Quest 4 Cameras Review

The site: It is user friendly, very personable, a search block at the top of every page and chapter links down the left side. When you go to a chapter such as "digital camera", they have aides in the right column which help narrow down the selection from 832 different cameras to the one you need according to color, make, relevance, etc. The site is fun to use and has a large inventory primarily of cameras and accessories, but also binoculars, printers, televisions, clearance items, specials, etc. When you get to the exact item, you are presented with a good picture, standard description, price, and below that, suggested "add-ons" in case you need extra ink cartridges, additional lenses/filters, etc. The site is certified McAfee "Hacker Safe" and by VeriSign. The site is FUN to use!

Ordering: In the USA, all major credit cards are accepted, but you have to check for verification of Canadian issued credit cards. A check of any kind must be cleared through their bank prior to shipment of the merchandise. Internal orders are accepted, but must be cleared first as they require a Wire Transfer payment prior to shipment. APO/FPO orders are not a problem. They ship UPS, USPS, and FedEx Overnight. Orders can be tracked via a link on the website. Very easy transaction for me to complete.

Price guarantee: according to information on the website, if an item increases or decreases in price, the customer will be charged the lower of the two prices unless the package has already been shipped. Once the package leaves the warehouse, there is no price protection. Orders delivered to a NY address will be charged applicable sales tax.

Return Policy: There is a 21-day Satisfaction Guarantee policy as stated on the website. All returns are subject to a minimum 5% restocking fee, and prior approval from customer service and the issuance of an RMA number must be obtained. To date, I have not had to deal with a return.

The "home page" claims 29 years of knowledge in photography and digital equipment. The company is listed as QWEST CAMERA LLC, Brooklyn, NY. There are 4 separate companies registered with this originating site. Quest4Cameras.com has been in operation since May 2007.

My first order was error free, and I received my items without a problem four days after the order was placed. My second order was handled differently by the site. I immediately received an order confirmation via e-mail (normal occurrence when ordering online), and the next day I found another e-mail requesting verification of the order by contacting a 800 number. I called the number, but did not find someone to verify my order. The gentleman (I use that term loosely because he was rather rude), wanted to "up-sell". OK, so that is a common practice, but I just do not enjoy dealing with that. Every time I said NO, he tried another tactic, even to the point of trying to make me feel guilty, or telling me I would not understand the instructions without an additional aide. I realize the guy had a job to do, but after the first decline, he should have backed off, verified my information for shipping and let me off the phone. I ended up canceling that order, and had to bring my bank into the mess to complete the process. Thank goodness I have a good bank.

Would I recommend this site? It DOES have some good prices. The website is fun and very easy to use. Would I use this site again? Probably not. I don't want to deal with the up-sell tactics that I was faced with previously.

JMCA c.May08