"I order the Pioneer VSX-1020 from Camera Kings. This is a very high quality receiver with features you would not expect to find at such a low price. The price was over $100 cheaper than other sites I reviewed. Even with the product replacement warranty, I saved a load of cash. The only problem I have had so far is trying to get customer service to send me a copy of my receipt/invoice in order to activate my warranty. I received an email telling me that my request was received and how my satisfaction was a priority, but haven't received any other correspondence from them since July 16, 2010. I rate the product itself as A+, the customer support from Camera Kings at a solid F- at this point."

"CAUTION! WARNING TO CONSUMERS! DO NOT BUY FROM CAMERA KINGS WITHOUT READING THIS REVIEW!!!!

I researched the Panasonic HDC-HS60 Digital Black Camcorder online thoroughly and knew what I should be paying for it. I found Camera Kings and their price seemed like a great deal undercutting their competitors by $100.00. When I ordered it on 7/19/2010 I called them on the phone wanting to ensure I got all I needed by the time I needed as I was going on vacation by the end of the week. They assured me all was in stock including the backup battery which was necessary and which I desired for my vacation filming needs. As I said, I was assured that all was in stock and so I went ahead and placed my order.

My package arrived from Camera Kings within a couple of days and I was thrilled to receive it. However when I opened it the backup Panasonic Battery was NOT included with my merchandise. I called immediately, now concerned that I was leaving in 2 days for vacation and it hadn't been shipped with my order. The sales rep looked into it and claimed that when I ordered it there were 5 or 6 in stock but that they "must have sold out and the backup battery would now be coming directly from the manufacturer." He had me convinced that he was on the other phone with the manufacturer (Panasonic) and when he came back assured me they would be overnighting it to me directly so I would have it before I left on vacation-which I did not.

While on vacation. I called Camera Kings again and spoke to the manager this time who told me his name was Brian G (YES I HAVE HIS FULL NAME)who said he was the customer service Manager. After me expressing my disgust at how they run their business he said he would refund me the $24.99 fee for overnighting it from Panasonic. He once again appeared to have Panasonic on the line at the same time and when he came back said that he would get it to me asap but they were out of stock at Panasonic and he didn't know when they would be back in stock. I expressed neededing that battery for my filming needs on vacation and he apologized. However I still hadn't recieved it a week after returning from vacation. I eventually called again, speaking to Manager Brian G. again, and this time was promised that he just recieved an email by coincidence the same day, about my order from Panasonic. When I asked him to forward it, at this point not believing anything Camera Kings promised, he refused to send me the email. Brian assured me that Panasonic would be shipping the battery overnight on 8/26/2010 and I would have it by noon the next day. I was skeptical but had no choice but to trust him.

When two days had passed and it hadn't yet arrived I called Brian G. yet again. He promised me that Panasonic told him they overnighted it and he again appeared to look into it. He told me that he would call me back back by 4pm and he would have the tracking number then. I told him that I shouldn't have to call back, that if Panasonic had my name and address and order number then they could tell him now what the tracking number is. I told him that I didn't want the tracking number that I wanted my merchandise that was promised to me over and over and over again. I also told him that my next call would be to the Better Business Bureau and that I didn't believe him anymore and that if he wanted to keep his reputation and KEEP me from posting the truth about Camera King's shoddy business practices that my backup battery had better be here by noon the next day.

Brian G. never called me at 4 with a tracking number. He never called me back at all to date (9/11/2010). Two days later my backup battery arrived in the regular mail. It was never overnighted. CAMERA KINGS CANNOT BE TRUSTED. THEY MAKE PROMISES THEY CANNOT KEEP, DO NOT KEEP AND DO NOT TELL YOU FACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT ITEMS YOU BOUGHT FROM THEM. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMER AND OFFERED ME NOTHING EXCEPT TO REFUND MY OVERNIGHT SHIPPING WHICH NEVER EVEN HAPPENED. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR and SPEND A LITTLE MORE BUYING YOUR ITEMS ELSEWHERE. BUYER BEWARE!!!!"

"Competitive price, fast shipping. Received as listed and promised. Thank you!"

"I should start by saying that I never thought I would be writing such a positive review. However after receiving the camera from them the next day (I am in the one day ship zone), I can't help but give them 4 stars. The only reason they aren't getting 5 is their cheap used car salesman mike who won't get off the phone without lying to me about the battery being sub-par (nikon official battery not being good enough!) and something about them having the best digital memory prices. Also of note is that the reason why they have such good prices is that at least the camera I got is an international version and must be returned to camera kings for service. Odds are the camera will do fine for the first year so no biggie there.

I also called them up and informed them of how terrible some of the reviews were on this site and how some people had horrendous shipping issues which could have been the reason why I got it so quickly. Whatever the reason, got the camera next day."

"Once I got past my anxiety about buying cheap on-line, I had a very good experience with Camera Kings! Some communication problems--I didn't realize the new digital cameras required a memory card, so I thought I was being charged for something I didn't need. When it didn't arrive with my order, I thought it was a mistake, called customer service and got their "closed" recording when they should have been open. Lost my temper and fired off complaint email. Then got through on the phone. The agent was very helpful, explained the memory card was on back-order (sure enough, I had not looked closely enough at the invoice--there it was.)

The card was still overpriced, so I asked them to cancel the order and issue a refund, which I received this morning.

Bottom line: I got a fantastic camera at the lowest price possible, polite service, and a prompt refund. It helps to keep your temper and know what you're doing (both of which I failed to do), but Camera Kings still did right by me. Thanks, I would recommend and buy again!"

"Ordered a Sony DSLR Alpha 500 camera with both 55mm and 200mm lenses. Order online was smooth and I received an email confirming the order. Next day, I receive a call and an email that I need to contact Camera Kings customer service so that they can confirm my order. I also thought this was impressive. Everything went down from there. The phone call turned out to be nothing more than an upsell opportunity although the gentleman I spoke with was no pushy and I did not give in. Upsells are common everywhere regarding electronics so this was no surprise. However, I was told the order would be processed and shipped immediately and that I could expect a shipping confirmation email with tracking by the next day. Next day, nothing. I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Next day, nothing. Then another day, nothing. I called customer service, they said the same thing the first guy did. Finally, I did some more research on this company. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING OF THIS REVIEW AND THE REASON I CANCELED MY ORDER!! I was very suspicious about the runaround I felt I was getting and about the delay in shipping something they advertised would take 1 - 2 days to ship. When I went to Sony's website directly, they listed their authorized online retailers. CAMERA KINGS IS NOT ONE OF THEM!! This simply means that if your Sony product breaks (or any other product since Camera Kings is not an authorized retailer for anyone that I could find), your only recourse is with Camera King themselves. If they do not honor the product, the manufacturer will not. Based on how Camera Kings treated me the first 5 days, based on the fact that you do not get a manufacturers warranty with Camera Kings, I suggest you take your business to B & H Photo and Video. Yes, I paid $50 extra but a warranty is absolutely worth that. The entire order with Camera Kings was $710 and I paid $760 with B & H; well worth it. Not to mention the other reviews that state Camera Kings charges insurance and handling charges which I cannot attest to since my order never fully processed but if that is the case, you may not even be saving any money. Point being, DO NOT BUY from Camera Kings. "

"On August 4, 2010 I ordered a Fuji HS10 (without, alas, reading these reviews first) from Camera Kings and was told by this company that they had to ship UPS as they cannot use U.S. Postal Service to Puerto Rico (which is where I live). I agreed to a $34.00 UPS shipping fee. Checked back with Camera Kings (via telephone) on Monday, August 9,2010, and found out from Tommy Lawrence that they claimed they had shipped to me via priority mail. Only problem is, they shipped to my home address and the Puerto Rican mail service does not deliver to my home (UPS does deliver). They were supposed to ship UPS to my home address. So much for not being able to use U.S. Postal Service for shipping (they clearly lied so that they could charge me additional money).

Was also told by Tommy Lawrence at 12:25 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 August that my package had shipped on 5 August. But when I checked the USPS tracking number (on 10 August) that Camera Kings provided to me, the USPS website told me the following:

"The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper on August 10, 2010 to expect your package for mailing. This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date."

I then asked to speak with a Camera Kings superior and spoke with Steve Collins on 10 August at 12:38 p.m. and demanded the package be returned (it cannot be delivered to me at the address they sent it to, you will recall) and that I receive a full refund. He agreed that they would refund the entire $584.93 purchase and shipping cost.

But on 12 August, I again checked my order via the the online USPS tracking system and noted a severe disagreement between Steve Collin's/Tommy Larence's/Camera King's stated shipping date and the actual shipping date (which was August 5 2010). When I called Camera Kings and spoke with Steve Collins on 12 August, 2010 at 1:45 p.m., I asked him when Camera Kings believed my order was shipped. He replied:

"Your item was shipped on August 5, 2010."

I then told him that I had checked the tracking number on the USPS website and that website had told me the following:

"Item processed on 11 August at Kearney, NJ 07032 Facility."

To this he replied,"Probably it got lost at the post office and was sitting there from August 5 until August 11."

Camera Kings clearly had not shipped the package on August 5 as they claimed. Why didn't they just admit to this and save themselves and me the trouble of shipping it when they knew a day earlier that I wanted a refund?

Steve Collins agreed to send me an email today that would state that they intended to give me a full refund for the package that corresponds to my order number as per this description of their services. I will update you as to whether this actually takes place.

I highly suggest you DO NOT do business with these individuals. Their contradictions discredit their words. I am not even certain if the names Steve Collins and Tommy Lawrence are the actual names of the people from Camera Kings that I spoke with.
**************************************************

Update: 3:15 p.m., August 12

I did receive an email message regarding the return and refund of my Camera Kings order. It states the following:

Camera Kings

Return Authorization Form

Order No. H1026829

Attn MY NAME,

As per our phone conversation earlier today, this is written confirmation that you will be returning your package for a refund of $584.92



Exclusions for returns:

1. Any items that have been registered with the manufacturer. Are not returnable for refund or exchange.

2. Any items that shows any signs of abuse/damage or are missing accessories or any manuals/warranty cards that are marked etc. is not returnable for refund or exchange

3. You must include the Manufacturer's box for all items in unmarked and undamaged condition.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this matter please do not hesitate to contact us

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. If there is any other resolution you may consider please contact us so we may have the opportunity to satisfy you.

Please Note:

· We are not responsible for any costs/fees including but not limited to Shipping, Handling & or Insurance charges incurred on the return of your order.

· RMA numbers DO NOT guarantee final disposition. All returns are subject to inspection, and may be refused due to violation of the stated terms.

· Any merchandise returned without prior authorization will be refused. No goods will be accepted for exchange or return without authorization.

* Notice any modification / Deletion or addition to this form other than a signature from the aforementioned Credit card holder will delay and possibly cancel your request for a return authorization

Sincerely,
*************************************************

All I can say is they better not charge me any return postage fee as they sent the item to an address to which the U.S. Post Office here in Puerto Rico will not deliver."

"Ordered online, paid for the expedited shipping option to Canada, then got a call the next day saying the shipping price should actually be about $100 more than the original amount I agreed to. They agreed to discount this, and tried to upsell me on a warranty. I was told I'd get an updated invoice (I wanted to confirm these changes before I'd agree to this) that day, did not receive anything. 2 days later still had no confirmation of the "new" total price for my order. Worst part of this is they won't answer any questions by email, I had to call customer service and sit on hold for 20 minutes everytime. I was transferred to other depts without even being asked, and was cut off abruptly everytime. Very rude customer service, did not seem to care that I wasn't happy. I ordered online as it's supposed to be easier, but when they can't provide online support, and you have to wait on hold for 20 minutes, it defeats the purpose of buying online. I ended up cancelling this as the original price wasn't the same, customer service didn't seem to care, and the 2-3 day shipping service I paid for could not be confirmed. It had been 2 days and I still didn't even have a final invoice to know what it would cost me. Horrible, horrible experience."

"I was searching the web for a canon Powershot SX20IS. Camera King was the least expensive, I ordered camera on website. Then I noticed the bad reviews and was apprehensive about getting camera. When it arrived it was in perfect condition, new, works great. All accessories and items as promised. Yes I did get an email saying I needed to call them prior to shipment. They just tried to upsell me (get me to purchase other accessories). I just told them no. I was not offended that they just tried to sell me more stuff. I recommend them and would buy from them again. "

"Great customer service. Got an email right away to confirm my order and the rep said that the order would be processed. Very courteous and friendly rep I may add.

Just waiting for the tracking number but all in all very pleased so far.

Update: Just got the tracking number and I am very pleased that they use UPS. Again great company to buy from.

Don't let the negative reviews dissuade you from purchasing from this company. "

"Like you probably came here to find out, I was skeptical about a place offering such low prices. A Pioneer receiver for $100 less than anyone else was selling it? Is it going to be out of stock forever? Will they try to upsell me? Will they give me the "hard sell" on cables, warranties, etc? If I don't bite, will they cancel my order? Will it arrive in one piece?

The answer to the above questions were ALL the exact opposite of what I expected. After placing the order, they did require I call them to "further verify" my order. I knew this was going to at least be to try and sell me some things and I fully expected this. They did try to sell me on some cables, but when I said I already had a receiver set up and this was a direct swap, they moved on. They did try to sell me a warranty, but when I said I wasn't interested, they asked just one more time and when I stood firm they let it go and wished me luck with my receiver.

The receiver shipped just 3 days after placing the order and arrived in perfect condition a day or so later (NY to NJ).

Sometimes, you just need to take a chance if you want to save some money. For me, potentially saving $100 was worth a little risk and it paid off big time. I couldn't be happier!"

"Ordered the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35K last July 15. Confirmed by 2 support reps that the order is being processed and will go out the following day -- and that was early last week. Called today to complain. Was on hold for more than 20 minutes each call, got transferred several times within the support department, and was told that there's a billing issue - even though the item was paid via paypal on the same day I made the order and shipping address and identity confirmed. I was eventually transfered to Brian, the support manager, and he promised to expedite the order with tracking confirmation. Still no email with confirmation. Finally, got hold of billing and talked to Danielle (ext 202), promised overnight shipping with tracking. Still waiting for confirmation. Checked the site and the product is no longer listed. I will be checking in with them tomorrow to follow up if it did go out today. Did for my protection filed a claim with Paypal.

Called this morning and was told by one that the order has been processed and is shipping out today. Got transferred and was told the order is in back-order even thou I checked that it was in stock before purchasing.

Finally decided to cancel the order. Just got tired of their lies and misrepresentations. Brian, Mike, Danielle - please, please, get your act together. "

"7/26/10 12:44pm - I have ordered a camera from CameraKings and the next day received an email saying they needed to speak with me over the phone to verify and process the order. I also received a phone call stating the same thing. I called and left a detailed message including the order # and still have not received any correspondence. I have called for days and cannot get through. This morning I sent and email to futher request some help with the status of my order. My credit card was charged immediately! Seems to me that if they needed to verify my order they would wait until it was verified to take my money?!?!? I will continue to update. . .I am a skeptic at this point. . .hope they prove me wrong!!
7/26/10 1:13pm - Finally got through via phone. Told the rep that I ordered the camera lat Tuesday (7-20-10) for a vacation beginning 8-9-10 and that now 6 days later with waiting on the order to be processed and then shipped would I still receive the camera in time? (I finally got all that out after asking the rep to please stop cutting me off!!) He offered to expedite the shipping to ensure delivery on time. He also, just as everyone else stated, tried to sell me another battery. He didn't pressure me though like other buyers said. All in all, if things go as expected, I will be satisfied with my purchase. I will update when I receive my purchase! Fingers crossed. . . "

"I was a bit skeptical of Camera Kings, having read some negative (and other positive) reviews. But I wanted the good price on the Canon camcorder, and the "free" case, mini tripod, etc. was a nice bonus. A couple of days after ordering online, I received an email to call them "to further verify your order." They had a legitimate question about my credit card shipping address, then suggested I add a bigger battery to the order, since the one with the camera was so small (they said). Regular price over $100 "but we can add it for only 69.99." I agreed. No pressure to buy anything else. The camera arrived when expected. But the battery was smaller than the one I was sold, and so I had been charged $20 too much for the battery I received. But I had to do some math to figure that out. The invoice listed the price of the camera and the extra battery lumped together, thus obscuring the price of the battery. A phone call to customer support cleared that up. The man readily admitted that they had "mistakenly" put the wrong battery in the box. I was given the option of a credit to my master card, or exchanging the battery for the one they were supposed to have put in the box. So overall I am happy with how it turned out - I got the camcorder I wanted for a great price. But I would advise buyers to check their invoice and make sure they got what they paid for. And just say no to any extras they try to sell you. You can get comparable prices on the accessories elsewhere. Not itemizing the invoice in detail, and including the wrong battery, raises suspicions of an attempt to overcharge me. If it weren't for those facts, I would give them five stars (excellent) for this transaction. My suspicions about an attempt to overcharge me would mean a 2 star rating, but the great price, straightforward customer support, and good outcome raise the review to 3 stars overall (average)."

"After weeks of camera research, I decided to purchase a Canon PowerShot SX20is. Further research into finding the best price, I was directed to CameraKings. Yesterday, I placed my order via the telephone. The first thing the sales person did was get my credit card information. I was then put on hold for approximately 10 minutes. When the sales person returned, he told me that I "was lucky because there were only three in stock". He then suggested that I also purchase batteries and a battery charger. I told him that I only wanted to purchase the camera. I questioned him about the camera and he assured me that it was USA made and new (not refurbished). I then explained that I needed the camera by Friday. The sales person then suggested I pay an additional fee for faster delivery service - which I did - and he assured me my camera would arrive by Friday, 7/23/10. He then asked for my e-mail address and telephone number. I requested an e-mail confirmation and he said that he would send that. He also suggested that I contact my bank as I gave a shipping address different from my billing address. When questioned about this he stated that it's a new practice within the last six weeks that is to help prevent credit card fraud. The charges I was quoted are: $339.00 for the camera and $14.99 for faster shipping. Following my conversation with the sales person at CameraKings, I contacted my financial institution. They had never heard of this request, but have put an alert on my account regarding CameraKings. I then sent an e-mail to CameraKings requesting a confirmation of my order and a shipping tracking number. I have not received any correspondence from them. After sharing my purchase information with some photographer colleagues and a family friend who is an attorney, I googled CamerKings reviews. Much to my dismay, I discovered over 1,000,000 sites filled with negative reviews regarding poor business practice and scams including a recent one from the New York Better Business Bureau. Needless to say, I am extremely skeptical and concerned. I sent another e-mail to CameraKings early this morning expressing my concerns. I will also be contacting them via telephone. PLEASE CameraKings, prove these reviews wrong. I will update with follow-up information.

UPDATE: 7/20/10 10:10am
Received a reply e-mail to my request for a shipping tracking number that states that I need to contact the business office before my order can be processed. I contacted my financial institution and they verified that CameraKings has already charged my account. I have now been "on hold" for Customer Service for approximately 30 minutes. Will continue to update with information.

UPDATE: 7/20/10 10:30am
Spoke to someone in Customer Service. Told me that my order had been placed, but that I needed to contact the Billing Department for account verification (even though my financial institution verified that the charge was already on my account). When I attempted to ask him further questions, he immediately put me "on hold". Waited another 15 minutes. Spoke to someone in the Billing Department who yawned during our entire conversation. I explained to her that I had been notified by my bank that the payment had been charged, but she stated that she still need verification from me. I then asked her how I could cancel my order. She stated that she could do it. I asked her to cancel my order for the Canon camera. When inquiring as to how long it would take to reverse the charges on my account, she stated it was up to my bank and it is usually 24-48 hours. She then told me if I had any problems with the cancellation and reversing charges on my bank account - that I would need to contact Customer Service. Will continue to update with further information."