Trustworthy place to buy a camera.

[mercurial_streak]

Hey pple.....seekin ur experience wif buyin cameras here. I went to people's park complex last wk to buy a dslr. Had a bad experience wif one of the shop there with all the hidden cost n changing requirements to buy the camera. (I escaped as quickly as possible)

So i was wondering where i could find honest shops tt dont try to cheat on unsuspecting customers.

R the prices in reputable shops such as tk, ms or cp negotiable?

R there any shops tt sell cameras wif fixed prices (i.e. wif price tags?) other than big stores like courts and harvey norman?

haharz.......i'm being the typical singaporean here...........wanting the cheap n the gd......

 

[Snoweagle]

Buying cams i will recommend AP, MS, TK and CP.

 

[cerebrus]

I have bought cameras from MS a few times, never really had problems. Only thing is that they do not stock some of the accessories, so you have palce an order & wait a while.

 

[justarius]

I find Lord's Camera at Lucky Plaza to be one of the cheapest and most reliable around, although they sell other brands, they have a Nikon bias. Look for the oldish looking guy (James)... very helpful and honest fellow.

I recently had the opportunity to shop at John 3:16, and I must say that their service isn't bad either.

 

[mercurial_streak]

so is bargining a part of buyin camera in these places?

 

[justarius]

Not at the start. You'll need to frequent them more often and then they might give you regular's discount. But you can always try, though for Lord's the prices are already very low.

 

[jeremyftk]

I wouldn't recommend AP as far as possible. So far I find CP, MS, TK and Jn 3:16 to be the better shops.

 

[solarii]

Firstly, shop at reputable dealers. They may not be the cheapest, but at least the don't resort to cheap tactics. Shops frequented by photography enthusiasts and people "in the loop" have a reputation to protect.

Secondly, even when shopping at such places, be on yr guard. Some resort to more subtle tricks. Eg. Some lenses may be brought back by certain customers for back/front focusing or cos they feel it's not as sharp as it could be. The shops will exchange it for them (being the reputable, gd service shops that they are), but they'll put the piece brought back right back on the shelves.

Sad to say, some buyers are less discerning than others and may not notice the problems the more meticulous buyers find. How do I know this? I once discovered a receipt for a lens I bought right at the bottom of the box. It wasn't mine... dated a week earlier. Obviously someone else had bought the lens earlier and brought it in for an exchange.

I tested the lens but found nothing amiss so I left it at that. I'm not into shooting charts and other scientific tests, so maybe it was less than perfect, just that I don't know abt it cos I didn't run the tests. But it does not change the fact that the lens was used... I wasn't gettting the straight from factory piece that we assume we would get when we bought brand new. And I purchased it from one of the dealers highly recommended by CSers.

 

[mercurial_streak]

hmmm......thnx for the advice of all u guys.....realli appreciate it.

 

[ricohflex]

honest to goodness camera shops?

hmm....

Lucky Plaza ..... you know...where newspapers reported many years ago that if you asked to see the camera and don't buy...things can get rough. Tourists were beaten up.

Sim Lim Square ! lots of shops cater to tourists....
have fun escaping from the "famous" shops
like the kind of fun you have swimming in shark filled waters

well not so bad as in some other countires right?
one place govenred by UK unitl 1997 was famous for salesmen saying
oh that one! don't need to see, you cannot afford it.

 

[mercurial_streak]

wahhahaa...........realli?
how can he tell man.......some pple dress shabbily but r ultra high net worth millionaires

 

[superfly]

wahhahaa...........realli?
how can he tell man.......some pple dress shabbily but r ultra high net worth millionaires

That is called reverse psychology... for those who don't want to lose face, they will go "who says I cannot afford?! I buy now and show you!". :bsmilie:

 

[Terence]

so is bargining a part of buyin camera in these places?

Well, I was at CP yesterday and overheard a customer bargaining for a 30 cent reduction in the price of a roll of Tmax 100... and the salesperson caved in!

In my experience in dealing w stores like CP, I find that the quotes are usually padded a bit to take into account a bit of negotiation. The amount of padding varies from salesperson to salesperson. So, bargain away and pay only what you feel is fair. I said fair, not cheap.

 

[espn]

Well, I was at CP yesterday and overheard a customer bargaining for a 30 cent reduction in the price of a roll of Tmax 100... and the salesperson caved in!

In my experience in dealing w stores like CP, I find that the quotes are usually padded a bit to take into account a bit of negotiation. The amount of padding varies from salesperson to salesperson. So, bargain away and pay only what you feel is fair. I said fair, not cheap.

I don't bargain at CP, I quote them the price I want instead. Bargaining takes too much time at CP.

Other shops I frequent included TK Foto @ Shaw Towers also, good service, best place to chill out on a saturday afternoon :bsmilie: :thumbsup:

 

[cerebrus]

In my experience in dealing w stores like CP, I find that the quotes are usually padded a bit to take into account a bit of negotiation.

Yeah, padded a bit. Price tag on bag was $103, I paid $52. Must be for all the rich tuorists.

 

[Terence]

Yeah, padded a bit. Price tag on bag was $103, I paid $52. Must be for all the rich tuorists.

I meant a verbal quote, not the crazy prices you see on their tags.

 

[cerebrus]

I meant a verbal quote, not the crazy prices you see on their tags.

Yeah, verbal quote is a bit more accurate, they said $55. I have always wondered, why do they give those insane prices?

 

[Terence]

Yeah, verbal quote is a bit more accurate, they said $55. I have always wondered, why do they give those insane prices?

I understand they usually apply those price tags only when intoxicated.

 

[fotoboy]

I would recommend MS Color at AMK. I find their prices are slightly lower than AP or CP. You can negotiate a little and if you pay by nets (instead of credit card), they usually will give you some discount.

 

[cyprichromis]

Buying cams i will recommend AP, MS, TK and CP.

Anybody can tell me what is the shop name of all the short form? Thanks!