Adorama
reviews and complaints

I have purchased a camera from Adorama and the one I received was defective and it was not working properly. When I contacted Adorama customer service they said that I can get a replacement and everything seemed fine, until later they said that my camera was no longer in stock. They said that I can pick another one if I want to. I refused and asked for a refund.
So I sent the defective item back and soon received my money. I'm very disappointed with the quality! I needed that camera for a trip and with all that run around I was left without a camera.

I purchased a high def. music player online from Adorama.com on 10th of December. Now it is16th of December. When I bought it the seller was offering 1-3 days shipping method. I chose it. There was a friend of mine would come to my country on Wednesday and take the item to me. Now it is too late. And the item is stil on the way to the destination. I am very disappointed and sad. I do not know how to get the item now. I had trusted their claim of 1-3 days of delivery. Order Number: [protected]

I ordered 8 packs of Sony DVD-R 100's online. This was my second order with this company. The first order arrived and most of the packs were damaged due to poor packaging. Before I placed the second order I contacted the company and told them of my experience and to make sure the second order arrives undamaged. They said they would. Well the second order arrived a few days ago and 5 of the 7 cases were damaged. THIS COMPANY JUST DOESNT CARE! Sure, they will come and pick them up and ship me another package... but the inconveninece of having to wait another week or so for something I ordered because I needed them NOW... is inconvenient

What a horrible experience. Their arrogance is unmatched by their ability to lie and deceive along they way. They tell you what you want to hear and have no problem in breaking promise after promise. To make matters worse they charged my debit card an additional $1500+ without even telling me. No apologies, just more arrogant responses. Adorama is not to be trusted. If you choose to do business with them I recommend you use extreme caution. Especially the Used and Trade department. It took them 3 months to deliver on their original two week promise. See below response of what is sure to be more lies.

Adorama declines rebates claiming mismatched UPCs when the item was ordered directly from their online store. Their customer service is a total joke and will lie and misdirect you just to get you off the phone. This is a straight up illegal scam. They are stealing money from people!

I was so angry after I have registered on the website www.adoramapix.com. I created account and uploaded photos, and my photos were popular. But 3 days ago, when I tried to upload new photos, the website showed error. I got warning email from the moderators, who asked me to check my photos and select more appropriate. I didn’t understand what he has said and tried again, but they blocked me. My photos were as usual, no naked people, no violence. Why have they blocked me?

I ordered an item from Adorama on Feb 23rd and then went to the web site to check on my order 4 days later. My order was not found anywhere but my money had come out of my checking account. I tried to contact Adorama by email but got no response from them. I called them several time and finally got a hold of someone and was told they did not show an order from me. I placed the order again on the 27th of Feb and I am still waiting for it to arrive as of Mar 5th. They advertise 1 to 3 day shipping…that is a lie. Adoramas customer service is a joke and they do not care about their customers. They have not tried to resolve my issues. I will take my business somewhere else and I recommend you do too.

I ordered a canon speedlite 430 exii on december 10, 2012 and received it in a timely fashion; however, after I opened the inner box, I found that the built-in wide panel had been damaged. I returned the item using my own money and waited for a response from them. I had to call them six times to ask what was going on, as well as for a replacement. They told me they were working on replacing my item, but could not guarantee a time limit. I told them I had a shoot in three days and needed the replacement in two, which was entirely possible seeing as how they took my money in less than a day and sent out the original damaged goods in one day. The customer service person, the third one I had spoken to, told me that they could not guarantee this as it was not their policy (Which is an eight business day turnaround). I then told the girl that I wanted a refund, which she replied that it would take up to three business days to do so.
Do yourself a favor and go to another reputable dealer - one who will keep their promises and not send you damaged goods. Adorama is out for nothing but money from the consumer and does not care about you after they get your money, which, unfortunately, is most business these days. Go somewhere else or get burned by adorama! It's your choice!

Adorama offered a free POGO cloud (they stated it was valued at $149) in a bundle with Adobe Photoshop on BRADSDEALS. Because there was no weekend customer support, I sent a note containing the BRADSDEALS offer and said I wanted to ensure they included the cloud with the order, which I placed because it was such a good deal with the cloud. Instead of verifying that they were not honoring the free offer, they sent me a note that they had shipped Adobe Photoshop and I could get the cloud free if I bought a warranty ... with no mention of the different offer on BRADSDEALS. I put a comment on BRADSDEALS that Adorama did not honor their offer, and BRADSDEALS withdrew it from the website, but no one responded to my comment, although I copied Adorama. I'm not sure that I'll keep their product, but I definitely will not recommend this site.

I have made a purchase of over $1000 on Adorama.com and used the visa gift certificate promotion of adorama. I received $50 gift certificate (maximum amount of the promotion). I used it once for a $19.99 product. When I was trying to use it again, I found that $30 left in the gift certificate was gone.
I was told by the customer service that the so called gift certificate of Adorama is only good for 'one time' use. I did find these in section of 'terms and conditions' lengthy and in small fonts towards the end of email delivering the 'gift certificate'.
I tried to request a $30 gift certificate since apparently adorama tried its best to mislead consumer to call a one-time coupon a 'gift certificate' without specifying the most important 'terms' in an obvious place. I was denied three times by different customer-no-service personnel.
So, Adorama is trying to allure consumer by its 'gift certificate' promotion, then rips off us. Adorama doesn't have customer service! Be Careful with this company!

Placed an order with adorama for a photography studio kit from manfrotto. The pieces in the kit were "sold as kit only" yet when we got our shipment we only had 1/2 of the kit. The other half was on back order. Needing these items very quickly I called up their customer service and they said they did not have an e. T. A. From the manufacturer. They said they would call manfrotto and find out when it should arrive and call me back that do. No call. Went through entire process the next day, same process. No call. After a couple more times of this I called manfrotto myself and they said all they need is a p. O. Number. Called back adorama. First try, they did not have access to p. O. Number and had no way to get it. Second time (Same person) "oh yeah, we have that in our system". Got p. O. Found out shipping date. Got tracking number and info (From manfrotto) and called adorama when products arrived there to see when we could get them. Adorama had no idea what the e. T. A. Was since it was on back order. I provided them with manfrotto's phone number (Found through google), the contact person and their extension, the p. O. Number, the tracking number and the courier's name. They said they would check with manfrotto and call me back. No call. Now almost a month later I am ready to cancel our order, ship the 1/2 back that they sent us and buy from someone else. Our studio has been held up long enough.

I purchased a brand new Konica Minolta printer magicolor 1600W from adorama.com. It arrived to me as broken, and would not print the colors as expected. My understanding, as a retailer, adorama.com is responsible for customer service, but they refused straightly. They left me to deal with manufacturer. I wonder why they call themselves retailer if do not take responsibility for replacing the DOA stuff. However, I ended up wasting more than 2 hours with manufacturer, but still not solved. I guess now I have to get a refurbished printer in spite of paying the price of new printer. Adorama is lier and thief, some of their attitude:

1. They dont honor their 30 day return policy. Out right lier.
2. Their free shipping is not really free, if you even want to return a DOA item, they charge 40 USD for it.
3. They are not retailer, they just recycle the second hand items (my printer box was already open and re-sealed)
4. Its worth spending few extra bucks at amazon, buy.com or new egg, who just send the RMA with once sentence email.

Buyers, I just burnt my 120 bucks, hope this review will save yours. Best of luck.

Worst company ever! Will never shop with them again. They claim to help and make them selves look good on these complaint sites but they are horrible. They are all connected and defend eachother. Such a phony company. B&h is the place to go!

One year ago, I purchased an Epson printer (R1900) from Adorama (42 West 18th St., NYC). I telephoned customer service twice and wrote one return-receipt letter, each time requesting a techie to synchronize my monitor and printer (three professional photographers had been unable to repair the difficulty). Each time of attempted contact, I stated that I expect to pay for the techie. Adorama never responded to my requests (and, never explained why they could not help).
Dr. MW, New York City

Based on the info provided on their website, and I quote: "Q: How long will it take to get my book? A: Photo book orders may take up to 7 lab production days to process. Remember to also allow for shipping time, which depends on the shipping method and distance from our NYC headquarters." I ordered 2x photo books on 11/23/2010. It was explained to me that at the latest my books would be sent out to me 12/3/2010. It's now 12/10/2010 and after speaking with an unusually unsympathetic and indifferent customer service representative (Kate) this morning I've lost all hope that I will receive my books in time as promised.
Four days ago (Monday, 6/12/2010) I called and was told that one of my two photo books (ordered at the same time, same order) was finished but the second was still being processed, I was told it wouldn't take more than a day or two at most for the second to be finalized and then shipped out to me. So, two days later (Wednesday, 12/8/2010) I called again when I noticed my order status was still indicated as "pending" and spoke to Veronica. Veronica sympathized and told me that it should definitely have been completed at that time, that she could not understand what the hold up was, and that she would personally go to the printers and have them move my order to the top of the queue, she also told me that she would have it sent to me via UPS overnight service at no charge to me. Furthermore, I explained to Veronica that I was trying to have these photo books done as a Christmas present to my folks in South Africa and that shipping usually takes around 2-3 weeks due to slow postal services in SA. She assured me that my books will be sent out immediately...
So, here we are today another two days later and same scenario - status still reads "pending" and todays call put me through to Kate, who informs me: "It's the holidays, just bear with us" and " that representative you spoke to is new and doesn't know how things work here" (is that my problem or yours Kate? At least she tried to put in an effort, which is more than I can say for you). Well Kate, maybe you should update your website and have it read: "Q: How long will it take to get my book? A: Photo book orders may take UP TO 7 lab production days to process [except that most of the time we're unable to fulfill our orders on time - we're not really equipped to handle large quantities of orders at any given time. So if you think your order might be placed during a time where we might be busier than normal bear with us and triple the turnaround time]."

I've been a customer at Adorama for quite a few years now but this has been my final purchase, recently I had another issue with a Nikon module on my Metz flash (purchased from Adorama's used department) where they sent me a defective unit and I had to shoot a wedding without the appropriate module on my flash.

When I order photo books or other photo products for clients as well as for personal use from Nation's Photo Lab or WHCC or even B&H (Kellards) they always process and arrive on time and the quality is consistently impressive. As a provider of these products in a competitive market, Adorama will need to pull up their socks to become truly competitive and learn to employ friendly, courteous staff who are interested in assisting clients and resolving issues. It also doesn't hurt to remember never to over promise if there's a chance you might not be able to deliver. Rather under promise and over deliver, you'd be surprised how much return business you'll generate. Be professional and remember who keeps the boat afloat... That would be your customers Kate, in case you forgot.
Lastly Kate, I'm not interested in how flawed or incapable the system is where you work. I just want my purchase - I want it how you promised and when you promised it, keep me out of your politics because I'm just not interested.

And the supervisor you transferred me to and I left a message for still hasn't contacted me back, even after I left a message on her voicemail and sent her an email ([protected]@adorama.com). AWESOME service!

Hello Applicant,

I got your resume and it has been reviewed, I did appreciate it, So I will give this a GO ! I am happy to inform you that after close consideration with your resume, you have been accepted and given provisional appointment. Below are our company details and personal data for you review, please be reminded that you cannot share this information with a third party.

Business Name:ADORAMA INC.
Dun and Bradstreet # [protected]
Type of Entity: CORPORATION
Federal Tax ID#:[protected]
Registration ID: 453033

I'm looking for someone that can be trusted and reliable to work very well with good understanding.
This position is home-based and flexible, working with me is basically about instructions and following them, my only fear is that I may come at you impromptu sometimes, so I need someone who can be able to meet up with my irregular timings.As my Personal Assistant, your activities amongst other things will include;
*Running personal errands, supervisions and monitoring. Scheduling programmes, flights and keeping me up to date with them. Acting as an alternative telephone correspondence while I'm away. Making regular contacts and drop-offs on my behalf. Handling and monitoring some of my financial activities..
Basic wage is $400 Weekly excluding Gas expenses and compensations.

I'm sure you'll understand I tend to have a very busy schedule at this point, as I am presently in the Greece, I will be back in three Weeks. We will set up a formal interview as soon as i am back in the states.This position will be in Georgia as we are opening a new branch in Georgia,
Please note that this position is not office based for now because of my frequent travels and tight schedules, it's a part-time work from home for now and the flexibility means that there will be busier weeks than others. I have been checking my files and i'll need you to run some errands for me this week. I will have some funds sent to you to complete the assignment, i will get you more information on that, I will like you to get back to me with your Contact Details such as:
Personal Information
First Name:
Last Name:
Address:
City:
State:
Age:
Zip Code:
Sex:
Residential Phone Number:
Mobile:

The employee, acknowledged the Detailed Job Description
and signed___________ _____________________
(First Name and Last Name of Employee)

Kindly respond with requested details . Once I have received your contact information, I will get back to you with the task for this week.

Thanks in anticipation of your prompt response.

Best regards,

Auditing Manager,
Michael Pardon
ADORAMA INC.

Hi,

I purchased a brand new Konica Minolta printer magicolor 1600W from adorama.com. It arrived to me as broken, and would not print the colors as expected. My understanding, as a retailer, adorama.com is responsible for customer service, but they refused straightly. They left me to deal with manufacturer. I wonder why they call themselves retailer if do not take responsibility for replacing the DOA stuff. However, I ended up wasting more than 2 hours with manufacturer, but still not solved. I guess now I have to get a refurbished printer in spite of paying the price of new printer. Adorama is lier and thief, some of their attitude:

1. They dont honor their 30 day return policy. Out right lier.
2. Their free shipping is not really free, if you even want to return a DOA item, they charge 40 USD for it.
3. They are not retailer, they just recycle the second hand items (my printer box was already open and re-sealed)
4. Its worth spending few extra bucks at amazon, buy.com or new egg, who just send the RMA with once sentence email.

Buyers, I just burnt my 120 bucks, hope this review will save yours. Best of luck.

thanks
Deepak

Adorama Camera sold me a binocular with both internal prisms cracked, problem that the shop refuses to admit, affirming by email and by phone that they do not sell damaged products, or that the fault is not theirs.

I refused the product, and returned it to UPS, in order to have my duties' money back, what UPS actually refunded. Adorama refused to repatriate the product, in reason of the costs implied, and pleading that I should have returned it under "Warranty repair and exchange or Vendor repair", what I did not do, because Brazilian laws do not allow such kind of shipment from here, as I was informed by UPS, besides the fact that it will imply for me more duties. The point is: I refused the product not because I did not want it, but because there was a problem whose fault is not mine, but Adorama's, and I initiated a damage claim because it was the only legal way I had to ship the product back to Adorama.

The shop insists in the blind reading of their website's text, which says "In the event a shipment is refused and returned, any taxes, duties, custom fees, brokerage fees or shipping charges incurred from this return, will be the responsibility of the customer", but if it would aply to a cracked product also, it means that any Adorama's fault will cost to the consumer at least the loss of his duties' money. Since I cannot legally ship to them the product in the way they requested, in fact they force me to choice between two options, both implying losses: or only my duties refund, or remain with a cracked binocular.

In other words, instead of investigate and put the blame on the responsible for the crack, to whom these costs must be ascribed, Adorama insists in this grievance against consumer's rights, understanding that what I did was a frivolous refuse, without taking its own charge. After a lot of emails, and two long and ineffective phone calls, it makes three months that I do not have neither the product, nor my money back (US$ 770.80), the only thing I want.

I have been an Adorama customer for many years - live and work nearby so have used the store. Since they expanded, I find the store experience frustrating - long waits. BUT I have discovered the gold mine of Adorama - Ray Garcia! I phoned to ask about the Canon EOS 5d, within an hour he had messengered it to me. Needless to say, the camera is great and I look forward to more great service.

They offered for sale on their website - a blister pack of 2 'n' batteries for $1.50/ea
I ordered 10. They shipped 10 single battery packs - and then told me that they are not responsible for pictures on their website.
I expected 10 2-packs (20 batteries) and they sent 10 single packs (10 batteries) and refused to send the other 10 batteries.
So they think it is ok to show a 2-pack on their website - that a customer clicks this item and they send 1 - pack and that is ok.
They are not to be trusted