I feel like I am getting the run-around...
 

After a post yesterday I was helped greatly. I was choosing between a 3CCD (panasonic consumer) Vs an HD (HDV-HC1) It was suggested and understood that I should get an HD.. It was suggested that I consider the HVR-A1U. (Same body as HC1 with an CMOS chip)

So after price shopping. I place an order. ($1449) Turns out... No Battery, No cables, Nothing!.. Just the body. OH Ya, and that price is after rebate!, This was not at all clear anywhere on their site. (DIRTY) Luckily I was able to cancel the order...

Sony is offering a $500.00 rebate on this item. So $2000 (minus the $500) is still within what I am willing to spend...

Also, it is strange that when I called Sony, They do not even sell their own products. I have to buy it from somebody else. Is that normal?

What I need is a reputable, quality, good price retailer.


Any suggestions?

Sony, JVC, Canon, etc do not sell direct. You MUST go thru a dealer. What you experienced is called a "Gray Market" sale. They rarely come with warranties, never with a manufacturer warranty, and you get ripped off from every angle. Buy from a real dealer. There are several sponsors of the DVInfo.net, such as B&H, ZotzDigital, and others. I recommend you contact them.
Bear in mind that the sweetness of the low price is quickly forgotten when you find yourself without warranty, support, or proper accessories.

stick with the dvinfo sponsors. unless you have prior knowledge and experience with other vendors, you can get bit by all kinds of scams.

another way to save a few bucks is to buy used from here. i've bought lots of used equipment and saved lots of money. i doubt i'll ever buy a new camera again because there's so much good used equipment available, and when you shoot primarily outdoors, it gets beat up anyway. place a WTB ad or look over what people are offering. especially for a trip down the Grand Canyon, where your camera will take a beating (i know, i've done it....). in addition to the obvious big water, there is silt everlasting on that trip. gets in everything...

ditto- to everything DSE said and more...

...many of those Gray Market sellers are truly not interested in selling cameras - their goal is to sell 3rd party warranties and over-priced camera accessories. The camera is just the upsell lure. Many use hard-sell tactics and if you tell them you just want to buy a camera and nothing else their whole attitude changes.

A longtime ago I tried to purchase just a camera from one of these dealers without any accessories or warranties and the camera suddenly became a 6 week lead-time item. I've never given a penny to any one of those companies and I never will.

Thank You Both
 

Thanks. I bit the bullet and went to B&H Spent much more than I hoped but I am sure I'll love what I get..

Yes Meryem, I have also done the trip once before.. Silt Forever is no exageration. But I don't want to miss a moment, It is a chance I am willing to take..

I appreciate this Site and the people a great deal..

Thanks

Also, YES you can buy from sony thru Sonystyle, that's where I have bought most of my Sony equipment from including SONY Warranty!

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE..._camcordershop

best of all is that if you *don't* love what you get, someone on the other end will do something about it...

best of luck on your adventure. wave hello to that giant wave in the middle of "crystal" for me, if it's still there....i'm so envious....

You can only buy consumer goods from the Style store, none of the professional products like the above referenced A1 are available.
HUGE difference in product support, and of course, differences in the products themselves.

Yes, that's a link to Sony Professional Broadcast. And you can't buy on that site without meeting extremely stringent requirements. Which is why there is no "buy now" button, but rather a "Dealer list, Rental house list, demo house list" on the related pages.
None of the major cam companies sell direct. They'd be shooting themselves in the foot to do so.

Sure, why not buy from SonyStyle? They sell the FX1 for $3,700 and the VX-2100 for $3,000. They don't carry the HC1 anymore.

OTOH, you might prefer B&H's price of $3,000 for FX1 or $2,250 for the VX plus a $75 rebate and some free software. Currently both Sonystyle and B&H list the HC3 for $1,700, but once that camera gets into circulation I'm sure we'll see B&H drop below Sony's price.

Actually it's fairly common to see pricing like this for all kinds of products. The manufacturer isn't going to sell for less than their dealers or they would have a mutiny...