"Purchased a Canon EOS 20D body only on 11/6/05. Received email and phone call next day to confirm order. Within seconds of the confirmation the employee tried to sell me $500.00 in accessories. I advised I did not need them. He then said my order would be shipped today.Later that day I went to their website to confirm the tracking number and noticed my order was cancelled. I phoned and was told they were out of stock even though I confirmed my order 6 hours earlier. Then the guy said he could sell me the 20D with the accessories and he had plenty in stock. I advised I was recording the call and he got personal regarding my wife and my manhood. He sounded like an 8th grader talking about the size of my manhood. I told him what I thought about his business practices and hung up. My simple advice is stay away from scam artist like this. What does concern me is the credit card info they have, as well as, my telephone, email and residence address.
Nick Nichols
Hsv.Al"
"I placed an order for a camera which was a good deal on the web. When I called to confirm my order as you are required to, the so-called sales people REFUSED to sell me the camera because I did not want to buy additional accessories. They called me a STUPID consumer (I have a PROFESSIONAL degree). This company should NOT be in business, they are con-artists."
"I was taken advantage of the price of accessories with this camera. The price of the camera was good, but the accessories purchased with the camera were far overpriced. For example the memory card for the camera was 70.00 from wawadigital and I found the same exact card at Bestbuy for 40.00. I am sure that the batteries were also overpriced. I will NOT be ordering any other camera items from them again. Please be aware of this website. They are out to rake you!"
"WAWA Digital did not have the product listed. I called them repeatedly to find their phone service saying it was after hours- during store hours. Absolutely would not sell item unless purchased memory card or accessories- because thats where they are making their extra money- i've already purchase a 1 gig high speed CF card for 45.95 they want $200 for the same item. The camera i was going to purchase was the The Rebel XT priced $565 after $75 rebate they wouldnt sell unless i purchased the same item with accesory package totalling $750+.
Would NOT reccomend them to anyone unless they want to pay dearly for accessories.
After Research:
The company engages in bait and switch tactics, which are as misdomeanor under NY State law I quote:
Deceptive Business Practices
• 15 USC § 45
• N.Y. General Business Law § 349
Unfair acts and deceptive practices carried out in the course of business or trade are prohibited in New York State. Section 349 of the General Business Law specifically prohibits this activity and has become the most frequently prosecuted consumer-related offense in New York State. There are many practices which violate this statute, including:
Bait and Switch Advertising
• General Business Law § 396
A store cannot advertise an item for sale without providing an adequate supply of the item to consumers. It is illegal to advertise or offer for sale merchandise or services with the purpose not to sell at the advertised price or not to sell at all. Unscrupulous merchants have been prosecuted for advertising an item at a sale price without having the item in stock. With interested buyers in their store, they try to entice the consumers into buying more expensive items or services. The New York General Business Law, along with Federal Trade Commission regulations, prohibits a merchant from offering merchandise or services without the intent to sell the offered merchandise or services.[9]
9] N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law § 396(1).
Remember this: Federal law allows you to claim a full refund if you are sent merchandise you did not order. Such an instance is called a "billing error." You will have to provide full particulars to your credit card issuer, and make sure you have the routing number when you return any unordered merchandise by UPS or Fedex. Try to deal with them by Internet rather than over the phone, as you will have a record to refer to and not "my word vs. their word."
And please write to the NYS Attorney General's Office and the NYC Office of Consumer Protection. With enough complaints they can have their license lifted or even be prosecuted for violations of the law as stated above.
Bottom line: no firm should be allowed to do busines if its business model is predicated on luring customers with a fictitious price they have no intention of keeping. "
"Complaints filed with Federal Trade Commission [www.ftc.gov] and Better Business Bureau [www.bbb.com]
Misleading advertising, unethical sales practice, extremely rude customer service.
Called merchant to place order for camera at advertised price on website. Salesman confirmed price and that camera was in stock. When salesman pressed me for additional purchases of accessories [memory card, rechargeable batteries] and I declined, stating I was only interested in the camera, salesman abruptly said "Out of stock," then hung up. Accessory prices are marked up at double retail value.
This is an unethical merchant who uses low prices to bait customers into purchasing accessories at inflated prices. Merchant has no intention to honor advertised prices, and there is nothing on the merchant's website that requires the additional purchase of accessories to complete the sale.
Better Business Bureau lists Seller's addresses:
Stargate Photo, 78 Avenue Y, Brooklyn NY 11223; Wawa Digital, 295 Avenue O, Brooklyn NY 11230"
"They had me jump thru hoops and then cancelled my order with out telling me. When I called to find out what was going on, they hung up on me 4 times then we got into a cursing match. Worst online experience I've ever had."
"Beyond rude. They didn't even have the camera! Didn't let me know or nothing. I regret giving these crooks my credit card number. Beware. Oh, and for real fun, call them. "
"SLEEZY, SLIMY, SNAKES.... WAWA DIGITAL. DO NOT PURCHASE FROM THESE CROOKS. I should have done my homework on these guys. I blame myself for not checking their rating somewhere. They had the best price, but an order confirming email has you calling to confirm your purchase. When I called, the associate proceeded to tell me that the Sony camcorder I ordered only had a five minute battery. What!? I know for a fact that the factory battery is at least a two hour battery. This theif tried to convince me otherwise and inflated the cost of a spare battery $150.00 dollars more than I was able to find elsewhere. This guy just kept pushing over priced accessories until I finaly said. Please just ship the camcorder. He said it would be sent out on Monday. Yea right, he canceled my order without notifying me in any way. DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THESE CROOKS!!! THEY ALSO HIDE BEHIND OTHER STORE NAMES ON THE WEB SO DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY.."
"BEWARE!!! they had a great price on a Canon Rebel Xt,so I ordered. He called me that evening and when I refused their overpriced accessories he got beligerant and called me cheap (repeatedly). I refused his overpriced memory card (I use a $30 one in the identical camera at work) I refused the extra warranty...he said there was NO mfr warranty & if I got a broken one, it was my problem. He said I would get it in 8-12 wks & hung up on me. When I went online to cancel, it showed my order cancelled. I called my credit card co to make sure. I think this is a crook selling cameras cheap & nailing people on the extras...STAY AWAY!!!!!"
"I ordered a Sony DSC F828 on October 13, 2005. I did get an email asking me to call to confirm. I called and Scottasked if I would be interested in some other items. There were two items I agreed to and two that I told him I didn't need. I did comparison pricing on the two other items I purchased and the prices were fair. Scott offered me a free camera bag since I ordered the two additional items. After I made the confirmation call I decided to check the reviews and got a little nervous. I shouldn't have been nervous because everthing I ordered came to me today October 19, 2005. Thanks Scott!! Gayle"
"Bad Store - Sent the stereotypical e-mail the next day asking me to "confirm" my order. So seeing this, I decided to cancel my order. Called them up to do so and they were very rude and said they were going to charge me a 20% cancelation fee. No such charge on their web site. So stay away, their prices are not worth supporting these bad actors."
"Very rude people. I orederd a canon powershot for what seemed like a great deal. Like everyone else I was asked to confire, where upon I was asked if I'd like to purchase a battery and charger. I said I though it came with them, he said no. Would you like to buy a flash card? No I'll just take the one it comes with. He said it dosn't come with one. I ordered anyway as I had all those items. I then looked online and it said the camera came with those things. I called back and said their web page listed the items as included, he hung up! I called back and canceled my order, he was very abrupt and said ok, order is canceded and hung up. I would like to see businesses like this fail. If I had purchased the items they were trying to sell it would have cost more than the MSRP!"
"Ok, I just got off the phone with these guys and I'm am shocked at what I just heard.
I ordered a Casio Exilim s100 camera for a great price of 194.99 I decided overnight to upgrade to the s500 which is 274.99 on their site. These cameras were selling for 300+ on eBay so I thought it was a great deal. WRONG! I call them and am transferred to their "internet sales confirmation representative". I tell him that I want to upgrade to the s500. "No problem" he says. Then he proceeds to try and sell me a 2 hour battery for $89 and then a 5 hour battery for $124.99 but will knock down the price to the 2 hour battery. He tells me that the one it comes with only lasts 15 mins of shooting time. This is where I hesitate as I live near NYC and frequented Chinatown and Fordham road in the Bronx and know sketchy salesmen. There is no way Casio would include a batter that lasts only 15 mins! These cameras have some of the best power saving technology available. The INCLUDED battery life is actually, Normal Recording* - Approx 100 min., up to 200 shots (CIPA). I then tell him that I just want the camera and he flat out says "NO!". I then ask "what, I can't buy the camera without purchasing some kind of accessory?" "yes!" he says. Then I tell him that I just want to cancel my order in which is says "OK!" and hangs up lightning quick!!!! I couldn't believe it and now I'm here writing this report. I know some of you won't see this until AFTER the fact, but geese I have NEVER seen that kind of business on the net which stinks because all of my internet purchases over the last 6 years have been flawless. I hope these guys go under. Literally.
Now after reading these other reviews I know understand the "bait and switch" reptutation they now have.
BTW - I found their address on ripoffreport.com
295 Avenue O, Brooklyn NY
LINK - http://tinyurl.com/8dms7"
"Bait and Switch. We ordered a Cannon Powershot S1 IS for $200, they sent an email asking us to contact them and confirm the order. When we did they tried to sell us memory and batteries at HUGELY inflated prices (ie I bought 2 512mb High speed Kingston CF cards for 39.00+$7 rebate, they have no-name-no-spec 512mb cards for $219, a cheap-o battery charger and NiMH batteries for $69, the one I got for $11 was far better!)
THey cancelled the order when we didn't buy more items, said it is out of stock... it isn't.
"
"CROOKS DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOU have to call them and confirm your order then when you dont buy their overpriced accessories they cancel the order!!!!!!!!
BUYER BEWARE!!!! They go by Stargate and Wawa digital!!!!!!
CROOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"