"I ordered a Canon lens from this company and after ordering saw some bad reviews. I did not know about "resellerratings" at the time, so thought I would see how it went. I then received a notice from them that the item was "not in stock" and would be backordered. I cancelled the order and closed out my credit card account for a new one. My concern was that they might just be trying to get card numbers for other use. After seeing all the bad review, I am surprised they haven't been shut down. "

"I purchased the canon xsi body with usa warranty and when it came it did not have the warranty. Before the camera was shipped I was called by a salesman from sonic camera who asked if I wanted a battery with the camera. I asked if one came with it and he said no. Upon receipt one did come with it and an additional one was sent. Free shipping was advertised yet they charged me $19.80. They did not send the free accesories that they advertised. Also disturbing was the invoice with no unit prices listed. Only a total for the "special package". This made it impossible to return anything as memory cards etc. were part of a special package.

This should be illegal. Having lived in Africa for nearly seven years I could expect this there although I did not experience it. New York should monitor this and shut it down. It is highly unethical. "

"I too was an almost victim of their games. I ordered the Canon lens and the ordered placed just as expected. Then the e-mails started, call us, call us, call us right away. Finally Monday I weed through the e-mails and to my surprise they try and sell me bottom screw on part of the lens. He tells me that it's necessary and I can choose a plastic mount or a metal one! This lens always comes with a metal mount! So what is he talking about? I tell him as much and when he sees I'm protesting this he says let me strike you a deal... I'll sell you the metal mount for $50 instead of $75! Um NO.

3 things come to mind, they are either just randomly calling people and trying to talk them into buying something that is there in the 1st place. Or they actually take these lens apart which seems like a horrible idea. Finally their website makes not mention of this, anywhere! There is no place saying the lens doesn't come with this mount, there is not even a place to do it. Also this is a phone call order which I take is off the books.

After discussing this with a co-worker this site was found and so I've canceled my order finally after 2 days of not getting an answer from them and called my credit card to let them know not to allow charges from them.

This place is a scam."

"Same song different verse…
I saw their add on line, went to their web site and noted their prices were well below anyone else. I was skeptical so I called them to confirm the Canon EF 70-300mm lens wasn’t gray market, refurbished, or open box resale. I was assured it was a new, USA, unopened lens and that they were able to sell it at a lower price because they had a low overhead…
I still felt uneasy about it but they were offering it at a price $200 or more below most other dealers... I order it on line and got an email confirming my order...Later I got a second email asking me to call and confirm for security reasons... Lucky for me after I had ordered the lens I found this site and read several of the reviews so I was forwarned and didn't call...
I guess they waited as long as they could and then they called me...First Danny ask for the 3 digit security number from the back of my credit card. When I told Danny that it was too worn to read he said he would process it without the security code. Then he ask what camera I intended to us it with and when I told him a Rebel XSi, he told me it wouldn’t work on my camera without an adaptor..Again because of the reviews I had read I was ready…I simply told him that I had the exact same lens but it had been stolen so I had all the “adaptors, filters, screens, plugs or any other conceivable accessories you could possibly dream up”..This didn’t seem to be in his playbook and threw him off his game...Danny simply thanked me for my order and hung up...During this whole conversation I was overly polite and made it seem like I thought he was doing me a big favor by trying to assist me in buying all this stuff.
The next day I sent an email thanking them for all their help and kindness and ask that they send me a confirmation email when my order was shipped and also requested they include an invoice...I received an email later that day informing me that the lens had been “oversold”, was on backorder and would be 6-8 weeks before delivery so they had canceled my order…It further stated that my credit card had not been charged...I called my credit card company and they confirmed that it had not been charger, at which time I ask they to cancel (treat as lost or stolen) my card and reissue me a new one…
Thanks to those who had taken the time to post reviews I’m only out a little more than slight aggravation...I dodged a bullet...Hope this will allow you to do the same…
As an afterthought to any of you that are new to Canon digital cameras: The EF /EOS lens were specifically designed for the SLR Canon cameras and don’t require an adaptor. This is only one of the lies they will try and tell you...
"

"Avoid this site also (photonation, shopdigitaldirect). I called after seeing they had the Nikon D90 was advertised for 449.00(body only) which was about 300.00 cheaper than most other sites. When the sales agent answered I said I was interested in the D90 and he said OK. When I asked him why they were so much cheaper than other sites he hung up on me. Thinking maybe we got disconnected, I called back when he answered I began to speak and he hung up before I could finish my sentence. STAY AWAY!!!!!"

"I ordered a JVC HD7 camcorder online. I received an e-mail to call and confirm the order. The original price of the camera was $509 and the salesman told me he'd give me a free upgrade to the JVC HD6. OK, I accepted. Then he said, oh by the way, your camera does not come with a battery or battery charger! I told him that explains why the price is so cheap so I bought the battery charger & charger for about $125. Still a good price for the camera overall. Then he sells me a "professional" wide angle lens for about $200 which retails for $400-$500. I asked him for the specifications so I could research it but of course he couldn't give them to me. He said to trust him, it's a good deal.
I received the camcorder with the standard battery (not upgraded like I paid for) and a cheap lens (quick search shows it sells for $50-$70, not $400-$500).
When I "upgraded" my order online, I asked for an e-mail detailing what I was getting. I never received that e-mail despite follow up e-mails asking for the same. When I called again, they said they weren't receiving e-mails because of a virus.
So eventually I get a very generic invoice stating total of $850. Bottom line is my camcorder price went from $500 to $850 and the only thing I got for the extra $350 was a $50 "professional" lens.
DO NOT BUY FROM THIS SCAM ARTIST. I will be sending a complaint to the better business bureau (bbb.og) and I encourage everyone else to do the same."

"DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS SONIC CAMERA. I ordered a Canon XSI camera. I called before ordering to insure it was available at the price that was posted on their website. I was told it would arrive in 8-10 days. I received and email confirmation of the order. When it didn't arrive, I called and was rather rudely told it was back ordered and wouldn't be available for 4-6 weeks. When I asked for an explanation they hung up on me. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY"

"I ordered a camera from ShopDigital Direct at the same time I ordered a lens from Sonic Cameras. Both sent me an email to confirm the order and asking for the credit card's security number. I called ShopDigitalDirect right away and got the hard sale for buying overpriced accessories that would normally be with the body, all of which I declined. I found out the camera would be a few weeks before it was delivered. Near the end of that time, I called and found the expected delivery time was even longer than it was at first. And, later, it wasn't getting any better. About 1/9, I called and canceled the order.

With Sonic Cameras I had immediate misgivings about the order and thought I might want another lens so I did not call to confirm the order. Later, I found my first choice was the better so I did call to confirm. (Despite emailing a request to cancel, requests to confirm continued.) When I did call, they tried to sell me a filter I didn't want, tell me the lens only had a plastic mount (totally untrue, the lens isn't available with a plastic mount and offered me a different lens for $50 more although the street price is about $200 less.) So, I told them to cancel the order. I wrote them an email and told them what I thought of them. I got two emails from them. One, to call them back and they would make it good. The second saying the order was canceled due to nonavailability.

Now, somewhere in all this during mid-December, I got charges to a drilling company in California for over $13,000. Wonder which one did it."

"**AVOID THIS SELLER** Their website claims they have products available, you place an order, then they tell you its not in stock. I called to ask about this, they were extremely rude, refused to put manager on the phone. I also found out that they sell stripped down versions of the products (ie, no battery, cords, warranty), but do not mention this anywhere on their website. I have submitted a complaint to the BBB. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS SELLER."

"I am nothing short of floored at the ridiculously horrible experience I have had with Sonic Cameras. They sold me a lense they were unable to get and shipped an inferior version to me. When I sent it back to fix the problem, they shipped the same lense back to me. Now, 9 weeks after my initial purchase, I still don't have the lense I ordered. Upon further inquiry, they said they were unable to get the lense at that time, but would be shipping it out to me in a week or so. A month later, I called to find out where my lense was. They said it would end up costing more than they thought, but if I still wanted the lense it would be $399 dollars more. The SUPERVISOR of the customer service department was rude, condescending, hostile, and completely uninterested in listening to my concerns or hearing what I had to say. I have never been talked to so badly, let alone by a customer service representative. I have also never felt so disregarded by a company. I will NEVER give this company a dollar of my money again. They are in a whole other class of losers!"

"DO NOT USE SONIC CAMERAS!!!!!! I called this company to purchase a Nikon SB900 speedlight. The first time I called I simply asked the question about the USA warranty and the person on the phone became VERY RUDE, stated that it was warrantied. When I asked if this was a Nikon warranty he hung up on me. I called back again and asked for the owner or a manager, the guy on the other end stated he was a manager but would not give his name. I told him what had happened and he somewhat appologized. However when I started to also ask him a question he simply hung up on me also. I would not even think of doing business with this company, and after looking at the reviews I also dont understand why this company even exists!!!!!! "

"Sonic Cameras is engaging in unlawful bait and switch tactics.

My story is similar to those of most other peoples’. I tried to purchase a lens from Sonic Cameras since they were the lowest priced seller. I received an email to confirm my order by phone. I called and was aggressively and rudely sold a completely different lens with additional items that weren’t part of my initial order - for almost twice the amount of my original purchase. Immediately after the agent processed the order, I reviewed the details of the lens against the manufacturer’s website and found I had been lied to. Sonic Cameras’ agent misrepresented the lens as a different, more expensive model. In fact the actual item I was sold has an MSRP of half the amount Sonic Cameras sold it for. I tried to cancel my order by phone, but was unable to, either I was put on hold, the agent pretended he couldn’t hear me and hung up, or was transferred around to other agents, who insolently stated they couldn’t cancel my order and simply ignored my request. I contacted my credit card company and closed my account. As others have noted, Sonic Cameras is shipping orders before the credit card is actually charged. In my opinion Sonic Cameras may be forcing the shipping of items in order to try to collect exorbitant shipping, restocking, and insurance fees when buyers attempt to return the items. As I was not awaiting a refund, and my credit card was cancelled, I declined to do any further business with Sonic Cameras and shipped their items back to them at my expense - UPS for tracking/insurance purposes.

Please review other posts as some have had success refusing to pay exorbitant return fees, or have successfully requested a "call tag - a UPS postal tag so that you can return the items for free" - using Sonic Cameras account number. Of course speaking with Sonic Cameras is such an extreme displeasure be prepared to remain firm as they try extortion.

The bright side is I cancelled my credit card before the charges went through, but this has been a bad experience and a tough lesson to learn.

Lessons learned
1). Never purchase an item based on price alone –if the price is unreasonably low compared to reputable sellers, there’s a reason for it.
2) Research the business before purchasing – Better Business Bureau, Reseller Ratings, internet search " complaints"
3). Compare your experience to those with reputable dealers – is something out of the ordinary, would a reputable dealer answer the business phone without identifying the business, would the agent be aggressive, rude, belittling, refuse to give you their last name, swear at you. If you don’t like the way you’re being treated, if something seems strange – say NO. Not everyone has your best interest in mind.
3). Contact the credit card company immediately if you believe you are a victim of fraud – cancel the card, or put the charge in dispute if necessary – don’t hesitate.
4). Consider adding a fraud alert to your credit report if you have any suspicion that the company may try to steal your identity.
5) Review the shippers’ details before signing for packages – refuse to accept the delivery if needed
6) Take action


File Complaints:
Your own State's Attorney General

NY State’s Attorney General
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/

Better Business Bureau
http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx

Federal Trade Commission
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

New York State Consumer Protection Board
http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/

New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dca/html/home/home.shtml

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Interesting reading can be found at:
http://thoughts-of-dave.blogspot.com/

"

"I felt compelled to write a review stating that although I did not have a great experience it was not terrible. My husband purchased an $1100 lens for me for Christmas. It was not the lens that I wanted, but the sale rep led him in the direction of a Sigma lens. My desire was for a Canon slightly more expensive, and in my strictly beginning amateur opinion more compatible lens. Numerous waits for a representative on the phone did in fact occur, but no one was rude. In the end we did receive a refund for the lens that we did not want, or did not fill my requirements. I did decide to look elsewhere for my lens because of all of the negative responses read here. I do hope that Sonic Cameras will modify their style and learn from the feedback posted. "

"This store is a bait and switch company...please do not order anything from them. We placed an order for a 900.00 camera only to find out that it didn't come with the lense!!! which would have been an extra 700.00. When we told them to cancel the order they offered a diffent camera as a replacement. When we got the replacement camera the internet value was only 600.00. The shipping was also advertised as free but when we got the invoive shipping was free but there was 48.54 insuranced charge which was not authorized or on there website. There is also a 10% restocking fee. We called to get a return authorization number to return the camera realizing that we would have to pay a restocking fee the customer service agent tells us we need to send him a certified check for the restocking fee and the 48.54 insurance charge. So before they refund my money they want me to send them another 140.00 My son ordered the camera we should have checked the reviews first"

"I recently placed an order for a camera lens and was sent an order confirmation # XXXXX, which had a link to a search engine, not their web site. I thought this was a little odd so I called to confirm my order. I could not confirm my order, because an answering machine said that they were closed. I decided to google this company. All the negative reviews made me very skeptical, so I called the customer service phone number and tried to cancel my order. I was told that the order had been shipped. I asked for a tracking #, and that is when the conversation became rude. I was told I could not get a tracking # for 2 more days. He refused to give me his his name or let me speak to any one else. He would not explain how my order could have been shipped before charging my c.c. At that point, I questioned the gentleman's integrity. He told me to just wait until I received my order and return it (for at least a 10% re-stocking fee) I told the gentleman, if he charged me, I was going to stop payment on my c.c. That is when he informed me that I would be turned over for collection and trying to defraud his company and hung up on me. I immediately called my c.c. company and canceled my card. I would not do any business with these people."