Avoid the Digital Camera Bait and Switch Scam

Many unscrupulous retailers are notorious for bait and switch schemes, a practice in which they entice you with one low priced item, and then attempt to sell you a higher priced item through devious practices. The bait and switch tactics run rampant amongst many online retailers selling digital cameras, typically a high priced item to begin with.

By perusing various consumer watchdog sites and Better Business Bureau reports, you will find that thousands continue to fall victim to the digital camera bait and switch scheme, despite the increasing amount of warnings and complaints posted on the internet. A vast array of online companies with no shame possess an obvious desire to separate you from your money with little regard to customer satisfaction.

The bait and switch scam used by many online digital camera retailers is usually the same; you, the consumer, find a low-priced or sale-priced camera on the retailer website, and proceed to make an order. Within a day or two, you receive an email from the company asking you to please call and verify your credit card information before the camera can be shipped. Unbeknownst to you, your credit card has likely already been charged. Asking you to call to verify your information is simply the first step in the bait and switch scheme.

Once you call, an employee on the phone will attempt to have you purchase additional items at extremely high prices, or even a different camera. They attempt this by using a flurry of lies, deception and deceit.

Often, they will tell you that the digital camera you have ordered is actually a grey market camera (a knockoff that will not be covered under warranty by the manufacturer) and if you want the proper manufactured camera, you will need to pay a higher price.

Of course, the listing on the website said nothing about the camera you purchased being a grey market camera, and the price for the actual manufacturer's camera is no longer a deal. Consumers who opt to keep the order for the grey market camera are usually then told that the camera is on backorder and it could be several weeks before it is shipped. These orders are usually mysteriously cancelled at some point by the company if the consumer does not cancel it himself, and getting a refund can be a hassle and time-consuming.

The other tactics in the digital camera bait and switch scheme many of these companies use is to try to sell you high priced accessories, such as additional lenses, batteries, and other items. For the unwary consumer who has not done price comparisons, or is not familiar with what accessories may be compatible with the camera they are intending to purchase, they often fall victim to this bait and switch scheme. Then they find out that they could have either purchased the accessories much cheaper somewhere else, or that they do not even work with the camera.

Additionally, the digital cameras and parts received will usually appear used or damaged, and the retailer will spin another web of lies as to why they will not issue you a refund or make the refund process ridiculously difficult.

Many online digital camera retailers using these bait and switch schemes are in fact the same company operating under multiple names so as to draw in more consumers and thus reap more undeserved benefits.

When looking online for digital cameras and camera accessories, it is best to stick to major retailers with solid reputations, despite any deals that are offered by companies that you are unfamiliar with. If you want to find out if a company you are looking to order a camera from uses the bait and switch scam, then you should check out ResellerRatings.com. This website contains a large database of online retailers with reviews posted, and is a great resource for discovering whether or not a company is good or bad.

Simply input the name or search for the name of a online camera company, or any online retailer for that matter, and you will soon find out if the company uses bait and switch tactics or is overall just not a good company, thanks to the user posted ratings and reviews.

The entries for many digital camera companies are full of bait and switch horror stories, as well as useful information as to which stores operate under additional names to avoid.