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- Tomas
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or should I say: Harbour Fraudy8? = Filter Fraudtastic?
Hmmm, Bit of a complicated one to explain this but here goes:
I'm from the UK, I've been living in Helsinki for almost 2 years, I buy all of my gear from overseas as the prices here are way too expensive to even consider.
Normally the goods are shipped to my folks address in the west mids, if the shop/seller won't post to Europe, then they ship them here to me, despite a little more complication it still works out remarkabley cheaper.
I've not had any problems at all up until now, I've bought from Harbour48 before and everything was Kool and the gang - great service, speedy delivery, not a problem..... so it seemed....until now:
Just before Harbour48's ebay page vanished into thin air, I won a bid on a 24-70mm f/2.8L.
The ebay listing was 'brand new, boxed with manual and includes UK/EU warranty' but on receiving the item there was no box, no manual and no warranty card and quite importantly, no legimate sales receipt.
After an immediate phone call to Harbour48's Tracey Fredericks, who said the box must have been damaged and that's why it wasn't included, she would have to investigate the whereabouts of the manual/warranty/receipt and call back.
However on second glance in the packaging, there was a compliment slip that said "Thanks for buying from www.filterfantastic.co.uk", hmmm, but we havent bought from filterfantastic, we bought from harbour48!
It seems that FF are company not too far from Quinton (where H48 are based), that specializes in grey imports, as new and used gear.
So I had a look and I saw this:
http://www.filterfantastic.co.uk/aboutus.html
I'll bet that's the same Tracey Fredericks from H48!
NOTE: They don't advertise any new UK stock on their .co.uk web site. At all.
and then this:
http://forum.photographers.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=583
A little under a week passes and still no phone call from Tracey at Harbour48. My Dad called them again asking for the all the missing bits, this time Tracey said that the box has been lost and can't be found, there is no receipt as they don't pay VAT and the only thing we can do is email the Harbour48 ebay shop requesting the sales invoice.
The reply we got stated that Harbour48 are no longer registered on ebay and that was all it said. No invoice, no nothing.
It appears that they have been selling grey imports and refurbished stock as 'brand new'/UK stock on ebay through various different ebay shops, maybe this was why they dissappeared
Harbour48's excuse for the missing pages at the time, was that were are being upgraded from power-seller to platinum seller?!!! Never heard of that one before but I assume it safe to say that it was a big fib.
I will warn that filter fantastic are now selling on ebay and they too are advertising 'brand new UK stock supplied with warranty' despite the .co.uk site advertising refurbs and greys only.
clicky here
I safely assume that filter fantastic are doing the same old scam = selling refurbs and greys as UK stock.
You may ask, why didn't I send the lens back and ask for a refund from harbour48. Well, number one: I need the lens for a number of paid assignments and if I had sent it back I would have been without a lens.
Number 2: I wasn't convinced I would smell a refund at all!
Luckily the lens works.
A slightly sticky zoom ring between 24 and 35mm but other than that it is in perfect working order, the down side is that as I have no official sales receipt so I cannot insure it here in Finland and I also can't take advantage of a warranty in the event of any malfunctions.
On the brights side, the job I did last Thursday however has provided nealry what the lens cost and without the lens I would have struggled to do the job.
The thing is, when I know that what I'm buying has no UK/EU warranty I make allowances, as with the very good one-stop digital in HK, great service and great prices but you know full well that if anything goes wrong you have to ship back to HK to get it sorted. I will deal with one stop again and again, especially when I find the gear paying for itself after a month or two.
I did email Kerso re a 24-70 but I received an auto reply and it turned out and quite fair enough the chap was enjoying a holiday, however, I wasn't in the position to wait until he got back and at that time I had no reason to doubt H48.
FF and H48 are simply low life scum, yes I feel a little stupid but the listing basically lied, I know we are to keep our guards up and I'm ashamed for letting mine down but still....
Anyway, just thought I'd let ya'll know.
all the best
T.
Hmmm, Bit of a complicated one to explain this but here goes:
I'm from the UK, I've been living in Helsinki for almost 2 years, I buy all of my gear from overseas as the prices here are way too expensive to even consider.
Normally the goods are shipped to my folks address in the west mids, if the shop/seller won't post to Europe, then they ship them here to me, despite a little more complication it still works out remarkabley cheaper.
I've not had any problems at all up until now, I've bought from Harbour48 before and everything was Kool and the gang - great service, speedy delivery, not a problem..... so it seemed....until now:
Just before Harbour48's ebay page vanished into thin air, I won a bid on a 24-70mm f/2.8L.
The ebay listing was 'brand new, boxed with manual and includes UK/EU warranty' but on receiving the item there was no box, no manual and no warranty card and quite importantly, no legimate sales receipt.
After an immediate phone call to Harbour48's Tracey Fredericks, who said the box must have been damaged and that's why it wasn't included, she would have to investigate the whereabouts of the manual/warranty/receipt and call back.
However on second glance in the packaging, there was a compliment slip that said "Thanks for buying from www.filterfantastic.co.uk", hmmm, but we havent bought from filterfantastic, we bought from harbour48!
It seems that FF are company not too far from Quinton (where H48 are based), that specializes in grey imports, as new and used gear.
So I had a look and I saw this:
http://www.filterfantastic.co.uk/aboutus.html
I'll bet that's the same Tracey Fredericks from H48!
NOTE: They don't advertise any new UK stock on their .co.uk web site. At all.
and then this:
http://forum.photographers.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=583
A little under a week passes and still no phone call from Tracey at Harbour48. My Dad called them again asking for the all the missing bits, this time Tracey said that the box has been lost and can't be found, there is no receipt as they don't pay VAT and the only thing we can do is email the Harbour48 ebay shop requesting the sales invoice.
The reply we got stated that Harbour48 are no longer registered on ebay and that was all it said. No invoice, no nothing.
It appears that they have been selling grey imports and refurbished stock as 'brand new'/UK stock on ebay through various different ebay shops, maybe this was why they dissappeared
Harbour48's excuse for the missing pages at the time, was that were are being upgraded from power-seller to platinum seller?!!! Never heard of that one before but I assume it safe to say that it was a big fib.
I will warn that filter fantastic are now selling on ebay and they too are advertising 'brand new UK stock supplied with warranty' despite the .co.uk site advertising refurbs and greys only.
clicky here
I safely assume that filter fantastic are doing the same old scam = selling refurbs and greys as UK stock.
You may ask, why didn't I send the lens back and ask for a refund from harbour48. Well, number one: I need the lens for a number of paid assignments and if I had sent it back I would have been without a lens.
Number 2: I wasn't convinced I would smell a refund at all!
Luckily the lens works.
A slightly sticky zoom ring between 24 and 35mm but other than that it is in perfect working order, the down side is that as I have no official sales receipt so I cannot insure it here in Finland and I also can't take advantage of a warranty in the event of any malfunctions.
On the brights side, the job I did last Thursday however has provided nealry what the lens cost and without the lens I would have struggled to do the job.
The thing is, when I know that what I'm buying has no UK/EU warranty I make allowances, as with the very good one-stop digital in HK, great service and great prices but you know full well that if anything goes wrong you have to ship back to HK to get it sorted. I will deal with one stop again and again, especially when I find the gear paying for itself after a month or two.
I did email Kerso re a 24-70 but I received an auto reply and it turned out and quite fair enough the chap was enjoying a holiday, however, I wasn't in the position to wait until he got back and at that time I had no reason to doubt H48.
FF and H48 are simply low life scum, yes I feel a little stupid but the listing basically lied, I know we are to keep our guards up and I'm ashamed for letting mine down but still....
Anyway, just thought I'd let ya'll know.
all the best
T.
