Broadway Photo, Brooklyn NY : How they offer those camera kits at such low prices

Thank you for posting about your experience with them. I have not purchased anything from them, because I was so suspicious of their low prices. I have been looking everywhere trying to find info on them, and your post confirms what I suspected. So, thanks for saving me the hassle of dealing with them! -Amie

I have recently purchased one of those Nikon N90S kits from Broadway Photo. The kit was supposed to include, in addition to the camera body & lens, a flash, bag, tripod, batteries & recharger, one UV and one polarizer filter (recommended by the salesperson), lens cleaning kit, manual. Also, due to an upgrade that was going on, I was supposed to receive the order overnight. First, it hasn't come the next day or the day after. I called back, they acknowledged the problem (it was sent "ground") and refunded me the upgrade money (on my credit card, which is how I payed).

When the kit eventually arrived, I noticed the following things:

I had been sent the F90X instead of the N90S. There was no flash included. There was no battery recharger included. The polarizing filter was linear, not circular.

I called the next day (by the way, their customer service starts at 11 am, and at least once there wasn't anyone there until 11:20) and complained about the flash and recharger. They applologized and sent them to me. I only noticed the filter problem later, called again and was given a return number to send it in to be replaced. I did, and I am waiting for the replacement. When mentioning getting the F90X vs. the N90S the guy said "oh, it's the better body, it's sturdier" (??!!). When I asked about the US warranty I got the same reply some other poster mentioned "you can always send it to our store". Also, since the F90x was probably imported from Germany, I got the original manual in German plus a black and white (thus missing some info on the graphs) photocopy of the English version.

That's my exeprience with this store.

They got pretty much half the things wrong with my order and the sales person was REALLY pushy (Mike). I must have told him 5-6 times I DON'T want the extended warranty.

On the brighter (or rather "not-so-dark") side, the customer service person was polite and eventually sent all missing items (I am assuming the circ. PL will arrive).

So overall, if you are looking for a place that would send you WHAT you ordered WHEN you ordered it, this ISN'T IT.

I just got off the phone with these jerks. I originally ordered a point and shoot digital camera from them online. After waiting several days I got the now familiar "Please call us to confirm your order" email. The email stated that they would not complete the order unless I called them.

For those of you unfamiliar with the practice, this is a thinly veiled attempt to get you talking to a hard-sell artist in order to sell you service contracts and additional accessories. This is how they make their money. They basically sell the entree products at close to cost and make up the difference with accessories and service contracts.

Upon receiving this email, I promptly wrote them back asking them to cancel the order, and proceeded to purchase the camera from another vendor (at a slightly higher price).

Two weeks passed and I received the camera from Broadway Photos. The internal manufacturer's box looked like it had been, as we say on the ranch, "rode hard, and put away wet". Clearly it had been shipped around and previously opened.

This morning I called them to get a return authorization and was subjected to the "used car experience". I explained to the customer "service" guy that I would not accept an apparently used device from an order which I had canceled anyways. After a lengthy "discussion" in which I was told I could not cancel orders via email he put me on hold saying he would return with a return authorization number.

In true "used car" fashion I was placed on hold for what seemed like an interminable time after which the Big Gun Guy came back and proceeded to argue further that I should not get an RMA. After several bullying tactics such as talking over me, quoting fine print, etc. I finally got him to stop talking by informing him that it was impossible to listen with one's mouth open.

He gave me an RMA and infomed me that I would be charged a 15% re-stocking fee. I told him that he would not be charging me a restocking fee, and further that he could settle the dispute further by talking with my bank.

I hung up and called my bank and had the payment stopped and the charge reversed. Perhaps in a few weeks, I will get around to returning the disputed product via slow-boat.

The bottom line, is do not do buisness with these shiesters. The "call to confirm" strategy is very common among camera dealers who sell equipment at rock bottom prices.

I just placed an order w/ Broadway Photo. ... The salesman was pushy and, I thought, rude, and tried to sell me various items in addition to the item I wanted to order. The salesman repeated these offers (more like commands to buy) several times, seemingly ignorning my response that I wasn't interested. After giving up on that, he switched to warranties... I was told that in order to have a US warranty, I would have to purchase a warranty upgrade. (I was told that the warranty that came with the item - described on their website as "a 1 year labor, 90 day parts warranty" - was in fact a non-US ("gray market" (his words)) warranty - and that to get repairs on that non-US warranty the camera would have be shipped overseas.) I ended up upgrading to the US warranty - hopefully, that was the right thing to do. ... He said the item would arrive within 7 days. I'll leave another comment to let everyone know if there are any problems. .... UPDATE: After thinking about it some more, reading some more about it, I just called back and cancelled the order, thinking it's probably not good to deal with this place - they gave me such a hard time when I was trying to buy something - what would they do/how would they act if there were a problem with the item? I decided just to cancel the order, which after some resistance, they agreed to do.

Thank you all for this posting. I ordered from BWphoto last week (passover time frame), so the store was closed. Being the trusting person I am, I assumed this helped their credibility and did little more research on them. Then after they've been open for two more days, I check my order status and they've yet to bill my CC or send any notice to me. I emailed support and got a reply that I would have to call. This led me to googling them, which brought me to this thread. Since I don't want to hassle with them, I made it all real simple. I cancelled my CC that I ordered on and sent an email informing them that they need to cancel my order, not to ship anything and CC'd myself as proof of it being sent. And notified them that the email would be means of legal tracking if they tried any of their normal procedures. Thanks again.

I too attempted to buy a camera from Broadway. When it became clear to them that I would not fall for their scams, the item that had been available for immediate shipment, was back ordered. They did not have the courtesy to notify me. I had to call and wait for customer sevice which I did after it appeared that nothing was happening with my order. The item remained listed as in stock on their web page. A subsequent caller was told the item was in stock.

In my opinion, these guys are just scam artists and should never be considered for purchases.

Get the word out.

Customer service reps were EXTREMELY rude. They have another "store front" called A&M Photo World that takes you to the same set of angry service reps. These people don't have any manners, and they're not helpful at all.

This well-known dealer is doing business under more than one name.

Here is the information about the Broadway family

http://sheddingsomelight.com/buy-cameras/list/dealers-bwayfam.html

Be aware! I recommend not to order from them.

If only I had read these reviews before I dealt with Broadway Photo!!!! Although this is not Photography related, hopefully it deters anyone from buying from this retailer. I shared exactly the same terrible Customer Service, and pushy Sales with a television. After searching for price comparisons on a popular website, their name came up. There was an advertised price that was very competitive. With the shipping it was still lower than anyone else. I placed an order. Three days later, I received a call from a pushy sales person for a warranty and accessories package. I stupidly agreed. That same night after researching the accessories, I decided to cancel the extras in the order. The next day I called to do this and was advised that it had already been dispatched. When I asked if I could return the items discussed for a refund, I was told yes, of course. During the delivery period I discovered that the price I had paid for the television was actually not the advertised low price. That was the IMPORT price. The customer service person was abrupt, rude, and probably shouldn't be working customer so called service. When the packages later arrrived I called to get the RMA. The rude Customer Service person quickly turned me over to the Supervisor. He proceeded to inform me that the accessories despite being individually boxed and unopened were purchased as part of a 'package' and could not be refunded. Needless to say, I'm now stuck with items that I don't need, for a ridiculous amount of money, and a battle with these people who clearly have no clue how to run a business. My advice - stay well away from these people, its not worth rolling the dice doing business with them. Pay a little more and deal with someone who stands by their service and reputation.

I purchased a camcorder from Broadway Photo on 12/19/06 and basically experienced the same events described in the above mentioned comments. (Aggressive selling tactics, long phone waits, and the camcorder did not play back clearly). The product appeared to be used. I would not recommend ordering products from this company.

DO NOT BUY FROM BROADWAY!!!!!! i found the best price on the net through this scam company and ordered my cannon IXY 800IS. within a day or two, i recieved a call from thier customer service dept. telling me that the camera i purchased was an "international model". this meant all the instructions were in japaneese. (this was NEVER advertised on the website). for an additional $60, i could buy the english version. i stupidly agreed because i wanted the camera. i did not like the camera i bought. very confusing instuction booklet and the features were not what i was looking for. when i called for my "return number", the operator told me there was a "minimum %5 restocking fee." MINIMUM!!! once again...DO NOT BUY FROM THESE CROOKS!!!!

Okay, I have to admit I did buy a camera from them, and they did TRY to bend me over. I bid on an auction two years ago, they were then listed as Topchoicedigital on ebay, it is the same company though, I know from the BBB info. After calling in to give them my information, I waited and eventually recieved my camera. Okay, I got the bill from my credit card company, I was charged an additional $100 for a rebate certificate. Oh my, I contacted them and they said, "you will get that money back as soon as you send in the rebate." WHAT??? A rebate is never to be sold, I knew what they just did was illegal, they went on to call my husband and myself crazy and many other things, and said, "we do this all day long, to hundreds of people, so try to fight us on it and you will lose."

So I called Fuji, who was offering the rebate. I have to tell you, I love Fuji's customer service! They were awesome. I was given information on how to get this amount taken off my bill. Then a week later Fuji sent me some great stuff, which I have to admit made me smile. However, it wasn't their fault that these people were doing this. But it left a lasting impression on me that they cared so much about something that truly wasn't their fault, but dealt with their product.

My next call was to the BBB, then I started to petition the NY Attorney Generals Office. Well, they did refund my $100 (after I called the credit card company to dispute the charges), so I dropped it. Later they were kicked off of Ebay. But I have to say, I thought they went out of business. I guess they have just changed their name. It is unfortunate. Please, no matter how good a deal sounds, the frustration and aggravation is not worth the "potential" savings!

Thanks for bringing this to light on the internet!

Very good to know, I did a search on their business practices to see what's up. I knew there had to be a catch because they were selling the camera I wanted for about $250.00 less than everyone else and their accessories where ridiculously priced, $599.99 for a 1gig compact flash card. There are no free lunches, I guess I stick with B&H they have never done me wrong.

A company I have dealt with that did me right is Cameda Camera on E-bay. Bought a factory refurb D70s Nikon and a Sigma lens "set" both are as advertized and delivered in a very timely fashion.

Was looking for a D80 and called a company that advertized a good price for a body on the web. Guy tried to tell me that gray market bodies were plastic instead of the USA metal bodies. Hello, all of them are the polycarbonate "plastic" bodies. I hung up and bought the factory refurb from Steve at Cameda.

Make friends for life at BROADWAY PHOTO. I unfortunately did not read this until after I purchased JVC Everio GZ-MG130 30GB Hard Disk Drive Camcorder. They made me call after an e-mail prompted me to do so; at this point I am thinking that there was something wrong with the order. The sales guy, ?Bernard? x265, told me that the battery that it comes with only lasts 30 min. 30 min? So I added the 4 hour battery for $169.00, not knowing that I had been taken for. What is a good price for a battery anyhow? Bernard looked in his crystal ball and told me that I would receive the item by 4/20/07 after initially placing the order on 4/15/07 online, UPS shows 4/24/07. I guess his crystal ball malfunctioned, but that ladies and gentlemen was just the beginning. I am leaving to Las Vegas on 4/23/07 so I needed my camera for the trip. On 4/20/07 I called?.6 different times! I called because I wanted answers on why I was misled about the ship date. If they would have just processed the order on 4/15/07 as I wanted online and not have made me wait till 4/17/07 for the call back e-mail maybe I could have been good to go? Finally after speaking with a front desk operator, whom I must say if the emotion, ?angry-depression?, had a headquarters, she was the President/CEO! But nonetheless, I?.?Mr. there is nothing that can shock me now?, was shocked at how I was treated over the phone. I had to call 6 times due to the operator and sales staff hanging up on me or transferring me to a closed extension. Pinocchio?I mean Bernard, was not there so I finally spoke with a lovely man named ?Burt? @ ext 231. Burt must have been in the NAVY, because with a vernacular as his you have to be a sailor of some sorts. Burt and I did not really hit it off on our first date. I tried to explain to him that I was a concerned customer who could have shopped anywhere and out of all the merchants I picked his company to do business with. I should have known that Burt was raised by wolves since the barking came soon after my comments. Out of all the things most unpleasant I have experienced in my life, and that, ladies and gentlemen, includes getting poked in the eye by a sharp stick, it would have to be speaking with Broadway Photo?s award winning operator and sales staff?namely my new best friend Burt @ ext 231. I just wish I was there in person to settle the differences?especially with Burt first hand. Please send me comments if you had such a wonderful experience a I did to jasonleehawkins@hotmail.com I even sent customer service an e-mail not knowing until now that they are all part of the same scam. They must be wiping themselves with it as we speak.

To whom it may concern: I called 6 times today to get some answers as to why my product was not placed on expedited shipping. I was transferred to a closed customer service 5 times and finally got a hold of Burt at ext 231. After asking Burt to help me out with some info, he became frustrated with me, and then told me that he could not help me out and that I was "WASTING HIS TIME". I then asked who was my original sales rep's boss and he told me that "IT WOULD NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SITUATION EVEN IF I GAVE YOU ALL OF THE STOCKHOLDERS INFO", which I did not ask for...all I wanted was Bernard's boss's extension which he declined to give me. After owning several businesses and working in a sales environment for over 12 years, I have never experienced the lack of concern and pure disrespect that was displayed by your sales rep Burt. I will never again do business with your company, not because my package was not here on time, but specifically because of Burt's attitude with me as the CUSTOMER! I would also like to add that I was not combative over the phone; I was so shocked and could not believe how Burt was talking to me that I did not have time to react with hostility. Truly disturbing! I will be following up on this e-mail with customer service next week. I hope that you relay to Burt that people do talk and give advise to one another as to where the good deals and customer service is on the internet. UNBELIEVABLE!

Grey market cameras sold as U.S. cameras, without disclosure to customer. In 2004 I bought a Nikon D70 from Broadway Photo, then operating as A & M Photo World, LLC. Their website said nothing about it being grey market, or non-U.S., or no warranty, or any other form of grey market disclosure. In 2007 I took the camera to Nikon for service. Nikon refused to service it because it was a grey market camera. I called the phone number on my credit card bill from when I had originally bought the camera and Broadway Photo answered the phone. I told them I needed a copy of my receipt from my original purchase and they emailed it immediately. The receipt also said nothing about grey market. So I called back to complain. They claim that all their grey market cameras are advertised as such, but this is simply a lie. When I bought the camera I had been careful to avoid grey market or non U.S. versions, for this exact reason. Stay clear of this vendor. If anyone takes legal action against this company or is aware of any enforcement action against them please contact me if I can help in any way. After reading all the other complaints against this firm and formally A&M Photo World, (complaints going back as far as 2000) I can't understand why state or federal law enforcement hasn't shut them down.

Watch out for thedigitalnerds.com! They tried to tell me that the 1 hr battery that came with my camcorder I was buying would only last for 10 mins and if I used the ac adapter it would burn out my camera. I was then advised to buy a better battery for $129. I refused but they wouldn't take no for an answer, so I canceled the ordered just to find out later on their website that they "reserved the right" to charge 20% on all canceled orders and that they sold refurbished items.

I screwed them before they could screw me. When they tried the hike up the price on my order, my debit card account declined it because there was not that amount available.When they sent me an e mail stating that my card had been declined, I sent a reply stating, Awwww that really sucks for ya. I've since cancelled my card. Man ,why don't these people get shut down!!!

Customer charged after cancelling purchase.

I ordered a digital camera from this business and was treated rudely by one of their salesmen, so I cancelled the order verbally, electronically, even snail-mailed them. Almost three weeks later, the "cancelled" charge appeared on my monthly statement and, although it was successfully credited through my credit card company, what a hassle! Wish I'd have checked this site out first before I added this terse buyer beware warning regarding Broadway Photo in Brooklyn NY...JS

Almost had a bad experience with Broadway today. Saw a better price there on the Sony Alpha than any other site, so I bought two. Luckily, I called when I received the message that i needed to call and "verify" my order...... Of course, like others have mentioned, the rep told me the battery only lasts 30 mins.... Now I knew what was occuring at this point, and I KNEW this wasnt true, because I had just read the Sony Alpha 100 had a good battery life in reviews, etc.... but I wasn't thinking. Fast talking salesman starts asking me questions about my usage and whether I'm a newbie or not (first hint)...gets me to upgrade to the 4 hour battery for $45 for each camera. Then started with other stuff....even going as far as telling me that the camera will get damaged if I don't use a filter and that they were the only place i could get memory cards for the Alpha... I say no to all these other things and he tells me "Ok, so your total is $1399"....... i asked how is that possible if my receipt was $1176 and I bought 2 batteries for $90, that is only $1266.... He starts his fast talking to try to confuse me again and then says something about a 9% handling charge..... I said "whoa - there is nothing about a 9% handling charge on my receipt." He said "yes, you get free shipping, and just have to pay a 9 % handling charge." So, I said "well cancel my order"... at this point it gets ridiculous.. he says "No, you will receive your cameras in 3 days." I said 'Not at $1399 I wont - cancel my order" back and forth like this for a few rounds, then he puts me "on hold" to get his supervisor..... why? So I hung up anticipating this would be a HUGE fiasco with my credit card. Then sent them an email telling them that I requested my order to be canceled, I'm calling Amex immediately to report the incident, if they charge me I'll file a merchant complaint to start an investigation, and if they ship any packages to me I will refuse them... and that I had my purchase receipt as proof of the total that I ordered..... Within 10 minutes they had written back and said my order was canceled and in my account profile, my order was marked as canceled.

Then oddly enough, about 30 mins or so after I got another "your next order ships free" coupon from them in my email.

Weird thing is that after he started his sales pitch, I remembered having dealt with them a few years back, same kind of high pressure sales pitch... maybe it was when they were called by another name like another viewer posted above.

Always be wary of those electronics stores in NYC (Bway is in Brooklyn) - its the same in person as well.

STAY AWAY from Broadway Photo at all costs. They will take advantage of you at every turn. They will deceive and trap you. I also made the mistake of ordering from these very rude individuals. Their prices appear to be good on the surface, but you soon find out that what you bought isn?t the same product that everyone else is selling. I bought a Sony Cybershot DSC-W55 for $176 at Broadways website. They don?t tell you that it comes with a 30-minute battery until they call to confirm your internet order, at which time they sell you the 3-hour batter for $50. Now the total for this camera is $229. You can find this same camera all over the Internet for $199 (and yes they all come with the 3 hour battery). The customer sales rep. (when I asked him his name he said Leon Jones..not sure I believe him) informed me that he thought $199 was a good deal but so was his price of $229. When I asked to speak with his supervisor, he informed me he was the supervisor. So I proceeded to ask to talk to his boss, he told me I wasted his time and he wouldn?t allow me to waste his boss?s time. He said I could return it for a 5% re-stocking fee and I would have to pay all shipping costs. They know they have you, shipping costs and the 5% re-stocking fee would out weigh purchasing it elsewhere for $199.

Why is this store still around? People should be filing a complaint against them with the NY Attorney General. The below link goes to the complaint form. This company obviously needs to be shut down. FYI, I made the mistake of purchasing a camera from them before reading the comments from this site. 1 week from now I should be able to give an update on what happened. So far I fell for the "better" battery scam because I did not know any better. Hope they get shut down soon. http://www.oag.state.ny.us/online_forms/complaint_alert.jsp

Agreed that this NY outfit ought not to be allowed to continue with the ~battery-scam~ or ANY other NOT AS ADVERTISED "sales-tactics".

We bought a GPS listed on the page as new citing the factory part number and when we called in to confirm that this was the unit we wanted they did the $39.95 ~?~extended-run~?~ routine.

. . . am in the process of getting this ?~?fixed?~? if the credit card company helps . . .

as is noted in the other posts this is a regular ~add-on sale~ technique for this store and tends to give N.Y. a less than honorable light.

. . .as per gps' look for TTS text-to-speech as a VERY desired option whereby the street names are enunciated so that neither you nor your passengers need to be looking at the display.

I also had been spoiled with computer based gps software that recorded all routes and was sad to see that these over $300 units lacked that utility and to save route for later review , repetition

whoru@inbox.com

Another Fraud. Hi everyone, I would like to share my bad experience in purchasing at Broadway Photo (in Brooklyn, NY). Since I see their price of Nikon D80 with 18-135 mm at around $900 something, I decided to purchase it. In the website, they said, the package will include accessories such as battery and charger. They called me one day later after I placed my order for asking me to upgrade the package because the package does not include battery, charger, and memory card. To be honest, I saw in their website that battery and charger will be included in the package. So, I argued to a sale person who I talked with about this but he said this package does not include stuff like that I have to upgrade it. Unfortunately, at that time I lacked of knowledge in buying SLR camera so I was o.k. with his offer. He offered me the standard Nikon battery at $130, Nikon charger at $30, and 256 MB SD memory card at $130. However, I realized that the price was unreasonable after I checked in other websites. So, I called him back promptly, I think, it took just about 2-3 minutes after I confirmed my order. But he rejected me by saying this ?we already done the process and the product was taken out from the warehouse, we could not do anything? I said in 2 minutes? I tried several times to negotiate about this but unsuccessful, he just say no. So I told him that I will return the product because of dissatisfaction. He responded me quickly ?But you have to pay the restock fee which costs about $200. I knew that this was not exactly Broadway false; however, they did not even try to solve my mistake to satisfy the customer. On the other hand, they will watch to the customers? mistake and take the advantages on it. Finally, I did not know what I should do with this fraud. I would warn everybody that ?Don?t buy anything from this website ?Broadway Photo? or if you really want to buy please prepare yourself?

My sister just bought a camera from this store for me and I am very unhappy with the service and the lies that they have given us. I don't know if this might help, but if anything goes wrong can this be used against them? http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/business-laws-regulations/business-laws-all/consumer-protection-laws-overview.html

Well unfortunatly I didn't do my research and I placed an order with Broadway for a Pentax K100d... I just got off the phone with the representative to "confirm" my order... He must have just woken up or something cause he sounded pretty dead and wasn't too pushy. He did try the battery scam on me, but shut up pretty quick when I pointed out that the camera ran off AA's... He tried to sell me memory (which I already have), and I told him I wanted only what I ordered... So come Monday if anything is odd when my camera arrives or my bank statement reads anything else then the price I was told, I will keep you updated.

One thing I learned from being in the Marine Corps was cut through the B.S. and get to the point, hopefully everything goes alright.

I want to confirm the order cancellation - I just spoke to Tyler and he confirmed my order cancellation.

Why? BroadwayPhoto has lied a lot to me.

When I placed my order i spoke to a person named "Bret". I ordered the Panasonic Lumix Fx100k. Bret mentioned that they had the US version with the full US warranty supplied by Panasonic. He said that they had received it several weeks ago. I called to get a status on my order a day later and was forwarded from one person to another. Before I could get a word in employees would forward me to the blackhole extension which went into a voicemail.

Anyways, I finally managed to get through to someone and asked his name and extension incase we got disconnected. He was incredibly rude and said I don't give out my extension. Anyways, I ask about the status of my order and he said that it was back ordered becuase Panasonic had not released it in the US. I then asked him why Bret had lied to me that they had it in stock since 3 weeks and the ones they had were with the US warranty? He turns around and says "Listen. Get this through your thick f**king head. We don't have it. It hasn't been released." I coun't believe what he said. Anyways. I asked him to cancel my order. He yelled some obscenities and hung up! How crazy is that?

Folks: DON'T SHOP AT BROADWAYPHOTO.COM. They are so pathetic and all they do is lie, and cheat to stay in business.

Sales scam. Items are way below market price but accessories are 5 times or more above market price. When you order an item online, you must confirm with sales rep while they push you to buy their accessories, and warranty which is not included even though their site advertises a warranty. If you choose not to buy their accessories, they will say your item is not the American version and will say it is a Japanese/European version which does not have an American warranty. If you choose not to buy their accessories or warranties, they will place your order on back order for months hoping you will cancel.

Cant believe this business has been around for so long! First message dated from 2001

I guess I was lucky and told my strong-arm salesman to CANCEL my order. I got the 30 minute battery story, and an offer to upgrade to the US warranty. (How can you sell a camera in the US and not include a factory warranty???) I asked if I could do some research and call back later and Mr. Extension 265 said no - why not go ahead and add these "bargain" items now at such a special price ($139) when I'd have to pay more later! I smelled a rat and canceled immediately. At least they were quick to confim the cancellation with an email. Thank goodness! I then ordered my camera through amazon.com and made sure it came with the US warranty! I should have googled them before, but you see their ads everywhere so you think they're legit. Thank you, photo.net!!

Broadway photo just messed with the wrong gal, by doing the same thing they obviously have been doing to every other one of their customers. However, I'm planning on filing something with the New York Attorney General or doing something equally dramatic. If anyone is half as angry as me, and wants to sign an affidavit or join the cause any other way, contact me. I'm a law student, so I don't exactly know what I'm doing, but I have some sort of idea. Additionally, if this happens to take as long as most lawsuits, maybe I'll be an attorney by the time it comes around.:) Contact me at badbroadwayphoto@gmail.com.

Hi everyone - Thank you so much for all of your comments. You have convinced me not to buy a camera from Broadway Photo. Thank you!!

I just finished speaking with one of the customer support representatives at Broadway, not a pleasant experience. I informed the rep that the camera that I received was defective; it has a piece of lint or something embedded behind the LCD screen. So I called Broadway and was informed that I had to call Nikon...not true I explained to the rep, I purchased the camera from you and I was told I could return it to you if a problem arose. Keep in mind, the camera is a little over a week old and I've only used it once. All I wanted was to have the camera swapped out for a new un-defective one. I didn't think it was going to be such a big hassle.

I informed Broadway through email that because of the push back I received from their customer service reps not providing customer service and their unwillingness to stand behind their product they sold me I have no option but to return the camera back to them. I informed Broadway they will have to deal with my bank.

I'm going with someone local, will have to pay a little more, but at least I will receive support. Learn from my experience and save yourself a lot of trouble and don't buy from Broadway.

Check this clip out for a little insight to Broadway and their business practices: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gR6ZyBOkOw

I wish that I had found this web posting prior to ordering from Broadway Photo, but I didn't and it cost me. Called them about a Canon XTi and was told that the one on the web was the Japan version and I could upgrade to the USA version for an small additional amount. Well what I received is the Japan "KISS" version and it appears to be a returned item or previously used item. The disks had been opened and the original upc codes on the box are covered with different upc code stickers. Of course I could not get through to their customer service the first day but did get through the second day. But that was a waste of time. The customer service person had all kinds of excuses about what was ordered and why and that I could return the camera for a 5% restocking fee. Now isn't that great, they mislead you and send trash and expect the customer to pay for it. Believe this and all the others postings; "Don't buy anything from Broadway Photo".

My wife had a similar experience with B'way Camera: She ordered a Canon sd750, and received an email asking her to call to complete the order. The salesman was very rude to her, and insisted the instructions were all in Japanese, and it would take 2-3 weeks to get the camera from Japan. She was so disgusted that she cancelled the order after he tried to sell her a whole lot of overpriced accessories she didn't want. I had a similar experience with Prestige Photo, but ended up agreeing to pay $5 more than the advertised price in order to get the camera sent in the 1-2 days that they stated in their internet ad.

I ALMOST bit... but because I had been bitten before by another internet sales scam, I researched it...THANK YOU for all the similar nightmare stories...It definitely made me decide NOT to purchase from them. OH, and the u-tube video was great, I think maybe I will waste some of their time as they have wasted some of mine.

First of all, thank you to everyone who posted here. I went so far as to place my order before reading this thread (lesson learned - always google a retailer you haven't used before) but luckily they tried to cheat me before running my order through, and I was able to cancel my credit card. Second, I notice that the first post to this thread was 7 years ago and Broadway Photo is still engaged in their fraudulent practices. This astounds me - how can a company this corrupt still be allowed to operate in New York state? When I received the email to call them I thought it was only to verify my shipping address. Instead I had to listen to a load of rubbish about Canon only providing a battery that lasts "20 minutes." When I challenged the sales person on this, citing numerous online sources, he basically said "Alright well whatever" and hung up on me.

Whatever you do - DO NOT ORDER FROM THIS COMPANY. The prices seem too good to be true because they are too good to be true.

Thank you again, photo.net posters.

DO NOT PURCHASE FROM THIS DISHONEST COMPANY. THEY SENT ME A BROKEN CAMERA THE OLYMPUS 550 AND THEN CHARGED ME A RESTOCKING FEE WHEN RETURNED BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS NOT BROKEN. I SPENT 2 HRS ON THE PHONE WITH OLYMPUS AND THEY SAID IT WAS CLEARLY NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. BROADWAY SAID THEY TESTED IT WHEN IT CAME BACK AND IT WAS FINE. I GUESS I KNOW NOW WHY I GOT A BROKEN CAMERA...RESTOCKING FEE, I WONDER HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAD ALREADY RETURNED IT. THEY ARE NOT SEALED FROM THE FACTORY EITHER, ONE OF THE INSTRUCTION BOOKS WAS MISSING (THE OTHER LANGUAGE). I WENT TO JR.COM AND ORDERED THE SAME CAMERA AND IT CAME WITH BOTH INSTRUCTION BOOKS AND IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. BUT NEVER BUY FROM BROADWAY PHOTO AND VIDEO!!!!

Well they tried it on me as well. I ordered a canon A640 from Broadway Photos on Thursday after reading the first reviews on Everyprice.com that seem to indicated that it was a good place to do business with. After I placed my order I looked a round and found other accounts that told another story. That?s when I started getting worried. I call the company to cancel my order and got a message that they were on vacation, that did not help. On Sunday I received an email saying that I needed to call them to verify my order and I thought ?here we go.? I called at 4:47PM on Sunday the 16th which is today and is the day that I got the email. I spoke to them and was surprised that they did not try to pressure me right away. He asked me to confirm my order and I did he said ?thank you do you have any questions about the camera and I said no. He said thank you and I was about to get off the phone. Then I asked for a conformation email thinking that all those bad reviews where not true. That?s when he said by the way the battery pack that comes with the camera only last 15 minutes. I told him that I have everything for the camera because I had one that was damage so I did not need anything for it. Than he said ?OH then why did you order the Japanese version.? I said that I did not order the Japanese version and he said I did. I told him to cancel the order and in this he complied. I hung up and realized that I did not have a cancellation number so I called back. He said that the order number would be the same as the cancellation number so I ask him to send me an email confirming that the order was canceled. He did so in that respect I am thankful. However I will be calling the card company tomorrow to alert them to reject any charges that come from any of the companies names that I know of that this company goes by. I monitor my credit daily so I will be on the look out for any activity that is not me. It?s a shame I just wanted a camera and a good company to do business with. Is that to much to ask.

I had ordered a Canon Powershot S3 IS from the company (Broadway Photo) and got their "Tripod and screen protector and cleaning kit" They tried to sell memory cards (1 GB for $599 !!!!) When you can buy 4 GB for about $40 from other internet stores.

The Powershot S3 IS that I received had seemed a little funny right from the start and the zoom lens always makes a faint buzzing sound as it focuses. It made me suspicious right away without knowing/reading about others experiences but now I am certain they sent a used/refurbished/broken camera! I have used the camera for too long to try return it but in all the videos which I take in a very quiet context have a buzzing like there is a mosquito hovering near the microphone!!!! BE Careful! Those camera stores from Brooklyn are related and have many many complaints and issues!

Check out this article as well. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,107855-page,1/article.html

On a side note, the tripod was about 5 inches tall and the cleaning kit was a small spray bottle with a cloth, and the screen protector was a plastic sheet that you cut out yourself to make it fit. All of this was actually fine, I just say it's not worth buying this for the extra's they advertise.

Another article worth checking out... http://consumerist.com/consumer/broadway-photo/broadway-photos-sheisty+looking-business-addresses-230560.php

I worst experience I've ever encounter. My boyfriend and I ordered a Panasonic FZ18K and paid for the overnight shipping on 9/26/07. When we call in the next day to confirm my purchase we got the answering machine saying that due to holiday schedule they are closed until Sunday 9/30/07. So we waited and on Sunday we receive an email from them asking us to call them to verify our order. We called and they tried to sale us all these accessories that we don't need. Then they told us to upgrade to a US warranty so we upgraded and then was told it will arrive on Tuesday 10/2/07. Then on Monday we went to check our order status and it said it haven't been shipped out yet. We called and once again they told us that they will ship it out ASAP and it will arrive on Wednesday 10/03/07. On Tuesday morning we went to check our status again and still no tracking number and still the same message. We called them once again and got the same excuse. I waited for a few hours and I called them back. I spoke with some old guy and he told me that they made some mistake on the shipping label and will need to have it fix. He said he will ship it as soon as they can. He also said that the camera will arrive on Thursday and told me not to worry about it. We once again check our status on Wednesday morning hoping to get a tracking number, but to our disappointment the same message was still on the display. At this point I was furious by the way they are treating us. It was unbelievably ridiculous. So I called them to cancel my order. When I called I got the surprise of my life. I got the machine stating that they are closed due to some holiday schedule and will re-open on Sunday 10/07/07. I emailed them and told them if my camera does not arrive on Thursday like they said then cancel my order. Today is Thursday and still no tracking number and still no camera .My boyfriend just called the bank and cancel his CC. This is one BS company so STAY AWAY!!!!

Buyer beware is not strong enough with this group of scamming pros. Does not matter what the merchandise is, you will not get what you thought you ordered at the price on their site. aka Preferred Photo, LLC, A&M Photo, Prestige Photo, Regal Camera, Ghu, LLC, and Digital Liquidators at numerous address iterations in Brooklyn.

I've been looking for a good price on a Nikon D80 with 18-200 Lens for about a month when I spotted "Broadway Photo's" website and it certainly did look interesting--especially with the low, low prices, but I knew something was up. I'm originally from New York City and as such, I can spot a BSer from a mile away and Broadway Photo definitely has some BSers. I looked at their page for two weeks and telephoned them on three occasions; from their I knew the prices were were too good to be HONEST. I remembered the old adage: "if it looks too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true". Stick to reputable vendors; you may pay more, but you know that they are reputable and you'll also save yourself from those timely and painful nightmares of dealing with HISHONEST people and/or companies....

I wish I had read these comments prior to ordering a Nikon D200 from the rude and unethical clowns at Broadway Photo. Deceptive pricing, poor customer service, failure to process my agreed upon order and bait and switch sales tactics are but a short litany of the problems I had with Broadway Photo. Do not deal with these people! I found excellent customer service -polite, responsive and honest dealings with Cameta Camera. Their prices are more than competitive and the customer service is outstanding. I cannot believe that the Attorney General of New York allows businesses like Broadway Photo to continue dishonest business practices!!!

I can't believe these people have been in business in 2000. It is 2007 and they have just pulled the same scams on me. I reported them to the Attorney General. PLEASE - let's get them out of business~!~!~!!~!~!

Id just like to thank everyone for informing me what scam artists these people are. I Just placed an order yesterday, 11/09/07. And i barley decided to do my homework on this company. Well i called at 3:15 today but it was closed. lets just say im canceling ASAP. I dont want all this B.S. I ordered the canon powershot Sd1000. Hopefully i can get through with this without a charge. Does anyone know if they charge for cancellation if the camera hasent left the company yet? Ill inform you when i cancel to see what happens. Cross your fingers people!

I was absolutely scammed by these guys. They tried to sel me extra stuff. I went to the good guys at Wolf Camera and Ritz camera and they told me how I was getting ripped off and that there was NO WAY they could sell cannon camera equipment at the price they sold it to me. I calle dup and cancelled. They threatened me with a 20% restocking fee and I explained I JUST ordered ir!! So the guy offers me a $100 discount and I kept listening. I explained I wanted an itemized itinerary receipt of ALL items. he said it will be emailed immediately. NEVER got it. He also explained then that the special extra equipment wasn't cannon equipment, but batteries anc charders they they themselves manufacture! Say WHAT!? This actually nullified the warranty if the battery caused a problem or damage! STAY AWAY RUN AWAY! I am sending this through my bank and cc company now. BTW, they shipped it to me instantly to try and get it to me fast even though I CANCELLED!

I was totally ripped off, I was told I had purchased the overseas version of the Canon Rebel xti /kiss and they said for $100 more they would upgrade me to the american version, and then they tried scamming me into buying a whole crap load of extras. I didn't okay any of it, and they sent me the camera. I was using the camera just 2 days later, their shipping was great, but then I noticed it was the japanese version. I called and they said I chose the overseas version, and there was a lot of yelling around the extra $100 they charged me for no reason. In the end, I sent it back, and I still lost the $100 cause of the restocking fee and all the shipping charges. It's been back in their possesion for 2 weeks and I still don't have my money back. They claim the money was refunded, my bank has no idea what they are talking about, and I am about to hire myself a lawyer! DO NOT BUY FROM BROADWAY PHOTO!

i had a similar experience with these guys. i ordered a canon sd700 digital camera, got the email to confirm, called, and had the salesman lie to me about the battery life it came with (only 20 minutes! i said what?? and he calmly explained that with all the features the camera comes with blah blah.) got the pitch to buy another battery, not to mentino a charger, because the charger it came with "takes six hours to charge the battery!" it's so offensive to be lied to this way. although i repeated on the phone that i wanted it shipped via ground mail, it was sent via one-day air.

i got lucky, though, because for some reason i never got the package, although ups confirmed delivery (drop off). meanwhile, i had run into warnings online about the company, and the charge to my credit card seemed too high, so i called to ask them to email me an invoice. which they did - but all the various items were listed as "0" except the camera "kit" - so you still couldn't see what you were paying for. anyway, i'm disputing the charge due to never having recieved the camera, so now the bank has to deal with them.

i, too, can't believe that they have been allowed to operate so crookedly for so long.

Well, I too wish I had seen this before my wife ordered from Broadway.

As many before have said, they hard sold a number of extras that were supposed to be a great deal. Items in a "starter kit" with a supposed value of $175.00 were sold for $100.00. Unfortunately, my wife went for it. When we received what was shipped the total value of that package couldn't have been more than $20.00 retail.

When we contacted Broadway they said they would send out the correct product because what we got was wrong. They sent a duplicate of what we had already received.

Upon contacting them a second time they took a hard line approach and said "you got what you ordered." I too can't believe these people are still in business. We are disputing this with our credit card company ASAP. However, I'm not sure even they can get around their shipping, handling and restocking fees.

I too will be sending something to the New York Attorney General.

BEWARE! BEWARE! BEWARE!

OK, I've ordered from Broadway as well, and everything everyone has said here is true, but my experience ended differently and I'd like to offer why in case it may help someone already in the order process with them. I called directly and had to deal with an incredibly pushy, lying salesperson who, yes, tried to upsell the hell outa the order and who tried to scare me about the warranty that supposedly did not come with my Nikon lens. But I simply said "no" to everything he offered (every time he offered) because I did my homework and I had the facts about what Nikon offers. I did have to agree to a ridiculous $70 shipping fee, but that still put me way below retail cost for my lens and flash. After hanging up I admit I was very nervous about what I was going to receive, but within a few days I did receive my new lens in perfect condition with Nikon warranty card in the box. Although my "receipt" was really just a filled out order form--and not itemized--which could be a problem if I do need to go back to Nikon for servicing, I ended up getting a great deal. Yes, the experience was very unpleasant and made me shameful of my Brooklyn Jewish roots, and NO I will not do business with them again, in the end, I stuck to my guns and got what I wanted. For what that's worth.

I got scammed the 2nd time by these sleeze balls. The first was when they were operating under a different name. This time, I asked repeatedly for a full account statement before anything was shipped. Of course they said it would be coming. Of course it never came. When the sales agent did send me something it was a simple email and of course this never matched what I was charged. Of course I had already opened the box and confirmed the contents but then they would not take anything back other than the entire order, which they would not take back because I had already opened the box and inspected the contents. My advise for those who have found themselves scammed:

1) Contest the charges with your credit card. 2) Write a letter to the New York Better Business Bureau. 3) (Best bet), write a letter to their major advitisers. I found Broadway Photo through Outdoor Photography. This is a publishation of Werner Publising. Address is:Werner Publishing Corporation 12121 Wilshire Blvd., 12th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90025-1176

The only way we can put these buzzards out of business is to go after their life line.... which are the idiots who will take their advertising dollars.

Claimed they had the Nikon D3 in stock and so I ordered it. They said that they only had the Japanese version and then asked if I could read Japanese, otherwise I would not be able to use the camera. The "American - English" version was $1000 more. I canceled the order immediately. This place is a scam and all the references on their site to having good customer standings is bogus. Fake rating companies, etc. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!

**Prices, manufacturers, and dates have been omitted or changed to protect the innocent consumer. **

Someone I know ordered from these guys a little while back. They got a Canon IS lens, for some obscenely low price, which was supposed to be the USA market lens price. They were assured multiple times by the sales person and their customer "service" department that it was indeed the USA version they had ordered.

When they got the lens they found there is no canon warranty card and Broadway was adamant that the person I know had indeed ordered the Grey market version. They demanded that they receive the correct lens from Broadway and instead Broadway offered them a 3 year warranty for $59.95. Long conversation short they refused Broadways offer. After many calls they finally got Broadway to agree to send them the correct lens with free shipping.

The next day they notice that Broadway had charged them an additional $1 on their CC in a separate transaction. So they called up and raised hell with every person they could get in contact with at Broadway. Broadway finally agreed to process the $1 refund and send them that $59 warranty for free. At this point they were not pleased with the service they had received but they were still happy.

A couple weeks later they got the next "USA" lens and again there is no warranty card. So they called up and demanded a RMA number, which Broadway happily gave them, but some Customer service person was supposed to be calling my friends back for confirmation. Now at this point I think they may have lost their mind as they decided against returning the lens and just kept it (it's been great or so they tell me).

A short time after all this happened they noticed on their CC bill that Broadway had finally processed a reversal on their CC. The kicker... Broadway had refunded the amount of lens and not the $1 charge... Let?s just say they are still waiting for Broadway to call them back? and are in no hurry to call them back.

Thanks to all for their posts. I made the mistake of ordering an Olympus SP-550 from Broadway Photo on 10/31/07. The camera was listed as in-stock for $251. I also had to call and confirm my credit card that evening and took that opportunity to ask if the product was new, not remanufactured, in a sealed package with full Olympus worldwide warranty. Of course the answer was yes. I was also told it would ship the next day. Later that week, I received a note saying it was back ordered. I called and was told it would be a week or two. In late November I called and was told it was to be shipped direct by a supplier and "I would receive it in 3-4 weeks, definately before Christmas". On January 2nd I called to cancel the order and was told it had just shipped. I subsequently received a note idicating it had shipped and a tracking number would be issued shortly. Immediately a charge for more than the original amount was posted to my credit card. I then did a search and found this long string of "Broadway Photo" horror stories. I decided all future correspondence should be in writting and sent a note requesting explaination on the charges, verification the product was new w/factory warranty and the tracking number. 3 or 4 days later I received a reply instructing me to call customer service at a non-800 number so I'd have to pay for the call. I sent a note and cancelled the order. Two days later I received a note saying it had shipped and providing the long-lost tracking number. Today the package arrived. The box was sealed with printed "tamperproof tape" on the bottom and multiple layers of clear tape on the top making it impossible to tell if it had been opened. I called and talked to a customer service "supervisor" named Brad who refused to authorize recording the conversation and would not answer the question of Olympus warranty coverage. He claimed that it had a US warranty of 12 mo parts and 90 days labor... (not the same as Olympus 12 full months on P&L)... and that I would send the camera to a service center in Brooklyn for warranty work... (sounds like them.. but he wouldn't answer that). I asked for a return authorization and was told I'd have to pay freight and insurance. He also informed me the credit card charge was correct as "shipping was free" but insurance provided by them was $14.99 (on a $250 item). Since I had not opened the package, I called UPS and refused shipment. I'm sure I'll be filing a complaint and refund request with MasterCard... but at least I've severed my ties with Broadway Photo. I wish I'd seen these posts before I placed my order.

Yeah, same here......except I have the "good fortune" to be hearing impaired and couldn't call them. So it only took them a single day to send me the "back ordered item" email. That immediately made me suspicious and I cancelled the order, started researching them more, which led me here. So there is an upside...... :) I am reporting them to the Internet Fraud division that the FBI runs. You can report this sort of thing AND online credit fraud online here;

http://www.ic3.gov/

I recommend it. It's also a good way to document and protect yourself against any further fraud against you by these people.

Well, anyway, I am glad to have found this photo.net site!

Broadway Photo Is a terrible business, scammed me with a Nikon S700 I wanted to buy for my wife, told me it only came with a 2o minute battery..when I told them I was fully aware of the battery it came with they place my order, the next day they called again to confirm order and started to make excuses to get me to cancel the order which I did. this is a horrible retailer I recommend shopping @ B&H they are the best I have spent several thousand with them and have never had a complaint should have stuck with them, was tempted by thirty dollar cheaper price. Always remember if it is too good to be true it ain't! Ciao

They sold a GPS NUVI 770 The GPS was not sealed, and not new as they claimed They wanted to sell me the new maps even they are in the unit, if the unit would be new. In short I will never buy from them, whatever they say. Gary Finkelshteyn

I just got the most nasty sob on the phone at Broadway Photo. I was trying to cancel my order for a camera they promised they would deliver before Canons release date. When I found out that the release date was much later than they promised they would deliver by, my gut told me that they could not be trusted so I did some more research and I didn't like the complaints I was finding on line about Broadway Photo so I called and sure enough, I got transfered all around the planet and was put on hold only to get the next person that pretended not to know what I was talking about. So I told the last person that I was going to call American Express, they quickly cancelled the order and told me that I had wasted their time before they hung up on me.... soooo glad ... but the call to AMEX is still going to happen to make sure they don't pull anything unfavorable. DO NOT ORDER FROM THESE FOLKS...THEY ARE A BUNCH OF NASTY LIARS!

If I only new?????

I tried to purchase DSC-H9 camera. After receiving email asking to make a confirmation call one very rude salesman offered me additional accessories I DON'T NEED. Than he told me those cameras are only in Japanese, heheheh. If I want one made for USA I need to pay additional $150.00.

To make story short I called my bank to stop any online transaction.

I will call BBB in NY and advertise this scam as much as possible.

i have an idea,we all buy their items then we put a claim with our credit cards,then instead of returning the items in the box,we stick a big piece of shit inside the box and claim that we returned all the items,maybe they get the idea

My story is so close to all of yours but I am going to give details so someone who is thinking about shopping with BWP will really think twice. I was looking at the Sony 14 mp dslr camera because all of my minolta lenses and flash will fit it. So I wont even need a lens to come with it if I can find a body cheap enough. These are selling for about 7 or 8 hundred on ebay and other places. I found it at bwp for 559 with the lens. Well, me thinking I am so smart I don't just jump into this I google these people and I come up with a feedback page and do see that they are pushy but I also see a lot of satisfied customers. I ask my photog friend what she thinks and she thinks it is to good to be true. But still, I want that camera so bad it is all I can think about for a week and I can't find it anywhere else for that price. I decide to call the 1-800 number and ask a few questions, when the guy answers I say I have a few questions about the sony alpha a350, he says we are out of stock and hangs up. Okay this is the point where some of my brain must have actually leaked out of one of my ears. I called back and got the same guy. I said your website says you have some can I order one from there and he says yes. I am so stupid. I ask him if it has an american original manual and he says yes and I do confirm that it is brand new. The guy is now acting as if I am keeping him from catching a plane or something so I hang up.

Okay now my other ear is now leaking. I go online and actually order the camera. I am not quite sure what card it takes and theirs are priced pretty high anyhow so I just order the camera. Okay got it now I feel great. I go to the sony site and it says a normal cf card and something about a stick. I know what a cf is so I am going to go with that.

I go on ebay to get a card but want to double check because I want a good one and dont want to waste money. I call bwp back. I get a guy named Luke, and tell him what I just ordered and I want to know what card it takes so I can go buy one. I am sure he just loved that. lol He asked why I wanted a 14 mp camera and why a sony so I told him so my lenses would fit and who doesnt want more mp's. He said I should get the sony 10.2 mp and he would give me a 4gb card to go with it it is a 149.00 card. this is the olny type you can use in this camera, you can not use a cf card and it has to say Sony on it or it wont work. He will also upgrade my 1hr battery to a 5 hr battery with a charger and lens cleaning kit. All of this for 699.00 I said that is crazy I was getting a better camera for cheaper in the first place. He ended up dropping this to 599.00 with lots of extras. I was writing down everything he was saying. At the end I was distracted by my kids and I had him repeat the price, he said 599.00 and I wrote 699.00 and I said 699.99 right and he said yes. So that was my fault.

I called back later about 3 pm because none of this sounded very good to me I can get that same camera on ebay for a lot cheaper. And I wanted to check the price again even though I knew I just wrote it wrong. OMG the guy I got next told me Luke was at lunch and would not be back for some time. I asked him about the price he said the higher price. I explained about that and he did not believe me. He told me what a great deal I was getting and did end up dropping 100 dollars off the total. I asked him to cancel my order about 20 times and he just kept saying that I should just receive it and if I didn't like it I had 20 days to return it. I pointed out that they had this 10.2 model on the website for 370.00 and they wanted me to pay 599.00 he says that is without the lens. It is not I was looking right at the page when he said it. I ended up just saying fine and hanging up. I had such a horrible feeling about this, I had my big Sister come to my rescue and call these aholes and cancel the order. Thank goodness I had used my debit card for the trans. They had tried to charge me the 699.00 and I had accidently paid my electric bill twice so I only had enough in my account for the 599.00 one. They told her my card was denied and she said good well that takes care of that then. I got my cancelation email a couple hours later. I am going to keep my account real low for a few days so they can't charge me any restocking fees either.

Please dont buy from these people they lie right to your face and make you feel so pressured that you agree to things that you never would otherwise. I am not a wimp and I had to have my Sissy bail me out. Thanks so whoever put this page on because now I feel a little less stupid.

I found this page while researching "Broadway Photo". Just as I suspected, more crappy people selling crappy merchandise. Thanks for the heads up! I was actually looking for a good price on a Sony HDR-SR12.

I'm going to order from Dbuys.com. They came up the cheapest on Pricegrabber, and I HAVE ordered from them before. (Actually US1 Camera came up the cheapest, but they're worse than Broadway from what I read. Ignore them.)

A note about the "calling to confirm your order". It's fine. Dbuys even does it. All they did was ask me if I was interested in an extended warranty. I told him I was self-insured, he laughed, and that was it. You can't fault these guys for trying to make a little extra money when they're making such small margins on the merchandise.

Also, to those who object to restocking fees. If you don't like restocking fees, go to Best Buy or Circuit City. Sure you'll pay sometimes 30% more, but hey, no restocking fees. What you're doing is paying the restocking fee for every other shlub that returns merchandise. At least with the deep discounters, you pay your own way. If you want to return an item because you don't like it, you SHOULD pay a restocking fee to a dealer with such small margins.

Buying deep-discount is not for the faint of heart. They'll always try to sell you more, and while they may help you, they certainly wont give you the "hand holding" experience that you might get at a higher priced shop. Remember, thats why the price is higher. You're paying for the "hand holding".

Bottom line, there are always trade-offs in life. Either you pay for the item, or you pay for the item along with "customer service". Those of you who have seen George Carlin (RIP) talk about "customer service" know what I mean.

Broadway Photo appears to be a different animal. There is a big difference between lackluster customer service for a cheap price, and criminals out to defraud the consumer. They appear to be the latter.

I had my own piece of pleasure dealing with these jerks. I ordered the Panasonic Lumix FZ28K that was advertised on their website for USD 249.00 (this was during thanksgiving). There was also a free tripod and lens cleaning kit along with it. Looked a pretty ok deal to me so I went ahead and ordered it. The next day, I get an email from them saying that I need to call them up to 'verify' my order. So I call them up. Most of the times the call reaches a voicemail so that you can leave a message and someone supposedly would call you back. So I called and left a message with my order number. Within a few minutes I got a callback from one of their sales guy who said that I forgot to put in my billing address in the online order. (I wondered how on earth any online system would allow anyone to proceed without putting in a billing address). Anyways, I confirmed the details and finally he placed the order. But just before he did that he very cleverly started to pitch in his sales thing. He offered to give me a high capacity panasonic battery for an additional USD 45.00 (original price USD 80.00). He wasn't too keen on it. So the next thing he says, that the original battery would not last for more than 20 minutes so I need to buy the extra high performance battery. He still did not agree. The next thing he came up with was that the battery charger would not work outside of United States as it was only for 110 v. And that he could give me the battery and the charger together for a special price of USD 65.00. And the total would be USD 349.00, which was still 20 bucks more. To this he said that the extra 20 bucks are for the shipping insurance. I said I did not want any insurance nor did I specify in my online order that I would need one. But he said that it is their policy to add insurance to all the orders processed. But in the end, he offered to upgrade my shipping to a two-day shipping. I somehow agreed to all this. Now to start with, the camera arrived after about 11 days. And to my dismal surprise, there was no extra battery, no tripod, no lens cleaning kit. I checked the charger and it saw that it would run on 110-240 v. Incidentally, another friend of mine bought the same camera from another merchant and his charger was exactly the same as mine without him having to pay anything extra for it. By then I knew I had been ripped off. I have tried calling them back numerous times - every time I reach their voicemail. No one has called me back. I have sent them emails after emails. No response. Finally I filed a dispute with my credit card company who have agreed to credit the disputed amount to my account. I have also filed a complaint with the BBB and awaiting their response. In my case, where I went wrong was that I wasn't fully aware of what I was buying. Hence the sales guy realized this quickly and tricked me completely.

I thought their prices were too good to be true, and thanks to all the comments in this forum it just confirmed my suspicion. A Nikon D3 for $3400? Come on now!