This is how angry I was when 2 companies screwed up my order

Ever cook an egg on the sidewalk? Remember how Elmer E Fudd would get irate, his feet would lift into the air, his whole head turns red, and a gush of steam comes out of his ears? Well… that’s how I felt yesterday! Not one screw-up on something that’s important to me, but two! I’m about ready to take off on my journey, and really want my new camera… i.e. I’m not leaving without it. Yesterday, I tried to check up on my 2 orders – a Canon 5D Mk II from Provantage (placed on 01/02/09) which I was specifically would not take longer than a week to ship… and one 15mm F2.8 Fisheye lens from FotoConnection (which made me nervous to start with- ’cause they tried to send me the “import” (when you get a lens, you can save $10-$40 by going import instead of USA:  Cheaper parts, no lens cap, no carry case, and no warranty), to which I said I’ll happily pay the $40 extra and get USA)- which apparently also hadn’t shipped! It turns out, they had one in stock, and dropped/broke it.  I hate incompetence… and to top it off, nobody bothered to tell me!  I had to call, and be on hold for over 40 minutes (without ever getting my call taken at Provantage). 

Both places were told to *IMMEDIATELY* cancel the order.  Provantage was told that they’ve lost all future business (I don’t like being on hold for 30 minutes during business hours.. that, and they lied (even if unintentional) to me about when it would ship– I had stressed the urgency of timely shipment.  In Provantage’s defense… everyone’s backordered on 5d Mk ii’s.  So… fast forward to today–  *TWITTER* saves the day!  @PlanetMitch made an announcement for all people looking for 5D mk2 (yeah.. I noticed that I’ve written it like 4 different ways this post already), to go to B&H and ignore their backorder status.  I called B&H, and sure enough, despite showing back-order, they had ‘em!  I paid a little bit more than the other places, and I paid a tiny bit extra for shipping, but I’m getting everything by Friday! *MORAL* ALWAYS order from B&H Photo/Video.  I’ve been ordering from them for years, and they’ve never let me down.  They have super-competitive rates, an amazing selection (especially if you go there in person- my god! It’s like … well.. cliche- but.. being a kid in a candy store! ), and great core values (and they’re closed for the Sabbath).

Getting a 5d Mark 2, the 15mm F2.8 Fisheye lens, extended warranties on both of those, and a Cowon O2 media player… oh yeah, and a battery-grip for the 5d.  I then ordered a 16GB  SD card, and a 32GB CF card from MyDigitalDiscount.com – they always have the best prices on memory, as well as batteries.  I’m just waiting for them to have generic batteries that work with the 5D MK ii — We’re talking a difference in price from $40 -> $7 (on previous batteries… these cost even more I believe).

How cool is B&H?  Unlike the other places, I got WHAT I wanted, WHEN I want it, it went out in the mail the same day — despite that I called 10 minutes before closing, they picked up the phone without making me wait more than a minute, and…. *drumroll* I got 6 months same as cash… so I can conserve funds for things like gas, and food on my journey, which thanks to B&H will leave soon!

If you’d like to learn all sorts of info on the 5D Mark II by Canon, and the latest status, @PlanetMitch actually has a whole site:  Planet5D.com