The newest bait and switch website is elitecamcorders.com. They are operated by the infamous Swed family, who operate All Star Camera. Here’s some detailed information. They also operated ontimedigital and a number of other bait and switch websites. These guys are the WORST of the WORST. You will never be able to purchase an item for the advertised price unless you buy overpriced accessories. Here’s a photo of their store front. Read the reviews on resellerratings here as well as here…the worst reviews possible, detailing the fraud.
If you’ve been duped, contact the State of New York’s attorney general immediately.
UPDATE: Read this detailed account of what you can expect when dealing with EliteCamcorders.
39 comments:
I bought a Nuvi 760 GPS advertised as new from Elitecamcorders.com. When I went to Garmin to register the product it was already registerd. This can only mean one thing, it was refurbished and sold as new by Elitecamcorders. Customer service was very rude and resisited my complaint. They finally told me to send it back at my expense for an exchange.
By the way you are correct...I ordered the Nuvi 760. I received and email stating that I have to call to confirm the order. When I called they told me that the unit did not come with a power supply. I had to pay $40 extra for a PS. They also tried selling me the service plan.
That's where im at. Be wary of this merchant!!
Dave, thanks for these posts, they are really needed. I have been Googling for prices on a particular model of projector, and the lowest were PrimoCameras and EliteCamcorders. This sort of thing is what I was afraid of when dealing with small online retailers, very glad I checked!
Thanks to all for the warnings- the $38 savings on a camera looked pretty good, but yikes!
Thanks Dave for your posting. I did buy a Canon digital camera from Elite Camcorders ! It was advertised as new but there was no warranty card ! So after getting no where with customer service I did the search on web found your postings and now I know that I got a used camera !!! Thank God I did not fall for the extras that they tried to sell me ! Tough lesson to learn but thanks a million for exposing these crooks !!!
guys it is true?thanks god i read this forum.. i am planning to buy a camera with them but now maybe not..
thanks for your post. i was about to order one camcorder from them, but double checked with their reputation, and found your post. Thanks a lot
I ordered a Garmin 775T and when I called to confirm I was told that it had no maps and I could buy a 2007 map or a price or I could get the 2008 map for a higher price. I was rather surprised. I guess that I figured that the company would be ok since it was featured at Amazon. I agreed to pay another $28 to get both sets of maps. I am not sure what happens if I don't get what I want and cancel the credit card payment. Gordon Long
I just got off the phone with Customer Service, a 30 minute phone call spent mostly on hold....TERRIBLE COMPANY! DO NOT PURCHASE FROM HERE! Unfortunately, prior to purchasing the camera, I hadn't seen these comments...boy do I wish I had! I ordered a camera for my birthday, called to confirm the order...a week later I called to track the item, they claimed I had never called and kept trying to force me into buying overpriced extra merch. Unreal. I canceled the order. I hope that other people can learn from these experiences! I will certainly be contacting more people to inform them of this horrible company.
Hi guys, pleased to read your comments; I am touring California and wanted to buy before returning to Europe a Canon EOS 50D digital camera- I came across the EliteCamcorders site and was more then enthusiastic with their offer- but that was all. Then I started thinking myself how is it possible to offer so low prices. I sent them a mail- never received the answer. So, I gave them a ring - after 3 questions the guy hanged up the telephone. I understood they are not serious people. Now, that I found your blog and understood you got also problems or avoided problems in the last second, by reading these comments, I feel better. I wanted to share my experience with you and avoid any of the readers to fall into their trap. Thank you.
Last Thursday, July 16th, I was browsing the internet to find a good deal on a Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 Digital Camera (Blue). Out of all the companies I searched, a website called "Elite Camcorders" had the best deal (http://www.elitecamcorders.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=st8000). The price said $294.99, which was a great deal on this new camera. So I bought it with my debit card.
The next day, Friday, I received a phone call from an Unknow number. It was Elite Camcorders calling to confirm my order and offer me a "good deal" on a battery for the camera. I was surprised to hear them say that the camera I just ordered does not come with a battery AT ALL. I asked them if I went to Fry's or Best Best to buy the camera, would those cameras come with some kind of battery. The caller said no. So reluctantly I agreed to purchase an incredibly expensive battery for an additional $69.99.
During my lunch break, I walked down to a nearby camera store and asked if they had that camera in stock. They did. I asked to take a look at it and see if it came with a battery. It did. Right away I went back to work and looked up the cost of a battery for that camera online... Online it only costs $11; I just paid $69.99.
Upset and in a panic, I looked at my bank account online to see if they had already charged me. To my surprise, a total of $394.99 had been deducted from my bank account. I went back to Elite Camcorder's website to cancel my order, but somehow, my order had already been processed and shipped. Thus, I could not cancel. Last resort I called the company to cancel, but the company had closed and wouldn't be open until Sunday. I had to wait.
Monday morning (today) I called Elite Camcorder to complain. The sales person was very, very rude when I tried to explain and hung up on me not once, but twice. After that, he never answered my phone call again. I tried desperately to get a hold of my bank, but couldn't get through. A couple hours later, as a last effort, I called back Elite Camcorder and pressed the button to talk to a Customer Service Rep. The nice lady politely cancelled my order. But when I got the cancellation receipt, they had charge me $15.54 in shipping charges that will not be reversed. I tried calling the company again, but no answer.
thanks for this post. i was searching around for the olympus stylus tough 8000 camera also for an upcoming vacation. best price offered on the web, but i guess you do get what you pay for. thanks for the advice everyone.
Elitecamcorders is a scam! DO NOT PURCHASE FROM THEM!
Thank you for this post. I almost was going to buy Nikon D60 from this site.
Thank you so mcuh! i am glad i reviewed the company first. i looked for deals on a Canon 50D. EliteCamcorders is selling this camera for $300 less, $1000 vs $1300!!!. I called the store, ready to place, and while I was on hold for quite awhile, decided to look up reviews. After reading your posts, i hung up. Thanks very much for this valuable feedback!!
I just called them looking to buy a camera and after a lot of holding and 4 people later I actually got my question of what is included answered. NOTHING! Camera only. These people are crooks.
Thank you so much; I was just about to buy a camera from them! Thank God for the internet and all the good people who watch out for consumers.
Thanks David for your warning of these Scumbags.
Unfortunately, there are few laws for consumer protection, so they can hide behind different company names and continue to operate. Thankfully, there are people like you and internet which will get them out of business. Thanks Al
Dave, thanks for posting this review. I was a few clicks away from ordering a camera from them. Geez, what a bunch of losers. Buy locally, don't get scr*wed globally!
This company is a scam...I placed an order online for a nikcon camera and I got some e-mail asking me as a customer to call to confirm the order, I got transfered 4 times and placed on hold for over 20 minutes, only for them to tell me that the camera was not avaliable once they determined I would not buy the 3 year warranty and I do not need any additional accessories.....BEWARE THEY ARE SCAMERS.......
I bought a simple Canon point and shoot at what seemed an incredible price from All Star. The man who sold it to me said the Canon battery that came with it was "rubbish" and told me that he had a battery with a much longer capacity so I bought it for $69.99. It's useless, I threw it away, because it hardly held any charge. The Canon battery was fine. The camera arrived in a plain white box with no warranty, no booklets, nothing. When I called, I expressed my frustration and the salesman hung up on me three times. I was totally swindled. Obviously it was refurbished. That place should be closed down by New York State.
Wow, I was just getting ready to order a camera from them. So glad I saw this first!
DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING FROM THESE FOLKS! All of the comments are very correct. I was very specific in what I was looking for when purchasing a Nikon D90 - I specifically told them that I was not interested in GRAY MARKET merchandise. Once I received the products I called NIKON with the serial number and they had no record of it. I requested professional quality lenses VR, not the kit lenses and was willing to pay extra... what did I get? Kit lenses that they charged me $600+ extra for. After trying to contacting them in writing via email without a single response for four days I notified American Express that I returned the products via FedX (so it can be tracked)- WARNING - THEY ARE FAST TALKING LIARS and SCAM ARTISTS----
Thank you! Thank you! Good thing I googled this store up. Almost order some cameras from them b/c the price was too good to be true.
thanks for taking the time to post. I know if the price is so low it is to good to be true.
Harvey
I just ordered a new Garmin 265WT below the refurb price from Bestbuy. I called them to make sure things were good and it would ship right away. The "kid" said "you want to buy the maps." I said what do you mean. He said "the gps isn't much good without the maps" I said all the others come with maps. He said I ordered the brown box version that it didn't have maps. Maps are $50 more. Nothing on the product said anything about brown or wholesale box item. I was able to cancel. I will watch my cc. Scammers, they are on to the next victom.
Thanks for all the posts!!! I almost ordered a projector which was priced $400 less on this site.
EliteCamcorders is one of the lowest of low stores - real scum. They are not to be trusted and most everything, if not all, they tell you will be a lie. They would probably sell their own children if it would make a profit.
Thanks for this post. I ordered a camera in July. After speaking to the two most rude salespeople I have ever experienced, I did not purchase the after order accessories they tried to sell me and never received my camera.
Lisa in OK
Run away from this site! Wish I knew this information before I ordered my Nikon. 10 days after the order and no package, I called. My order was for a red camera, which wasn't in stock,all they had was a black one. I cancelled the order, they told me it would be 5 -7 days for my refund. 7 days later I was told my account would be credited within 24 hours - and you guessed it - it didn't happen. The same person told me I hadn't talked to her and that the 7 day period began the day before. These people are rude, they lie, and had better return my $600 soon!
Fuck those guys
PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY. YOU CAN GURANTEE THAT YOU WILL GET RIPPED OFF. I ordred online the Nikon D5000 from this company after doing several weeks of research for the best price. Unfortunately, they called me to confirm the order at which time the salesperson tried to sell me a power source and battery for $300.00. The original price was $1097.00, I upgraded the lens and purchased the power source and battery which totaled $1225.00. I asked him several times to confirm the amount and we agreed. The following week the charge on my account was $1816.00. I immediately called and question the charge. That is when the rudness, lies, cussing, yelling, avoidance and character battering started toward me. I only wanted the original price quoted. So for the next two days this guy, who turned out to be the manager tried to intimadate me and threatned me. I refused the packeaged and had it returned, at which time he sent it back again. So, to say the least I didn't accept and filed an immediate claim with my bank. I'm still fighting to get reimbursed my entire amt charged. This JERK charged me $375.00 restocking fee which was not posted anywhere on the website. So STAY AWAY, DO NOT GIVE THEM ANY BUSINESS. TELL EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS SCHISTER, CROOK, DICEITFUL COMPANY.
vg
I bought a Nuvi 265WT. I received the GPS unit without the cradle to hold it in place. I have been dealing with them for two months. Every time they tell me that it should arrive in a few weeks. I finally got the manager's extension but have not heard back from him either. I guess I'm lucky after reading all of the comments on your page.
these web site are scams, they display the lowest price in the market but they never have the istem instock at all , if you make a aphone call to them they will tell you to order online meanwhile you directly talk to them what the f? customer service is suck and they will hang up on you after along trial waiting.dishonest people guys! those cheap price website are only baits and troubles, i order a camera and in the process of fighting for return due to the merchandise came defective open box , I have to step up to get my money back and to cancel credit line. bad experience for cheap price guys.
Dave can't thank you enough for the post. I read your comments and called elitecamcorders to place and order for a Canon EOS 50D and to see if you were accurate in your description. You were right we spent 30 min on the phone while they suckered me into several hundred dollars worth of accessories. Then I gave them an expired credit card. I don't answer the phone when they keep calling.....Payback!
OMG
Thank you very much you guys!!!!!
I was about to purchase NIKON D90....
My First DSLR CAmera.
I got shocked by their price.
but you saved me. Thank You Very much
was going to buy a canon t1i from them until i decided to research them. big surprise they are not listed no canon's list of authorized dealers. thank you for saving me the extra stress and headache of dealing with them.
I am about to make a $3000 video camera order when I found elite camcorders. Their prices seemed way to good to be true. Then I found this review page...you saved me incredible headaches, thank you!
OMG. I was ready to order several items, totaling over $1,000!!! I am glad that I found this - and it was by accident, as I was researching one item...
Thank you!!!
Thank you folks for all the comments.
I've been searching a best deal for Canon Vixia HF S11. All the websites that I checked, the price ranges from $1069 to $1399. Today 2/12/09, I browsed the internet and found EliteCamcorders, selling the Canon Vixia HF S11 for $759.99. I was about to order it online, GLAD I READ ALL THE REVIEWS.
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