i am busy. i love being busy.just got back from photographing another squash game at Trinity (versus Princeton). i neeeeeeeeeeed to look into voiceover work. voiceover-ing was why i started at WNPR in the first place, and got a lovely detour by getting so deeply involved with photography… i want to make a living off of photography and voiceover work. i could be SO GOOD at both with the right amount of education and practice. time to make dinner. finish what’s left of a VERY nice bottle of wine my ma got me, and off to do it all again tomorrow. slante. :)
January 18, 2008 at 1:16 pm (Uncategorized)
here’s something that’s really really really stressful for me:
on the 9th, i ordered a canon l-series lens from 1-wayphoto.com. they emailed me, asking me to confirm this almost $1000 order. when i called, the nice man asked me what kind of camera i use, and then suggested i consider this new lens by Sigma, the “24-70 2.8 EX V (as in Victor, he said) G PROFESSIONAL EDITION”. he explained why it would be about $300 more, but why it was worth it.
at this point, i should have said, “Wow, thanks! let me look into this lens you’re talking about, and call you back later!” i didn’t. i said ok.
the next morning, the 1-th, i went to google to search this 24-70 EX VG lens. and google says, “Did you mean, EX DG?”. i looked at this particular lens, and it was $600.
i called 1-wayphoto to ask them to cancel the order, because the lens they’re sending me is really only $600. the guy says, “It’s impossible that you found the lens we’re sending you online – it’s out of Japan, and doesn’t come out there until February.”
so i call the source: Sigma. The maker of the lens. As soon as i say “EX VG PROFESSIONAL EDITION,” the lady said, “WHO told you that?!?” as soon as i said “1-way photo”, she advised me to immediately cancel the order, call my bank, change my credit card number – she’d heard multiple complaints about them, and the lens they are selling me DOES NOT EXIST.
So. I called my bank. the transaction was “Pending” in my account, but the lady said there’s nothing they can do until the transaction goes through. after that, i may call and they can investigate.
i called 1-wayphoto and asked them to please not send whatever lens they’re sending me. when he asked why, i said that the lens they’re sending me doesn’t exist, i’d called Sigma to verify this. he said, “Well we already sent your package, and i know my lenses, i don’t care what anyone says about it” and i said “Obviously!”
here’s the best part:
he then says, “If you’re going to be rude, i’m going to up your restocking fee to 60%!”
wow. i said i’d call him when i got the package.
i called my bank, the transaction went through, and they gave me my money back while they investigate.
i get my UPS tracking number from 1-way photo days later, and it turns out that they sent the package the day AFTER i asked them not to!!! he could have canceled it, but he didn’t.
so i receive the package. sure enough, it’s the $600 lens i had looked up online previously, not some magical new japanese $1300 lens they sold me.
i call 1-wayphoto to tell them that i’m returning the lens. it’s not the one they sold me. he said that he’ll only accept the package if i agree to their restocking fee. i said that i don’t accept the fee because they didn’t send me the lens i agreed to buy! he said “well, then i can’t help you, goodbye”.
i shipped it anyway. tracked it.
checked it this morning, and sure enough – they refused the package.
what.
the fuck.
i know that it’s in the hands of the bank to fix this monetary situation, but i DON’T want this lens. what do i do? Refuse the refusal? over and over again? have it go back and forth in UPS limbo? my bank said to refuse it when it comes back, which i’ll do, of course, but damn. this. is awful.
i’ve contacted the BBB (which, i think, are useless beyond just being a sounding board), and the Brooklyn (where 1-wayphoto is located) Attorney General.
thankfully, if the worst-case scenario happens and i’m out $1300, at least i’ll be okay. i can still pay my rent and get groceries and things. but this is a HUGE chunk of what i’d been saving so long for. it breaks my heart. it pisses me off. i want to personally bring that damn lens to Brooklyn and find “Scott” and put the damn box on his desk, take a picture, and go on my way.
if anyone has any other ideas of what else i should do, please, you’re more than welcome to write. even though my bank has refunded my money, they will take it back out if they don’t find 1wayphoto to have been fraudulent.
(by the way, if you’re bored and looking for a good time, google-search “1-wayphoto” and be amazed at all the awful reviews of people who have been taken for a similar ride.)
