Bristol Cameras - an unfortunate experience.

Nod

Nod

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Like many people, I have problems keeping horizons level while handholding, so the Seculine Action Level Digital Spirit Level sounded like the answer to my prayers. Being hotshoe mounted, it would fit almost all my cameras and worked in portrait as well as landscape. A quick search showed Bristol Cameras as suppliers and having had excellent service from them in the past, I placed an online order a week before my holiday, stating that I needed it before the 2nd of June.

On their website they clearly state that they will contact the customer if there is a delay on the goods but come the 2nd of June, no e-mail and no level, so I phoned them up. The woman at the far end told me that it should have arrived that morning - it hadn't, so I told her that since I was away for 2 weeks, the Post Office would return the package to them and I would appreciate a refund being arranged in my absence. She apologised for the communication breakdown and I left it at that.

On my return from holiday, I fully expected to find a Post Office card telling me I had something to collect from the office but there wasn't one - on checking my e-mails, there was one from Bristol Cameras telling me that my order had been cancelled - it had never been sent. I can fully accept that goods might not be available from manufacturers in time to meet delivery dates and had I been told the truth, I wouldn't be writing this now BUT, being deliberately lied to is a different matter, so I'm sharing my experience.

I sincerely hope this is a one off incident but if it's not, I can at least now say that I did try to warn people!
 
Eh? Nod am I missing something here?

But if you've asked them to arrange a refund? Haven't they done the right thing cancelling the order?

Matt
 
I think his point is that the woman on the phone said it had been sent, then to get a mail saying it was out of stack and had never been sent!

I would be pi**ed that I had been lied to but if it the only slip up they have made :shrug:

I still use ebuyer and they have done worse than this to me :LOL:
 
Ah now you see I'd read that "It should have arrived" as should have arrived in the shop - not that it's been sent out... :thinking::thinking:
 
Hmmm interesting Mr Bond (Mr Sadlybrokeboy just didn't sound as cool despite it being a cool name(and a representation of my situation)).....
 
With all the bells and whistles available on a digital camera and the problem most people seem to have with wonky horizons, you'd think by now they'd include a digital level in the viewfinder.
 
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Had this with a few things I've ordered [and subsequently cancelled after lengthy delays and no communications from them]. They are apparently very good though if you actually head into the store to collect bits.
 
Should have made it clearer that the woman told me that it had been sent to me and should have been with me that morning.

Like others, in the past, I have had excellent service from them and would continue to use them had I not been lied to.

Also, like others, I would like a level in the viewfinder. Since none of my kit HAS this feature, I wanted something to fit 'em all. Apparently (can't say for sure since I don't yet have one!) the Seculine jobby is visible at the top of your peripheral vision, so would be (I hope!) the answer to my prayers. I use a hotshoe bubble when tripod mounted but that IS impossible to see while handheld.

Of course, with digital images, it's easy enough to crop the image straight - not so easy with film (although not impossible after scanning) especially if 1/2 the point of the photo is the extreme width of the shots, as in the Lomo Fisheye. (Curved horizons I can cope with as long as the horizon's level edge to edge.)
 
Nod, I've ordered one of those devices from Warehouseexpress. I've had an email from them to say it's out of stock but my card will only be debited when the good are ready to be shipped.

I've seen it mentioned in a couple of photo mags this month.
 
That's really poor customer service by any measure. I've had a very similar experience with Waterstone (ordered a map from them, which I badly needed by a given deadline .. was taken around the block by a number of "lies") ended cancelling my order and never dealt with them again. Of course, I told everyone not to deal with them.

It is all about principle, or lack of it for that matter.
 
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