B&H puts another local camera store out of business (with my help, unfortunately)

"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
Robert Brace wrote:

It still goes on today (Rita's irrelevant diatribes aside). In
Canada, UPS are essentially non-useable. I have had them say I
wasn't home (no response indicated on their radio-controlled delivery
do-dads while I was on the phone with them tracking the package!!).

ALL BULL**** SNIPPED!!

Whoa, Jasper! I think I see your problem. You're one of these ****en
dumb Canucks that think us Americans should kiss your ass by sending your
goods off to you the way you want and lie on declaring its value or label
it as "gift" so you won't have to pay taxes and/or duties. Truthfully,
the only reason a dumb ass cheating Canadian bitches about UPS is because
they have to pay brokerage fees. Fortunately, I learned long ago to never
sell to Canadians that don't have a US based broker or shipping address.
The aggravation isn't worth my time. Rita

My God Rita, what a "Class Act".
Bob

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems Michael Meissner wrote:
Paul J Gans writes:

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems Roy Smith wrote:
Paul J Gans wrote:
B&H is branching out into all sorts of other gear too like computers.
I hope they don't lose sight of their primary business.

I'm guessing their primary business is making money. If they can do that
selling cameras, they'll sell cameras. If they can make money selling
computers, they'll sell computers. You either evolve or become extinct.

Oh, I think they are making money selling camera. Their
"new" businesses are branch-offs from photography. For
example they sell binoculars and spotting scopes. That's
pretty close.

They started selling Apple computers years ago when they were
the preferred choice for folks doing Photoshop and similiar
things. (They now sell Photoshop too.) Since then they've
added other computers.

And they have added iPods and similar as well.

The front to back bit seems reversed at B&H. There's more
room in back and that's where the crowds are -- in the
photography sections.

Well generally you want the main items in the back so that you can tempt people
to buy other stuff as they walk to the back to get what they came for, and
obviously put the impulse items near the cash register.

The checkout section itself is larger than many stores. It
is off by itself.

--
--- Paul J. Gans

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems Michael Meissner wrote:
Charlie Self writes:

On May 26, 1:42?pm, Rita ? Berkowitz ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote:
Oliver Costich wrote:
The real culprit in the demise of the local photo store is Ritz in its
various guises. In south Florida, where there millions of people,
there are about 4 real photo stores and all are more than 25 miles
away (far north or south), if you exclude the Ritz/Wolf ones.

Not really. ?It's all about the bottom line. ?If a store on the internet or
local has the best price on items I want they get my money. ?It's very hard
for local (in state) stores to compete with on-line merchants since the fact
that one can order on-line and not pay any sales tax. ? In most cases, the
savings alone from this is the dealmaker. ?And my local store is great, but
they usually don't have the items I want when I want them. ?Of course, they
could order them, but why when I could do the same and have the item sitting
in my hands the next business day? ?Local shops are a thing of the past.

Rita

Not totally. Shipping blurs the line here. Except for very expensive
items, shipping often equals or exceeds the cost of sales tax, which
we're supposed to be paying anyway.

I would expect that sooner or later, the states will succeed in their quest to
get congress to require internet and mail order vendors to collect sales
taxes.

I'm not sure. By that time there will be few local
vendors left...

--
--- Paul J. Gans

Paul J Gans writes:

In rec.photo.digital.slr-systems Michael Meissner wrote:
Charlie Self writes:

On May 26, 1:42?pm, Rita ? Berkowitz ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote:
Oliver Costich wrote:
The real culprit in the demise of the local photo store is Ritz in its
various guises. In south Florida, where there millions of people,
there are about 4 real photo stores and all are more than 25 miles
away (far north or south), if you exclude the Ritz/Wolf ones.

Not really. ?It's all about the bottom line. ?If a store on the internet or
local has the best price on items I want they get my money. ?It's very hard
for local (in state) stores to compete with on-line merchants since the fact
that one can order on-line and not pay any sales tax. ? In most cases, the
savings alone from this is the dealmaker. ?And my local store is great, but
they usually don't have the items I want when I want them. ?Of course, they
could order them, but why when I could do the same and have the item sitting
in my hands the next business day? ?Local shops are a thing of the past.

Rita

Not totally. Shipping blurs the line here. Except for very expensive
items, shipping often equals or exceeds the cost of sales tax, which
we're supposed to be paying anyway.

I would expect that sooner or later, the states will succeed in their quest to
get congress to require internet and mail order vendors to collect sales
taxes.

I'm not sure. By that time there will be few local
vendors left...

Yes, but the states will be getting their revenue stream. While they might
argue for the local guy, they are just after what they consider their share of
all transactions in the state.

--
Michael Meissner
email:
http://www.the-meissners.org

"Robert Brace" wrote in message
news:87L6i.234490$aG1.166641@pd7urf3no...

"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
Whoa, Jasper! I think I see your problem. You're one of these ****en
dumb Canucks that think us Americans should kiss your ass by sending your
goods off to you the way you want and lie on declaring its value or label
it as "gift" so you won't have to pay taxes and/or duties. Truthfully,
the only reason a dumb ass cheating Canadian bitches about UPS is because
they have to pay brokerage fees. Fortunately, I learned long ago to
never sell to Canadians that don't have a US based broker or shipping
address. The aggravation isn't worth my time. Rita

My God Rita, what a "Class Act".
Bob

Having been born and raised in Bellingham and returning there for 6 years
before moving to Texas, I have always found most Canucks to be gracious
people. Vancouver is a beautiful city.

"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
Michael wrote:

Having been born and raised in Bellingham and returning there for 6
years before moving to Texas, I have always found most Canucks to be
gracious people. Vancouver is a beautiful city.

No doubt there are wonderful people in Canada, it's the handful of them
that
bash UPS because they don't want to pay brokerage fees or try to cheat the
government that aggravate me. I don't understand why they feel us
American's have an obligation to become criminals by falsely declaring
value
on the customs form so they can save a few bucks.

Rita


Not every one gets stellar service from UPS and.Bob said he was declaring
upon re-entry into Canada.

"Michael" lakediver.houston.rr.com wrote in message
...

"Rita Ä Berkowitz" ritaberk2O04 @aol.com wrote in message
...
Michael wrote:

Having been born and raised in Bellingham and returning there for 6
years before moving to Texas, I have always found most Canucks to be
gracious people. Vancouver is a beautiful city.

No doubt there are wonderful people in Canada, it's the handful of them
that
bash UPS because they don't want to pay brokerage fees or try to cheat
the
government that aggravate me. I don't understand why they feel us
American's have an obligation to become criminals by falsely declaring
value
on the customs form so they can save a few bucks.

Rita


Not every one gets stellar service from UPS and.Bob said he was declaring
upon re-entry into Canada.


Michael:
Yes, and not only declaring but when I'm outside of my 24hr or 7day
window paying GST and PST at a total of 13% on invoice.
Brokerage fees have not been charged on UPS air shipments into Canada
for many many moons (if Rita were the expert she/he claims, she/he would
know that. But rational thought might interfere with her/his ravings).
It's UPS' "face to the customer" that is the problem!
Yes Vancouver is a very photogenic city and since moving here (daughter
in Bellingham, as I mentioned) we are enjoying it.
It's also much better if you can ignore the politics.
Bob

On May 26, 11:53 pm, Paul J Gans wrote:
All the while, they grew their web business. In particular
they have paid special attention to their web customers.
Many of you have noted that Henry Posner of B&H is a sometimes
poster in these groups. He used to be even more active
a while back.

There's only one of me, so I have to spread myself among the
newsgroups _and_ the multitude of online web-based forums which have
sprung up.

Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video, Inc.

On May 28, 12:07 pm, "Ron Recer" wrote:
Move to Montana,

Wasn't that Frank Zappa's advice too? Can't go wrong with Frank. :-)

"I might be movin' to Montana soon
Just to raise me up a crop of
Dental Floss..."

- henry

"henryp" wrote in message
oups.com...
On May 28, 12:07 pm, "Ron Recer" wrote:
Move to Montana,

Wasn't that Frank Zappa's advice too? Can't go wrong with Frank. :-)

"I might be movin' to Montana soon
Just to raise me up a crop of
Dental Floss..."

- henry


Ah-yes, Big Sky Country. Spent many happy hours in that part of the world
back in my B&W days. Amazing vistas indeed!
Bob