BiteSizeDeals.co.uk: A word of caution.

BigDex

BigDex

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I recently decided to purchase a Canon 100-400 IS L lens, and spent some time researching the cheapest source for a UK lens. We all know about recent price increases etc, and the going rate seems to be about £1150-£1270; one online company, BiteSizeDeals.co.uk were advertising it at £929. A few warning bells rang:

The price was substantially lower than the competition.
The buttons on the website look ripped straight from Amazon
The name itself does not sound like a camera specialist exactly

but... the price was right. I did a quick search for the company name on here, and came up blank, and I figured that my credit card company would cover me if anything turned out to be wrong. So I ordered it, and paid by mastercard.

10 minutes after ordering, I was phoned by a representative of BSD.co.uk to "confirm a few details". The broad American accent of the rep made me ask where they were located: California. I asked about the .co.uk url, and the Nottingham company address online, but was assured that they are a US company. I did not want to deal internationally, so informed her that I wished to cancel the order, and asked her to verify that they had not yet charged my card. She said the order was cancelled, and no charge had yet been made.

To reassure myself, I called my credit card company, who informed me that £929 had been debited after I had cancelled the order. At this point I cancelled the card and instigated a Section 75 fraud investigation, as this company clearly deliberately misrepresents itself.

A google search for bitesizedeals.co.uk reveals a myriad of people with similar experiences, many not as easily and successfully resolved as mine. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I should have done this first, and heeded my own unease about the company. Maybe the next person who searches this forum for bitesizedeals.co.uk will come across this post.

I do not claim that BSD do not deliver the product you order (although rumours of counterfeit software and electronics supplied by them are abundant), but your £929 lens will then attract VAT at 15% plus £30+ of charges from the carrier. Warranty may or may not be an issue.

I have just returned from my local Jessops with a big smile on my face having paid £1049 for a UK 100-400 IS L.

Live and Learn.
 
if you want to to check out a company one way is to look at a whois database (there are a few)
so http://domains.whois.com/domain.php?action=whois

tells you

Domain name:
bitesizedeals.co.uk

Registrant:
Bite Size Deals, LLC

Registrant type:
Non-UK Corporation

Registrant's address:
556 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, #101
Pasadena
CA
91105
US

Registrar:
Key-Systems GmbH [Tag = KEY-SYSTEMS-DE]
URL: http://www.Key-Systems.net

Relevant dates:
Registered on: 29-Aug-2008
Renewal date: 29-Aug-2010
Last updated: 04-Dec-2008

Registration status:
Registered until renewal date.

Name servers:
ns.rackspace.com
ns2.rackspace.com

WHOIS lookup made at 20:44:37 30-Jan-2009

--
This WHOIS information is provided for free by Nominet UK the central registry
for .uk domain names. This information and the .uk WHOIS are:

Copyright Nominet UK 1996 - 2009.

You may not access the .uk WHOIS or use any data from it except as permitted
by the terms of use available in full at http://www.nominet.org.uk/whois, which
includes restrictions on: (A) use of the data for advertising, or its
repackaging, recompilation, redistribution or reuse (B) obscuring, removing
or hiding any or all of this notice and (C) exceeding query rate or volume
limits. The data is provided on an 'as-is' basis and may lag behind the


hope this helps somebody - you have to ask if you register a .co.uk and dont live in uk WHY....
 
Yup, whenever unsure of the credentials of a site, whois can help (though not if the domain is registered through a private proxy).

For example, TP, you can find out a few bits but not the postal address used (as it should be to retain privacy):
Code: 
whois talkphotography.co.uk

    Domain name:
        talkphotography.co.uk

    Registrant:
        Mathew Moule

    Registrant type:
        UK Individual

    Registrant's address:
        The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their
        address omitted from the WHOIS service.

    Registrar:
        1 & 1 Internet AG [Tag = SCHLUND]
        URL: http://registrar.1und1.info

    Relevant dates:
        Registered on: 25-Apr-2006
        Renewal date:  25-Apr-2010
        Last updated:  24-Apr-2008

    Registration status:
        Registered until renewal date.

    Name servers:
        ns1.globalgold.co.uk
        ns2.globalgold.co.uk

    WHOIS lookup made at 23:51:23 30-Jan-2009

-- 
This WHOIS information is provided for free by Nominet UK the central registry
for .uk domain names. This information and the .uk WHOIS are:

    Copyright Nominet UK 1996 - 2009.

You may not access the .uk WHOIS or use any data from it except as permitted
by the terms of use available in full at http://www.nominet.org.uk/whois, which
includes restrictions on: (A) use of the data for advertising, or its
repackaging, recompilation, redistribution or reuse (B) obscuring, removing
or hiding any or all of this notice and (C) exceeding query rate or volume
limits. The data is provided on an 'as-is' basis and may lag behind the
register. Access may be withdrawn or restricted at any time.
 
To be fair to BSD, it does say on their website that they are located in the US, although you do have to look rather hard to find this information.

There are some other telltale signs as well, such as the lack of a VAT number or any contact method other than email and no mention of the Distance Selling Regulations......
 
Flash In The Pan said:
To be fair to BSD, it does say on their website that they are located in the US, although you do have to look rather hard to find this information.

There are some other telltale signs as well, such as the lack of a VAT number or any contact method other than email and no mention of the Distance Selling Regulations......
Click to expand...


Yup, I blame nobody but myself!
 
BigDex said:
I recently decided to purchase a Canon 100-400 IS L lens, and spent some time researching the cheapest source for a UK lens. We all know about recent price increases etc, and the going rate seems to be about £1150-£1270; one online company, BiteSizeDeals.co.uk were advertising it at £929. A few warning bells rang:
<snip>

Maybe the next person who searches this forum for bitesizedeals.co.uk will come across this post.
Click to expand...

That's exactly how I found this thread - the BiteSizeDeals.co.uk website popped up as an ad in response to a google search on the Canon 100 - 400mm lens and tempted by the price but not knowing the company, I thought I'd check on here for any "Previous".

Thanks for the heads up :clap:
 
No worries Roger Ramjet. It's £1049 at Jessops or I think someone on here has one in the classifieds..

Great lens though.
 
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