Frustrated with Canon and Adorama

[staceylking]

Sorry, this is a vent. I like some clear eyes to look at this and perhaps advise.

I ordered a refurbished Canon 50D kit from Adorama and it arrived yesterday. I've ordered lots of things from Adorama, including my last SLR body, several lenses, and various other flashes and accoutrements. Never had any problems.

The battery that came with the kit is bad, won't hold a charge. I can get perhaps four photos from a supposedly full charge before the battery light starts blinking at me. So this morning after it had charged all night and was no better, I used the returns/exchanges form on the Adorama site to request that they exchange my batter for one that works. Then I made the 40-minute trip up to Arlington Camera and purchased a new Canon battery.

Scott at Adorama emailed back, said it's packaged by Canon, contact them. So I called Canon. Talked to a nice guy, Mark, who said that since it was refurbished, it wasn't packaged by Canon, but that no matter what, I'd be taken care of. While I was on the phone with him, I swapped out the battery and noticed that the bad battery isn't even a Canon battery. It's a CTA brand.

Called Scott at Adorama to talk to him directly. He insisted that it WAS packaged by Canon, and that the best he could do was either sell me a $19.99 non-Canon battery and ship it at no charge OR let me return the WHOLE PACKAGE and they'd send a new package as soon as they received this one.

So I called Canon back, talked to somebody else, who talked to his supervisor, and they won't replace the battery. They state emphatically that they do not package non-Canon products with anything. That's it. There's NO POSSIBILITY, according to Canon, that a non-Canon product could have been in the camera when it was returned by the first purchaser, no possibility that whoever ran the refurb checks might have missed something so banal as a battery, which had a protector cap covering the label, making it appear identical to the Canon battery.

So somehow, some sinister prankster used a particle transporter to switch the batteries without opening the sealed box.

Which leaves me having spent $60 more dollars just to be able to use the camera. Which isn't a whole lot in the scope of things, but it's the principle of the thing!! I'm angry that no one is taking responsibility!!!!!!!!

I hate to just let it go, I refuse to buy a non-Canon battery no matter how inexpensive it is, and I don't want to return the whole camera and wait two more weeks for a replacement.

GAH!

/vent
(thanks for 'listening')

[AndrewCCM]

Not an Adorama fan here. Sorry you had to deal with that...

[epoh]

That really sucks. Personally, I would hold the person who took my money responsible. Unfortunately, with online retailers sometimes you still end up screwed. :(

[kula23]

how much did you paid for it? :O I brought my brand new canon 50d at amazon for $995 I think. Just a body, tho. Hope you can work it out somehow. It's really nice camera and I love mine.

[Jeff_Green]

That is a tough one. Since you bought it from Adorama they should be the one to make it right. You just bought it and just used it so it should still fall under their warranty. Canon may have overlooked the battery in their inspection, but Adorama sold it. Since they are being tough to deal with I would send the whole thing back and make them rectify the situation... just make sure you note sn # of equipment to see what gets sent back to ya!

[toverman]

Because Canon cameras come new with a Canon battery, I can understand your frustration.

However, making egg nog out of lemonade, here, the Sterlingtek batteries are far superior in holding a charge and overall longevity in my experience compared to the Canons (at least the BP-511s). They are also considerably less expensive. So if you decide to keep your refurbed 50D and want some really nice batteries for very little, check them out.

[zebulus]

Get on that phone, call Adorama, and yell and scream and pitch a fit and threaten to report them to the BBB and demand to talk to supervisor after supervisor until you get the results you want.

[T. Adam Martin]

It's all clear now. The first problem is that you ordered a Canon instead of the Holy Grail, Nikon.

Really though, my sympathies.

[PIC]

Welcome to the U.S.A. {United Scam of America}.

"It's the principle of the thing!!
I'm angry that no one is taking responsibility!!!!!!!!"

It's more than just Canon and Adorama - its everwhere !!
Just go chew on a tough Wendys hamburger and find a bloody bandaid in it.

[ggeen]

Most likely the case is that Adorama needed a Canon battery for someone and took the one out of the refurb unit and sold it as new. Then replacing it with a $20 knock-off replacement battery. A win-win for Adorama.

Depending on the attitude of the sales people and my need for the product, I might have sent the entire thing back for a refund. If I really needed the product, then I would have done what you did and just bought a battery at a reliable store front.

Sorry about the problems but this is what we risk by shopping online.

[Tom]

I have had nothing but great experiences with Adorama and generally buy from there over BH. Jeff Snyder is the man.

[corralup]

That is why I'm afraid to order from anywhere but B & H Photo. No problems yet.
Adorama sold it to you it should be them not Canon.

[DoublyDan]

Stacey sorry to hear about this (I was wondering how your 50D was doing after you posted last week that it was on the way)

I know this process all too well.

I am with Jeff and Glen on this one...SEND IT BACK!! Adorama does not want the refurb back in their store, and with a non Canon battery they know they would have to replace it before sending it out to Canon anyway.

They are betting on you not wanting to let the 50D out the door and having to wait two weeks....(two weeks, really?)

Or you can do like Z said and pitch a fit and don't get off the phone until someone says what you want to hear! And that should be "we will cross ship the new battery to you"...

I am about to spend some money on a new lens but cannot bring myself to buy a used one off ebay just because of situations like this. Buy used from TPF member? depends on the circumstances... Buying new? Best bet (for me).

Good luck and I hope that you have a good outcome to a bad situation.

BTW you can probably bet this was not Canon's doing.

[Roy]

I'd be hotter than a pistol I'm sure. I suggest you ask the Adorama people to get with the Canon people and get their facts straight. It's ridiculous that they want you to send the whole body back for a bad battery. That said, I'd take a Sterlingtek battery over a Canon battery any day for that model if it's the same one that fits the 20D, 30D and I think 40D.

Obviously, somebody is not being straight with you and I would think Adorama would be the one to take care of it.

[90 5.0]

Blessing in disguise, send it back to adarama and swapp it out for one of the used 5d's they have in stock :)


But all joking asside that sucks, I would either just buy another battery and go about my day or send the whole kit back and make them make it right.

I've never had a problem with anything I've ordered from them sorry to hear about yours.