Preordering from RitzCamera.com

 

(General notes, and a few FAQs answered.)


A note from Dave:

Shortly after PMA 2002, my premier affiliate RitzCamera.com contacted me to let me know that they were prepared to accept pre-orders for three of the hottest cameras announced at that show, the Canon D60, Nikon D100, and Sigma SD-9. Given the huge demand these new cameras were likely to generate, getting in line early was a very good idea, if you wanted to get one in any sort of a timely fashion: First shipments sold out *really* fast! This continues to be the case, as new, highly desired, cameras are released.

Usually, there's a lot of confusion just as to what the final pricing of these cameras will be once they ship, and in the meantime, Ritz only shows "estimated" prices on their website. Since most models are likely to sell for well below their estimated amount (but may occasionally sell for more than the estimate), I thought it would be a good idea to put up this note, explaining Ritz' policies for handling these orders. Bottom line, you can't find a more reputable outfit than Ritz: In two years now of dealing with them and hundreds of orders by my readers, I've heard exactly one customer complaint regarding a shipment - And that was taken care of quickly and professionally.

Here are all the key points:

 

NO sales tax, Free Shipping
This is standard Ritz policy on all orders above a certain size. No matter where you live in the US, Ritz pays the sales tax for you. (This can be a significant savings on a couple-$K purchase.) (Oh - and note that Ritz ships to Canada also! - But Canadians sadly must pay the appropriate VAT tax when the product enters the country.)

 

Final Prices will likely be Lower
It's no secret that there's a lot of upheaval over pricing for these products. Ritz usually shows conservative prices reflecting what manufacturers had told them early on. Final prices are very frequently lower (often a lot lower), and sometimes slightly h igher. Rest assured that any pre-orders will get whatever pricing Ritz is offering on the products at the time of their shipment, based on their normal margin structure. No premium prices are charged because they happen to be one of the lucky dealers with product, everyone gets treated the same.

 

Standard Ritz low-price guarantee applies.
You'll have to read the fine print on Ritz' site for the official details, but the bottom line is that Ritz will meet any price from an *authorized* dealer of the relevant products. So if you buy any camera and find another authorized dealer selling it for $100 less, Ritz will give it to you for that price. (Again, visit the Ritz site for all the details.)

 

You get to approve the price before it ships
You'll be contacted by Ritz before the product ships, and be asked to approve shipment at that price. Your card isn't charged until the
order ships, and it won't ship without your explicit approval.

 

Your credit card won't be charged until the product ships.
This should be standard for any mail order vendor. Sadly it isn't. It is with Ritz though.

 

All orders shipped strictly first-come, first-served.
No funny business with shipping first stock to new orders at higher prices, then filling pre-orders after demand abates. ALL orders are processed strictly in the order they're received!

 

Standard Ritz money back guarantee applies.
Ritz offers a 30-day money back guarantee with all orders, without restock fees. - *AS LONG AS* the product is in pristine original condition, all packing intact, warranty card not mailed in, etc. - This same policy applies to pre-orders of these products.

 

Your purchase helps support this site!
Ritz is an "affiliate" of ours, so we receive a "commission" on orders placed via links from our site. (You have to click on one of our links to get over there though, so make sure to visit the "Pre-Order" box on our home page for the latest pre-order cameras.)

So there you have it: I'm really confident in recommending Ritz for pre-ordering cameras. You'll be assured of fair, first-come, first-served treatment, will pay a competitive price, and should get your camera way ahead of the masses. - And there's no penalty if you change your mind or decide you don't like the final price. (If I had any money, I'd be getting in line myself! ;-)

 

- Dave Etchells