5 month plus B&H backorder

Kevin Caulfield · May 26, 2008

Last December I ordered several items from B&H, and now, more than five months later, the stainless steel tank I ordered is still on backorder. I've emailed them several times, and they keep assuring me that it will be sent as soon as it arrives, but I'm very disappointed this is taking so long. Does this seem like an unreasonable amount of time?

nsurit · May 26, 2008

Yes. They are not the only game in town, are they? I'd try to see who else might have what I wanted. Bill Barber

David A. Goldfarb · May 26, 2008

It depends on the type of tank. If it's something otherwise commonly available, I'd just cancel the order and get it elsewhere, but if it's a manufacturer issue, it might not be available anywhere.

If it's just an ordinary stainless steel film tank for regular reels, I'd just buy used ones. They're fairly indestructible and inexpensive on the used market, and if the lid is missing, you can replace it with a new plastic lid (I recommend the Kindermann lids).

Reels I try to buy new though.

If it's a stainless steel deep tank for film hangers or a cage, those might be harder to find and could be made to order these days.

Tamas · May 26, 2008

What kind of a stainless steel tank? ... for medium format/35mm for developing films? I just saw bunch of it made by Arista in Freestyle here in Hollywood, CA. here is the link: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_main.php?resultpage=4&cat_id=1603&sp=

Kevin Caulfield · May 26, 2008

It's a Samigon tank with the stainless lid. I already have another one the same, plus another SS tank with plastic lid, but wanted a spare. The Australian dollar was strong then (Dec) against the USD, around .84 USD, but now it's more like .96 USD, so I've lost out on that and also paid for air mail postage, but still waiting five months later.

Nick Zentena · May 27, 2008

You've gained on the exchange rate.

I bet they just can't get it. My worry would be at some point they find out from the maker the thing is no longer made and they cancel the order.

Daniel Lawton · May 27, 2008

I would imagine there may be issues with the manufacturer or supplier to B+H. I've ordered many times from B+H and they have always come through and the one issue I had was resolved professionally and to my satisfaction. Looks like one of the Samigon tanks on the site is advertised as not arriving until December. In these days of declining traditional photo sales and readily available cheap used equipment, (darkroom equipment in particular) many smaller manufacturers of such items are probably maintaining a bare minimum supply stock.

Kevin Caulfield · May 27, 2008

Nick Zentena said:
You've gained on the exchange rate.

I bet they just can't get it. My worry would be at some point they find out from the maker the thing is no longer made and they cancel the order.

No, I've lost on the exchange rate as I paid in December when the AUD was worth less.

TheFlyingCamera · May 27, 2008

Kevin- if you would like to get a better answer than the standard replies from the B&H 1-800 number, I'd look up Henry Posner, who posts here on APUG. He's a senior manager at B&H, and able to cut through the red tape. Look him up and shoot him an email, identify yourself as an APUG user, and tell him the problem. He'll either shake one loose, get you a good answer as to the delay, or enable you to get your money back.

henryp · May 27, 2008

Kevin Caulfield said:
Last December I ordered several items from B&H, and now, more than five months later, the stainless steel tank I ordered is still on backorder. I've emailed them several times, and they keep assuring me that it will be sent as soon as it arrives, but I'm very disappointed this is taking so long. Does this seem like an unreasonable amount of time?

We're as disappointed as you that Samigon is unable to supply the
Samigon Stainless Steel Tank with Stainless Steel Lid you want. We do have their
Samigon Stainless Steel Tank with Plastic Lid in stock for about half the price and would be happy to send that and refund the difference.

mark · May 27, 2008

A personal reply from a dealer. Nice.

Ken Nadvornick · May 27, 2008

henryp said:
We're as disappointed as you that Samigon is unable to supply the
Samigon Stainless Steel Tank with Stainless Steel Lid you want.

Henry,

I'm currently awaiting availability of a different back-ordered item from one of your worthy competitors. It's been a month now, or so, and I have no problem waiting.

My assumption has always been that with the unavoidable adjustments in the analog markets, many of the products, while technically still available, are being produced in smaller runs over longer periods of time. This means that when warehouse stock runs dry, sometimes I may need to wait for items I used to be able get almost immediately. I have waited for lenses, paper safes, filters, and other products for sometimes as much as six, or more, months. I think this is just the reality of the current analog market. Better, I think, to have to wait a bit for something, than to receive a notice of discontinuation.

Ken

Kevin Caulfield · May 27, 2008

Henry, I was aware that you are an APUG member, and was kind of hoping for a response from you, so thank you - I do appreciate your reply. Also, I do understand the situation, that Samigon are having difficulty supplying the stainless tank with stainless lid. The idea was to have that as a spare for the one I use most of the time, which is also from B&H and has the stainless lid. I already have a separate one with a plastic lid and spares (which I bought from B&H). If Samigon cannot supply the one with the stainless lid at all, then I guess I'll either cancel that item or get another one with plastic lid. If somebody could confirm that it will come, then I will keep waiting. Thanks again for your response - it is much appreciated.

henryp said:
We're as disappointed as you that Samigon is unable to supply the
Samigon Stainless Steel Tank with Stainless Steel Lid you want. We do have their
Samigon Stainless Steel Tank with Plastic Lid in stock for about half the price and would be happy to send that and refund the difference.

removed account4 · May 27, 2008

mark said:
A personal reply from a dealer. Nice.

i was thinking the same thing ..

john

tim_walls · May 28, 2008

Kevin Caulfield said:
No, I've lost on the exchange rate as I paid in December when the AUD was worth less.

???. Is this normal for B&H out of interest (I've never ordered from them, I've got as far as the checkout but always get put off by the requirement to fax a Card Fraud Starter Kit to them before they'll process international orders - for that reason Calumet US (who don't do that) always get my business.)

Normal practice over here is to only ever charge the credit card once goods are ready to ship; I would consider charging in advance to be extremely poor form (which isn't to say that no-one does it, but it's not exactly reputable practice; I'd expect it of a small outfit but not a major retailer.)

haris · May 28, 2008

I pay by bank, not with credit card, and my seller also send me proforma invoice only when they have all ordered products at stock, not before. And I wouldn't work other way.

henryp · May 28, 2008

tim_walls said:
???. Is this normal for B&H out of interest (I've never ordered from them, I've got as far as the checkout but always get put off by the requirement to fax a Card Fraud Starter Kit to them before they'll process international orders - for that reason Calumet US (who don't do that) always get my business.)

Normal practice over here is to only ever charge the credit card once goods are ready to ship; I would consider charging in advance to be extremely poor form (which isn't to say that no-one does it, but it's not exactly reputable practice; I'd expect it of a small outfit but not a major retailer.)

I think I understand your questions. First, we will charge a customer's card in full when the order is placed and say so quite specifically before the customer commits the order so there's no surprise. Second, the requirement that every customer with a non-USA issued credit card fax or e-mail card images the first time a card is used here has been dropped. We reserve the right to make this a prerequisite if security concerns deem it prudent, but it's no longer an across-the-board requirement.

clay · May 28, 2008

In the online world, you don't see a whole lot of praise heaped on any business. But I have to say that I am continually impressed with how B&H handles its business. Mr. Posner is quick to find and resolve any issues he is aware of, and in my experience over the last twenty years of dealing with B&H, there are very few issues you will ever need to deal with in the first place. In short, B&H is a first class outfit in a business segment where that is not always the norm.

Lopaka · May 28, 2008

I have found B&H service to be first rate, and they are up front about everything - no surprises. I have only once had to return damaged merchandise which was promptly replaced with no hassle and no additional cost on my part. I don't particularly like their policy of taking my money up front on back-ordered product, but live with it and when they have had difficulty obtaining an item, they promptly processed a credit on request. Some competitors do not identify 'drop ship' items as such, but show it as 'shipped' and bill your account when it really is 'ordered' and they have no idea if the item is currently available. So, on balance I still rate B&H on top as a supplier, even though I have to get my chemistry elsewhere.

Bob

sjperry · May 28, 2008

I would contact the manufacturer and see if its still available. If so, cancel the order at B&H. I don't know what's going on with them, but I ordered a Linhof neck strap in February, and 3 months later, not received it. B&H had no estimated arrival date, so I contacted the manufacturer. They said it was indeed available, and that some had been sent to their US distributor.

resummerfield · May 28, 2008

clay said:
In the online world, you don't see a whole lot of praise heaped on any business. But I have to say that I am continually impressed with how B&H handles its business. Mr. Posner is quick to find and resolve any issues he is aware of, and in my experience over the last twenty years of dealing with B&H, there are very few issues you will ever need to deal with in the first place. In short, B&H is a first class outfit in a business segment where that is not always the norm.

Well said. I agree completely.

tim_walls · May 28, 2008

henryp said:
I think I understand your questions. First, we will charge a customer's card in full when the order is placed and say so quite specifically before the customer commits the order so there's no surprise. Second, the requirement that every customer with a non-USA issued credit card fax or e-mail card images the first time a card is used here has been dropped. We reserve the right to make this a prerequisite if security concerns deem it prudent, but it's no longer an across-the-board requirement.

Thanks for the reply Henry, it's appreciated - I'll second the comment that it reflects well on the business that you respond here.

Firstly, I didn't mean to suggest that you were in some way behaving dishonestly by charging credit cards at order rather than dispatch - it was more a case of noting a cultural difference . As I say, general practice in the UK is to charge at dispatch rather than order; I was just curious that it is different in the US.

(As an aside, I'm not aware of any law mandating that practice, but the law does mandate that the consumer has a right to cancel an order up to a minimum of seven days after delivery even if there is nothing wrong with the goods, so 'billing early' doesn't really buy the retailer any protection from a consumer cancelling the order - they can do that anyway. A business which does not deliver by an agreed deadline, or within 30 days if no other deadline was agreed at sale, is also required by law to refund the consumer - so again, waiting until actually ready to ship before billing can actually save potential bureaucracy if it turns out the goods are going to be later than expected. Note I'm only mentioning this as an interesting aside - obviously this has no bearing on B&H!)

Secondly, that's good news on the credit card fax front - I can safely say in the past that's lost you a few thousand dollars of my business (weak dollar == very attractive to order from the US over the last couple of years,) so the fact you've removed it is great stuff. If the wife lets me near my credit cards again I might pay your site a visit soon

henryp · May 29, 2008

sjperry said:
I ordered a Linhof neck strap in February, and 3 months later, not received it. B&H had no estimated arrival date, so I contacted the manufacturer. They said it was indeed available, and that some had been sent to their US distributor.

I am sorry for this inconvenience. I just got off the phone with HP Marketing, the company which imports Linhof. They have our PO for the strap but they too are backordered and they have none in stock. Linhof in Germany may well have them, but that doesn't put them in the USA, yet. We are sorry about this.

wfe · May 29, 2008

I've had nothing but positive experiences with B&H and geez, I've spent a lot of money there. Very few issues and when there was one it was resolved promptly.

~Bill

Uncle Bill · May 29, 2008

I have orded from B&H a few years ago and I was impressed with the turn around.

Bill

5 month plus B&H backorder

Kevin Caulfield

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