Your thoughts and wishes - online film store

[hoffy]

HI Andrew. Any status update? Just curious, that's all.

 

[andrewkirkby]

HI Andrew. Any status update? Just curious, that's all.

Hoffy,

Just trying to get a few things together at the moment. Still waiting on graphic designers/web people to get back to me so i can move ahead at full steam.

I'll be organising a bulk order of a few products so that i can get some eBay listings prior to the site going online.

AK

 

[thegman]

I don't live in Australia (yet), so I don't know what buying film is like first hand over there. However, I will say this, make your online buying experience as utterly painless as possible. I avoid companies who insist on cheques in the post, or that I phone with credit card details. You must take credit cards online, allow shipping to addresses not on the card (like a work address), take PayPal and Google Checkout. The number of times I've almost placed an order just to see "Shipping only to card holder's address" and that company just lost that order, and any order after that.

In the UK, there is loads of choice, so if a company makes the buying experience even slightly painful, they've lost the business because there are 10 other companies doing it much better than they are.

Also make sure your stock levels are accurately reflected in your website, I've placed orders just to have my money refunded because it turns out they don't have stock.

Some other tips, maybe break up 5 packs of 120 film? I buy regular films in 5 packs, no problem, but if I just want to try something, it's nice to be able to just buy a roll or two.

 

[hoffy]

Hoffy,

Just trying to get a few things together at the moment. Still waiting on graphic designers/web people to get back to me so i can move ahead at full steam.

I'll be organising a bulk order of a few products so that i can get some eBay listings prior to the site going online.

AK

Good to know that you are on track! Keep up the good work

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I don't live in Australia (yet), so I don't know what buying film is like first hand over there. However, I will say this, make your online buying experience as utterly painless as possible. I avoid companies who insist on cheques in the post, or that I phone with credit card details. You must take credit cards online, allow shipping to addresses not on the card (like a work address), take PayPal and Google Checkout. The number of times I've almost placed an order just to see "Shipping only to card holder's address" and that company just lost that order, and any order after that.

In the UK, there is loads of choice, so if a company makes the buying experience even slightly painful, they've lost the business because there are 10 other companies doing it much better than they are.

Also make sure your stock levels are accurately reflected in your website, I've placed orders just to have my money refunded because it turns out they don't have stock.

Some other tips, maybe break up 5 packs of 120 film? I buy regular films in 5 packs, no problem, but if I just want to try something, it's nice to be able to just buy a roll or two.

Cheques for online purchases? You must be joking! That hasn't been an option for years — especially with the advent of online live transaction processing that makes cheques redundant. Even cars are bought with a "plastic fantastic" now.

"Shipping only to cardholder address" is a security requirement by the card issuers. If an address does not match and the goods are returned undeliverable or reported as never received, where is your recourse? In a way, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Online purchasing will never be entirely risk-free, secure or painless. Why? The internet was not designed for any three of those, that's why more than 15 years after its birth nothing really goes as smoothly as you hope, but it does work well.

 

[tony lockerbie]

Just looking in to see any updates, hope all is going well!
Gary, checked out your photos, a very relaxing experience, and I must get back to the GOR soon.
BTW, you must be immune to leeches!

Tony

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

A "very relaxing experience"!? Oh Tony, if only—! Enthusiasm, stamina and willpower (and how to wrangle a camera in awkward situations) yes, but it's far from relaxing with a battalion of leeches clinging this way and that. No, not immune to leeches; just common sense minimises the likelihood of bites.

And, oh yes — I think we're going back into the Otways this Saturday — gird your loins, lads and lassies, another Big Day Out! on the cards...

 

[Wyno]

Hi Andrew,
I went to Vanbars on Wednesday of last week to get some Rodinal and was told that it had been on back order since March. Is there any chance of getting it through you? thanks mate
Mike

 

[polyglot]

Count me as interested. I'm currently a customer of Ag Photographic in the UK, so you're competing with their prices for film; I normally buy 40+ rolls at a time so shipping isn't really a problem unless also buying paper. I'd be very very interested (I would place an order today!) if you could get colour chemicals at a sane price, i.e. similar to what Ag sells them for instead of what Vanbar sells them for, which is 3x as much.

 

[andrewkirkby]

Hi Andrew,
I went to Vanbars on Wednesday of last week to get some Rodinal and was told that it had been on back order since March. Is there any chance of getting it through you? thanks mate
Mike

PM sent.

 

[andrewkirkby]

Count me as interested. I'm currently a customer of Ag Photographic in the UK, so you're competing with their prices for film; I normally buy 40+ rolls at a time so shipping isn't really a problem unless also buying paper. I'd be very very interested (I would place an order today!) if you could get colour chemicals at a sane price, i.e. similar to what Ag sells them for instead of what Vanbar sells them for, which is 3x as much.

Hey Polyglot,

Thanks for your interest.

I'm considering repacking Kodak or Fuji chemicals into my own packaging on an order basis. Do you currently buy chemical kits (eg Kodak or Tetenal)?

AK

 

[Michael W]

Hi Andrew,
I went to Vanbars on Wednesday of last week to get some Rodinal and was told that it had been on back order since March. Is there any chance of getting it through you? thanks mate
Mike

It seems there is no Rodinal or R09 in Australia at the moment. And Freestyle and B&H won't send it internationally. What a stuff up. You could also make money importing & selling Kodak Selenium toner. Does anyone know of a European online retailer that will ship R09 to Australia for a reasonable postage cost?

 

[polyglot]

I haven't bought any kits yet, I'm doing my research now on what chemicals to buy. I want enough to do E-6, C-41 and RA-4. The bulk chemical packages all seem to be in different sizes that (I assume) are appropriate when you're a lab doing replenishing (at differing rates for each bath) but are kind of annoying if you're trying to start a new process or run things in small batches and then discard due to age rather than exhaustion.

Since I have a CPA-2, I don't need room-temp processing but there are those that will want it.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Hi Andrew,
I went to Vanbars on Wednesday of last week to get some Rodinal and was told that it had been on back order since March. Is there any chance of getting it through you? thanks mate
Mike

Mike, I have a bit of a Rodinal stockpile, so I can probably give you some if you're still desperate. Just let me know.

 

[Wyno]

Thanks Kev,
Andrew has some and is going to sell me a couple of bottles. That should keep me going for a while.
Mike

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Thanks Kev,
Andrew has some and is going to sell me a couple of bottles. That should keep me going for a while.
Mike

Okay, very good.

 

[thegman]

Cheques for online purchases? You must be joking! That hasn't been an option for years — especially with the advent of online live transaction processing that makes cheques redundant. Even cars are bought with a "plastic fantastic" now.

"Shipping only to cardholder address" is a security requirement by the card issuers. If an address does not match and the goods are returned undeliverable or reported as never received, where is your recourse? In a way, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Online purchasing will never be entirely risk-free, secure or painless. Why? The internet was not designed for any three of those, that's why more than 15 years after its birth nothing really goes as smoothly as you hope, but it does work well.

Not joking! And I doubt I could find my chequebook even if I wanted to. Also common is having call with card details, which is no good if I'm ordering after office hours (which I very often am).

Shipping to cardholder address, I guess there is always a risk. As someone who lives in a flat, with a little mailbox outside, I get anything over letter size sent to my work, and carry home. If say Amazon will send to my work, and another shop won't, Amazon gets the business. I do much prefer to buy from an independent reseller, but not if it's a far worse buying experience.

 

[andrewkirkby]

Payments will be processed by one of the following:

ANZ Payment gateway (Amex, Visa, MC, Diners)
Google Checkout
Paypal
Electronic Funds Transfer

As for having to call with card details, that's simply not on. All online businesses should be using payment gateways.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

How reassuring, Andrew.
Besides, somebody from Underbelly might evesdrop on the credit card details if given over the phone.
Scary.
My imagination, I mean...

 

[neilpcraven]

Although most online shops ask for billing address, it seems that in Australia, that data isn't actually checked (yet).

From my experience of implementing RBS's payment gateway internationally, individual shops can choose whether or not to perform the address check and if so, whether to process a transaction that doesn't match (with a risk flag), or whether to reject all transactions that don't match. I think it's similar with Paypal, not sure about ANZ.

The reason that the check isn't mandatory is to cover the scenario such as when a corporate card could be registered to a company's head office, but orders need to be sent to satellite offices or personal addresses. It also allows for banks that have less advanced IT systems, who haven't implemented technology to perform the check or report back the result to the payment gateway.

There's a separate risk check against shopper IP address to see that the order comes from the same country as the card issuer, which carries more weight during risk assessment. (e.g. an order coming from Nigeria with an Aussie credit card).

Back on topic - Andrew, I'd be a willing customer once you're up and running. No special orders, but plenty of the standard bits and pieces

 

[trotkiller]

oh a 403 page!!! How long until the site is live?

 

[ChrisC]

So happy you're using paypal too. Will make ordering things a snap from over here.
I'll be in the market for some 100' rolls and FB 8x10/11x14 soon. Here's hoping you're up and running when I am!

 

[andrewkirkby]

Initially i will be selling through ebay because of the troubles i am having with web designers etc.

I do have some products on their way from the USA which will be available soon.

 

[Athiril]

Not sure if its been asked, but what about Arista Premium 100 and 400? Any bargain stuff like Freestyle?

 

[andrewkirkby]

Yeah, i have a Freestyle order in the pipeline at the moment.

Also, i have a big Kodak order on the way.

HC-110 and new Kodak Portra 400 are in there... as are T-Max reversal kits..

Plus heaps of other stuff.