What is the difference? Very often I see the same item description and photo with a $200-300 difference in price on Amazon. The strange thing is they come out one after the other so...

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

Very often I see the same item description and photo with a $200-300 difference in price on Amazon. The strange thing is they come out one after the other so you can see the difference. They are both supposedly new. What is the difference? Is it the warranty? "Fulfilled by Amazon" makes a difference? And sometimes there is a $150 difference for the same item if you buy on amazon or buy from the other two main Known camera stores. Are we paying for dealer names?

Bozsik Loc: Orangevale, California

Aldebaran wrote:

Very often I see the same item description and photo with a $200-300 difference in price on Amazon. The strange thing is they come out one after the other so you can see the difference. They are both supposedly new. What is the difference? Is it the warranty? "Fulfilled by Amazon" makes a difference? And sometimes there is a $150 difference for the same item if you buy on amazon or buy from the other two main Known camera stores. Are we paying for dealer names?

Different companies or individuals are asking different prices.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Aldebaran wrote:

Very often I see the same item description and photo with a $200-300 difference in price on Amazon. The strange thing is they come out one after the other so you can see the difference. They are both supposedly new. What is the difference? Is it the warranty? "Fulfilled by Amazon" makes a difference? And sometimes there is a $150 difference for the same item if you buy on amazon or buy from the other two main Known camera stores. Are we paying for dealer names?

Example?

jgitomer Loc: Skippack Pennsylvania

If you see a new camera offered on Amazon for $200 less than the "two main Known camera stores" (by any chance do you mean Adorama and B&H?) it probably means that the camera in question is grey market.

If it is the US distributor will probably not honor the warranty. So, if you are buying new equipment it is safer to buy from an authorized dealer.

Jerry

Steve_m Loc: Southern California

Aldebaran wrote:

Very often I see the same item description and photo with a $200-300 difference in price on Amazon. The strange thing is they come out one after the other so you can see the difference. They are both supposedly new. What is the difference? Is it the warranty? "Fulfilled by Amazon" makes a difference? And sometimes there is a $150 difference for the same item if you buy on amazon or buy from the other two main Known camera stores. Are we paying for dealer names?

Thats free enterprise. Pricing is wide open. If you go on CNET.COM there is a vendor reputation which sometimes correlates with pricing. But not necessarily. A friend of mine bought a Point & Shoot camera from a lesser known vendor and the camera menu was in Russian language. Watch out!

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

From Amazon: "Items "Fulfilled by Amazon" are offered by a third-party seller, but shipped from an Amazon Fulfillment Center to you."

There seems to me three systems at Amazon:
- Amazon direct
- Contract retailers that do their own shipping
- Contract retailers that keep inventory in Amazon shipping centers.

I've used all three without problems.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

One more thing to remember is that Amazon is constantly changing the prices of many things - even within a 24 hour period - so those price differences may not always be the same.

In essence, with most major gear, there is not a lot of margin built into the selling price you see at B&H and Adorama (or most other retailers - I see the same pricing at Best Buy), so it becomes a matter of Amazon's algorithm determining what price iwill be shown using whatever proprietary formula they have.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

f8lee wrote:

One more thing to remember is that Amazon is const... (show quote)

I agree. I've seen 2 different prices, looking at the same item from the same vendor, but several hours apart.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

FWIW, I watched the price drop twice at B&H on a camera I bought as a gift last month. I sent B&H an email and, within hours, got a reply with a credit to my Visa.

My wife and I depend on Amazon for a lot, but for photo gear I would not consider anyone but B&H due to their service level.

ronwande Loc: Hendersonville NC

Have you noticed that Amazon will frequently have "used" items for sale at a price a bit higher than a new one? Sometimes the price is a fraction of a percent lower for the used item.

I recently wanted to purchase some inkjet photo paper from Amazon. "Free shipping on orders over $50". When I went to place the order, Amazon had added $25 for shipping. Obviously or maybe not so obviously, the paper was to be shipped from one of the "associates" who didn't give the free shipping. I canceled the order and ordered from B&H and got a better deal and free shipping.

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

f8lee wrote:

One more thing to remember is that Amazon is const... (show quote)

I was once checking a lens and it changed price as I was looking at it. A note telling me "this item has changed price since you starting looking at it"- sort of that message, came up. LOL

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

Wall-E wrote:

Example?

Here is an example from today. I am checking Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

This was prime Service; Free shipping, expensier. Second time I looked it did not come up

This is not prime, which is another issue, why you pay for Prime if the items are more pricey?

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Think E-Bay. Amazon strategically decided to compete with E-Bay and created the Amazon Market Place. If you have desires as an on line retailer you can set up with E-Bay, Amazon or both.

The $409.95 deal is not from Amazon, it is from "Hot Deals Electronics". Read the fine print.

If you want to buy from Amazon with Amazon's good service, Prime program and return policies it is $598. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-EF-70-300mm-4-5-6-USM/dp/B0007Y794O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387560362&sr=8-1&keywords=Canon+EF+70-300mm+f%2F4-5.6

Aldebaran Loc: Florida

bsprague wrote:

Think E-Bay. Amazon strategically decided to compete with E-Bay and created the Amazon Market Place. If you have desires as an on line retailer you can set up with E-Bay, Amazon or both.

The $409.95 deal is not from Amazon, it is from "Hot Deals Electronics". Read the fine print.

If you want to buy from Amazon with Amazon's good service, Prime program and return policies it is $598.

I read the fine print. What I mean is, is the item the same quality, aside from service which could be way different!

I have bought Amazon fulfilled and being very satisfied with the process and the items but see no benefit from the higher priced items. But that is me, you know. It is like buying insurance that you don't need-- like when health insurance when you are young, or the car insurance when new. You are assured of service and items when you buy full Amazon? Maybe.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Aldebaran wrote:

What I mean is, is the item the same quality, aside from service which could be way different!

Maybe, maybe not. If I understand it right, if you buy from Amazon, B&H, Adorama, you local camera store, etc the product comes from Canon USA. A look at www.canon.com will show a link to Canon HK, or Hong Kong, and other parts of the world: http://www.canon.com.hk/tc/product/catalog/index.do

How hard would it be to travel to Hong Kong, look for bargains, bring them home and sell on E-Bay or Amazon Market place?

If the bargains you are looking at come from outside Canon USA, will Canon USA cover the warranty if needed? Maybe, maybe not.

A long time ago I bought two Nikkormat camera bodies in Asia when, as a Naval Aviator, I flew all over the Pacific. I got them at about 75% off the USA price. The exact same bodies in the USA were called Nikormats, with one less "k". The camera brands were engraved on the front that way. My warranties were only good in Asia.

If you buy the cheapest option, and it never breaks, you win. If it does break, you may loose.