IS NORMAL?

I've been in there too and walked out. Their attitude is totally unbelievable and how they achieved Pro Centre status is unbelievable

Has anyone considered emailing Pentax and complaining about this? I can't believe they know about it and allow the store to keep the Pro Centre status, it must be damaging the brand image.

If they got a few similar complaints then they'd probably investigate, possibly even to the extent of sending a mystery shopper or two in to report back.

tnx!!!
now i know..the problem is just this shop..and i'll never go again inside!

strange folks!!!

carlo

great idea...Dangermouse..
i will!

To accuse CameraWorld and Park of being grey importers smacks of slander, as the CW Wells Road shop and Park are both Pro Centres.

I am amazed by their advert with their boast of being London's only Professional Sigma stockist as well, no mention of that on Sigma's site - again I would rather go to CameraWorld...or Jacobs, or SRS, or Park - even Jessops

Microglobe near the British Museum (near York Cameras) often advertise camera gear at lower prices, but at least they are honest (they were with me) that some (if not all) of their gear is imported through other channels (like Pentax USA)....

Transparency I can cope with - dishonesty I can't

Probably redundant but I have had a similar experience. I went in there to look at buying a "normal" focal length lens. They seemed very helpful and informative, put a few on a camera and let me try them out, etc.

Then when it came to asking about the prices they clammed up. Asked what would I be prepared to pay and what other prices had I seen them for. Everything went a bit odd from that point onwards and they obviously lost interest.

It's a shame because they are a short walk from my office and it would be useful to have a Pentax stockist nearby but it has definitely put me off going there again.

The Spectrum business model doesn't seem to be a very customer-friendly one.

I guess though when they ask "How much are you willing to pay?" you could say "About a tenner" and see where it goes from there.

I mean if they're allowed to play silly buggers with you...

Years before the Internet I was left some money and wanted to buy some new electrical items - TV, tape recorder, music centre (for my brother) and in those days TCR was over run with cheap electrical stores who would beat any price.

Someone I worked with (John) also owned a small shop which could get electrical goods but never cheaply (and he knew it) and he made money on repairs. I went to TCR and spoke to some shops - they said, we will beat any retailers price. So, I asked John to do me a "quote" for exactly what I wanted and he agreed to be in the shop on the day. Went back to TCR, they confirmed they would beat any price, so I presented the quote. They went off to check and he received three calls in quick succession, obviously trying to catch him out. The first two he gave the prices quoted and for the third dropped even lower.

I made a real killing that day - cost me a couple of beers afterwards though.

Given that this forum must have a good selection of Pentax-users suffering from chronic LBA and no-one has admitted to buying anything from there one wonders how they stay in business? Like some others, the shop is a short hop, skip and a jump from my office and if they were more SRS-like I'd be in bankruptcy by now.

Cheers, Kris.

I have wondered that too!

Andy

I haven't been there for a long time, it was not like that when I visited - prices on most things - pehaps it has changed hands as a going business. I believe I spoke to the owner at the time, he was a no-nonsence type of person but let me try out a number of lenses, including the Sigma 10-20.

I can only assume that they do well from other wheeler-dealer types who like haggling but aren't really too sure of how much things should cost. The puzzling part for me is how on earth TCR businesses of any sort survive - how on earth do you manage cashflow if your profit margin depends entirely on whether you like the customer/whether they catch you in a good mood and negotiate the price down?

Hamleys are infamous for stocking Hornby trains at above RRP, they still sell as their target market is rich enough not to care that they could find it elsewhere for less. The price differences are meaningless to someone owning a £1.4m house...

Cheap at the price. Your behaviour was fraudulent, so you were committing a criminal offence, and could have ended up in chokey.

G

Enterprising I think! They set the system, a form of bartering. I often went from shop to shop getting ever better prices!