A new site is appearing on google adwords. Photovideosuperstore.com aka Photo Video Superstore. Their domain was created on October 5, 2009 and is through a foreign anonymizer:
Registrant:Domain Discreet
ATTN: photovideosuperstore.com
Rua Dr. Brito Camara, n 20, 1
Funchal, Madeira 9000-039
Phone: 1-902-7495331
The address provided on the website, 80 Broad St., NY NY 10004, is for a large office building. However, I have confirmed, first person proof that they are not, in fact, located at this address (the person spoke with the front desk security person) and there is no mailbox store located at this address that they could be using. SO THE ADDRESS IS FAKE!
The number on their "Contact Us" page, 877-262-1626, apparently is a typo, as the rest of their website lists their number as 877-262-6126.
Their "Privacy Policy" page is blank;
Their "Secured by RapidSSL" link doesn't work. There's no feedback on this site as of the date of this post, but numerous red flags lead me to conclude that this is another bait and switch website. Please post your experiences below.
UPDATE: 12/10/2009: PhotoVideoSuperstore also uses the phone number 718-907-5460, that belongs to Mega Wholesale, which operates thecameraprofessionals and ubuydigital.com: read the horrific reviews here. These guys also operate supreme cameras, another bait and switch site. Moussa Swed runs these sites. Read the unsatisfactory better business bureau report here. New York AG....are you listening?
33 comments:
I think you could safely say this is a bait and switch however i have not personally had any experiences getting ripped off by them and hopefully no one else does either. Interested to here if anyone has a successful run with these guys.
Thank you for your comments. The prices on this site look "too good to be true" so I was, therefore, suspicious and looking for validation regarding their reliability. Think I'll purchase through a well established site.
I placed an order online with them 12/7/09 for the Canon T1i body only listed for $529.99. I called customer service before placing the order to verify that it was new, in stock, and verify that it came in the original box with battery, battery charger, etc. They answered quickly and yes to all. They offered to take the order on the phone, I declined. I wanted a electronic record. They said it would process and ship in 24-48 hrs.
After placing the order, I never received an e-mail confirmation. I checked the order status on their site which was pending. The next day, the called me to verify my address, weakly offered a different battery pack and extended warranty which I declined. When I asked when it would ship, they said 48-72 hrs.
After the call, I noticed the order status on their site changed to "Back Order". After the 48 hrs from time of order placement, I called and cancelled after asking how long it would be on backorder. They said 3-4 wks, but I have no confidence this was true. Camera still doesn't indicate it's not available on their site. My credit card was not charged. They said I would supposedly receive an e-mail confirmation of the cancellation. I haven't received it yet.
In my opinion, it doesn't appear that you can get a good deal on a camera if they can't manage to get you to buy it with a bundle of other stuff to make up the difference.
Just an FYI... I googled the company name "after" placing order (ignored my own advise about if it's too good to be true; then it is!) and found your site. I immediately notified my cc company. Today I received a phone call from #718-907-5460 he said he was calling from PhotoVideoSuperstore (thought he said another company at first) regarding my order. I googled the number and received 3 results; see below.
718-907-xxxx [Brooklyn, NY] Phone Numbers | WhitePages... (718) 907-4400; (718) 907-4450; (718) 907-5138; (718) 907-5152; (718) 907-5162; (718) 907-5266; (718) 907-5332; (718) 907-5460; (718) 907-5752 ...
phones.whitepages.com/718-907
Video-Equipment-Supplies-Wholesale-Manufacturers |
Video Equipment ...1006 Avenue P Brooklyn, NY 11223 » Map (718) 907-5460. Category: Video Equipment & Supplies. Neighborhood: Midwood. 0.0 Be the first to review ...
yp.com/...NY/Video-Equipment-Supplies-Wholesale-Manufacturers - Cached
MEGA WHOLESALE, INC. D&B Profile Brooklyn NYMEGA WHOLESALE, INC. Is this your company? 1006 AVENUE P. Brooklyn, New York 11223. USA. Phone: (718) 907-5460. Classification ...
dnb.powerprofiles.com/.../MEGA+WHOLESALE,+INC.-BROOKLYN-NY - Cached
Updated 12/11/09
I was pleasantly surprised to receive a call from PhotoVideoSuperstore.com today indicating that they received a limited early shipment of the camera I had ordered, asking me if I was interested in reactivating my order. They were also generous enough to offer me a 2GB memory card at no charge for my previous inconvenience.
I agreed to re-initiate the order. They are to call me on Monday with a tracking # and I was told it would ship Monday or Tuesday next week at the latest. I'm looking forward to receiving the order.
I wouldn't count on getting the item. These guys run numerous notorious bait and switch sites.
Ordered a Canon HFS10 from them yesterday. Called this morning to find out when it would ship, and told them I need it by Thursday.
The guy tried to get me to buy all kinds of accessories and stuff and tried to get me to switch to a HFS100 bundle of junk. I declined and the guy said it would ship right out. Checked back on order tonight now its backordered!!
BAIT and SWITCH!!!!!!!
any update from c(*oo*)o? did you get the camera?
oh, oh,
T h a n k you all for your comments... The NY AG may not listen (since the last good one got politically lifted from office), but informed consumers do listen. Thank you for saving me allot of frustration :)
Glad I found your blog in time. I had ordered a HD Video camera today with a billing address in NY and a shipping address in NJ. Their customer service called me and asked me to put that NJ address on my credit card as a 'second address' otherwise he could not release the shipment. I got suspicious and googled them because I had never heard such a thing before. I cancelled the order. Their operation sure sounds fishy to me.
I really would like to believe that this company, Photo Video Superstore, will simply sell/ship me what I order according to their home page details etc. But as I read the reviews herein posted, there is NO mention of the above happening. How can they afford to be in business with no positive reviews? Is noone really satisfied with their experience with this company? --hugz
NEVER BUY.. They sell it loose. You will find only few items in the box.
They will charge you for battery and charger as well.
NEVER BUY from this store.
Their website is not secure at all.
@ Anonymous
I'm NOT defending PhotoVideoSuperstore (sounds like a bait-and-switch to me), but it is not uncommon for a company to request that you add your shipping address to your credit card account. That way they know they're shipping to an address authorized by the cardholder.
Thank you for taking the time to create this site. It saves me from doing business with crooks
RM
http://www.nextag.com/PhotoVideoSuperStore~4627576zzzreviewsz1zmainz17-htm
I think if NEXT TAG, and the other search engines, stopped dealing with the BAIT&SWITCH businesses, their constant flow of buyers will dry-up.
Moreover, BAIT&SWITCH businesses had the audacity to post good reviews about themselves, I guess this has to stop too.
I received a phone call from a representative there regarding a Canon T1i camera that I had ordered online. They wished to "verify" my order with me, which was their means of attempting to upsell me on additional products. I was asked if I wished to purchase a battery and charger to go with the camera. When I asked "doesn't the camera come with a battery!?" I was told that I was receiving a "wholesale price for the camera which assumes you already have other Canon cameras... thus it doesn't come with a battery of its own". However he would be happy to put me in an all-inclusive package (for a price of $999 whereas the camera itself was only $565).
I smelled "BS" and decided to instead have my order put on hold. Upon doing further research, there is of course no such thing as "wholesale priced camera without the standard equipment".
I recommend you stay clear of PhotoVideoSuperstore... NOT a reputable company!
Got burned by Photo Video Superstore just this last week. Wish I had read this blog before I bought something. Isn't there something more we can do to put these guys out of business? I'm thinking of contacting NPR and New York Local News channel.
I'm glad I found this site before I ordered! Photovideosuperstore advertises their Canon T2i Model for $749.99 - I couldn't believe what a good deal I thought I was going to get...and then I began to read reviews on this "company." I've dealt with dishonest internet retailers before, and will make sure to steer clear of this one!
this same dipshit has gone through dozens of domain names. he simply switches from one domain to the next once he has made a few sales.
civil subpoena plz?
Thanks for your efforts as they save a tremendous amount of frustration and stress. Best Regards, --JL
The sequence you describe happened to me o 12/16/10. The credit card company (amex) will
act on my behalf. I plan to report this to the attorney general's office in NY., and the web-sites that list
photo video superstore.
Thanks for the info. I was about to suggest my mom get a camera from this site.
thank you for the heads up, i'm looking for a canon 60d with 17-40mm lens, the web can be a black hole for you $$$. I will try the main stream vendors
Omg wht is wrong with people i went looking for my camera an delt with another scam camera place photo video super store. Stay away from them . They are a scam only found out after calling to confirm my order. They called me back hours later to confirm my order again. So i waited an called them back with every ext. I dialed i got the same guy chris ext 234 number 18772626126. So i cancelled so tired of tryen to find a camera
Yes, I know firsthand. they are too good to be true. If you don’t buy into their Up-sells, your order will go on backorder indefinitely. Also know that their Up-Sold accessories are sold at 300% of the retail value. You will most certainly pay more for this camera here than anywhere else.
prices def too good to be true, immediately made me go "hmmmm, can i trust this site???" ALSO, noticed the website has posted "Technical difficulties -phone line unavailable" & it has been like that for several days which makes me wonder, where exactly is this company??... that it would take days for phone repair..likely not in the good ole USA. glad i found this website bc I am NOT placing an order with them.
another excellent site;
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/shopdigitalcorp/sort/date
so glad I did not do business here !!!
another tip-off, business hrs, what cust service is not available on Saturday but they are on Sunday ??
Word of advice, if you have been a victim of this company and they overcharged or sent you substandard products, CALL YOUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY AND REVERSE SOME (IF NOT ALL) OF THE CHARGES.
BE WARNED!! SCAM... Be very careful if you decide to order from this company. It is a sales company that advertises great prices but what you get is completely different. Accessories are way over priced, customer service is awful, 15% restocking fees. In short this company is riding a thin line from being a flat out SCAM!
I had originally ordered a Canon 5D Mark II with a $600.00 dollar lens and a ton of accessories for a great price, $2,500.00. I paid online and submitted my order. a day later I get a phone call, the message said they couldn’t process my order until I talked with them. I reluctantly called back. I thought they wanted to verify the card to prevent fraud. But that wasn’t it at all, it was ALL up selling, BAIT & SWITCH, they lie and convince you what you are buying isn’t what you want, they sell you “cracker jack” toys at unbelievable prices. In short, you will end up paying 3 times as much as you would by going someplace else.
I have contacted the company for further comment but have not receive a reply.
Forget this site. I did get what I ordered but it ended up more than I could have bought the same equipment at Adorama or B&H.
Live and learn.
I ordered a camera Friday because of the good price. They sent me an e-mail telling me they had to verify my information. When I called several times was put on hold, a long time, for customer service. After the 3rd call, the customer service line said they were switching me to sales. When the sales person got on the phone, he said he wanted me to know that I was not getting a battery or charger with the camera. He proceeded to upsell me to the point of an additional $400. After I hung up and read these comments, I called back on Sunday and cancelled my order since it was going to ship until Monday. The sales guy told me I couldn't canceled because the order was processed. I told him to unprocess it since it hadn't shipped. Then he said he was going to charge me a cancellation fee which is what Amer. Xpress would charge him. I told him to go ahead and I would dispute it with my credit card company. I cancelled the credit card that I put these charge on because I didn't trust this guy. What a jerk. I ordered the same camera from B & H yesterday and it will be here tomorrow.
Ugh!!! I feel like an IDIOT!!! I Ordered a video camera on Sept 3. I got a call two days later with what seems to be their typical, "Do you need an extra battery? Memory card? Extended warranty?" I vehemently said, "NO!" to everything and he told me that the camera would be shipped in 48 hours. That was six weeks ago! I have NEVER been able to reach anyone by phone - every single number listed on all of the review internet sites are either perpetually busy or "We are currently closed" messages. My order - which had NO indication of being backordered - is now listed as backordered. I called my credit card company and "red flagged" the charge if it should ever come up. They are also on alert to notify me of an unusual charges. What a nightmare. I always order from Beachcamera.com, but saw that this was $50 cheaper, so I went for it. I hate being the sucker that I usually wag my finger at. Lesson learned.
DO NOT TRUST THIS COMPANY. IF YOU BOUGHT FROM THEM, YOU ARE SCREWED.
TOTAL RIP OFF! DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND BUY FROM ANOTHER COMPANY.
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