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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

J

Jaunted Productions

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Just wanted to RANT about how much I HATE them at B&H Photo. I know this is supposed to be about RED complaints, but I don't have any about RED...they treat me good, with respect and try to make my experience nice...B and H however, never treat me good, they send me items that are broke and instead of helping, they suggest I purchase another item and tell me in order for me to get faster service I should just buy the item AGAIN and then they'll ship it faster and they refund me in a few weeks!!! They are all obnoxious wanna be film makers who are all miserable because they are a bunch of losers and can't get jobs in the industry. I have dealt with them too many times and been burned!! I HATE THEM! I am the idiot though because I allowed them to burn me on three seperate occasions, so I do blame myself. Most recently purchases a RODE NTG-3 mic, got it on Friday, missing XLR pins!!! NICE!!! Called to let them know, but they were closed because I mean it was Friday and all!! UGH!! Then they tell me that in order to get a replacement for this week, I need to buy another one!! They are JERKS!

Okay I feel better!
 
This thread may disappear, but I'll say that B&H is great IF everything goes well. If it doesn't and you need customer service...look out.

I've switched to Abel Cine for my prime place for equipment...you should, too.
 
Jaunted Productions said:
Just wanted to RANT about how much I HATE them at B&H Photo. I know this is supposed to be about RED complaints, but I don't have any about RED...they treat me good, with respect and try to make my experience nice...B and H however, never treat me good, they send me items that are broke and instead of helping, they suggest I purchase another item and tell me in order for me to get faster service I should just buy the item AGAIN and then they'll ship it faster and they refund me in a few weeks!!! They are all obnoxious wanna be film makers who are all miserable because they are a bunch of losers and can't get jobs in the industry. I have dealt with them too many times and been burned!! I HATE THEM! I am the idiot though because I allowed them to burn me on three seperate occasions, so I do blame myself. Most recently purchases a RODE NTG-3 mic, got it on Friday, missing XLR pins!!! NICE!!! Called to let them know, but they were closed because I mean it was Friday and all!! UGH!! Then they tell me that in order to get a replacement for this week, I need to buy another one!! They are JERKS!

Okay I feel better!
Click to expand...

B&H is a big company and you may have been caught in a bad situation. B&H recently launched a new division for high end cinema and post called 'The Studio at B&H.' This is the group you need to be dealing with. We've been working with them now as our primary vendor and are very happy. This is a new initiative for B&H and so far they are getting a lot right. Contact Alan or Brian over there.

Alan 212.239.7500 x2757
Brian 212.239.7500 x2856
 
(lol) agreed..
They sent me Kino (green Twice) instead of 56k and I live three block away from them (lol).
 
I know this might get removed

I know this might get removed

I have never had a good experience with them. I am looking into Abel Cine, I appreciate the advice.

I forgot to mention that I called the Camera Dept. at B and H to ask them about the Follow Focus they sell. The guy asked me which camera I would be using it on and when I told him the RED he told me, "We don't sell that camera and why don't you just call someone there to ask them which they would use" I was confused and told him that it didn't matter and I am just asking which he would recommend to use with Zeiss ZF lenses...he told me he couldn't help me and he hung up. They SELL ZEISS ... I called back and spoke to the manager and they were very apologetic, but still, I am DONE with them.
 
I've bought from B&H for years with never a problem; excellent service all around, never an attempt to switch-pitch.

I trust B&H because they've earned it.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo
 
Unless they've updated it, try calling them and waiting for their automated phone system to say "touch X for customer service."

Do it...I'll wait. :-)

Again, I've ordered well over $100,000 of gear from them and 99% of the time it's come on time and fine. But the few times I needed help or had a mistake...well, fuhgeddaboutit.

Go with Abel...they rock and are here regularly on the boards.
 
I have to agree, B&H leaves something to be desired on the service front. If you know what you want and can handle ordering online, fine, but I wouldn't recommend walking in there with questions about gear. Even if you know what you want, buying in-store is made a far greater hassle than it needs to be. I've gotten the run around a time or three...

I purchased a good portion of my Red accessories from Abel, in part because they gave me the time of day, were patient as I weighed the pros and cons of a given item or purchase, and because they did everything they could to match or beat B&H's price. I've heard a lot of people complain about their website, and calling for a quote isn't always great, but if you can deal with a specific individual who will come to know you and understand how you work and what you need, it will be a fruitful experience. Better yet, if you're in the neighborhood, don't shy away from stopping into their NYC store. Good people all around.

I mostly dealt with Steve Cohen who is one of the main sales guys there, though I've also gone in just to talk about and familiarize myself with new gear, mostly with Mitch Gross and Andy Shipsides, neither of whom work in sales...they just lend you their time and expertise, which I've never found at B&H. From Leo's post and others, I take it that not all share a commonality with my experience at B&H, so as always, consider this

My two cents,
Clint
 
I've had good experiences with them over the years, but I consider B&H a mass box retailer, not a services company like Abel. Other than being able to handle the gear, shopping in store is no different than shopping online. They still place your order through the website.
 
David Rasberry said:
I've had good experiences with them over the years, but I consider B&H a mass box retailer, not a services company like Abel. Other than being able to handle the gear, shopping in store is no different than shopping online. They still place your order through the website.
Click to expand...

Thats what the new 'Studio at B&H' is all about. They've been great with us so far. Personal service, pretty knowledgeable, and aggressive pricing. Plus they have the retail space (a separate blocked off corner of the store) to play with the gear.
 
At Abel we pride ourselves on customer service and being your solutions center. It is all about your needs and how we can best assist you. We're actively working to improve our website, but in the meantime our staff in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago is always there to serve. It is what has kept our company strong for 20 years, and honestly it is why I am so happy to be at Abel.
 
The main problem with B&H, is that the people who work there don't actually know anything. They are salesmen, not lighting,cameramen, electricians. I ordered 2 2500 ballasts that were listed in the catalog as 110/220 switchable, because the ones I owned were 110 only and I needed 220 ones. When they arrived, I called up B&H and asked how do I switch the voltage. They said "they are switchable. It says so in the catalog". "how?" "we don't know." I called the manufacturer in italy, they said "we don't make that ballast in a switchable. It's one or the other." Long story short, I had the correct ballasts shipped from italy, cheaper than b&h, and they got to me before b&h could arrange for a freight shipper to get the wrong ballasts picked up. I am not a fan.

Nick
 
The fact that Abel is terrific, which they are indeed, does not make B&H "bad."

B&H has a huge range of products and they have always given me excellent service.

Good shooting and best regards,

Leo
 
The Studio at B&H staff are knowledgeable and trained and or training in the gear they are selling to the professional community. If you are just ordering from the catalog there is always the possibility of wrong picked shipments and ill-informed sales people.
I suggest you contact "The Studio" for any pro related issues or questions at B&H, they've been extremely helpful with us and any of our needs.
 
Jason Diamond said:
The Studio at B&H staff are knowledgeable and trained and or training in the gear they are selling to the professional community. If you are just ordering from the catalog there is always the possibility of wrong picked shipments and ill-informed sales people.
I suggest you contact "The Studio" for any pro related issues or questions at B&H, they've been extremely helpful with us and any of our needs.
Click to expand...

Thank you. We heartily regret having disappointed any customer. A manager of "The Studio" will reply more directly to the issues raised here, but we want to be sure everyone here understands both our concern for your satisfaction and our commitment to professionalism.
 
I love B and H ... their customer support is awesome !! I had purchased over 100K worth of stuff from them in last 5 to 6 years ... so no complain !
 
The squeaky wheel gets the grease...

The squeaky wheel gets the grease...

I never spoke to anyone at the B&H studio, but for future purchases I will contact them before ordering and deal with them directly. I also will check out Abel Cine and now know that there is other options.

As far as my original problem was concerned. I have not shelled out 100K with B&H and haven't spent too much with them, but whether you spend a million or 100 dollars, I would like to be treated in a decent manner. We all know in this business anyone of our companies could be a big spender at any moment. I just think it is silly to treat someone less important because they aren't spending a ton of money. If my projects take off, I could be a huge spender and I am going to spend with a company that treats me good.

This ordeal was actually dealt with yesterday and seems to be handled correctly now. I feel bad about ranting, but I don't think I would have been heard if I didn't. I spoke to four customer service representatives prior to my rant. After my rant on here, I immediately got help and they were more than happy to make things right. I would like to apologize to people on here about my complaining and ranting because I seriously don't like airing things out in this type of manner. I just really believe in treating people how you want to be treated. I would never bash anyone unless I think they are being unreasonable or malicious and I honestly felt that way in this case.

With that being said, I would like to thank Harry and the other customer service reps that helped me yesterday and thank them for understanding my concerns. They sped up the process for me and completely understood my situation. Happy Shooting everyone and I get my RED today so all is well!!!
 
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