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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

B&H photo in New York

Abel is great, but consider if you live in NYC, ZGC inc. they are in jersey so you pay no sales tax for shipped orders. Plus Chris the sales ajent is wonderful.
 
I bought some gear from B&H. Have had a very pleasant experience with them, things arrived on time and in great condition. However, recently (about a month ago) I bought a Pico Projector (An Optoma battery powered one, haven't got it with me so don't remember the model number). The projector was most definitely opened and used before- it was with dust and finger stains. i really needed the projector so didn't return it and didn't give feedback, which probably was a mistake. Currently it seems the battery is "leaking" power -somehow similar to what happens when one leaves a Redvolt inside the Epic with it shut down. I don't know if this is part of the design of the projector or not. I will probably continue to purchase from B&H, the projector does work well excluding the energy leak on standby, but it left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, this situation. Since I live in the other side of the World, returning items is both expensive and an hassle in terms of downtime...

EDIT- The battery situation is not confirmed. Maybe where I'm storing it has something to do with the "leak". Something might be pushing the power button while I leave it idle. I have to confirm this. Henry has been fantastic and is on my case. Great to see this!
 
I can't even begin to calculate how much money, Tens of Thousands, of gear bought at B&H in the pasts years, pieces ranging in value from few hundreds to several thousands... NEVER a single problem, only couple of issues and two returns, immediately taken care of and sent back overnight, if there was a problem with B&H it was a misunderstanding and was resolved with immediacy.
 
Sergio Perez said:
I bought some gear from B&H. Have had a very pleasant experience with them, things arrived on time and in great condition. However, recently (about a month ago) I bought a Pico Projector (An Optoma battery powered one, haven't got it with me so don't remember the model number). The projector was most definitely opened and used before- it was with dust and finger stains...
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This should not have happened, whether the unit was sold & returned or mishandled in our warehouse or a QC lapse by the vendor. Please email me with your original B&H order number.
 
KETCH ROSSi said:
I can't even begin to calculate how much money, Tens of Thousands, of gear bought at B&H in the pasts years, pieces ranging in value from few hundreds to several thousands... NEVER a single problem, only couple of issues and two returns, immediately taken care of and sent back overnight, if there was a problem with B&H it was a misunderstanding and was resolved with immediacy.
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I agree with Ketch!
Adorama is great for web-based purchases.
B&H is amazing for pre-sale information and fast delivery of in-stock items.
Able has a pretty showroom and if you're there to buy an F65, perhaps you'll get service, so I've stopped buying from them, however Andy Shipsides and the repair crew at Able are brilliant.
 
henryp said:
This should not have happened, whether the unit was sold & returned or mishandled in our warehouse or a QC lapse by the vendor. Please email me with your original B&H order number.
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Hi Henry will do. Thank you for being here. By being on Reduser you guys gained more loyalty points, at least from this costumer! EDIT- Henry, cannot PM you so please PM me with your email if you can't post it here.
 
BRANDON JAMESON said:
I agree with Ketch!
Adorama is great for web-based purchases.
B&H is amazing for pre-sale information and fast delivery of in-stock items.
Able has a pretty showroom and if you're there to buy an F65, perhaps you'll get service, so I've stopped buying from them, however Andy Shipsides and the repair crew at Able are brilliant.
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Ours is a different model from those other businesses. If you're looking for a box store with no personality and no interaction then we can try to do that for you as well. If you would like to deal with real people and consult on a purchase that will best suit your needs, then we strive to be helpful. Yesterday I helped a client with various widgets for mounting accessories onto his Epic. Hardly an F65 purchase but the need was vital to this client's work and I was happy to help.
 
Henry,

I appreciate your help, but I have long since purchased the item from another retailer.
 
Manhattan has far too few parking spaces, and garages know they have the upper hand.
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Exactly. And Bloomberg is zealously working ever-harder to make the situation many times worse. Unfair to lay the blame on B&H's doorstep for that. Welcome to the Big Apple.

Personally, my experiences with B&H have been stellar. A specific lens that recently did not work out for the job at hand, ostensibly our uninformed oversight in selecting it, B&H gladly accepted the return at little or no charge, as long as the original boxing and paperwork were intact, within the specified time limit. For that, they have my solid loyalty.

Shipping, return, and refund, reliable and prompt, can't fault them at all.

That having been said, they run such a huge operation, amazing it works as it does, bound to be a snag or two here and there. Life's a New York bitch sometimes.

Overall, a very professional operation.
 
B&H has been good with me lately. Place an order and it usually ships the same day. Don't have any negative issues. I'm sure they'll resolve the issue. Hopefully I'll get to visit the store in person, after all I've been shopping with them since early 90's
 
Mitch Gross said:
Ours is a different model from those other businesses. If you're looking for a box store with no personality and no interaction then we can try to do that for you as well. If you would like to deal with real people and consult on a purchase that will best suit your needs, then we strive to be helpful. Yesterday I helped a client with various widgets for mounting accessories onto his Epic. Hardly an F65 purchase but the need was vital to this client's work and I was happy to help.
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I'm sure you're incredibly good at what you do, however in the many experiences I've had both in-store and by phone, Able fails to have people to even answer the phone in your sales department. The attitude of your sales force at industry events has also been lacking in the very arena you chose to focus on.

My point is not to slam Able, whose repair, tech and rental staff are truly superb, but to point out that each and every time I have tried get sales support , have an order filled in a timely manner, or dealt with your fellow staff in sales, the experiences I have had have been tepid in comparrison to B&H, which may be a "Big Box Store", but sell many of the same "big boxes" you sell with better access to pre-sales experts, in-store advice and "hands-on" demos,or actually getting the "big boxes" into my hands.

IMPO, Able sales could learn a great deal from their rental department and tech team.
Perhaps pick-up the phone or take a walk to the "big box store" to compare the pre-sales consumer experience.

I've dealt with your " different model" and the myriad unpleasant expieriences that have given me countless reasons to take my business elsewhere.
 
Brandon, it is upsetting to hear of your negative experiences with AbelCine Sales. Nothing can undo the past, but we do strive to improve and better serve our clients at all times. If our Sales staff is occupied with other calls or dealing with clients in person then they will not be available to answer the phone. But that's not your problem. We need to do better to serve you best.

If you ever have any question or need, please feel free to contact me directly. I will be happy to answer questions as best I can and if there is something I cannot do myself, I will personally make sure to get you in the hands of someone who can. I make this pledge to you and all REDusers.
 
I can say Mitch has always been helpful and available for me. Great guy. Sales staff can be pre-occupied at times, as expected...

The reason I stopped using Abel is because there were a few times when Sales staff acted condescending towards me, as if I was asking stupid questions or just 'not in the know.' Impolite behavior like that i can't tolerate.

I have since been using Filmtools and so far I LOVE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE !!!
 
Yousuf Abbasi said:
I can say Mitch has always been helpful and available for me. Great guy. Sales staff can be pre-occupied at times, as expected...

The reason I stopped using Abel is because there were a few times when Sales staff acted condescending towards me, as if I was asking stupid questions or just 'not in the know.' Impolite behavior like that i can't tolerate.

I have since been using Filmtools and so far I LOVE THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE !!!
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My experience with Abel (on BOTH coasts) EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Yousuf.
 
I have had very good luck with many purchases from B&H over the years so no complaints here. However, I would like to pose a question to Mitch from Abel.

I have purchased several lenses from B&H and have always had good luck. I say that because I have never felt the need to return a lens to get a "better copy," as others have discussed here. Then again, I am not sure I have had the awareness and capability to be very discerning about what constitutes a "good" or "bad" lens. I have learned much more about lenses here at REDuser in the last couple years and, as a result, am more discriminating about my lens purchase. So, my question - (you thought I'd never get there!) - Is AbelCine the kind of place where I can expect a "modestly priced" lens ($500-2000) to be "selected" by the staff before it is sent out? In other words, are lenses inspected in any way when they arrive into inventory and before they are sent out to customers?

I guess I could address the same question to Henry from B&H but, as far as I am aware, they do not do this sort of QC prior to fulfiulling an order.

And, BTW, thanks to both of you guys for being here to answer questions!!
 
One problem I have had with AbelCine in the past was the online quote form. You fill out the form to get a price and then nobody ever gets back to you. So I order elsewhere...
 
At dinner last night with a bunch of other film makers, a buddy of mine hit the nail on the head when he said: "I feel like being in a singles bar at Able, where the girl you're talking to is always looking over your shoulder to see if the next guy who comes in looks hotter or richer."

Appreciate your offer Mitch, I really do, but putting the responsibility of an entire sales force and the unpalatable culture of your "different model" on you and your availability, seems like a well-meaning drop in an ocean of attitude and poor performance.

Perhaps this thread will give you the fuel you need to get your owners to take a deep, hard look at the potential for a "new model" and fresh possibilities for your sales organization.
 
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