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- Rick
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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.
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.