Camera Chums, Inc review: Beligerent Customer Service 8

Placed an order with them, then received an email saying there was an issue with the order and to call their rep at a 1 888 number, and a specific extension. Then was told by this guy that the item was "back-ordered" (this even though their web site had it in stock) and they claimed the reason was that the item was being revised by the manufacturer to prevent electrical short, which is a real joke since these items are widely available. I asked for my order to be cancelled, which they did -- but this raises some serious questions about this place.

YES! Oh my God! I thought I was the only one! I was cursed out and personally threatened by their sales rep! Apparently they really don't have any need to be cordial with their customers!

I ordered an item and then was immediately called and told the item was on backorder even though the website said it had it in stock. When I asked for a refund, they said they would cover half the shipping. Seriously? So, they make a mistake and falsely advertise their items being in stock, and then I have to pay for it?!

DO NOT SHOP AT CAMERA CHUMS! Camera Chums has TERRIBLE customer service! They threatened to ruin the business that I've worked hard to procure because they were too proud to apologize for saying personally terrible things to me over the phone! I can understand if someone is having a bad day, but this seems to be a recurring thing with their only sales rep. Who even acts this way anymore?!

Avoid Camera Chums. I wish I had read the above threads before getting involved.

I ordered an extra Nikon battery for my dSLR. Camera Chums advertised it for $29.99 whereas every other legitimate company sells it for $49.99. Two days later I get an email entitled "Order Status Changed - Contact Us".

I called and they said that there has been a national recall of this Nikon battery due to over heating issues but he could offer me an even better battery for $10 more. I was confused with what he was telling me and agreed to take the “superior” battery.
I then googled this battery and could find no information on it. I became concerned because I have read that Nikon cameras will not recognize third party batteries. After searching I found similar "bait and switch" complaints against Camera Chums and then asked for the order to be canceled.

That's when things got really sketchy. He said he had taped the phone conversation and I had agreed to the switch. I asked what's the big deal about just canceling it and he said that was impossible because the order had been placed. I then said I would dispute the charges on my credit card. He responded by saying ..."Disputing a charge is a federal offense. We have a few recorded conversations from you instructing us to send you this product. This is the last response to this matter I can provide."

I explicitly said this was a bait and switch scam and he replied "Bait and switch is for store visits. It is not an act that can occur by telephone."

Do your self a favor and avoid these guys. If the price looks too good to be true, that's because its a scam and they will switch it for junk at a higher price.

These people may be the strangest business people I have ever dealt with. They seem to just want to argue with their customers. Very confrontational. Who does that in this day and age where companies train their employees in providing great customer service. They bait and switch and blatantly lie on top of wanting to argue. Leaves me scratching my head and wondering if I'm in a SNL skit.

I didn't even know this was possible, which makes me embarrassed about how naive I was! I ordered a Canon Speedlite 270EX II from their site, mainly to save a few dollars from what I saw on other sites. I received an email and a phone call saying that there was an issue with my order. My friend did all of the research and I just put my credit card down, so when I called Camera Chums back and they told me there was "a bad batch" and my item was on "extreme backorder, " I didn't think too much about it when I was told I could get a similar product for just a little more. Similar product... no. What I received was a Bower Illuminator E-TTL I/II. Camera Chums also switched the product number on all of the paper work, so when I received my confirmation email and looked it up, there was nothing online. HOWEVER, when I switched two letters, the product came up for $30 on Amazon.
I called back and explained this to the man who originally called me, and he explained that it's a far better product and it's not out there for everyone, it's not a consumer product, that is why you can't find it online. I mentioned reading reviews that stated exactly what had happened to me, and his response was "they only post the bad reviews online, you won't see any of the good reviews."
It is really a shame what these people do. I just hope I can get a refund for this shoddy product that they overcharged for.

Wow, I don't know what to say. My Christmass order was cancelled. Called to find out why and found out it was my fault for entering my phone number wrong and the next thing I know is the guy on the other end is talking some vulgarities about my mother (she is dead).
Their was no reason for things to go their we could have just fixed the information and sent the order. I thought maybe the guy was having a bad day, and then I looked them up on line. Clearly their is plenty of evidence from all the post I have read on the internet that this company knows what is going on and they are okay with it and even encourage this kind of nasty treatment of their clientell. So why would anyone support them. Their are plenty of companies with good reputations and good customer service. Lesson learned.

DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY! Yes, definitely a bait and switch company. I got the email stating order status changed and to call them. I called and was told canon battery charger was recalled due to overheating issues and possible fire. Offered a rapid charger for double the price and said yes. Got off the phone and tried to find the new charger on their site. Didn't see it. Checked the Canon website, but they still sell the charger and there is no recall listed anywhere. I then found lots of complaints about Camera Chums bait and switch tactics after reading company reviews on the web. Called back 5 to 10 minutes later to cancel and was called a ### and told they would sue me for interstate fraud for placing an order then canceling. I told them I had already called my credit cards company and disputed their charges for the bait and switch. She got even nastier. I hung up. Luckily my credit card company said not to worry. They will take care of it through the dispute process and listed the events as they occurred on my account.

Lesson Learned.. Definitely a bait! Do not buy anything from this company...