Conns Cameras - bad experience

swingking · 23-02-2010 11:37PM #1

I feel I have to write this post about my bad experience in Conns Cameras. I really felt let down today and I think they have really shot themselves in the foot with trying to get people to buy local.

Today I was in getting photographs ordered for printing as I get them for a good price (members of Trinity College society get the 100+rate).

After I ordered the photos, I was looking at a particular light stand they were selling. I eventually found someone to ask about the stands. This was after waiting quite about 10 minutes to get served.

The salesman looked disinterested, spoke in a very patronising manner and took a while to come back to me with a price.

He then informed me that the light stand they had on display did not include the flash mount on it. I said "fine, I have a umbrella and flash mount I use with a tripod," so it didn't bother me.

He then proceeded to tell me that the top part of the stand was over-tightened and this had broken it. I actually felt he was putting the blame on me at one point. I asked if he could give me any discount on it as it was a display model and it had a small bit of damage to it, (not to mention the fact that I usually buy most of my equipment and prints from them). He didn't give any discount on it and made no effort to try to sell to me.

I have had good experiences with this store but I do think they aren't as bothered about trying to sell to the general public anymore. They are very overpriced and I can see now why people are choosing to shop online or in the UK.

Sorry for the long post but I really had to get this off my chest.

PS. Anyone know where I can get a good light stand

MartMax · 24-02-2010 12:12AM

Sorry to hear about that. In general, I've never had bad experience with Conns. There were times the shop gets busy, I normally avoid those hours. Truly, I haven't bought anything off them.

Regarding light stands, I am looking for few of them myself. Gunns have Manfrotto and few others but I have not yet given the shop a visit for this. If you are buying online, maybe Warehouse Express and Jessops worth looking at.

I was looking at Lastolite 4 Section Heavy Duty costs about 45 pound each. To be honest I am not sure how much should one be spending on light stands. I'd say find something sturdy and strong enough especially if it will be holding flash guns.

M.

ValueInIreland · 24-02-2010 12:19AM

Most of the Dublin stores do a set of two Elinchrom stands in a padded bag at a fairly deecent price. The same kit is also available with two Brollies (one translucent and one Silver) a a bit extra.

DK32 · 24-02-2010 12:58AM

Warehouse express would be my first choice these days. Decent prices and good reliable delivery service.

Paddy@CIRL · 24-02-2010 01:49AM

Speed Graphic in the UK do a kit with the flash / umbrella bracket and a flash / softbox kit. Always found them decent to deal with.

I stopped going into Conn's after the salesman tried to tell me that I shouldn't buy Canon Matte photopaper as it's terrible for printing on. I had to explain to him that the Canon Matte has two sides and you need to print on the whitest side. He thought I was taking the piss. I wasn't.

One guy in there is very sound, but I always get that feeling I'm being patronised when I go in there by the others as well.

Dara Robinson · 24-02-2010 03:25AM

Personally I would not buy anything there cause I simply would not buy any photographic equipment in Ireland anymore. For me its either the north or HK now as its much much cheaper.

But I have to say, over the years I have dealt with them a lot. My first DSLR was bought there (Olympus E1) and they were great with me. Since then I have made a number of purchases over the years and also simply gone in to pick some brains and they have always been attentive, fast and willing to haggle.

tbh mate, I think you got there on an off day. Not the experience I have ever seen, heard of or experienced myself.
I'd give them another chance.

DaireQuinlan · 24-02-2010 08:52AM

The few times I've been in conns I've never had anything other than a positive experience. Sales guys were engaged and interested. Never felt patronised or condescended. Thats after buying some second hand stuff and some new stuff aswell.

pete4130 · 24-02-2010 12:34PM

DK32 wrote: »

Warehouse express would be my first choice these days. Decent prices and good reliable delivery service.

£52 to ship an 85mm 1.8 lens to Belfast as it isn't mainland UK....as opposed to £12 with Grays of Westminster. Warehouseexpress are a bit like an online jessops tbh.

Conns are condescending though. Don't think they've ever convinced me to buy from them.

Sebzy · 24-02-2010 12:39PM

I'm in Conns quite often picking up bits and pieces and have always had good experiences. I guess you got a bad day.

For me the choice to buy local is based on
- Local support
- Trusted advice (from most of the staff they have fanboys too)
- Instant purchase
- Discounts

swingking if you still feel hard done by conns please get in contact with Michael the owner in the shop and explain to him.

bullpost · 24-02-2010 12:49PM

Only bought from them once, a lens, and they were sound.

Ended up returning the lens as I thought it was missing a bit. It wasn't and I could have ended up looking embarrassed but the salesguy was sound and not at all condescending.

thefizz · 24-02-2010 02:26PM

So you had one bad experience after many good ones? I wouldn't have thought that was enough to bad mouth them on the web.

nonsequitir · 24-02-2010 03:18PM

Overpriced in almost every category of equipment - a quick compare on google shows the differences to be extreme in some cases. Someone who likes them should introduce them to the Web!

DaireQuinlan · 24-02-2010 03:41PM

nonsequitir wrote: »

Overpriced in almost every category of equipment - a quick compare on google shows the differences to be extreme in some cases. Someone who likes them should introduce them to the Web!

-sigh-

tororosso · 24-02-2010 04:07PM

nonsequitir wrote: »

Overpriced in almost every category of equipment - a quick compare on google shows the differences to be extreme in some cases. Someone who likes them should introduce them to the Web!

I would say that they are expensive enough. Certainly not a place to go for a bargain anyway. However most places in Ireland are pretty expensive to buy decent photographic gear. They have a good few Canon 1D mark 3s for sale second hand for 1,999.99 euros and, while not cheap, they are the same roughly as the 2nd hand ones I saw for sale in a pretty big camera shop in Prague..I guess they are standard really.
Regarding the staff I just go in and look the odd time but, except when very busy, I have always had a member of staff come over looking to help me. As I am just looking I dont know about their attitude but they seemed helpful enough!

nonsequitir · 24-02-2010 04:23PM

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

-sigh-

Sigh?

Overpricing is part of a bad experience. It beggars belief that people shop here - unless there's some secret "I'm in your club, wink" handshake that's not published anywhere.

Case in point - 2nd hand light meter (6mth old) 129,99. Price new 149.99

Terrific service can only attract a certain level of premium pricing!

DaireQuinlan · 24-02-2010 04:42PM

nonsequitir wrote: »

Sigh?

Overpricing is part of a bad experience. It beggars belief that people shop here - unless there's some secret "I'm in your club, wink" handshake that's not published anywhere.

Case in point - 2nd hand light meter (6mth old) 129,99. Price new 149.99

Terrific service can only attract a certain level of premium pricing!

-sigh- because we've had this exact same conversation about 1000 times.
TEH INTERNETS IS CHEAPER THAN SHOPS ! THIS COUNTRY IS A RIP OFF !
Compounded by some inane comparison to camerabox.co.uk or something equally stupid.

Yes. Yes we know that products can be bought cheaper on the internet. We know this already. This is not a revelation. There are many reasons for this. Most of them have been propounded at length in the many many previous threads on the topic.

nonsequitir · 24-02-2010 04:45PM

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

-sigh- because we've had this exact same conversation about 1000 times.
TEH INTERNETS IS CHEAPER THAN SHOPS ! THIS COUNTRY IS A RIP OFF !
Compounded by some inane comparison to camerabox.co.uk or something equally stupid.

Yes. Yes we know that products can be bought cheaper on the internet. We know this already. This is not a revelation. There are many reasons for this. Most of them have been propounded at length in the many many previous threads on the topic.

Oh right, of course, I forgot to consume every thread ever discussed on this topic before responding. Doh, silly me. Pfft!

LeoB · 24-02-2010 08:01PM

I found Conn's very expensive but I got realy good service from Mike and assistant called John.

Unfortunatley I cant afford to shop for gear in Dublin

sineadw · 24-02-2010 08:04PM

(waiting to be censored like the last time I posted about this, and was never told why...) - Conns are generally more pricey than the other bricks and mortar shops in Dublin - nothing to do with the internet Daire. IMHO. Every time I've checked. And I've had some very negative experiences in there too, with all their sales staff.

Seb, it's good to see you

melekalikimaka · 24-02-2010 08:47PM

sineadw wrote: »

And I've had some very negative experiences in there too, with all their sales staff.

i second this

DK32 · 24-02-2010 09:14PM

I think it speaks volumes when people on here care enough to share their experiences with Conns. (Good or bad)

It's funny, you don't see many negative comments about the other Dublin shops.
I looked through many threads on the topic over the past year and it still pushed me to shop online.

If I had to pick anything up in Dublin I'd go to Gunns

Cicero · 24-02-2010 09:26PM

Have always had good experiences with Conns, even going back to the Grafton St days

...I think the thing with Conns, (that has been always the case,) is that they know how to sell and they do SELL...it's not like some of the other camera shops where you might get a more 'friendly advice' approach...my own opinion is that the people behind the counter are first and foremost -Sales people (but with good knowledge also)

...I think you have to be if you're paying the sort of rents they are probably subjected to....their style (and possibly prices), are not therefore to everyones taste...but they have survived this long, so they must be doing something right from a business model perspective...

(OP- therefore surprised with your experience- would have thought they wouldn't have let you go without getting some sort of sale from you- as other posters have said, maybe it was an off day)

DaireQuinlan · 24-02-2010 09:27PM

DK32 wrote: »

It's funny, you don't see many negative comments about the other Dublin shops.

I dunno, conns does seem to attract a fair amount of comment. Berminghams certainly aren't immune though, and no-one even bothers talking about that place at the top of grafton street. Most places have their ups and downs.

Except of course for ...

If I had to pick anything up in Dublin I'd go to Gunns

Thats for sure. The problem with gunns is tryin to leave :-)

Hugh_C · 24-02-2010 09:28PM

DK32 wrote: »

If I had to pick anything up in Dublin I'd go to Gunns

seconded

LeoB · 24-02-2010 09:56PM

My preference has always been for Hall Cameras. Philip and John have always been most helpful and now a chap called Marcus. They are mannerly, helpful and informative. Bought my first camera there about 20years ago. What I really like about it is you are never feel under pressure to buy anything. When I do purchase anything in Dublin its usually there.

swingking · 24-02-2010 10:59PM

One camera shop that i'd like to give my thumbs up to is MacSweeney cameras in Dawson St.

Very sound guy in there, Ronan. He let me try out a 17-40l lens in there for a weekend and didn't mind me not buying it.

Great service and I will definitely be going back there again

decsramble · 24-02-2010 11:04PM

I have to say almost 100% of the time I've been in Conns browsing or shopping I've been happy. The 2 occasions I've had a bad experience there it's been with the same shop assistant. Similar to you one time he tried to blame me for damaging a new piece of equipment that didn't work out of the box, the manager took over realized there was a fault with the gear in the box and not me and did an on the spot exchange. Since then I just avoid that assistant and deal with others who are always knowledgeable and friendly. Dont let one bad guy ruin your long term experience with a shop.

sineadw · 25-02-2010 01:21PM

swingking wrote: »

One camera shop that i'd like to give my thumbs up to is MacSweeney cameras in Dawson St.

Very sound guy in there, Ronan. He let me try out a 17-40l lens in there for a weekend and didn't mind me not buying it.

Great service and I will definitely be going back there again

I've often wondered what that place is like! Will have to check it out - thanks

gandalf · 25-02-2010 01:26PM

The only time I have bought major kit in Ireland was in Conn's. It was 2 Sigma lens (and yes I was aware I could get them cheaper online, but I was impatient!). At the time they were the best price in Dublin for what I was looking for and the sales man I dealt with in there was good, didn't rush me and allowed me try out several lens on my camera. Now at the time the shop wasn't busy so that was probably a factor. Have bought bits and pieces since then. Compared to some of the other shops around I felt most comfortable in there tbh.

kknikon · 25-06-2010 01:32AM

Cicero wrote: »

...I think the thing with Conns, (that has been always the case,) is that they know how to sell and they do SELL...it's not like some of the other camera shops where you might get a more 'friendly advice' approach...my own opinion is that the people behind the counter are first and foremost -Sales people (but with good knowledge also)

...I think you have to be if you're paying the sort of rents they are probably subjected to....their style (and possibly prices), are not therefore to everyones taste...but they have survived this long, so they must be doing something right from a business model perspective...

I shop in Conns regularly as I like their attitude to putting their customers first. I bought a Nikon D700 from them last year. While on a job I let the camera fall by accident and damaged the on/off switch. When I brought the camera in to them to get it fixed, they immediately turned around and handed me a replacement D700 until I got mine back from repair. This is why I shop in Conns. I know I can buy on the internet and save lots of money, but as a working professional backup service like that is priceless.

Conns is a business and they take it seriously. I've noticed over the past year that several shops have closed, Pixels, Spectra, MacSweeneys, Jessops, Dublin Camera exchange (the small one!). They probably weren't selling enough to cover the rent, and the margins on cameras are probably small like all electronic equipment. The difference with Conns is that they provide service along with the sale which makes them different. Also they seem to have a very slow turn over of staff, and employ a large amount of staff which makes them a good employer.

extratime · 25-06-2010 01:51AM

I too have only have positive feedback on Conns. I purchased my D3 there for a little more than I might have paid elsewhere, however I have found the back-up service is excellent.

On a similar experience to kknikon, when I had a problem with the camera they straight away lent me a new D3s until repair was done. Had the same thing happened had I bought elsewhere, I might have been left without a camera for a considerable length of time.

Conns Cameras - bad experience

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