SimplyElectronics.net Euro Rip off

kceire wrote: »

On 14th October i ordered a Canon 550D from SE using Paypal.
Ordered on a Thursday evening, on the Friday morning i got an email looking for ID and address proof to match the credit card, i had no issues with this as i have been asked for this info before will buying from River Island online, ASOS online, Karen Millen online etc etc.

Had the camera in my hands the following Thursday 21st October morning following delivery from the UK with DHL. Well happy after saving over €300!

Then in November, i ordered a Canon 50mm F1.8 lens for myself and a nikon D5100 for my mate, but this order took 12 days to deliver, but we had constant updates through the order status in my account on the SE website and the company blaming extremely busy orders for the Nikon on longer delivery times, which makes sense as it was 549 from them and nearly 900 in stores here!

Overall, very happy, and will buy from again.

Sorry to bump a kinda old thread but I just ordered off this crowd had done some research and it seemed most complaints (On trust pilots) were about items being about a week late, wouldn't really bother me.

But now I'm wondering what this proof of address rubbish is? I wouldn't really object except that I used my verified paypal account so can't see why they would need any other proof, did you just use a card or paypal?

Note: They haven't asked yet but I see they have asked a good few people!

I have bought all my camera equipment off simply electronics for the last 2 years and I've had no issues with them. They've been very good, sending me receipts when I have lost mine for when I have warranty issues.
They take some time to ship out but I get the feeling they dont keep the items in stock and order them in when you make your order.
Sites like this dont always update their prices when the pound/euro changes. Like Argos.

Like i said its only a feeling as it often takes a week for them to go out. Possibly keeps their stock in a separate warehouse or something, like i said, just speculation. I never have to wait more then a week and a half before the parcel is at my door.

As for the warranty, I bought a Canon 550D off them November 2010, during summer 2011 one of the buttons on the back stopped working, I'd since lost my receipt and emailed them for a copy so i could get it repaired in Dublin. I was also selling a lens about a month ago that was still under warranty and I didnt have the receipt, again (im terrible at keeping these) so i emailed them to send me another one, but a gift one with no price on it. They replied within 24hours with a PDF file.

I've had no issues with them. They've never told me how long it'd be til the item arrived but i can order on a sunday night and have it by the following wednesday.

I honestly have never had a single problem with them (other then their website crashing my firefox now and then) and i dont know why people have had such negative feedback.
I've made about, 8-10 transactions with them in the last 2 years with no problem and i'd give them a 5star rating and often tell people in college about them if their looking for equipment.
I've no financial connection to them either before someone says I'm working for them and I gain nothing by saying how good i've found them.
The delay between ordering and shipping is annoying BUT, i've bought off amazon while they've had items in stock and have had to wait 3 weeks before they've arrived. (2 filter kits and some UV filters took 2 and a half weeks to arrive even though they had 100+ in stock)

Ive also had an A+ experience with cancelling and returns of damaged goods.
I received a 50mm 1.8 canon i bought and the box it was packaged in arrive in bits, the delivery companies fault, the lens was damaged and i returned the item (registered post) a couple days later after informing them. They promptly refunded my money, i had it within 5days and also refunded me the cost of the parcel (at the time was around 12euro i think) the next item I ordered arrived with a completely different delivery company then before.
I have nothing but praise for them.

On the topic of credit card verification, wouldnt you rather them check to be sure that its actually the real owner or have them sending out parcels willynilly while your being charge for it? They verified my address and cc once when i started my account and i never heard of it again. At the end of the day if they ship an item and it turns out to be from a stolen credit card they loss the product and the cash so its in their best interest.

Ill admit companies can be a pain and im not saying simply electronics is perfect, but from my personal and repeated experience, they've been nothing but helpful and decent. The prices are often ALOT better then amazon (not always but often) and a hell of alot cheaper then the shops. My 70-200mm Sigma was half the price it was in any of the camera shops in Dublin, HALF! My 50mm was 30euro cheaper then dublin and my camera was 300euro cheaper. I'll support irish shops when they start giving me a reason to. I got the same warranty and even a 3year warranty with simply electronics with my camera, and i doubt i'll have to use it, but its nice to have it.

One last thing, you can cancel at any stage til the item is shipped and their customer service is bang on i've never had to wait more then 30 minutes online or 12hours after sending an email to cancel, so if you think its taking to long its easy to cancel an order.

If you bought the warranty with Simply Electronics then it is with them, obviously, I got mine repaired with some company in Dublin, out near Stephens Green, I forget the name now.

If you were a little clearer then maybe I would have understood sooner.

I didnt buy my warranty off them either, but depending on what you bought, as long as you have the receipt, and as long as it is still under the manufacturers warranty (2 years i think with canon i might be wrong) you can bring it to any licensed Canon repair company and they will send it off for repairs, usually taking about 2 weeks (mine was only a week away)
I spoke to customer service at Simply Electronics and they told me i'd have to return it, I asked would it be possible to get it repaired myself under the warranty if i could find a licensed repair company, they said yes no problem, BUT that it'd be cheaper to return it to them and have them fix it for me, saying that it might cost for me to have it sent to a repairs company as they did not know of any in ireland (english company of course they didnt).

I found Image Supply Systems just off Camdon Row (i couldnt remember the name of the street just knew it was near stephens green)

Address is 6A Liberty Lane, Camden Row, Dublin 8. Easy enough to google it and theres even a boards.ie topic on this very subject. They serviced it for free long as i produced the receipt. And you always have a manufacturers warranty long as your willing to return it yourself. All they do is send it off to the same company you could bring it into.

I never heard of this non-valid paperwork before to be honest and i'd no issues getting my camera sent off for repairs at all, just finding the place was a bit tough because the door is down an alley way that i never even noticed.

bogmonster wrote: »

I ordered a motorola defy+ phone off SE on the 2nd of january and am still waiting for it.. Despite several frustrating phone calls (including being on hold for an hour and a half) and numerous emails i still cant get a date off them as to when it will even be dispatched. I'm beginning to get the feeling i've been done......:mad:

Just cancel it?
Ive never bought a phone off them so no idea what your problem might be. So weird i've had no issues ever with them. Never actually had to call them.
I have to say though, over a month is far to long to be waiting! Maybe it got lost in the New Years rush? I'd the same problem with dabs a while back, took them a month to get it to me because of an incomplete address label, and when I emailed noone had it, dabs or the post, no one knew who had it. They blamed the new years sales and rush...

First let me say I think you were very lucky to get the Camera fixed. I know ISS and the people there are great and will go out of their way to help anyone.

Edg3 wrote: »

If you were a little clearer then maybe I would have understood sooner.
.

Sorry I still don’t know how you could not understand what I said. What I said was.

bigjohn66 wrote: »

SE state your warranty is with them

I never mentioned buying a warranty from they, you said that. They make this statement on their website.

Edg3 wrote: »

I didnt buy my warranty off them either, but depending on what you bought, as long as you have the receipt, and as long as it is still under the manufacturers warranty (2 years i think with canon i might be wrong) you can bring it to any licensed Canon repair company and they will send it off for repairs, usually taking about 2 weeks (mine was only a week away)

I don’t know where you got this information from but that is not the case. The products that Simply Electronics sell are not covered in Europe, Canon only repair products that were distant for the European market and Simply Electronics products are Japanese. I have had problems on this front.

This is taken from a letter from Canon regarding Warranty and EWS (European Warranty Systems)

“The reason to why there are no World Wide Warranty on our products are mainly because the model's differ between Asia/America and Europe, and it is not possible to repair all products in all areas. The differences can be depending on different security classification or other certifications. Other differences can be different TV-systems (i.e. Pal, NTSC) or differences in electrical specifications (i.e.. 110V, 220V/50hz) etc.
There are of course exceptions, Canon Europe will repair all EF-lenses and Analog-cameras under World Wide Warranty.”

I think this points out Canon’s stance on the mater; they could not be more clear or definite.

I would not use SE and I would never recommend anyone should. If the product works you have no worries and probably got a good deal. If on the other hand you product goes faulty you could be in trouble and regret it. After reading what Edg3 has to say maybe not always but it is the exception.

I got my information from MY experience. My camera is registered here in Europe and covered by the warranty. I spoke directly to Canon who actually told me to go to another company in Dublin, but they told me when i contacted them that unless I was a business/professional they couldnt do anything for me which is fine.

Overall this is an issue you will have with buying online, inhouse repairs especially can be a long and tedious problem, one ive had many times!

Yeah its pretty annoying waiting for it. You should try amazon.de I buy everything there these days!
Pity you couldnt get it off simply!

bogmonster wrote: »

cancelled my order yesterday, in hindsight should have done it long ago. SE stated they would lodge money into paypal. Will see how long that takes.
Still on the market for a motorola defy plus but after that experience nervous about other online stores.

Just received money back into my credit card from SE, think i was fortunate i used paypal...

grayman wrote: »

Wow a lot of comments on these guys ~I placed an order last week and payed through paypal. Needless to say i heard nothing from them but thought nothing of it till i searched SE and read the bad stuff about them.

I got on to paypal straight away and within 1 hour i had the money back in my account.

So i suppose if you want to buy from them use paypal so at least you have a come back.

Personally I would never use again after reading all the bad stuff. I have since went on to ebay and bought the same item from the UK for 20 euro less so if you shop around you will find what you're looking for at the right price.

Thing is of course your only gunna hear bad things here, bar mine i think. This was started to complain about them so everyone will jump in to have a go. Ive never had any issues with them, but i have had several with amazon, including accepting my order, taking money then later telling me the items cant be shipped outside the UK or Germany to me, even though they'd taken my money already and left me waiting 3 days before telling me.
At the end of the day, buying online you do take a risk, and they only reason i started buying off simply electronics was because of the price. They've always been kind and friendly and helpful to me so some people have bad experiences and others dont. Im sure if you started a "Simply Electronics is a good website" topic you;d get people who'd a good time. Least you got to cancel you order and find it elsewhere shopping around is the best way to do it

I have used pixmania twice found them good the delivery was quick although I did pay extra for it. Not sure where they are based but I did hear it was somewhere in Europe but don't quote me on that.

cbyrne11 wrote: »

Have you tried Amazon.de? If you use google chrome or have the google toolbar on your browser it will translate it for you, was buying a phone recently and it worked out similar prices to simply electronics worth a look anyway. Although you might only get the manuals in German but then the internet can fill in the blanks for anything you don't know how to do.

I have used pixmania before as well and don't have a bad word to say about them.

Hi guys

Derekeire, thanks for the thumbs up on pixmania, they're now firmly out of the race due to price.

Cybyrne - amazone.de has some great bargains for accessories, I didn't bother with the translater / chrome, it's pretty easy to work out from the titles, what's included (and apart from that, I don't really like chrome - I'm far too old fashioned to join the 21st century!!)

I'm still gathering the last few bob together to buy and now have my heart and soul set on a dearer package than I initially wanted. Prices are fluctuating daily from site to site but I've more or less narrowed the search down to two - digitalrev & onestop digital. Pretty good reviews (please god don't let me the first negative!!) Anyway, I just need to pinch a few more pennies before taking the plunge but thanks a million for your tips.

zinzan wrote: »

Wish I'd seen this thread last week - camera I bought off pixmania is 30 euro cheaper on amazon.de!! Aaaarrgghh! Have never thought of checking .de before, always have a look at amazon.com and .co.uk prior to purchase though.

Having said that, I've never had issues with pixmania - have bought tvs and camera off them without issue, though with one tv I had to remind them to send on uk/irl adaptor.

I have previously contacted simply electronics as I had concerns about import duty etc., esp. As they claim to organise such things from their end. I got a prompt response explaining that they 'don't charge VAT' allowing them to have low prices, so IMHO, basically there is a high chance of getting stung for duty/VAT on anything bought from them and so I went elsewhere.

Zinzan, I mailed SE too, the greeeeeedy streak in me wanted to test the waters, I too got a prompt reply but it was one of those generic, one size fits all mails that really didn't float my boat... they don't charge VAT etc, etc, etc. The old adage sprang to mind, if it looks too good to be true..

Pixmania seem to be fairly reliable but in my case, the camera and lens is €186 dearer than the next best price. The two online suppliers I've contacted replied to my mails with full detailed answers and I'm happy enough to go with either. Also checked them out on shopzilla, trust pilot & ekomi and the ratings are pretty high. Must admit though, I'll be looking at amazon.de next time I'm buying anything, I was very impressed.

sandin wrote: »

So they have an extra layer of security to protect YOU and you say don't buy from them?

This is a normal security procedure for large purchases and is advised by card processors including AIB merchant services whenever there is a slightes hint of a discrepancy in the delivery address.

A fair shout, but let me put it to you like this; I’ve given over my name, address, contact details and all my credit card information. If I also gave a scan of my bill and passport, I’d have given the receiver everything they need to use my identity if they wanted. Now I’m sure that’s not what Simply Electronics are up to, but I’m also sure you’d agree it wouldn’t be wise to share such information if in any doubt. The chap in A.I.B. informed me that this practice was becoming more and more common but advised me not to supply the information.

I hold my hand up and admit this is the largest purchase I’ve ever made with my credit card and the procedure could well be the norm, but it did make me uncomfortable.

sandin wrote: »

Refunds CAN take up to a couple of weeks but in reality it will take only 4/5 days.

The chap in A.I.B. advised me to contact him again if the refund took more than fifteen working days. As you’ve said it should take 4/5 days and to be honest I think that’s reasonable.

sandin wrote: »

If you did research you will see plenty about the company - its a huge company. Yes they don't have a 100% customer satisfaction but no-where anywhere will you see anyone accusing them of fraud.

My research led me to this; http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.simplyelectronics.net (after I received the request for bill/passport etc). I became very concerned about doing business with them after reading some of the reviews there. Of course it’s only one review site written by a minority of customers but still, it made me worried.

I think I should edit my original post; it wasn’t my intention to accuse or imply a case of fraud, but to say that there request for additional information, no matter how well intended, made me nervous.

It is very possible that I am behind the curve on buying from the internet and I must hold my hand up and say I’m in the wrong if this is the norm.

sandin wrote: »

Anyway, try Conns Camera in Dublin for similar price and superb service from camera specialists.

I know them well, I bought a camera from a chap I know who works there a few years ago. I agree; excellent service and very knowledgeable.

Hi i bought a nikon d7000 dec 2010 from simply electronics using paypal as it was 400 cheaper than Irish shops. Then I read all the reviews and panicked.I tried to cancel the order which they said would take a month. So I decided to just go ahead with the purchase and they delivered it within the specified timeframe (and this was around Xmas) and it was in perfect condition. I knew they operated in hong kong -they are cheaper because they are considered grey goods. So it all ended well for me! I'm happily snapping away with my nikon )

They asked me for a utility bill etc also to verify me (which I thought was dodgy but I contacted my credit card fraud unit -) and they said that some companies do ask for info like that .even with paypal details!

I'm not a Newbie -I posted here in 2010 about simply electronics and got an email today that someone replied to my post.I'm genuine.just told the story how it really happened. You could easily be a competitor or work in a camera shop in Ireland and not want anyone getting a discount online! Who knows who people are that post here. I wanted feedback about simply electronics in 2010 as they sounded dodgy.I got the nikon camera as ordered -end of story. My experience with them was good.should this board not be about positive and negative stories to get a balance???? It's a bit ridiculous if you just believe all the negative stories .

I've been following the website for a while now and the prices are probably one of the cheapest you'll find on the internet. They are cheaper than apple for Ipad's, since then I thought some thing is dodgy about them... and then I stumbled up on this thread and after going through the post's it seems it's 50:50 so far, so instead of accusing them of scam or fraudster I would avoid buying any large value purchases irrespective of how cheap they sound.