9 Replies Latest reply: Oct 28, 2008 7:54 PM by Wade S Zimmerman RSS

    So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.

    Wade S Zimmerman Community Member
      I am thinking of getting a Nikkor Micro 45mm PC 2.8 lens and though I was able to get the 85 mm and 24 mm version here in New York City it seems the only place that actually has this lens in stock is Ritz and no one else in the country.

      I have never purchased from them and I think several people her have mentioned they have in the past.

      Are they fast in delivery, do the have a good return policy ( I doubt I will return the lens once I have it, the other two lenses worked out extremely well,) are the products all USA warrantee?

      Are their sales people knowledgeable and are they easy to deal with, they seem to be fairly priced and if they are the only ones in town with the is lens then I think if all the above questions are answered nicely then they may be a good source me. If I have a few days to wait on an item.

      Thanks in advance for any experiences you can share abut this supplier.
        • 1. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
          Ann Shelbourne Community Member
          I have used them.

          I knew what I wanted & ordered on line so I have no idea how knowledgeable their mail-order staff may be.

          Shipping was quick. i had no need to return the product so can't comment on their return policies.

          I have also used a local Ritz store and the staff there are helpful and knowledgeable.
          • 2. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
            Allen Wicks Community Member
            Locally (SF) they were pretty sleazy about 15 years ago when I dealt some with SF retail. Their false product-in-stock claims helped me decide that B&H was always the way to go even if it was 3000 miles away.

            I would not believe that they had the
            i exact
            product you want unless I had my hands on the unopened box.
            • 3. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
              Ann Shelbourne Community Member
              Unfortunately B&H don't always have something that you need in a hurry in stock.
              A lot of the Nikon range seems to frequently be on "Back Order" which is why I bought my NIKON 24-70MM F/2.8 ED AF-S lens from RitzCamera.com.

              Actually they were the ONLY people who I could find who had it in stock when I wanted it. They shipped immediately and the lens is covered by US Warranty and is exactly what I ordered and is just fine.
              • 4. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
                Community Member
                I wouldn't be surprised that Ritz had them because those are professional lenses and Ritz is not where professional tend to shop. Ritz is sort of like Kay Jewelers - a mall type store and the last place I'd consider going to.
                • 5. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
                  Ann Shelbourne Community Member
                  >I wouldn't be surprised that Ritz had them because those are professional lenses and Ritz is not where professional tend to shop.

                  Peter:

                  That's a bit of an oxymoron!

                  Why on earth would Ritz stock expensive professional lenses if no professionals ever shop there?!

                  No company would want to carry inventory which they couldn't sell particularly at that price-point.

                  However, when a Google-search reveals that only one on-line catalog store in the country has what I need IN STOCK that's where my order goes!

                  My point, in answer to the question asked, is simply that

                  1. Yes, I have bought from Ritz;
                  2. They shipped my order promptly;
                  3. The lens arrived in perfect condition and is Warranted in the USA.
                  4. I had no problems with the transaction.

                  That's all.
                  :)
                  • 6. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
                    Allen Wicks Community Member
                    >when a Google-search reveals that only one on-line catalog store in the country has what I need IN STOCK that's where my order goes!

                    And my commentary was that in the past Ritz
                    i routinely lied
                    about "in stock." Perhaps now a decade later, online (and with online vendor performance reviews) they are wonderful conscientious vendors, but even today when I walk in to a Ritz store (I can never avoid at least walking in to every camera store) their stores emanate
                    i come hither to get fleeced.

                    Folks that lied to me in the past have lost my business - - permanently. The specific instance that got my ire up was a pro lens that was "in stock" but after I drove an hour to get to the store the salesperson tried to shift me to a kit lens in lieu of the
                    i out of stock
                    pro lens.
                    • 7. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
                      Ann Shelbourne Community Member
                      I must say that if I had driven an hour each way to collect something that was supposedly "in stock" and then wasn't, I would have been more than hopping mad!

                      Another company that does that sort of thing is Adorama once bitten forever shy
                      • 8. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
                        Community Member
                        Yeah Ann, it does seem strange to me why they would carry pro level gear when that's not their main thrust. I've walked into a few of these stores over the years and they're not catering to pros by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe their mail order and online divisions stock the more expensive lenses because it's much easier to connect to various Pricegrabber like sites and move units online. Just surmising.
                        • 9. Re: So is Ritz a good supplier to purchase from.
                          Wade S Zimmerman Community Member
                          Thank yiou I was just asking a questioned to see what your experience was, it seems there were several different experiences.

                          Perhaps other people have ordered from them. I would like to hear from them as well.