-4 weeks before they could get it. Long story short, I googled Stop and Shop Digital, and thanks to this blogger site, I realized I was getting scammed. I cancelled my order. They said they cancelled it and my credit card would not be charged. I'll keep checking just to be safe. Like the old saying, "If its too good to be true...then duh!" My 2 cents.
Thanks. Just looked at a Canon HG20, and like everyone else, price was to good to be true. $400. That's a price I would only want to see on ebay! Any way, glad I did my research.
THANK GOD!!!!
You saved me time and effort
i was about to buy a GPS
but all of you online please i beg you to read all the comments and DONT BUY FROM THESE THIEVES!!!!!
SAVE YOUR HARDEARNED MONEY PLS
Thank you so much for this post. I was just about to order a camera from them but was suspiciou as they had such a great price on the camera. So glad i did the research and found this blog post.
Like the rest of the commentators here I fell prey to the bait and switch scam of Stop and Shop Digital. After I ordered a Canon camera I received a message to provide the merchant with additional payment information. What they actually wanted was to sell me additional camera accessories which i declined. I asked if they had my item in stock and the customer service rep would not disclose but he said that the item would be shipped in 10-12 days. Three days later I called StopandShop Customer Service to inquire about the camera shipment and their rep indicated that the item was back-logged for 3-4 weeks. I asked to speak Customer Service Manager and he told me he was same. Then he got very rude and said he could cancel the order but I said I would call back if I wanted to cancel. I then checked the order on-line and found that the order was already canceled. That's when I started my search for stopandshopdigital scam and visited the NY Better Business Bureau (BBB of NY). Later I found this blog.
I could not file a complaint against stopandshopdigital at the NY BBB due do a corrupted database entry. It appears the crafty criminals at stopandshopdigital may have penetrated the NY BBB and substituted their identity as an auto repair business located in Danville, VA. Is this reverse identity theft?
Everyone that has contributed to this blog have learned a lesson and I'm hopeful the NY Attorney general's office will investigate the fraud and follow-up with a bench warrant arrest for the scam cons.
I'm sure this is going to piss a lot of you off as an unwelcome and inappropriate comment, but it is worth keeping in the back of your minds.
This is the ***exact*** sort of scam that has caused the tribe these guys are part of to be hated and kicked out of every country they're ever taken up residence in. That doesn't mean that every single member of the same tribe does it, but it does mean that in 99% of cases where this is going on it is a member of this special tribe.
A very important implication of this truth is that the tribal network is what makes this scam possible. The local prosecutors, politicians, auditors, etc., are all either members of the this special tribe or they owe favors to the powerful representatives of the tribe. Most importantly, the tribe owns and controls the vast majority of the mainstream media, which is a power few appreciate.
You can all be very sure that legitimate businesses are very aware that this outfit, in the guise of several companies, is offering the same products for far less. It affects their business. There is a reason they are left alone, and it is likely the same reason this tribe is basically immune to laws governing all manners of international intrigue, international fraud, ecstasy smuggling, even serious espionage.
This little too-good-to-be-true-camera-price scam is the tiny tip of a planet-sized iceberg. The same predatory, sociopathic conscience-free behavior is at play in their tribal looting of the entire western world from top to bottom, not to mention their historically murderous treatment of other peoples which continues to this day.
They have the rest of us so hypnotized with their sophisticated propaganda of phony and utterly exaggerated atrocities they've suffered that none dares criticize them.
The key factor that makes the rest of us so vulnerable is that, with really very few individual exceptions, we all have a central compassion for others in common. They would too, but they are raised in a culture that teaches hatred and contempt for us, that the rest of us are not human. They are trained to reflexively conceal these attitudes, but the honest among them (including some true heroes!) admit that it is very real and very pervasive in their community.
You can dismiss me with whatever label or slur you like, but I gained nothing from writing this. I'm just warning you: this is a tribal matter.
I recently had the same experience when I ordered a Garmin Nuvi 780. I too was a little skeptical because it seem too good a deal. About 5 days after I place the order I received an email asking me to contact them to verify my order. They tried to sell me a home/car charger for at least $100 and maps. I declined the accessories and 3 days later I received the following message, "This notification is sent to you from our shipping department. We regret to inform you that by the time your order reached the shipping process, our inventory on the product(s) you ordered was negative, therefore your order will be placed on a temporary backorder until we receive the product(s) back again in stock which will be in about 8-12 weeks." I am cancelling my order and will be watching my credit card.
Alright, i saw the website stopandshopdigital.com but it was to cheep to be truth so i did a research but i still placed my order Canon PowerShot SX10-IS, 10.3 Megapixel Digital Camera and i also spend few extra bucks on UV filter and i got the 3 day shipping for 4 dollars more. So as i was expecting the other day i call and he offer me more staff and i and i didnt order anything else. Then he said your UV lens is made from plastic would you like to upgrade to the glass one and i told him yes. He also said one more thing to finish the version you order is Japanese i told him that it was okay with me cause i was average on it and in fact i told him neither speak english very well. He was like okay i hope you enjoy your merchandise and that was old the story. When i get back from work i jump into my laptop and check the website and was marked as BACKORDER and they didnt have the camera any more i am not worry cause i might call my company then tell that i lost my credit card. But if they send me the merchandise would be cool.
Japanese version $219.00
U.S. Version $399.00
Thanks so much for this blog. I was going to buy a Nikon Lens for $349 and deep down I knew I was too good to be true, since that lens cost about $800 dollars. Thanks again for blog
thanks for this blog.. the first week of april i ordered a canon sx10 is from camera giants and yes, it went on backorder.. i was tired of waiting, so i finally cancelled it and ordered from stop and shop.. dumb move i know now, because this went on back order also.. when i called in to verify my order, they tried to sell me a battery for it, cuz it doesnt have any. when i said that i thot it used the AA batteries, he said no those dont work, u need to buy this battery pack. THanks to this site, i will be cancelling my order from them and buying off of ebay!!
I had placed an order for a Nikon d90 about 60% off of the regular price. I thought this is great. I can save some money on a high quality camera. While 2 days later I got an e-mail to call them and confirm my order and the person had asked for my three numbers on the back of my card and of course, I gave it to him. Then he started this high pressure sale on me to buy a battery for the camera for $120.00 which I knew all to well that a battery comes with the camera. I thought oops, I just gave these crooks my credit card number and I had a bad gut feeling especially when he told me it will take two weeks for the camera to be shipped out and there site says that products are shipped in 1 or 2 days. So I got online again and stared to read reviews. Every review I read was bad. My hearted started to pound from anger, so I called them back and started to ask questions and they told me that they weren't the company that the reviews were talking about and there tone of communication was rude. So I called the next day and cancelled my order. All the guy said is your ordered is canceled and goodby. Just like that. I got an e-mail with in 1 minute cancelling my order. But I'm watching my bank account daily and from now on I check into a site that I'm not familiar with. I rather pay a high price on a item and know that I will recieve it and everything that goes with it.
Don't even think about dealing with these guys.
I wish I had read your blog first! They overcharged for everything I ordered and then were snotty about it when I called with problems. I will be telling everyone I know to not shop with them!
Thank you for posting this blog wish I found it sooner, but now have a basis with my credit card company to make a claim to dispute it.
Yep, same thing happened to me. I ordered a Canon digital camera from Stop and Shop Digital at an unbelievable listed price. After I declined all of their add-on items, I received an e-mail saying that the item is out of stock - yet the camera is still listed as in stock on their website as I type. I have cancelled my order but am concerned with the risk of potential extra charges on my credit card. Uggh - I wished I would have read these reviews sooner. Buyers beware - DO NOT SHOP on Stop and Shop Digital.
If you really want to hurt these guys, take the list of sites (in one of the comments above) and type in a few product search queries in google. Compare your site list against the sponsored ads (I was looking for a Nikon 50mm 1.4 lens)...Well? Start clicking! click. click. click. click.
Hit them where it hurts, in their wallets. Every click will cost them $$
Cheers
GladIDidMyResearch
Oh my! I cannot believe that this disreputable operation is still functioning. So many similar situations just repeating and repeating. Unfortunately, I am only here because I have already experienced the same thing, but only up to the part of being pushed about additional purchases and, upon declining, told my item was 'backordered'(the canon sd780 has a battery that only lasts 20 minutes, they said). This is the point where I logged on and magically found this site, and proceeded to cancel my order, notify my CC co., etc. When I was looking for a camera, my usual quick google search never found anything suspicious, but then I know I have let my guard down quite a bit because I have actually gotten some outstanding deals online, after doing 'seemingly' needless research. It's back to looking with fine tooth comb again. Thank you to everyone who posted so I could know how serious to take this situation. P.S. I wonder if anyone who canceled or was canceled ever had credit card problems?
I was hoping to purchase a new Nikkor lens, but I knew the price was too good to be true, so I investigated a bit. Thank you, Dave, for blogging about this - I am sure you saved a lot of people some gray hairs and money.
Just bought something with the price too good to be true. Was too lazy to investigate them. The guy called and tried to sell me overpriced stuff. I declined. He said that the camera will be shipped in 10-12 weeks - obviously crap to get me to cancel. I canceled the order, got e-mail from them that it has been canceled. We'll see if they cancel or not. If they do - just 2 hours lost, if they don't - more crap in life. Stay away from them.
Wow. That was so close. I had just ordered a canon flash from stop and shop digital, was about to click the final "place order" and decided to google them first... Glad I did. I've had too many run-ins with these bait and switch scammers lately. There should be serious consequences for these assholes.
Run the other way!!
They pulled the ol bate and switch on me.
They asked all the right questions and learned I was new to DSLRs. Sold me a "new" just released lens by Tamron that turned to not be true, but one of their low end lenses.
I found out, but it had been shipped already. Told them I was going to refuse the order. (I called Tamron USA and found out there was no such lens being launched) Anyway, after much arguing and their customer service calling me a "scumbag" they agreed to refund my money. They were going to charge a restocking fee plus a shipment refusal fee until I told them I'd refute all charges to my credit card company due to fraud. That did the trick. They can't afford to have the credit card companies drop them so if your in a similar spot throw that at them.
Thank you for this post. I'm sorry for all of you that fell for this scumbag operation. I was just about to buy a Canon hg21 when I found this blog. Thank you again.
I just purchased an SLR camera from them and they were asking me to purchase a camera battery which wasn't included in my STARTERS KIT? (this was when I started to notice something fishy). Luckily I found this site and called them back immediately.
They said the order will be shipped "in a couple weeks". I asked him to clarify if that meant it would arrive at my house in a couple weeks or if it would be processed in a couple weeks and then I'd have to wait some more weeks while it was shipped. The said the latter. The customer service rep would give me brief vague answers.
I canceled my order right after that. The jackass sounded pissed because he couldn't nail me on restocking fees since he admitted my order hadn't been shipped yet.
Thanks you guys!
Add me to the list...
Much of my story is the same as the others posted so far:
•Researched the lenses I wanted for my Digital Rebel.
•Researched prices.
•Came across Stop & Shop Digital. Found prices that were 30%-50% cheaper than the nearest advertised price, which seemed too good to be true.
•Held off a couple of days before placing my order while deciding if it would be safe to order. (Should have researched the company while waiting.)
•Went ahead and placed an order for two Canon lenses--Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L.
Before placing the order, I found a too good to be true price on a new Canon Digital Rebel xT1, so added that to the order as well.
The next day I received three phone calls from a New York City number on my mobile while at work. Check my personal e-mail over lunch and there is an e-mail from Stop&Shop asking me to contact them and verify the order. I call the number on my mobile and sure enough it is Stop&Shop.
The person I am talking with wants to confirm my info. He confirms all of the info I submitted with my order. Then he says I did not include the security code from the back of my card and he would need that to complete the order. Without thinking I gave it to him. (It made sense. Other on-line orders I have placed needed that information to complete the order.)
Then the upselling starts. The person was very polite and asks if I have filters for the lenses. (I say Yes.) He asks if I have a memory card for this camera. (I say Yes.) He asks if I would be interested in purchasing a battery for the camera as the one that ships with the camera will only last about an hour or so. (I say, that is what they said about the battery that came with my current camera, but it meets my needs, so I am going to try the included battery before I buy another.)
At this point he says he is going to go ahead and process my order.
Then he starts talking about my lenses. The lenses I am buy have plastic mounts. He asks if I would like to upgrade to the models which have steal mounts. The steal mounted lenses are better quality, and of course, twice the price of the lenses I am buying (I say that I know about the differences but for my needs the plastic mounts are fine because they do not impact the quality of the images.)
Again, he says he is going to go ahead and process my order.
Then he starts to tell me that because I am buying a camera with a smaller sensor, these lenses actually come with a different focal range. They have a couple of Sigma branded lenses that are designed just for digital cameras and offer true focal ranges. (I say that in my research the similar Sigma lenses cannot compare with image quality of the Canon lenses and I prefer to have genuine Canon lenses with my Canon camera.)
Again, he says he is going to go ahead and process my order.
Then he starts to tell me how he can combine a new buyer deal with a returning customer deal to sell me a special package of two lenses and the xT1 and accessories for about the same price I am paying now. (I ask what comes with this package and it includes the aforementioned Sigma lenses. I decline.)
Again, he says he is going to go ahead and process my order.
Now he says he is going to bring me under the umbrella of his personal discount. And for the price I am paying now, I can upgrade to a better Canon XSi and the same lenses for the same price. (I reply that the XSi is an older model and I would like to stick with the xT1.)
Again, he says he is going to go ahead and process my order and it should ship in a couple of days.
Hmmmm...
Check my order today and it is back ordered.
*sigh*
Buyer beware.
thank you all for posting your "horror stories" about S&SD
You saved me the angst of having to cancel my order; because after reading your stories, I decided to simply go to ebay
I would like to thank you for the info. I was actually looking to purchase a camera from two different web sites you listed. you have saved me alot of agrivation.
Thanks for this! I was about to buy a Nikon SB-800 which they listed for $209...which seemed really fishy...because the model below it, the SB-600 is 219.00 brand new at best buy. Used SB-800s on ebay are still going for almost 400 bucks...so I decided to see if anyone had commented on this company...and sure enough...So I appreciate it!!
I just got off the phone with Stop and Shop digital. Stay away from this place. Like many other NY dealers, they give you a price on line for an inferior item, and then they jack the price up when you realize that you wanted more quality. I purchased a Canon lens that they advertised for $2100, and free shipping and no tax. By the time I got what I was really shopping for and they added shipping insurance$144, I was paying over $2500. They advertise grey market items and make it look as if they are USA made by saying that it has a USA manufacturers guarantee. I was able to cancel my order. I've been through this before with NY dealers. Oh, they also tried to get me to buy other items for more than they were worth.
Wow.. I was kind of turned off by some of the "deals" they were offering w/ upgrades that include cheap camera bags and crap that looked sub-amateur.
My guess is a lot of this stuff is probably stolen... (mafia supported?)
A Nikon D5000 for $150!!!!?????? WTF? That's a tall tale at face value. It's true these scams exploit people's greed, but I can't say I haven't bought in on one before..
I actually came accros these guys from an E-bay ad. I think I will flag them..
Thanks God I came across with this blog!!.
I was about to buy a Nikon D60 kit with a 18-55mm lens for $289. I was so excited when I discover this "online store" and saw the "great" price because I´ve been doing a research on various DSRLs and was deciding on either buy the Nikon or the a Canon, but when I saw the $289 price for the kit I definately was decided to place the order, but before doing so I decided to google the "store" name and I saw this blog.
I was thinking that kind of price was to good to be true, but the look&feel of the site was so "real" that I almost get in trouble by placing the order.
So good internet is an effective way to find out more information about this cheating "businesses", and I wonder: is there a way to legally proceed against this bad retailers? I think this is a fraud.
Anyways, thanks for to the creator of this blog, it just saved me time, money and bad days.
BEWARE - STOP AND SHOP DIGITAL is a fraudulant company. I ordered a camera from Stop and Shop digital a few months ago which was put on backorder for two month. Since it was a new release I just thought it was in high demand but after two months I cancelled my order. Then sice the prices were so good I ordered a differnt camera through them. A few days later they called me to verify my order and ask for my credit card security code, which luckily I didn't give them. At this time he informed me that it was an imported camera so I asked to cancel my order and to delete my credit card number from they're system. He, Allen, got really rude with me and then hung up on me. I called back to talk to a "supervior", whch I don't think exsist within this compant, and talked to Robert, who sounded alot like Allen, who told me my order had been cancelled and my number was deleted. I checked the site late that evening and my card number was still in there system. So I called again and talked to Andy who told me my number was deleted and hung up on me three differnt times. Every time I called i got the same guy which never happens when you call a legit company. Finally, I had to call my credit card company to change my card number for fear of them using it. NEVER EVER USE STOP AND SHOP DIGITAL!!!!
ACK! thanks so much. I too almost just bought a nikon D300 for $849 (retail $1800).
Jerks. I was led here by broadwayphoto.com... which I was led to from somewhere reputable... can't remember where now.
thanks for the heads-up.
I was suckered too! I purchased a Canon Digital camera special package with the "long lasting battery" and "rapid charger" specially made case and received the battery and charger that comes standard and a cheap case. I wish that I had researched s&s as well as I researched the camera!
I am so glad I found this blog before being suckered.
If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Thank you! I have spent 3 months researching a new lens for my camera and came very close to ordering from this "alleged" company. Something didn't sit right w/ their shipping and I did a search on the net for reviews and wow was I ever surprised with all of the negative comments. Thank you very much for this blog and the comments. I ended up ordering through the military exchange. :)
Thanks again.
Too bad I did not find this blog before I bought a SLR from this guy. It costed me $200 more than it was worth, and they shipped me a re-conditioned lens. They give you a low quot, and then call you to hook you up to a much more costly "package". What a cheater!
Thank you everyone--sorry for all of your troubles! I am so glad I decided to look into their reputation first! I am steering very clear! I found two other sites that seem very familiar in there wording and "special offers" and think they could be related too. SkyPointDigital.com, and www.jumbopackages.com are similar and also have deals that are too good to be true!
Again, sorry for all of you who have had to deal with their scams--I thank you for taking the time to comment and share your bad experience!
'Scumbuggery. This was as other digi-cam had faded and NEEDED a back-up to shoote a funeral. Phoned the place. They said was no stock; wait 'til next month. Waited. Every day went on their web place. Price of cam went from usual retail, to wholesale, to discounted, to Klondiked. So placed an order for 2 (TWO) of them. Then the crap-ola began. Oh, they had to verify with an e-m. So phoned. Why did you want 2 (two) of them? Why didn't you get the extra batt? Why didn't you get another lens? Why didn't you get a mem card? So patiently answered their stupid-sales-pitch-question-crap-ola. They were getting surly. They were getting abrasive. They were getting asinine. Their next tact was: Did you know that this was a Japanese cam? (A Nikon, no less) The ass-hat then said: The user manuals and the labels are Japanese. Still wouldn't be their fool. So the bastard says, Well, they're being shppd from Japan. That'll be 6-8 wks.. 'O.K.', answered. AND WAITED. So today got their scum-bag e-msg that they, 'Unfortunately had no inventory.' Well, there you have another; this being, wut, number 136? When, when are they going toget nailed for doing this crap?These SCUMS should be put on the work farm. They are the bottom of the Internet-vendor barrel. The bastard genetic garbage that poses as human because of the faith that we have, the belief and hope that we share about fairness on the Internet. Goddamn their sorry asses.'
Once I ordered the camera I felt kinda fishy about this company. So looked at reviews (I probably should have done that before ordering) and so now I have canceled my card. They haven't sent me a confirmation yet and when they call to tell me I need an upgrade, I think I'll just tell them to go F-themselves or just say yes to all the upgrades so they are extra pissed when my card doesn't work. I am glad I got to see the reviews for this "company". I guess I have learned my lesson, next time I'll look the company up online first.
I canceled my credit card and then called back those scumbags this afternoon. I new what to expect because all the negative posting. I let the guy talk me into buying lots of accessories to go with my camera turning the original price of $280 to $790. I'm sure he was very happy with himself. But I then demanded that to prove there dedication to me, their client, I said that I wanted them to send me a porno dvd. The guy said no, but they would give me like $10 off the $790 instead. I told him that I didn't like how they wouldn't go the extra distance for their customer, so I wanted only the camera by its self. This pissed the guy off for "wasting his time" and making ridiculous requests, and told me he wouldn't sell me the camera and the I was barred for life from doing business with Stopandshopdigital.
More of this story, if you want to get out of a sale, demand porn with it or something else ridiculous.
So i have place an order with the infamous Stop and Shop digital and I am going to call and cancel today. I have received the shady email saying they needed to talk to me on the phone to process my order or to confirm it or whatever. But while reading it i noted two grammatical errors which should never happen with a legit company. I am pissed. For sure this should never happen to anyone. I am nervous about it because they have all my cc info and billing address and a different shipping address. It will all work out though and karma will get them. Why have they not been shut down yet? I wish i would have done my research!
So why can't you order all the extra stuff and then send it back after they ship it?
OMG. ive been looking and researching for my camera lenses for the past 2 weeks now and when ive finally made up my mind i found their site...I called them today so i cud place an order for a couple of items and I ended up speaking to a guy at extension105! He tried to sell me some generic versions of a rechargeable battery even though i wanted the Nikon because he said that they are better...and he also tried to sell me some high end version memory cards even though I specifically told him i was looking for the Sandisk Ultra 2 8gb....Im so glad i didnt go ahead with the order. My largest purchase was going to be for the Nikon sb900 which seems to be between 480-500 everywhere and they have it advertised for 359$ i just had a bad feeling about it- you know what they say, when its too good to be true, it must be. I have to admit all their low prices and free stuff and free upgrades really got my attention. they told me id get a 16gb when i ordered an 8gb, an extra battery when i ordered one....etc etc
GOOD JOB and Thanks for the info! You saved me a lot of headache and money.
Please do NOT buy anything from them, they lie,cheat........... they took my 80 year old mother for $4,000.00 dollars. She called them for a camera for my 50th b-day which sold for $1,800.00, they told her it was an old model and sold her a sony model which sales for $2,000.00 all day anywhere else online and told her it was the latest and greatest, so she paid them the 4,000.00 dollars which included the camera and some accessories. When I received the camera I looked into it and found out the camera is 2 years old. I called the company the 2nd day and told them I wanted to return it and they put me on hold for over 30 minutes. I had to go to work so I did not get a chance to call them back until today (8 days after my mom bought me the package, she was told there was a 21 day return policy) I finally got ahold of them today 10/22/09 and first thing they said was all sales final before I even told them I wanted to return the items. I then told them I wanted to return it and the way they treated my 80 year old mother was, before I could even finish my sentence Andy (an employee) stopped me and started yelling at me. I'm not kidding, I then told him I was recording the call and when he thought I was recording him his attitude changed 180 degrees and said hold on a minute and came back on the phone with a $546 dollar credit. Bottom line is my mother who is on a fixed income was cheated and lied to. When i priced all this up online with creditable companies it would of cost under $2,900.00 dollars. So they took my 80 year old mother for over $1000 after the credit and shipping. I am checking into returning it all thru my attorney. PLEASE DO NOT BUY FROM THIS CHEATERS ( I wish I could of called them something else but they would not let me post this)!!!!!!!!! I will let you know what my attorney says for those of you who have been lied to also. LIES,LIES,LIES,LIES,LIES, PLEASE LET ME KNOW I STOPPED ONE PERSON FROM BUYING FROM THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a classic JEWISH scam from top to bottom. That's why they get away with it. These guys are old-school Jewish hustlers with connections to protect them.
Thank you for posting this! I was just looking for a camera body on their site...the one I wanted seemed like such a great price, but when I clicked to see "more info" it mysteriously went up about $200...? And the prices of the warranties are laughable! I used to sell cameras...my advice is to NEVER EVER EVER buy a 3rd party warranty! It is very unlikely a)you will ever need it, b)you won't be able to use it if you do need it and c)you are only marking up the price of your own product...they are useless!
I believe these crooks also use the name Delta Camera, as some of the language & methods are exactly the same. I checked the company out prior to ordering, and am very glad I did. I have nothing to report as I never did business with them. I hope those who were taken in by their scam will All report them..it's the only way to shut these guys down!
Thanks a lot to this website. I almost ordered a camera from them. Your stories saved me.
Dave, you are awesome. Thanks for maintaining this blog.
This website seems to be similar to Bingocamera and many other scam website.
For your security, you'd better purchase any website that has Pay Pal account. I have bought many times on Ebay, Amazon.com, Buy.Com. All the websites have a Customer protection policy. So, if something goes wrong, you have a reliable place to forward your complaints, and they do their best to volve the problem for you.
Don't be fooled by the "Dirt cheap" price that this website try to bait and switch you in.And you'll regret for that!
figured these prices were too good to be true...glad i did my homework. thank you so much for this blog...from the looks of it you've saved a lot of people
i was about to place my order for a nikon camera but decided to check and found all these "great" reviews on these con artists. thx for saving me all the hassel.
I got the same type of business with MZLCamera.com. They tried to sell be a $200 battery to go with my camera. When I told him I had already purchased that same battery for $3! he said something about the battery exploding and voiding my warranty. Same MO, same SCAM.
After reading all these comments, I am very concerned about my order. On January 7, I ordered a Canon PowerShor SX20-IS. They called and I fell for the bait & switch lines. The camera was listed for 299.99, and I paid 567.53! I thought maybe I got my money's worth, but I did not get the 4GBMemory card I was promised, in fact I got no memory card! I am currently on hold for customer service. I did call my credit card, but I hve to get approval and an RMA number to return the camera.
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