KEH feedback please

I find that typically I have 7-10 pending charges on my credit card at any given time. It's no big deal. Some transactions happen quicker than others.

My dealings with KEH have been nothing short of 100% satisfaction.

OK, the feedback:

Last night I called and talked with Shawn. I was treated very politely and his concern matched mine. He asked me whether I had placed stuff into my cart, then abandoned it, as (we all know) online vendors will send an 'enticement' email to try to get the potential buyer back. I told him that I had not, and that from beginning to end, the order was completed within 20 minutes. He looked up my order number and told me that my order was, indeed, intact. The explanation as to why the email telling me that my cart was empty and that I 'forgot to order', he said, was a computer glitch.

About one month ago I placed another order and everything went perfectly. However, the order before that was fraught with difficulty as when I placed stuff into my cart and tried to check out, I was met with 'unavailable in stock'. I had no other choice but to call and place the order that way.

OK, I do tend to get hung up when something goes wrong as I a am a perfectionist and think that everyone out there should hew to my mindset. Actually, I should have called FIRST, as the order was never obliterated. I tend to get too miffed too early as, we all know, life can be very frustrating. My greed plays a factor also (especially when I am trying to catch a bus!)

However, your feedback is useful no only to me, but to everyone. KEH was, and remains, a quality firm within a world that, to some rational thinkers, has become, or is going, bonkers. Their customer service and total lack of rancor with 'difficult' customers, is revelatory. When I actually receive the shipment, I will report. (My landlord will probably evict me after 26 years after he sees this shipment.)

One thing that I should have checked before I began this stress was to confirm that they were OPEN the day (Monday) that I ordered. They were NOT open on Columbus Day. - David Lyga

All's well that ends well David. I have had good luck with KEH over the years and I also thought the old website was easier to navigate. I still can't make postings on pho?o.net after their changes. I prefer to place orders by phone with a person after I have found what I think I want online. A person will have a better idea of what's available, what's no longer available, what's similar and what's newly available but not on the site yet. When I see the long list of items you ordered I can think of three possibilities: You are a talented repairman and intend to re-sell the items for a tidy profit, you are opening a museum for partly working and non-working camera equipment, you need extra ballast for a cargo ship.

You're a very decent human being, DL.

David Lyga said:

Monday I placed an order with KEH for many, many inexpensive things. My credit charge has a pending charge for the $146.86. And today, Tuesday, I get an email that 'you forgot something' and that I 'forgot' to check out!!! When I try to reorder (but, hopefully, not pay AGAIN) I get told that the stuff is sold out.

I have had problems in the past with their website and I am waiting for a response from KEH. Sometimes, in life, things are too good to be true, but I have had my share of problems with their website. Anyone else? -David Lyga.

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Never.
I've ordered quite a bit of stuff from them and it's always gone smooth and the merch was top notch. Did you call them?

Edited to add: I see that everything was cleared up...glad to hear it.

I used tp buy a lot more from KEH when they were monthly Catalogs- have used the older online system, but not the new one.

For items bought from them- biggest problem was a Nikon F3HP listed as INOP. I put batteries into it. It OP'd. Worked fine, so could not part it out. Everyone should have problems like this.

Been buying from them for years, never an issue, never disappointed.

David Lyga said:

OK, the feedback:

....About one month ago I placed another order and everything went perfectly. However, the order before that was fraught with difficulty as when I placed stuff into my cart and tried to check out, I was met with 'unavailable in stock'. I had no other choice but to call and place the order that way...

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Most online systems that I'm aware of do not "reserve" an item when you put it in your cart. So, while you continue to shop, someone else might check out with it and then, when you check out, it's unavailable. But if you were able to buy the same item by phone later, then this probably wasn't the case for you.

OK, i received the package on Friday and here is the proof. If I look a bit frazzled, I just carried, pushed, rolled that box up to the third floor of my apartment building. That was not too easy to do in a 'walk-up' building. (Hilariously, look how my belly wants to break open my pants buckle!). My Meopta Axomat 5 enlarger is in back of me.

Today, Saturday, I received an email from KEH listing all the items in my order, asking me, begging me, to consider buying them!!!! To say that there is nothing wrong with their website is rather wrong in and of itself. There really ARE problems with 'cyber-communication' here. - David Lyga

I haven't had a problem with KEH's website because I never use it. Well, I may use it to look stuff up, but I always call them because their inventory changes so rapidly. The folks I've talked to on the phone have always been courteous and helpful, so that's the way I'll continue to do business with them. And yes, I've had good luck with KEH, so I will continue to buy from them.

David Lyga said:

OK, i received the package on Friday and here is the proof. If I look a bit frazzled, I just carried, pushed, rolled that box up to the third floor of my apartment building. That was not too easy to do in a 'walk-up' building. (Hilariously, look how my belly wants to break open my pants buckle!). My Meopta Axomat 5 enlarger is in back of me.

Today, Saturday, I received an email from KEH listing all the items in my order, asking me, begging me, to consider buying them!!!! To say that there is nothing wrong with their website is rather wrong in and of itself. There really ARE problems with 'cyber-communication' here. - David LygaView attachment 188296

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Great Picture!!

As long as you have a receipt of some form there'll be no problem. Maybe call them and let them know their system is out of sync with reality.

Just received an early non-AI Nikkor 28mm F3.5 (I admit, wanted that chrome front ring to go on a new to me Nikkormat--nice look on that combo) advertised as bargain, and that thing is more than 40 years old, and doesn't look a day over 20. Seriously, I think I got a good price on a decent lens and i do consider it a bargain--for me.

He wanted some gear
System said no, man said yes
All well in the end

I just scored a gorgeous Sinaron 150 mm from KEH. Being a tad paranoid, I asked for their assurance that the shutter speeds were accurate. I received a prompt reply stating that "to factory specs". Fellow Apug member DocW and I tested the shutter speeds and found them to be absolutely spot on, except for the 1/2 second, which measure 499 ms. I suppose I can live that missing millisecond.

The companion Sinar lens board that was unfortunately left out of the shipment, A call to KEH elicited a callback within 5 minutes, the item located and placed in shipping within another 10 mins.

The lens I bought was beyond my expectations, and despite the shipping error, the service was excellent.

Now, if the darn rain would stop, I can go out shooting!

No problems with KEH ever. Though there was that one time when they had an Argus C3 listed, and when I received it, it was an Argus C2.