Dragonophile

clickety wrote:
Do you really have to ask someone else?
Just ask yourself, “if I owned a shop”........???

"ChristianHJensen replied"
You took the words tight out of my mouth.

Here is a question. Does the shop owner only deal with a local distributor even though it may make prices higher, or do they go to larger online distributors to keep their prices lower? If a salesman comes to them and demonstrates a widget that they like, but know they can get much cheaper elsewhere, what do they do?

GeorgeFenwick

Thanks, all, for your thoughts. There really doesn’t seem to be a lot of variation in response. I asked my question purely as a hypothetical, not to make a decision myself, but to gain an understanding where the photography world is. I almost always buy local in everything to help keep local stores in business. What I really wondered is what people might do when the cost differential is large, and I think I see consensus on that issue as well.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

I usually don't go into my local camera store unless I plan on buying something. Before I go, I do my research online and have a pretty good idea of what I want, but I always ask a knowledgeable sales rep for their recommendation as they have access to information I may not have found online. They know what pros in the area use and why. Some of the time they confirm my research, but other times they have saved me quite a bit of money recommending 3rd party equipment that performs well and is less expensive or steering me away from stuff that doesn't perform well.

clickety

That is irrelevant to the original question.

Only a shop owner can answer that. We don’t know their options, chosen business model or ethics.

clickety

Here’s a question for you.

If you knew the answer to your question, would it influence your willingness to do business with them?

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Prices are higher than what?

It seems to me that part of any purchase evaluation is the cost. So if you go there and talk to them and then find out they are high, you can ask them if they will reduce the cost, but if they don’t deal with you, I see no reason to feel obligated to buy from them.

However if you know in advance they are too high, and you gon in anyway and take up ther time knowing ahead of time you are not going to purchase, that is different. Personally I wouldn’t do that. Or if I did, I might say “I am not going to buy I am just looking”. And if they asked why not I woudl say “your costs are too high”. But even then, you are still giving them a chance to sell you a product, by just being there. So again I would not worry too much about it.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

As a camera store owner I can tell you all USA warranted cameras and lenses are MAP priced from the manufacturers. They cost the same in the local stores as they do at the big NYC online sellers.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

And there’s your answer. Cost of goods is the same, but overhead, rent, labor, etc. vary.

If you’re honest with the shop owner, most will try to price match. If they can’t come close, I think it’s perfectly ethical to order online. I would think that feedback on specific items would be useful to most shop owners.

Andy

Bob Locher Loc: Southwest Oregon

The only significant camera shop within 100 miles is Best Buy. Their offerings are far from complete, but they do have a lot of stuff. Their staff is amazingly knowledgeable and helpful, and they will match Amazon prices as long as the product is sold and fulfilled by Amazon - if you ask. So I buy everything I can from them, and use the internet where they can't meet my needs.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

You can't purchase ethics....it is why rich people stay rich

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

I believe this is one of the reasons companies like Canon USA and Nikon USA practice pricing controls. So local online sellers can't undercut retail sellers.
Personally, I have two camera stores I frequent. One specializes in Nikon products but also sells Sony and a couple other makes. I have purchased both my Nikon bodies there and all my Nikkor lenses. Sure, they charge PA sales tax but they also know their product and are always happy, when open, to chat and answer questions. My go to Canon store sells only Canon bodies but along with a good selection of Canon EF lenses, they also carry some high end after market lenses like Sigma Sport and Art series lenses and Tamron SP lenses. I have purchased a couple bodies from them. Got my 80D from them the first day it was available. I've purchased several lenses from them and numerous accessories. If not from the aforementioned store, I usually purchase Canon products from Best Buy in north Delaware. They usually have a great selection of bodies, a decent selection of lenses and best of all, no state sales tax; and they are closer to my house than the Canon store I go to.
What I don't do and don't condone is going to a store and discussing the purchase of a camera or lens, then buying it online to save a few bucks. I believe keeping the brick and mortar shops in business is a good thing. Some times we have no choice but to buy online, but if there's an option to contribute to local business, I'm all for it, plus it's another good excuse to get up and go somewhere.
Buy local, when ever possible...

rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Amen to that.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

There is no obligation to buy from anybody, but any store has the opligation to be helpful to their customers! So the answer is an easy : No!

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

You are the consumer, they are the merchant.

It's a simple relationship; if they have what you want at the price you want, you buy it...if not, you don't.

It's really that simple.

Your job isn't to keep them competitive in the marketplace...that's their job.

Folks will come up with all kinds of ways to say that this isn't right but it is...

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

It's kind of a hard question to provide a blanket answer for. For me, it's a two-way street. I like to maintain ethical conduct with all my clients and suppliers with the hope the will reciprocate with fair and ethical treatment.

As a professional photographer, I prefer to maintain a good relationship with local suppliers whenever possible. I certainly don't mind paying the extra points for service, reliability, and cooperation.

The digital age has brought about many changes in my buying habits and needs. In the film era, my local dealer would offer me extremely reasonable deals on equipment with the proviso that I purchase all of my expendable supplies from them on an ongoing basis. I was buying cases of film, paper, darkroom chemicals, replacement lamps and more. My dealer would sell me gear at 5% above his cost. Obviously, nowadays things are different.

I am currently paying more for equipment than for what I could purchase it form some of the big New York dealers but I am still getting exemplary service form my local sources. They are not charging me exorbitant prices and I am getting advantageous treatment as a long-standing customer. I can test the more costly equipment before consummating the purchase. If something breaks down or malfunctions, I can usually get a loaner while repairs are being made. If I need something in a rush that is not in stock, they will order it on priority shipment from the distributor without additional charges. I get very personalized service. Because I don't get "GAS attacks, the sales rep will oftentimes drop in with something to entice me with and let me try it out for a few days- I seldom send it back! My wife and accountat consider that a disadvantage!

As far as importing stuff from NYC, I am at somewhat of a disadvantage. I live and work in Canada. So...I pay about 30% to convert to U.S. dollars, I have to pay shipping and 13.5% Federal Sales Tax on all incoming items and now that N.A.F.T.A. is going away, there may be customs duties of certain items to the tune of between 17.5 % and 33 1/3 %- NASTY! Up here Fed-Ex and UPS can be nightmarish.

On a few occasions, on things I could simply not obtain here and used gear, I have ordered from B&H, Adorama, and KEH and received stellar service- no complaints- totally professional, honest, friendly and prompt. If I still lived in NYC, I am sure I would be able to strike up a good relationship with those dealers.

I the ethical side, I have had some negative experiences with unethical dealers. Some take the attitude that professional photographers are a pain in the backside because the "want everything for cheap, they keep their gear until it disintegrates and they know-it-all"! A few of them told me that. The prefer folks who are not savvy buyers and who trade in the gear frequently thinking that will improve their photography. I have dealt with distributors who raised the price of replacement parts for major processing gear where it did not pay to repair it and ended up going to a machine shop and having the parts custom made. Then there is the switch and bait and gray market folks. I have been to a camera shop where the sales staff recommend inferior cameras and accessories to unknowing customers because the markup on the cheap stuff is better. The sale staff is working on commissions and the will KILL for sales!

On a few occasions, my preferred local dealer has advised me NOT to buy stuff that he has received complaints about or told me to hold off because a better product or special closeout deal is in the offing.

As a businessperson, I do see lots of "tire-kickers" and folks who have no intention of hiring me- perhaps they already have a photographer and just want to check out my prices. I have had "spies" kinda "comparison shoppers" form other studios. These things come with the territory of running a business. Even if I "smell a rat" I am always courteous and provide the information they are seeking- I have no secrets about my prices or services. On a few occasions, I was wrong and the came back and hired me! Personally, having this experience, I never go out and waste anyone's time and have them go through an extensive demo only to buy elsewhere- it ain't in my DNA! If I am price shopping, I phone call will do the job and I can make my mind up without bothering anyone. By the time I get the checkbook or the credit card out, I pretty well have done the research and homework know what I am looking for.

At the end of the day, in terms of SERVICE & HONESTY, you get what you pay for! I am not big on online shopping. I like to go to the supermarket and "squeeze the Charmin" and smell the produce. I like to go out for pizza and Asian foods. Later for Uber! Amazon- ain't that a river?