Is this fair? - RE TCW consignment sells

[zhoufang]

A few months ago I left one set of Canon EOS-30QD with BP-300 grip for consignment sell at The Camera Workshop. I have set the price to be S$550 for the whole set or $490 for the body only without grip, of which TCW will take 10% and I will take the 90%. I saw the price $550/set is stcked onto the camera with add any headroom for bargin, and at the same time I see a few other sets of EOS-30 in the shelf with significantly higher price aroud $580 body only. BTW the condition of my set is rather good. I left my personal particulars and HP number with them.

Last Saturday I went to TCW to ask about the EOS-30. I was told that it is sold. I lost the white copy of the receipt and the guy told me only the lady boss can make decision. Since she was not around and uncontactable, I was told to go back on the following Monday (only the lady boss can make decision)

So I went there again today. The lady boss told me that my camera (both body and grip) have been sold for $430 in a treat-in sales. I ask her why I was not informed of the lowing of the price. She told me that the price of EOS-30 is blah blah blah... and her guys MAY have contacted me and I MAY have been uncontactable. I insisted that I have not agreed to lower the price. She said that she can either give me $430 without taking another 10% or she can get the camera back for me since it was only sold recently. I decided to settle with the $430 since
1. $430 is not ridiculously low
2. it is too troublesome to collect the camera on another trip and more effort to sell it myself.
3. I have lost the receipt so I may be at the lossing side if I make a big fuss of it.

Since it's the first time that I sell through consignment at a shop, the following point make me wonder if I have been treated fairly:
1. Can the shop lower price of consignment items without informing me?
2. She said it was sold in a treat-in, and for treat-in one only pays/gets the price difference, does this means that she can set the price for my camera arbitrarily.
3. She said that she can get back the camera for me since it was only sold recently - This sounds like BS to me, how can they get back a camera after its been sold. Do you ever leave contact number when you buy 2nd hand gears?

 

[loupgarou]

1. Can the shop lower price of consignment items without informing me?
no, but make sure you have it in black and white

2. She said it was sold in a treat-in, and for treat-in one only pays/gets the price difference, does this means that she can set the price for my camera arbitrarily.
well, in a TRADE in, the price is decided by the merchant, her, so in this case, she set the price herself.


3. She said that she can get back the camera for me since it was only sold recently - This sounds like BS to me, how can they get back a camera after its been sold. Do you ever leave contact number when you buy 2nd hand gears?

Since she say can, then she can loh.

---
the thing is how much fuss you want to kick up. you certainly can lodge a claim with case if you didn't choose to settle and still had your receipt.

 

[ah tong]

It's pretty hard to make your case without the receipt, but i am sure they can trace the carbon copy of your transaction right?

 

[zhoufang]

they can trace the carbon copy of your transaction
Yes they did not deny the transaction.
I have settled for a $430 check.

I'm just thinking that am I been treated unfairly because I have lost the receipt and thus on a lossing side, or this is simply the norm?

 

[zhoufang]

2. She said it was sold in a treat-in, and for treat-in one only pays/gets the price difference, does this means that she can set the price for my camera arbitrarily.
well, in a TRADE in, the price is decided by the merchant, her, so in this case, she set the price herself.

I think you didn't get my point.
What I means is that there is no meaningful absolute price when someone treat-in, (only the price difference is real) so the price of my camera could be set to any price as she wish.

3. She said that she can get back the camera for me since it was only sold recently - This sounds like BS to me, how can they get back a camera after its been sold. Do you ever leave contact number when you buy 2nd hand gears?

Since she say can, then she can loh.

I reason I brought up this is that I suspect that She's either not telling the truth or not telling all the truth, since what she said doesn't sounds right.

 

[Virgo]

Firstly, you're already in the losing side, since you lost the receipt.

Secondly, you agreed to the price and take the money.

So there's no stand to say whether you're being treated unfairly or not IMHO.

 

[Vulpix0r]

You lost the receipt. Maybe this will teach you to keep it properly next time.

 

[Stoned]

Frankly, TCW has no obligation at all to even give you the $430. They do tell you not to lose the receipt when they give it to you or they do reserve the right not to allow you to claim the cash.

You should count yourself lucky they were so nice.

 

[itisnottheend]

i think you (rather, all of us here) can pick off a lesson or two here...

1. Keep you stuff properly and sensibly. repeat again, keep you stuff properly and sensibly. my own personal experience is that there is one tech product that i bought some time back on a considerable premium, reason being that salesman had assured me a 2-yrs warranty, fact such a sticker right on the packaging box itself. But over time i threw away the hogging box, always assuming the 2yr be honoured. Now i sent the item in for servicing, the lady simply blurted that there MUST be a mistake as that ALL that products in that catergory offered only 1yr warranty ALWAYS, this she even flash me a very recent brochure with clear tabulated prints. d*mn regret didnt least keep a flap with the sticker ..

2. dont ever assume business is otherwise, business iS business and anything that optimise (if not maximise) profit is as good as any tactic. as they say, nothings impossible in war. personally think you been forced into a checkmate position, rather taken advantage of, of sorts. the only reason they dont go all the way, as Stoned painted, is that all they need is stop short of you gettting that emotional momentum to go to CASE, whirling you around with a really silly excuse, without legal assistance (then again as Stoned highlighted, you seriously dont), you end up on a forum, CHATTING abt it. think carefully, cant you see the whole ploy unfold? you just tasted the dark side of camera dealing in s'pore.

pls dun flame me as i have seen such and worst cases in my line of work.

 

[Dennis]

Well said but I would rather give a shop like this a miss if it is true.
Taking advantage of such a situation is not good.
Take it as a lesson. Be more careful of your receipt and make sure that things are written in black and white whatever is out of the norm.

i think you (rather, all of us here) can pick off a lesson or two here...

1. Keep you stuff properly and sensibly. repeat again, keep you stuff properly and sensibly. my own personal experience is that there is one tech product that i bought some time back on a considerable premium, reason being that salesman had assured me a 2-yrs warranty, fact such a sticker right on the packaging box itself. But over time i threw away the hogging box, always assuming the 2yr be honoured. Now i sent the item in for servicing, the lady simply blurted that there MUST be a mistake as that ALL that products in that catergory offered only 1yr warranty ALWAYS, this she even flash me a very recent brochure with clear tabulated prints. d*mn regret didnt least keep a flap with the sticker ..

2. dont ever assume business is otherwise, business iS business and anything that optimise (if not maximise) profit is as good as any tactic. as they say, nothings impossible in war. personally think you been forced into a checkmate position, rather taken advantage of, of sorts. the only reason they dont go all the way, as Stoned painted, is that all they need is stop short of you gettting that emotional momentum to go to CASE, whirling you around with a really silly excuse, without legal assistance (then again as Stoned highlighted, you seriously dont), you end up on a forum, CHATTING abt it. think carefully, cant you see the whole ploy unfold? you just tasted the dark side of camera dealing in s'pore.

pls dun flame me as i have seen such and worst cases in my line of work.

 

[West_ray]

wats treat in ?

 

[Helbreath]

wats treat in ?

Trade-in.....

 

[hongsien]

Sorry about your experience, but normally when I see something in their shop and they say they can't lower the price I always asked them to contact the owner to make a deal. I don't know why they didn't this time.

Yes, I agree business is business, but good business is where you try to keep your customer happy so that they come back. TCW happens to depend alot on used camera sales as the margins are alot higher than selling new items, and selling things on consignment is easy money for them as there are hardly any invesments other than the rent and electricity.

Even if you lost your receipt there is always a copy in their books, so that is not a reason. They should have called you and tried again and again if your phone was engaged or wait till you come back in the shop.

Normally, consigments are not used for trade-ins (not 'treat'-in) by the way, just because i is difficult to judge the selling price........but apparently, this time it did happen, but it is not the rule.

Hong Sien

 

[hongsien]

SHould be:"......but apparently, this time it did not happen, but it is not the rule."

 

[theITguy]

As many mentioned before, it is BEST to have everything in black and white. I once bought a 1GB CF card of Transcend some time back. When I bought it, Memory World had no problem with cards without receipt to prove purchase is made in Singapore. When I am supposed to sell it off, I realised that they do not service without receipts anymore, due to the fact that many people buy their stuff over the net or bring in parallel imports to sell. Even though the seller of that card mentioned it can be replaced (he is not wrong to say that) without receipt or prove of purchase in SG, any changes due to any factor can force your warranty to be voided in my case.


Lastly, I would say that we learn a good lesson today. Although I felt sorry for the thread starter here, but I must also thanks him for posting this to remind us of future trades which are likely to come across such incidents.

 

[itisnottheend]

being 'well-known' doesnt make a dealer any more orthodox in its dealings, be it GETTING or STAYING up there. from my experience, actually many 'popular' shops here pull this all the time, thats why i never buy any major item from any them.

you can smell out a rat by simply buying small things in gradients and see how they try their push-sell tactics and/or cornering plays. sometime they show their ugly side once you push the right buttons. people do that here, what makes you think these dealers are any better, simply hearing that they are recommended by word of mouth. remember they have rental, they have landlords, they have staff and they have their Mercedes coming month.

see the thread on the recent fighting at sim lim, some one shouting cheating?..no fire no smoke.

the best salesman are those making you walking away thinking you got the better end of the deal. the best conmen makes you walk away somewhat puzzled, self-justified and yet still returning. try the nigerian scams.

you should have went with a lao-jiao, someone who do the critical thinking when your 'XYZ shop-good' senses are clouded. then again, without the print and paper, you already lost the game. consider this round a compassionate lesson, feeling nonetheless short-changed, BUT not forgetting the teacher

 

[ant]

mmm....

Personally knowing them for sometime, i find they are really very nice and honest people(all staff including the boss). Especially the lady boss, she is a wonderful lady... very friendly, helpful, sincere, honest and etc....

Since the day I first step into TCW, it make me feel walking into a big family. Even till now, once I free, i surely "pop-by" and visit them. Even I am not getting camera equirement, they're still nice, friendly and helpful toward me.

When I was there, I notice all staff include the boss serve each and every customer sincerely from their heart.

So that why... I think there must be some MISUNDERSTANDING ...

She said that she can get back the camera for me since it was only sold recently - This sounds like BS to me, how can they get back a camera after its been sold. Do you ever leave contact number when you buy 2nd hand gears?

I dun think she BS, like what you are told, someone trade-in for you camera. Most probably she know that customer and she have his/her contact number. Also they normally will write down their contact no. in their trade-in invoice.

 

[loupgarou]

I think you didn't get my point.
What I means is that there is no meaningful absolute price when someone treat-in, (only the price difference is real) so the price of my camera could be set to any price as she wish.

trade in means:
A: your camera is at X price.
B: my item to trade is is valued at Y price.

x-y = trade in difference

in this case, the shop lady valued your item at $430,
thus the person only has to pay $430-Y,

since the X and Y part is solely determined by the shop merchant thus the customer has NO say whatsoever, its either accept, bargain or walk away.

 

[surge]

i think she is telling the truth cos when you trade in or sell your stuff, your contact and even ic is required in case the stuff were stolen and they need to trace back. unless its a pure 2nd hand buying case, then no shop will ask for the no. so yes, i believe she can find that fello for you.

shop will always call when someone ask for a price lower then your asking. personally i seldom deal with TCW not becos they are no good but i just don have good buying luck with them, things bought from them all ended up sold to others. but i believe its a standard pracrtise with all.

 

[vince123123]

I agree, loss of the receipt is only a matter of evidence. liability wise you are clearly in the right. and their copy in their books is clearly discoverable, assuming you decide to go to court of course.

based solely on this one sided narration, it is clear that TCW is under liability here.

.

Even if you lost your receipt there is always a copy in their books, so that is not a reason. They should have called you and tried again and again if your phone was engaged or wait till you come back in the shop.

Hong Sien