Re: Camera dealers - UK

[Joe Berenbaum <joe-b@dircon.co.uk>]

In article <199702101155.TAA13666@simon.pacific.net.sg>, D Khong
<dkhong@pacific.net.sg> writes
>I have recently been trying to communicate with both Williams of Hove
>and Classic Collection in UK  without any success.

>Classic Collection has never replied to my email communications.  However,
>it's email address is listed in McKeowns.
>
>Has anyone been successful in contacting any of them by email?


Yes, I often buy books from CC, ordering late at night when I'm supposed
to be asleep(!), but because of the unreliability of their present
internet setup I always call by phone the next day to check they got it.
I'd suggest fax would be a good way if you can use it.

I did tell them a couple of months ago that you'd been emailing them and
getting no answer and the person I talked to sounded somewhat bothered
by this; I diplomatically pointed out that the implication of the no-
reply situation was that overseas customers were not wanted. However he
didn't seem to think he could do much to sort the problem; it is
apparently the fault of Demon Internet who installed and "maintain"
their computer hardware and software; they are continually being called
in to fix it and it remains unfixed. I'll call them again and tell the
same thing all over again! I have found Classic Collection to be one of
the better shops in the UK- sometimes quite expensive but for bits and
bobs they can't be beat; very good advice and information on what fits
onto what and (for example) what substitute lens hood to use on Tele-
Elmarit 90- and they had the hood in stock... And they do a proper
guarantee on classic cameras. They are currently giving a full service
to the Ensign Autorange (1950's crf mf folder) I bought from them a
month ago. Most dealers in my experience would not give a real guarantee
on a camera like that. They've even offered to get lenses recoated in
the past- at their own expense. 

I haven't been inclined to buy anything from Williams of Hove lately- I
found that they were sending me stuff that had problems (M lenses that
didn't bring up the frame lines properly, came apart and/or had marked
front elements) and after I returned these faulty items and asked for
something else instead their Arthur Crick got very sniffy with me on the
phone, implying I was at fault and "didn't know what I wanted" when, if
he had bothered to ask why these items had been returned (he didn't know
and didn't seem to think it was important) the matter of who was at
fault would have been entirely obvious. He was quite disrespectful I
felt, overbearing and basically full of crap. I did write to him
pointing out that after that last conversation I did not feel like a
valued customer but still would like to continue buying from them as
long as it was understood that I could return items that were faulty- I
got no reply. On reflection I decided that for the money I was spending
I was not prepared to be treated like that and I now spend it elsewhere.
- -- 
JB