Warehouse Express

[andy_quantum]

Took RobDickinson's advice about getting a cheap prime and went on the lookout for a 50mm. Had a Bank of America Visa gift card given to me through work which had a $250 value on it

AN Other wouldnt entertain a phone order with it, but the chaps at WE bent over backwards to help out, even though it wasnt much money they still managed to get the order through payments, and ship it to me next day although I'd missed the cutoff by about 15 mins

So thanks Rob, and full marks Warehouse Express. Brilliant service.

[stigmundfreud]

Whorehouse express are excellent, always buy most of my kit through them but use Karlu for some studio stuff. Both companies aer superb and I would only ever entertain buying from either now.

[muppetdave]

I had a great deal with them on my 400D recently, but was quite peeved with their service/customer care I have to say - which was a real shame given all the good things I'd heard about them. Can't know the vfm factor though.

Going to get in trouble as a result of 7dayshop - went on to by an ND filter and ended up spending a load more - need to get home before the mrs to hide the evidence....

[Bigdrift]

stigmundfreud said:

Whorehouse express are excellent, always buy most of my kit through them but use Karlu for some studio stuff. Both companies aer superb and I would only ever entertain buying from either now.

congratulations , you are contributing to the slow death of independant camera shops everywhere but hey your saving money so its not all bad, news flash warehouse express are not always cheaper !!!!!!!!!!!

[stigmundfreud]

Bigdrift said:

stigmundfreud said:

Whorehouse express are excellent, always buy most of my kit through them but use Karlu for some studio stuff. Both companies aer superb and I would only ever entertain buying from either now.

congratulations , you are contributing to the slow death of independant camera shops everywhere but hey your saving money so its not all bad, news flash warehouse express are not always cheaper !!!!!!!!!!!

I get a faultless service from them so I use them - I do, as it happens, use T4 Cameras too based in Swindon. But show me a good local cheap indipendant camera shop as they do not tend to exist. T4 are probably as close to a good local service you are talking about. The indipendants I do know are typically unrealistic with their pricing.

The only people contributing to the slow death are usually the shops themselves.

You could hardly class Karlu as a massive chain, they are a small company based over Cambridge way.

[andy_quantum]

Bigdrift said:

stigmundfreud said:

Whorehouse express are excellent, always buy most of my kit through them but use Karlu for some studio stuff. Both companies aer superb and I would only ever entertain buying from either now.

congratulations , you are contributing to the slow death of independant camera shops everywhere but hey your saving money so its not all bad, news flash warehouse express are not always cheaper !!!!!!!!!!!

I know you werent quoting me, but seeing as I'm here....

It's not always about the price, in my case it was service driven; they were willing to do something that another shop wasnt.

Who are WE doing out of business? I'm new to the photography world and wouldnt mind knowing where the odd diamonds can be found

[agent006]

Bigdrift said:

slow death of independant camera shop

Define independant. Who are WH dependant on?

[Bigdrift]

Quinny said:

Bigdrift said:

congratulations , you are contributing to the slow death of independant camera shops everywhere but hey your saving money so its not all bad, news flash warehouse express are not always cheaper !!!!!!!!!!!

Agreed, I think we should all go to small independants and pay through the nose

do you really 'pay through the nose" ??


or is it that you are unwilling to pay a fair price for good service and a good product ??

[Bigdrift]

agent006 said:

Bigdrift said:

slow death of independant camera shop

Define independant. Who are WH dependant on?

independant ie not a chain ie jessops , curry's , any high street multiple


in slashing prices to take business from these large chains it has a knock on effect on the smaller retailer who have staff who know the products they are selling and will find what is right for the customer and not what they feel like selling that day

[stigmundfreud]

Bigdrift said:

agent006 said:

Bigdrift said:

slow death of independant camera shop

Define independant. Who are WH dependant on?

independant ie not a chain ie jessops , curry's , any high street multiple


in slashing prices to take business from these large chains it has a knock on effect on the smaller retailer who have staff who know the products they are selling and will find what is right for the customer and not what they feel like selling that day

clearly you have never once used Warehouseexpress - phone them, their knowledge is bloody brilliant typically staffed by photographers not just sales staff. As for locals they have been long dead - show me one that isnt part of a chain. Jessops saw to that, not me. I do use a small chain, T4 who are excellent, but for a lot of stuff Warehouse cannot be beaten - both on knowledge or service.

Same with Karlu, I'd class both warehouse and Karlu as indipendants as it goes. As for the local indipendantes that cannot compete it is typically because in the past they used to royally take the piss with their pricing structure. OK they can never compete with massive chains and personally I hate the effect of supermarkets but dont go giving it to me that I am slowly killing the small local shop, they were killed many years ago.

[Byker28i]

Another big up for T4 cameras.
Sometimes it only works out as a few quid more, if you include postage, and I get to check it out with my grubby mits forst.

They also have a good range of second hand kit. I got a 2 week old EFs 10-22 for just over £300

[stigmundfreud]

Byker28i said:

Another big up for T4 cameras.
Sometimes it only works out as a few quid more, if you include postage, and I get to check it out with my grubby mits forst.

They also have a good range of second hand kit. I got a 2 week old EFs 10-22 for just over £300

Stuff like smaller (ooh I forgot to buy that) I just pop up and get. They are very good for filters at the minute plus I got good prices on my speedlights from them. Nice blokes that know their stuff. Same as WE, they know their stuff if you have questions to ask

[Bigdrift]

Quinny said:

Bigdrift said:

Quinny said:

Bigdrift said:

congratulations , you are contributing to the slow death of independant camera shops everywhere but hey your saving money so its not all bad, news flash warehouse express are not always cheaper !!!!!!!!!!!

Agreed, I think we should all go to small independants and pay through the nose

do you really 'pay through the nose" ??


or is it that you are unwilling to pay a fair price for good service and a good product ??

Yep you really pay through the nose.

Yes I'm willing to pay a fair price. I'm not willing to pay over the odds

I've saved hundreds and hundreds by buying on line, or from abroad. Long may it continue.

If the small independants can't or won't price match, tough I'll go elsewhere. And am happy todo so

what do you consider 'over the odds' ?

if you were in business would you be happy to sell a top selling product say a canon digital slr if you were making only a few pounds (and i mean a few pounds) ?? i doubt it

[agent006]

I believe that you're referring to is called "competition". If your business is so much more inefficient than your competitors that it removes your profit down to a few pounds then you're doing it wrong.

[Bigdrift]

agent006 said:

I believe that you're referring to is called "competition". If your business is so much more inefficient than your competitors that it removes your profit down to a few pounds then you're doing it wrong.

'my' profit is being squeezed by lots of factors and not due to any inefficient practices on 'my' part

i have nothing against fair competition,but the pile it high sell it cheap mentality does no one any favours and only harms business


trouble today is the camera buying public wants to have the cake and to be able to eat it , without worrying about the future consequences of their 'i want it as cheap as i can get it" mentality


maybe its just me, maybe its time to give up the job i love and throw away all the knowledge i have built up over the years and not care about trying to do my best and provide the best service i can for 'my' customers

[stigmundfreud]

I know the problems with buy it cheap and the concequence and for what it is worth if there was a decent local dealer I would use them, luckily there is for me 2 decent locals and both get my business. But Warehouse is not pushing these places out of business. Warehouse have internet presence and tehre is absolutely no reaso a local cannot either, also no excuse not for having a web persence.

If a business fails, unless it is due to unfair competition where a large chain sells at a loss to drive someone out, they have no excuse. There are pleanty of indipendants doing a good trade via ebay, I stopped using them purely because of lazyness - also I wanted to ensure I was getting UK warranty stock after saving £30 from an indipendant only to find my L lens was a USA one = no warranty.

[agent006]

Bigdrift said:

'my' profit is being squeezed by lots of factors and not due to any inefficient practices on 'my' part

So why are your factors only affecting '"''you'"'", and not everyone else?

[_dobbo_]

This thread has gone insane.

Bigdrift said:

'my' profit is being squeezed by lots of factors and not due to any inefficient practices on 'my' part

I have nothing against fair competition,but the pile it high sell it cheap mentality does no one any favours and only harms business

It may harm 'your' business but it doesn't harm me. I like to support local businesses but I'm not a mug.

Around 18 months ago I was in the market for some equipment. I knew exactly what I wanted, and when I went to a local independant they quoted me £4k. I found the same kit online for £2700 - it got delivered the next morning.

Should I subsidise a local camera shop because they are local? To the tune of 50% on top of what I could pay elsewhere?

If you can afford to do so, you are clearly making far too much money from selling cameras.

Bigdrift said:

trouble today is the camera buying public wants to have the cake and to be able to eat it , without worrying about the future consequences of their 'i want it as cheap as i can get it" mentality

What future consequences?

Besides all that, correct me if I'm wrong but you work for the London Camera Exchange in Gloucester.

One of 30 branches of a UK wide company? And you're taking pot shots at Warehouse Express?

Edited by _dobbo_ on Saturday 16th February 23:30

[Bigdrift]

_dobbo_ said:

This thread has gone insane.

Bigdrift said:

'my' profit is being squeezed by lots of factors and not due to any inefficient practices on 'my' part

I have nothing against fair competition,but the pile it high sell it cheap mentality does no one any favours and only harms business

It may harm 'your' business but it doesn't harm me. I like to support local businesses but I'm not a mug.

Around 18 months ago I was in the market for some equipment. I knew exactly what I wanted, and when I went to a local independant they quoted me £4k. I found the same kit online for £2700 - it got delivered the next morning.

Should I subsidise a local camera shop because they are local? To the tune of 50% on top of what I could pay elsewhere?

If you can afford to do so, you are clearly making far too much money from selling cameras.

Bigdrift said:

trouble today is the camera buying public wants to have the cake and to be able to eat it , without worrying about the future consequences of their 'i want it as cheap as i can get it" mentality

What future consequences?

Besides all that, correct me if I'm wrong but you work for the London Camera Exchange in Gloucester.

One of 30 branches of a UK wide company? And you're taking pot shots at Warehouse Express?

Edited by _dobbo_ on Saturday 16th February 23:30

yes you are wrong

[_dobbo_]

Bigdrift said:

yes you are wrong

Ah right, my mistake. Unless there is a different Tony Hurcombe working in a camera shop in the South West.

http://www.lcegroup.co.uk/index_location.php?branc...



Still, don't let that knock you off your high horse.

You didn't justify why I should pay 50% over the odds either, I'm guessing because you can't?

Edited by _dobbo_ on Sunday 17th February 09:49