"After reading this site I will be refusing my order and doing a charge back. I don't need the hassle. Yes they did call me with a sales pitch for other junk."
"I order Canon SD 750 silver camera from this store and 2 days later they asked me to call them to verify the order so that they can ship my order. When I called I had to call several times until I finally managed to talk to a represntative. He said that the camera comes with the battery that only last for 20 minutes and I have to buy another battery if I want to use for longer period. The battery costs about $69. I argued that the spec does not mention so. He insist that it comes like that from the manufacturer. I refused to buy the battery and asked him just to send me the camera. He said the shipment is on the way. The next day I received an e-mail quoting that the camera is out of stock and I have to wait for 4-6 weeks. When I checked their website they incresed the price by over $7. And the website shows that they have the same camera in stock. I asked them to cancel my order but it is still in the process. I will not shop in this store in the future. "
"Had a camera order in my cart and they raised the price $25. Sent email about the price hike and i never heard from them. Left order in cart and next day they hiked the price again!!!!"
"I chose Preferred Photo not for the price so much as availability of a discontinued camera model. I was horrified to see all the reviews and complaints, and as a result I behaved in an incredibly paranoid fashion throughout my transaction: I ordered by phone rather than over the web, declined all "extras" (I was clear and decisive; perhaps in response they weren't pushy), and I called every few hours to check on the progress of my order.
As it turned out, the transaction was flawless: the customer service people always answered the phone -- they were terse but polite enough; the order was fulfilled within 24 hours with a tracking number, and delivered 2 days later; the merchandise was exactly what I ordered.
I don't doubt all the bad experiences reported in the reviews, and I wouldn't be surprised if many of the positive reviews are of suspect origin, but thanks to treading carefully, my experience was just fine.
"
"Basically a bait and switch experience! After accepting my camera order they tried to sell me extras I did not want and finally said the camera was not available with English language support, only Japanese - so I canceled the order. "
"I can't say their customer service is the best around, but their prices are, and you're kidding me if you think I would rather spend $50 more somewhere else. Big deal, I sat through the sales pitch but after 5 minutes I had my confirmation and my tracking number that night."
"I ordered a Canon %D online from Broadway photo. I received an e-mail the next day stating I had to confirm my address. While on the phone the salesman stated that I needed to buy a better battery than the one that came with the camera. He stated the battery included only lasted twenty minutes. He was going to sell me a $499 battery for $299. I stated that I did not want the extra battery. The salesman began to argue and reqired I tell him why I did not want the battery. We did this with three other accessories. At the conclusion I directed them to cancel my order for the camera. I stated "cancel my order" several times. The next morning I had a charge to my Visa card for $2800. "
"I had a similar experience as many people here. I ordered the item. They called (Saying to verify my address as the excuse) then tried to add on a bunch of over priced junk. They said the item has a 30 day warranty and tried to sell me a 1 year warranty but it actually has a 1 year warranty. I am guessing that since I did not buy any of their extra junk with it the item mysteriously went out of stock (even though it says in stock on their web site).
Soooo my recommendation is to not use these guys. I'm amazed at how much negative feedback these guys have. Now I know why.
Nov. 5, 2007 - -
Just adding an update. They still have the item on back order and I'm fairly sure they will never sell it to me. It would appear they only make a decent profit on the junk that you don't need and if you don't buy any of that then you'll stay perpetually on backorder. I would not recommend doing business with these fools on any level."
"hmmm... this review is for broadway photo... i don't know about the other companies... but anyway i found the price to be good and the service was fast. the only thing i didn't like was the verification call which was really an excuse to try to upsell, but when i said no thanks they were cool with it. i'm suprised to see so many negative reviews because yeah, they try to sell you extra stuff but who doesn't? at least their prices are low and you still get your order in a couple of days..."
"Very similar experience to what others have posted. It was an obvious bait and switch. Online, it states that the camera was in stock, new, and US model. Upon placing the order online, you have to call in to BWay and verify the order. The phone call is the opportunity for them to sell you add ons at very high mark ups. I declined all add ons and the phone representative stated that the camera was in stock and would ship in 2-3 days. Two days later, the camera was back ordered for 4-6 weeks, despite still being listed as in stock on their web site."
"Bought a Canon SD850 IS for $229 plus shipping. Order was never confirmed online. Several days later, my account infomation required me to call the store. Upon calling, it was bait & switch. Buy batteries, memory, etc,. When I said "no thank you" the sale was completed for the camera. After a week, I was on backorder. When I called as-if a new customer to buy a new one, I asked if the camera was "in-stock" and they said YES. Then I indicated they could fill my existing order. Upon research they said that my CANON was "Japanese made" and the one in-stock was "American-made" and it was $349 which is indicated no-where in there ads. I asked what the difference is and they didn't provide much insight. Upon calling for again for a delivery schedule, it can be an indefinite wait. I ordered a CANON SD850 and they are sending me the CANON IXUS 950 IS. If these are different prices, then they must be advertised separately."
"I had to buy an additional battery at a slightly higher price. The camera (Canon 40D) was obviously a gray import which was not declared as such. I still saved some money. Shipment was timely and in good condition."
"Broadway Photo are scam artists. It is amazing to read so many reviews saying the exact same things about them. We all need to get together and make this people pay. Why does the State of New York let this business continue to operate. I know buyer beware, but come on, we don't live in the 19th century. Businesses need to be held to ethical standards as well."
"One of the worst internet shopping experiences. It emailed me to confirm the order, and when I did I was told to pay extra to get US warranted product, instead of some international version. DO NOT shop there."
"Bait and switch. Order camera, confirm it is in stock, refuse all the extras, and receive an e-mail that it is NOT in stock. Customer service has a bad attitude during phone calls once you don't want the extras...."