How to buy a camera online
- Tue, 7 Sep 2010
- Comments (1)
Despite the convenience, people are still reluctant to buy a camera online. Some people prefer to see what they are buying as they are buying it, while others are wary of fraudsters or other scams.
There are, however, many benefits to buying a camera online, and ways in which you can safeguard against unscrupulous sellers when you buy a camera online. This guide examines these and highlights things to look out for when choosing your camera and your dealer.
How to find reputable retailers
Buying a camera online: Reliable online companies
One of the main concerns with online shopping is the security of your transaction. After all, a purchase online involves trusting someone with your personal information. To this end many people will seek to shop with a well-known retailer, such as Amazon or Play, or a specialist photographic firm such as Jessops, Jacobs, Warehouse Express or Calumet.
All of these are well-established and the latter have a high-street presence, and most of the products they sell online can be handled in store before a purchase is made.
Most products bought online will be subject to a delivery charge, which may offset any savings you make on a high-street price. Some retailers, such as Play offer free delivery on all their products, while others may offer free delivery options depending on the shipping class.
The more expensive of these options often allow you to specify delivery by a particular time, and may come with a tracking code so you can see exactly where your item is during transit.
Tips to buy a camera online from reputable retailers:
1. Check WDC advertisers
Many smaller companies have been advertising for years in the back pages of What Digital Camera and in our Where to Buy section online. These are often very competitive on price, and may have high-street stores in your area.
2. Check to see how easy it is to get in touch and where the company is based
Any reputable retailer will have clear contact information on their website. If the link to this page is broken, or the only address given is a PO Box number, it's best to look elsewhere. Also, just because a company has a co.uk website it does not necessarily mean that they are based in the UK. This is important as buying goods outside of the EU classes you as an importer, which may make you liable for extra charges such as Customs Duty.
3. Check to see what other people have said
Companies that manage to defraud a few customers don't tend to stick around for long. People will generally look online to find out what kind of experience others have had with a particular company, either on review sites such as Kelkoo, Ciao or Review Centre, or forums such as Money Saving Expert. It's important not to rely on any testimonials which are on the retailer's website, as there is no guarantee the retailer hasn't simply fabricated them themselves.
4. Look for the closed padlock
Websites that use encryption technology to handle customer details will often show a closed padlock in the frame of the browser, usually at the bottom right-hand side.
This should appear once you begin the process of entering your personal details, and will be accompanied by a change from the http:// prefix in the web address to https:// (the ‘s' means that communication is secure).
Depending on which browser you use, hovering over the padlock may bring up the name of the company which has authenticated the website, while clicking on the padlock itself should bring up a box with further details on the security certificate issued. Bear in mind that this padlock should only appear once you click on the ‘checkout' option on the website. If it is open or joined by an exclamation mark, it suggests there is a problem (such as, for example, an expired certificate of authenticity).
5. Use Paypal
The Paypal payment method allows you to buy goods online without you having to share your card details with the seller. Instead, you register your details with Paypal, who handle the transaction by notifying the seller that you are sending them a payment.
This is the most common way of paying for an item on eBay, though many reputable retailers, such as Boots and Maplin, now also accept it as a payment method on their online stores.
6. Look for additional credit/debit card security measures
If you use a Visa or Mastercard, or other cards which are operated by these companies, you may be asked to enrol in the 3-D Secure security program, which his has been designed to prevent any unauthorised credit card use.
An invitation will typically be sent by your bank which will require you to set a password, and towards the end of an online transaction, a box may appear where you will typically need to input three random characters from this password.
You can find more information on the links below:
http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/securecode/index.html
http://www.visaeurope.com/en/cardholders/verified_by_visa.aspx
7. See of the company is a member of an accreditation body
Trusted websites will usually have their badges or seals of accreditation clearly displayed. These, such as those from Verisign, often allow you to check whether the badge itself is genuine by clicking on them: this then takes you to the seal which displays the name of the site, the company to which it is registered, and the date of its expiry.
It is known for bogus sites to simply copy and paste an image of such a badge, rather than to use a genuine one which links to the relevant authentication body. If you spot such a badge, and you can see that it is designed to help verify the trustworthiness of a website, see if this link is working and correct.
8. Check the returns policy
There may be a reason why a camera may need to be returned, either because of a fault or if the received product doesn't match up with its description online.
Any reputable retailer should clearly state their returns policy on its website. 
9. Use a credit card
Purchases between £100-£30,000 made on a credit card are automatically covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, which is designed to protect the customer from getting into any debt when a product is faulty or hasn't turned up, or if it has been mis-sold in any way.
This means that if anything does go wrong your card issuer will be equally responsible for getting your money back to you. The same does not apply to debit cards, nor to payments made via third-parties such as Paypal.
10. And finally...
Remember that if something looks too good to be true, it generally is.
Refurbished models
Refurbished models are those which have, for whatever reason, been previously sold and returned to the seller.
The manufacturer would have repaired the model if any fault was found, but the resold item will clearly need to state that it is refurbished model and not a new one.
Sometimes these products will carry a shorter warranty that the one usually given with a new product, although many do still offer a full year and come with the accessories you would expect if you were purchasing a new model. This isn't always the case though, so compare any such advertised deal to one where you are aware that it's a new model which you are being sold.
Understandably, some people will be cautious buying such products, and will instead opt for the safest option of a new model. Refurbished models are, however, often available direct from the manufacturer at competitive prices. At the time of writing, for example, Fujifilm is offering a range of refurbished cameras from as little as £30 on its website.
Buying from individuals
In addition to the various retailers of photographic goods, the internet has allowed individuals to sell their own equipment with minimal hassle. Well-known companies such as Amazon and Play offer a marketplace for sellers, allowing them to list new and used items, and to set a price which can undercut anyone else selling the same item.
Sellers are obliged to provide a faithful description of the equipment they are selling, and to dispatch their products within a specific time period. Many websites offer a rating system whereby buyers can rate the seller according to the service they have received, including whether the buyer responded to any questions, the speed of delivery, and whether the product arrived in the same condition as the seller had originally specified. This provides an immediate list of the feedback on that particular seller, which helps the seller to develop a good reputation and the buyer to see how much they can be trusted.
This is a great way of selling any equipment you may no longer want or need, but be aware that listing items and any sales you make will often be subject to charges. Some companies allow you to list for free, while others will charge for listing an item and will also take a cut of the sale price. You may find that these combined charges make it more worthwhile to sell your goods elsewhere, so make sure you check these before you decide to list anything.
Grey Market
The grey market refers to goods which have, in some way, bypassed the official distribution channels. Such items are typically bought from a country where they are cheaply available, with the intention of them being sold in a country where they are more expensive. By doing this, a retailer can price a product lower than the average asking price in the standard market, thereby tempting buyers, and still make a profit.
While not technically illegal, there are a number of issues associated with this type of buying and selling. As these goods were intended to be sold in a different country, and as the manufacturer is unaware of them being bought over to another one, they will not be under the same manufacturer's warranty which you could otherwise expect as standard. Instead, the retailer will offer their own warranty for the product, which means that any repairs and servicing will have to go through them.
The other problem with this is the lack of control over counterfeit goods. Although many grey-market goods are indeed genuine, counterfeit batteries, cases, lenses and even cameras are known to exist. Needless to say, manufacturers have no obligation to repair these should anything go wrong with them, and you may even invalidate your camera's warranty if a fault arises from the use of any third-party accessory.
Have your say!
Latest comments
September 23 20:30
Dennis Verdon
I second and emphasise your warning about grey imports which even if genuine product may not be covered by the official importers full warranty in the UK. I bought a very expensive lens through the Amazon.co.uk website and was badly disappointed when the manufacturer's UK importer subsequently told me the lens was not official UK stock and refused the valuable extended warranty that would have been available in the UK for an officially imported product. Even buying through a site such as Amazon does not guarantee the product is an official UK import. Buyer beware! Be sure to check the import status before purchase or regret it later if anything goes wrong.