Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!tekmdp!toddv
From: toddv@tekmdp.UUCP (Todd Vierheller)
Newsgroups: net.rec.photo
Subject: Mail Order
Message-ID: <2085@tekmdp.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Jul-83 17:33:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: tekmdp.2085
Posted: Fri Jul 15 17:33:05 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 16-Jul-83 13:34:55 EDT
Lines: 35

I've had very good experience with Cameras West in Seattle Washington.
They don't pull any of the BS that most do.  For instance, if you see a price
for a camera body, it includes the pentaprism, the viewfinder screen, and the
back.  They price of a lens includes the "mount".  Other mail order camera 
stores (particularly in New York) can't make this claim.

I've ordered accesories for my flash (Vivitar 285), and most recently a 
Nikon FE2.  No hidden charges ever arose.  The sales men were courteous
and very helpful.  They also told me up front if they were out of anything.
They merchandise is shipped the same day the order is received, and they
accept personal checks (with the proper info printed on the check).

Camera World of Oregon is another place that I would recoomend avoiding.
If you call them (on their out of state phone number) they can never quite
give you the price that's in the catalogue.  They do, however, give you 
all kinds of excuses why this is so.  I've heard everything from "that was a
misprint in our ad" (the same price that ran for many months consecutively),
to "we had a price increase."  I happen to live in Portland OR, so I paid them
a personal visit.  (Of course the in-store prices were higher, that's normal.)
In the store, the same old crap applied.  The salesmen were trying to jack
the prices up at every turn.  "Oh, I forgot. . . that's five dollars more
because of last weeks price increase."  (The other salesman had'nt heard about
the price increase though, I asked.)

Conclusions:

CAMERAS WEST IN SEATTLE HAS INTEGRITY.

CAMERA WORLD IN OREGON HAS NONE.

                                  Todd Vierheller

UUCP:	...!{ucbvax or decvax}!teklabs!tekmdp!toddv (ignore return address)
CSNET:	tekmdp!toddv @ tektronix
ARPA:	tekmdp!toddv.tektronix @ rand-relay