I have heard several places that buying consistently from a single vendor is a good idea. I was wondering if this applies at all levels of filmmaking, or only if you are spending some substantial bank on products. Specifically, I'm trying to figure out if it's a better plan to drop an extra $70 to get a product that's less than $500 from b&h, or whether I should get it cheaper (but still new) on ebay.
Vendorz
- Thread starter H.Z.
- Start date
eBay vendors come and go, but B&H has been around a long time. They have always given me great customer support.
Another thing to remember is that the $70 dollars saved could mean no batteries, or no case or no cables or no fill-in-the-blank; or could possibly be an Asian or European market version of the product; or even a rebuilt or B-stock unit.
Many of the big reputable vendors ship free or at reduced cost, making up the price difference. Many will also do price matching if you can get them a reliable quote, especially in the current economy.
The biggest reason to stick with one vendor is that in the long run you will save money if you are a consistent customer. When my studio was flooded in '07 my long time relationship with my vendors was invaluable. Both B&H and Sweetwater got me duplicate receipts for all of my purchases and gave me full value estimates for replacement gear that were needed for insurance purposes; and were instrumental in getting me free or reduced cost re-authorizations for thousands of dollars of software.
To sum up:
Are you getting all the included accessories?
Are you getting the correct product?
Will you get warranty support?
Will you get customer support?
How much will you be paying for shipping?
If you are a hobbyist it really doesn't matter where you get your gear. If you are planning on a career just keep in mind that it's all about relationships.
Another thing to remember is that the $70 dollars saved could mean no batteries, or no case or no cables or no fill-in-the-blank; or could possibly be an Asian or European market version of the product; or even a rebuilt or B-stock unit.
Many of the big reputable vendors ship free or at reduced cost, making up the price difference. Many will also do price matching if you can get them a reliable quote, especially in the current economy.
The biggest reason to stick with one vendor is that in the long run you will save money if you are a consistent customer. When my studio was flooded in '07 my long time relationship with my vendors was invaluable. Both B&H and Sweetwater got me duplicate receipts for all of my purchases and gave me full value estimates for replacement gear that were needed for insurance purposes; and were instrumental in getting me free or reduced cost re-authorizations for thousands of dollars of software.
To sum up:
Are you getting all the included accessories?
Are you getting the correct product?
Will you get warranty support?
Will you get customer support?
How much will you be paying for shipping?
If you are a hobbyist it really doesn't matter where you get your gear. If you are planning on a career just keep in mind that it's all about relationships.
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