My Dreadful Experience with Bally Photo

[kevjfc]

Hey guys,

Let me share my experience, this happened to me last Friday in my attempt to buy my camera and lens.

I went to Bally Photo with a friend who encouraged me to go there because he had gotten a lens from there before and felt that they were quite sincere and knowledgeable..

The price quoted for a 60D was $1440 which was quite reasonable. So I decided to purchase it. At the same time, I wanted to get a Canon 17-55mm IS USM lens, but then the salesperson brought out a 28-75mm tamron lens and told me that it’s a professional lens compared to the 17-55mm Canon which was EFS and can’t be used on a FF camera if I wanted to upgrade in future. To cut the long story short, he was very convincing and smooth and I was swayed to purchase the tamron lens instead. Nothing wrong with the lens, but what was wrong was the price.

He told me it was $1500 for the 28-75mm tamron lens. And because it was a shop recommended by my friend, I did not think twice about checking. It was only later when I went home at night did I bother to check and realize that other shops were selling it for $650 at most.

The next day I went back to the shop and asked nicely if he wanted to cheat me, which actual was a silly question because he obviously did. Anyway, he went on to say that because the Tamron comes with a 3 year warranty, his cost of the camera was $1000 and he wanted to make $500, that’s why he sold it to me for $1500. Which we all know is rubbish.

I told him I wanted to exchange for the 17-55mm which was retailing at $1900 but you can get it for around $1.6k from other shops. So I suggested to top up $100 from the $1500 that I paid to buy it from them at $1.6k. He said the best he could do is to ask me to top up $300 and he would sell it to me at $1800.

Immediately after, he suggested that he would instead give me a free batt or battery grip worth$200 plus and asked me to stick with the Tamron lens. It does not take a genius to calculate that with a $200 free gift, I would still have effectively paid $1300 for the Tamron lens which I could have got at $650 from any other shop.

Then he suggested that instead of topping up $300 to exchange for the 17-55mm, why not I top up $340 for a 50mm F1.4 which was selling for about $580 from other shops. If I do this, then I will get 2 lens that can be on a FF camera in future instead of only 1 “entry level” 17-55mm lens. This argument would sound alright, if not for the fact it would mean I would still have paid $1260 for the Tamron lens which only cost $650. Even if there’s an additional 2 year warranty, it will at best be worth $850?

Anyway, at the end of the day, I still chose to exchange for the 17-55mm and topped up $300 to get it. So effectively, I spent $1800 on a 17-55mm which I could have got for less than $1600 from maybe MS-color.
So I take it as a lesson learned that I got conned for $200. Still way better than being conned $850 for the Tamron lens.

Just to test the guy to see if he will continue to cheat me, I asked how much a lens hood for the 17-55mm will cost and he told me original canon lens hood was going for $120. If I’m not wrong, it cost around $40 only. Brilliant, still trying to con me after all these time.

Guys, the purpose of my post is to share my experience and also to advice you guys to take extra precaution and check the price guide in this forum before committing to any sales. These sales people have no integrity and even after they have cheated you, they will still continue to try cheat you and lie to you.

I could have very well screamed and shouted and demanded that I only pay $1600 for the canon lens and drive away all their customers, but I just accept that it’s my own stupidity that I was conned. So a $200 lesson was what I got from all this.. Hope you guys dun make the same mistake that I did.

 

[Smiles88]

Not the first, and DEFINITELY won't be the last.

However, I seldom see what's quoted below :

I went to Bally Photo with a friend who encouraged me to go there because he had gotten a lens from there before and felt that they were quite sincere and knowledgeable..

 

[scenar]

this is a shop to be avoided at ALL COSTS !!!

 

[chiangkxv]

that's why i always say, know what you want to get, know the price and get it. don't be swayed by the sales person. he will only recommend things that are good for his pockets (there may be exceptions)..

thanks for sharing your experience, but those who got conned/chopped, usually whine after that. no homework done prior to their purchase.

 

[coolthought]

Honestly, the selling price is determined by the seller and maybe more expensive than elsewhere. Nothing wrong with it. However, from your description, the salesperson is definitely less than honest and decide to use a person desire to get the best for bit less as a bait.

The tam 28-75 f2.8 is made for a full frame camera and the 17-55 f2.8 is the equivalent for the cropped frame sensor camera. Then again, it depends on the reach and fov you need for your shoot. IMO they are selling you a more expensive lens than the one that you need.

You are not the first one. Do a search in the consumer's corner, you will see bally hits is pretty high.

 

[sjackal]

Also note this thread:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=515796

It must have been a stressful experience for you buying a camera. Have to ding dong ping pong to and forth a few times.

Fortunately you did get the 17-55mm and wasn't scammed too much than you would had if you just accepted the situation.

Anyway I think the 17-55 should come with the lens hood already supplied in the box as part of the package. You shouldn't be required to buy separately, $40 or $120.

 

[sjackal]

The tam 28-75 f2.8 is made for a full frame camera and the 17-55 f2.8 is the equivalent for the cropped frame sensor camera. Then again, it depends on the reach and fov you need for your shoot. IMO they are selling you a more expensive lens than the one that you need.

The Tam 28-75 is not a more expensive lens, its going for $450 brand new with mass sellers and people selling pre-owned in mint cond at around $400 still takes a few days to sell off.

 

[sjackal]

Also note this thread:

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=515796

It must have been a stressful experience for you buying a camera. Have to ding dong ping pong to and forth a few times.

Fortunately you did get the 17-55mm and wasn't scammed too much than you would had if you just accepted the situation.

Anyway I think the 17-55 should come with the lens hood already supplied in the box as part of the package. You shouldn't be required to buy separately, $40 or $120.

Sorry my mistake, just realized Canon really don't include hoods for this lens. I am too used to Nikon.

 

[oceanpriest]

Should put Bally photo on "Hall of Shame" list.

 

[kwttan]

TS, take it as a lesson, perhaps save you much more in your future career.
However, you did a good job by keeping your cool ( assume you did) and chosen to reduce your lost from 1k to 200.
Some suggestion is to stick to what you want to buy in future and don't let the sale man deviate your choice.
Just enjoy and have fun with your new toys.

 

[TheChef]

Again I would say "Don't trust a salesman."

 

[NewbieInCS]

The Tam 28-75 is not a more expensive lens, its going for $450 brand new with mass sellers and people selling pre-owned in mint cond at around $400 still takes a few days to sell off.

local tamron sets are around $570-$600 because of the extended 3years warranty.

 

[NewbieInCS]

At least you were clever enough to top up for the 17-55 is. Otherwise is really kanna con big time. If you just google bally photo, you will see how bad their reputation is.

 

[TMC]

Hey guys,

Let me share my experience, this happened to me last Friday in my attempt to buy my camera and lens.

I went to Bally Photo with a friend who encouraged me to go there because he had gotten a lens from there before and felt that they were quite sincere and knowledgeable..

The price quoted for a 60D was $1440 which was quite reasonable. So I decided to purchase it. At the same time, I wanted to get a Canon 17-55mm IS USM lens, but then the salesperson brought out a 28-75mm tamron lens and told me that it’s a professional lens compared to the 17-55mm Canon which was EFS and can’t be used on a FF camera if I wanted to upgrade in future. To cut the long story short, he was very convincing and smooth and I was swayed to purchase the tamron lens instead. Nothing wrong with the lens, but what was wrong was the price.

He told me it was $1500 for the 28-75mm tamron lens. And because it was a shop recommended by my friend, I did not think twice about checking. It was only later when I went home at night did I bother to check and realize that other shops were selling it for $650 at most.

The next day I went back to the shop and asked nicely if he wanted to cheat me, which actual was a silly question because he obviously did. Anyway, he went on to say that because the Tamron comes with a 3 year warranty, his cost of the camera was $1000 and he wanted to make $500, that’s why he sold it to me for $1500. Which we all know is rubbish.

I told him I wanted to exchange for the 17-55mm which was retailing at $1900 but you can get it for around $1.6k from other shops. So I suggested to top up $100 from the $1500 that I paid to buy it from them at $1.6k. He said the best he could do is to ask me to top up $300 and he would sell it to me at $1800.

Immediately after, he suggested that he would instead give me a free batt or battery grip worth$200 plus and asked me to stick with the Tamron lens. It does not take a genius to calculate that with a $200 free gift, I would still have effectively paid $1300 for the Tamron lens which I could have got at $650 from any other shop.

Then he suggested that instead of topping up $300 to exchange for the 17-55mm, why not I top up $340 for a 50mm F1.4 which was selling for about $580 from other shops. If I do this, then I will get 2 lens that can be on a FF camera in future instead of only 1 “entry level” 17-55mm lens. This argument would sound alright, if not for the fact it would mean I would still have paid $1260 for the Tamron lens which only cost $650. Even if there’s an additional 2 year warranty, it will at best be worth $850?

Anyway, at the end of the day, I still chose to exchange for the 17-55mm and topped up $300 to get it. So effectively, I spent $1800 on a 17-55mm which I could have got for less than $1600 from maybe MS-color.
So I take it as a lesson learned that I got conned for $200. Still way better than being conned $850 for the Tamron lens.

Just to test the guy to see if he will continue to cheat me, I asked how much a lens hood for the 17-55mm will cost and he told me original canon lens hood was going for $120. If I’m not wrong, it cost around $40 only. Brilliant, still trying to con me after all these time.

Guys, the purpose of my post is to share my experience and also to advice you guys to take extra precaution and check the price guide in this forum before committing to any sales. These sales people have no integrity and even after they have cheated you, they will still continue to try cheat you and lie to you.

I could have very well screamed and shouted and demanded that I only pay $1600 for the canon lens and drive away all their customers, but I just accept that it’s my own stupidity that I was conned. So a $200 lesson was what I got from all this.. Hope you guys dun make the same mistake that I did.

your friend should be shot.

 

[SHLEW]

Goodness gracious, yet another one got slaughtered at Bally. :hung::hung: People just never learn.

 

[bartman]

TS, maybe that friend of yours who recommended you "that" shop was also duped by them but still have not realised it yet.

 

[Aurorasea]

I was browsing scam camera shops on google and finds out 'wikipedia for sim lim square' has a funny section that talks about its bad reputation:

Scam tactics
This section needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010)
This section contains instructions, advice, or how-to content. The purpose of Wikipedia is to present facts, not to train. Please help improve this article either by rewriting the how-to content or by moving it to Wikiversity or Wikibooks. (September 2010)

Due to stiff competition and rising rental prices, more shops in Sim Lim Square now resort to scam tactics to reap higher profits. The unwary shopper might fall into the traps of unscrupulous sellers.[6]

[edit] No pricetag scam
Products without a pricetag are subjected to varying quotes from the seller. The seller will judge how the buyer approaches them before quoting a price - usually higher than stores displaying pricetags. Sellers will also try to convince the buyer after a bargaining session that the price they offer are the best by making the conversation seem secretive.

[edit] Goods and Services Tax (GST) scam
In this scam, sellers would first quote potential buyers a price and then just before the buyer makes the payment they'd tell the buyer that they'll need to pay 7% GST on top of the quoted price. Most people would take this as something that they have no choice but to pay for. However, this is not true.

GST registration is not mandatory for all shops in Singapore; GST registration is only mandatory if the turnover of a business entity exceeds S$1m annually. A proper GST registered retailer is also required to quote prices inclusive of GST during a sale and at the same reflect their GST registration number prominently on the sales invoices along with the exact amount of GST paid.

[edit] Missing component scam
In this scam, the seller would quote the buyer a price that seemed either unbelievably cheap or very reasonable. After the buyer makes the purchase, the seller would then ask the buyer if he/she would like to purchase an accessory that would otherwise have been bundled with the product.

For example, if a buyer is making a purchase for an Apple iPod, a seller using this tactic may inform the buyer after a purchase transaction that they'd have to buy the USB data cable. Without the data cable, the buyer can neither charge nor sync the iPod and is thus forced to make the purchase.

[edit] Counterfeit scam
This largely applies for software, but also to hardware at times. Earlier this year, some SLS shops were busted by the police for selling counterfeit copies of Microsoft Windows.[7]

Many stores are also selling counterfeit copies of the popular Apple iPod music players. They have the same packaging, material, shape and even colour choices. But what's inside of these chinese "MP4" players are nothing like a real iPod.

[edit] Top-up scam
In this scam, the seller would convince the buyer to purchase something that he/she would later find to be unsatisfactory (e.g. faulty) and then offer the buyer a top-up for a pricier product.

Note that SLS shops usually do not allow the buyer to test a brand new unit unless they commit to buy it.

Also, unlike large stores like Harvey Norman, most SLS stores do not have a refund policy. In fact, it is almost impossible for these small shops to honour a refund policy due to the way their business operates with cash stock. So before making payment, buyers should insist that they test the product. If it's a product that can't be tested (such as RAM or hard drive), make very sure that it's covered by a manufacturer's warranty, not the store's own warranty! "Compact Electronics" Shop # 02-72/73 is one of the stores you should avoid.

[edit] Bait-and-Switch scam
In this scam, the seller and buyer negotiate for one item, but the seller delivers another. For example, the buyer is seeking a 16GB memory card, but is handed an 8GB card. If the buyer doesn't notice the switch before the money is exchanged, or the switch is done after the money is exchanged, the buyer will pretend that the negotiation was always for the inferior product. Even if the buyer has not yet left the store, the seller will refuse a return or echange. Focuspoint Electronics, a camera store on the first floor, is infamous for this scam, particularly its salesman Robin.

Hope this is a useful reference.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim_Lim_Square

 

[Treetrunk]

TS, maybe that friend of yours who recommended you "that" shop was also duped by them but still have not realised it yet.

Seems highly likely.

TS, before you purchase anything else. You might want to refer to the price guide in CS to have an estimate on the prices and shops that are frequented by the rest of the bros.

 

[jed091270]

Bally is a dreadful camshop and maybe every newbies would check the price guide section for trusted shops and get a quote from them before buying.

 

[Dynam0]

Last Friday, I passed by ex-SLLR, now Bally. Saw this Bally sales talking/trying to sell a foreigner a video cam. :bigeyes:
Really felt like walking over to tell this ah moh to leave the shop and go 2nd floor TK foto :bsmilie: