Abe's of Maine : Great experience!!

For the record, no, I was NOT paid for this review!! I really appreciate quality products and service, and, when I can, I take the time to let others know.

I finally decided on what film scanner I wanted to buy (Nikon Coolscan V) and started checking online for price and customer satisfaction. I used to use B&H more or less exclusively, but lately their "order verfication" process has become a nightmare (asking me to FAX copies of my utility bills to verify my address--even though I've been using then for 15+ years and never had a problem w/chargeback, lost/damaged package, etc.) so I've pretty much stopped using them.

The "big 3" Adorama, B&H, and 17th St were all $50-$100 more than Abe's. I checked at resellers and other sources for customer satisfaction feedback on Abe's, and it was good. I suspected that maybe they would compensate for the lower price by gouging me on shipping, but they only charged the actual UPS shipping and insurance costs. Order was taken and processed same day, and received 3 days ahead of schedule.

FWIW, I no longer place orders via the web--too many of the etailers hold up your order for 2-3 days to "verify" your order which is just a scam to upsell. I always call direct now. The Abe's salesman did ask if I wanted an extended warranty, I politely declined and that was that.

In short, I was very happy with Abe's and would recommend them to others.

Bret D