Eric said:
Hi all
In a similar fashion to the D800 topic I was hoping we could track D4 delivery. I ordered a D4 from B&H on Feb 18. I am not a NPS member. If you have received a D4 from B&H can you pass on your order date and whether or not you are an NPS member?

Thanks

I received the following today:

Dear **** *********:

You placed order #********** on 02/18/12.

One or more items from this purchase are still out of stock as we haven't yet received the merchandise from our supplier. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. We will keep you posted periodically.

We appreciate your patience and patronage. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments about this order.

Thank you.

B&H Photo-Video
http://www.BandH.com

B&H just charged my card for the D4. My order status changed to: "In stock, order sent to warehouse." I am not an NPS member.

Hope this helps everyone. :)

Gilbert

dormant said:
I got an email yesterday from B&H asking me if I wanted to change my D800E order to a D800! It explained the differences and said the D800E is not for everyone.

Does this mean that my D800E is to appear soon?

I think it's because Nikon is requiring suppliers of the D800E to be qualified to inform the buyers about the differences between the 800 and 800E cameras. This is their attempt at informing buyers of the difference.

I got my hopes up also when I first read that I got an email from them. So far I've gotten the previous form-letter four times saying they aren't sure when they'll be shipping the D800E. Haha. Either way, we have to wait until after Passover for them to open up, so everyone else will have started to get their cameras by then anyway. >:(

-Andy

dormant said:
I got an email yesterday from B&H asking me if I wanted to change my D800E order to a D800! It explained the differences and said the D800E is not for everyone.

Does this mean that my D800E is to appear soon?

It could mean a couple of things:
1/ That you'd likely get a D800 sooner if you change your preferance. or
2/ They know more about you than you think. : )

I got an email yesterday from B&H asking me if I wanted to change my D800E order to a D800! It explained the differences and said the D800E is not for everyone.

Does this mean that my D800E is to appear soon?

I got an update from Amazon this morning regarding my D4 order. The estimated delivery date is April 21. I placed my order for the D4 on March 19.

I have not gotten any more information about my order at B&H since my previous post.

Gilbert

I got an update from B&H in response to a phone call and e-mail message, and it basically said they are doing the best they can, but they aren't sure when they will see the next shipment. My client needs me to start now, so I can't wait.

I was supposed to be working with one D800 and one D4, but after discussing their requirements, my client is leaning toward two D800s. The uncertainty at B&H is too much for this project, so I picked up a D800 at a local store today and will leave the pretty much useless D800 pre-order with B&H for now, as I can take delivery in May or June or whenever for the second unit.

Too bad about not getting the D4 I was planning to buy as well. Too bad Nikon did not have enough units to go around. Anyway, I'll set up my non-B&H D800 tonight for a planned day at sea next week.

I got this email for the D4 and I placed my order within 5 minutes of the D4 pre-order page being announced on Nikon Rumors on January 9. I'm not sure exactly when the page went live, but the second I saw it here, I placed my pre-order at B&H. I'm just glad to see that they changed their automated message with more useful information (i.e., they are receiving D4 units).

Gilbert

Gilbert: when did you place your order, I did on 7th @ 9am est.

Your email is better than what I got - regular we don't know.

Thanks

Encouraging change… I got a new email from B&H (different from their “we don’t know when it’s coming email”):

Dear Gilbert

Thank you for your pre-order of the exciting new Nikon D4 digital SLR camera.

Nikon USA has started shipping this camera to us, however we are not able to
fulfill all our customer pre-orders at once due to very limited supply. Rest
assured, we are working with Nikon USA to fulfill all orders and will keep you
informed as soon as we get any further information from Nikon.

Your patience and patronage are both greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,

B&H Photo-Video, and Pro-Audio
*LINK REMOVED*

msmoto said:....This thread is about B & H. My opinion is, and this is supported by the customer service I receive, that B & H is for the professionals who depend on good service and when we need something we need something, NOW. The advantage is, everyone is treated the same. The good, reliable service is given to each customer when at all possible....

Although I am unhappy I did not receive my D800 yesterday, I am not dissatisfied with the communications and the service I have received from b&h. There have been two great local photo shops in my 35 years of enjoying photographs, one in Berkeley, and another in Kyoto. Both are out of business now. The rest of the local photo stores did not really work out for me. I've read anecdotal accounts of finding D800s HERE and NOW at Best Buy and the local Mom and Pop Camera Shop, but the disappointed shoppers don't post about how bad the customer service at Best Buy is, and although I would shop at the local shop here if I could, he went out of business a while back, taking some very expensive gear I had consigned with him as he left town.

So I'm fully prepared to give b&h more time, as I'm not in a race to be first to post an unboxing video. I seek good customer service, and b&h have not disappointed me yet.

Beso said:
You will need to call Customer Service at B&H to cancel your order. They do not accept emails to change an order.

Try this. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=helpcenter&A=getpage&Q=contactForm.jsp&destination=status

I think you can cancel via their email link, but they would prefer you do this via phone so the status of the order can be confirmed prior to the cancellation being discussed. They will take a return as well if the order has been shipped prior to your cancellation.

Kurve702 said:
How do you cancel a pre order from B&H while they are closed for business? Do i have to wait for them to re open or is it automated?

You will need to call Customer Service at B&H to cancel your order. They do not accept emails to change an order.

How do you cancel a pre order from B&H while they are closed for business? Do i have to wait for them to re open or is it automated?

Oh, gosh, before going with B & H last year to order a sizable amount of NIKON equipment, I had been dealing with a local retailer. What I discovered, after years of attempting to support a local shop, was that each retailer has a limited amount of credit they can use with their suppliers, NIKON being like all the rest. What happened with my orders at a local store, where I paid up front to get the merchandise quickly, was the retailer was using my money to run his business. And the several months delay I had in obtaining some lenses and other equipment was due to the retailer not having sufficient credit.

In todays tight economy, some of the small stores may simply not have $30,000 of credit to order six D4 bodies. They most certainly do not want to reveal this. Even some of the large retailers have had their problems and this could also affect how NIKON sends them merchandise.

This thread is about B & H. My opinion is, and this is supported by the customer service I receive, that B & H is for the professionals who depend on good service and when we need something we need something, NOW. The advantage is, everyone is treated the same. The good, reliable service is given to each customer when at all possible.

I want to re-iterate that I understand the frustration folks have with B&H, Adorama, and Amazon. The fact we are willing to spend $3k-$6k on camera in this economic environment reveals we are either a) flippin crazy b) or that we really love Nikon products c) both.

I know we would all love if there were complete transparency with the buying process. We would love to know our spot in line, we want to know exactly when the retailer receives the product, and we want to know the exact time our purchase will be shipped to us and when it will be received. But there are reasons why retailers do not provide that type of transparency, either the retailers does not have sufficient information to provide the specifics we all desire. Or divulging some of that information may result in loss sales for the retailer.

In my opinion I think Nikon has not been that forthcoming with information about when product has been shipped or when it will arrive. After being disappointed with Amazon regarding my D4 order, I wound up searching for a D4 locally. I spoke with many local owners / employees who flatly stated that in many cases they did not have any idea how many units would arrive or when. A few owners stated that D4 were "trickling" in 1 or 2 units at a time. It is hard to provide specifics to customers, when you do not have any certainty when your product will arrive.

In fact, I placed an order for a D4 this past Wednesday at about 10:00am. The sales rep told me he did not know when the next D4 would arrive, but that hopefully it would be within the next week. At 3:00pm that same day, the rep called me and said "guess what....a D4 arrived today. I had no idea we were getting a D4 today, even my boss had no idea". Obviously that was great news for me, but the whole situation confirms my thought that Nikon is not forthcoming with information regarding the D4. We all assume that companies like B&H and Adorama would be provided more details, after all they are large retailers. But the fact is both companies have employed a "we know nothing, about nothing" stance on when their product will arrive. Makes you wonder if the big retailers are receiving any more information regarding their allotment of D800s or D4s than the small local shops....

I have also read comments about why doesn't B&H disclose your spot in the line. As a consumer, that would be great information to have. But from the retailers perspective...I don't know if I would be in a hurry to disclose that information. First of all, even if the retailers did elect to disclose your spot in line how could you ever confirm this information? What if B&H tells you if you place an order with us right now, you would be #25 in line. How would you know that is accurate? Are you truly #25 in line, or are they telling you that so you place your order with them? What if you call Adorama next, and they tell you if you place an order with them you will be #15 in line? Chances are you would place the order with Adorama. B&H would have lost a sale by disclosing your place in line...IMHO there is no incentive for B&H to provide this information to the consumer.

Think about how frustrated people are right that they either do not have their camera or do not know when their camera would arrive? Customers are angry, and they want their cameras. I could see a scenario where retailers start telling customers, "we should receive another shipment of cameras soon, and there are only six people ahead of you. Divulging your spot in line could become a tactic used by retailers to prevent customers from cancelling orders or buying the camera elsewhere. The concept of transparency in the retail process sounds great, but it is also something that could easily be abused.

I hope this does not irritate anyone, but I will tell you all that usually I am at the tail end of the list. I have ordered cars which took over four months to arrive... so I understand the frustration. My thinking about all the delays is in the area of disasters and the possibility that NIKON was conservative in production initially due to the economy and what is obviously an unpredictable market.

If it is helpful, reading the online manual was very exciting for me, but if you already have a D3s, this may not have much to offer. For a D90/D200 user the manual was very helpful and I will go back and continue to read this as the camera has so many great features which can be managed only with some knowledge.

So, B & H, Amazon, Ritz, and all the rest are just trying to figure out how to appease the most folks and not get people too disappointed. Interestingly enough, our degree of disappointment is not in the hands of the dealers, but lies in our level of expectation. When the shipping was not on the 15th as originally scheduled, this was just another delay. Kinda like the delay from last Fall when we were all certain we would see the D4 and have it in our hands for Christmas.

The most interesting thing about NRF is the high level of maturity which seems to be present with almost all the members. These delays are extremely frustrating yet it appears most of us are dealing with this in an adult manner. Like me waiting for the D400. Where is it? I am writing a nasty letter to NIKON Ha, ha, ha.

Personally I am frustrated with the whole process. Nikon has admitted demand far exceeds available stock. Nikon has also apologized. Okay, that is all well and good. Why B&H, Amazon, and others (possibly Nikon)are keeping information secretive is beyond me. If you are No. 1 or No. 1001 in queue, that is where you are. If available supply will only meet 25% or 50% of the pre-orders then that is what it is. I can understand some small shops keeping that information close to the vest because hanging on to a sale is essential business for them. As for the big retailers, they are just as likely to lose a sale over frustration as they are to gain additional sales by being secretive.

Hopefully, all will be forgotten in a month or two but for those of us blindly waiting in some secretive line, frustration will be the order of the day until we receive a shipping notice.

On acumen: Difference between Amazon and B&H is that one is a retail giant selling everything under the sun, the other a niche electronics store know for excellent customer service - thus the expectation from B&H.

I am neither a Nikon fanboy in need for a regular new product "fix" nor a stickler to buy only from one store. In fact I will cancel my order with B&H the moment I find a D800 locally. My bottom line is: once I have allocated resources to a plan, my business interests should not suffer.

I think Nikon is driving its customer base to local network photo stores, with it's new pricing policy implemented last month, and now this. Seems like most people on the main blog who got theirs (other than amazon), was from a nearby brick and mortar store.

It is my mistake though that I did not realize that majority of east coast NPS members would place their orders with B&H, and B&H will give them priority. Going forward, I will keep that in mind as long as I make photo/video purchases.

Nikoner said:
B&H will remain closed from April 6th to April 15th, least they can do is give reassurance to customers who spend 3k/6k on one camera that they will receive their order before or after passover (instead they chose to tell me "sky is blue == however once we receive the camera we will ship the order to you" of course you will ship it to me, you are in the business of selling!), now if you want to be ultra secretive atleast inform your customers whether if they are in top, medium, or lower rung of the waiting list.

If you want to enjoy goodwill of being the largest photo/video retailer worldwide, you should be able to muster some acumen to dictate reliable stock information from Nikon to pass on to your loyal customers (who made you this big).

6k, even 3k is not peanuts.

I guess my question is this...why do you expect B&H to be able to "muster some acumen" with Nikon when the world's largest online retailer (Amazon) cannot seem to get Nikon to provide more specific shipping information? B&H is big...but they do not come close to Amazon's footprint in retailing.

I have to ask one last question. If B&H's lack of information bothers you so much, why are you still willing to give them your business? If you are still willing to make a $3k -$6k purchase despite the lack of specific shipping information, what is the incentive for B&H to put pressure on Nikon to provide better information? B&H knows that despite their lack of specific shipping information, despite the fact that customers may become upset...B&H knows customers will still fork over their money for their precious electronics.

Don't get me wrong, I understand your frustration and appreciate your point of view. I was just as upset when Amazon gave me bogus shipping info for my camera, and then said "just kidding" you will get it sometime before 2014.

I'm simply playing Devil's advocate here...there are reasons that companies like B&H and Adorma feel comfortable playing "we know nothing" game. Either Nikon is not providing the information, so they cannot give what they do not have. Or...even though B&H lacks specifics regarding when the product will arrive and be shipped out, they know diehard Nikon fans have to have their new product fix. You obviously do not like how B&H is handling this situation,and I can respect that. But you don't dislike it enough to take your business elsewhere...and companies like B&H and Adorama are counting on that fact.

B&H will remain closed from April 6th to April 15th, least they can do is give reassurance to customers who spend 3k/6k on one camera that they will receive their order before or after passover (instead they chose to tell me "sky is blue == however once we receive the camera we will ship the order to you" of course you will ship it to me, you are in the business of selling!), now if you want to be ultra secretive atleast inform your customers whether if they are in top, medium, or lower rung of the waiting list.

If you want to enjoy goodwill of being the largest photo/video retailer worldwide, you should be able to muster some acumen to dictate reliable stock information from Nikon to pass on to your loyal customers (who made you this big).

6k, even 3k is not peanuts.

Nikoner said:
The guy I got on the chat was so tight lipped,even FBI would have trouble getting a ETA from him. I hope B&H realizes that when someone spends 3k on a camera they deserve to know better than some vaguely worded email, or flippantly obvious statements like "however once we receive the camera we will ship the order to you."
Thanks!

Should B&H adopt Amazon's practice of providing an estimated shipping date?

There are a number of upset folks (including myself) that Amazon could not meet their own shipping date.

IMHO the problem lies with the information provided to the vendors by the manufacturer. Rather than make promises they potentially cannot keep, B&H and Adorama choose not to provide information they do not have.

Just my two cents....

Mistype sorry, shouldn't was the term. Had an automated response where I was in the queue, I ordered on the eighth so hopefully I'll get it before a years out?

The guy I got on the chat was so tight lipped,even FBI would have trouble getting a ETA from him. I hope B&H realizes that when someone spends 3k on a camera they deserve to know better than some vaguely worded email, or flippantly obvious statements like "however once we receive the camera we will ship the order to you."

So seraj can you reaffirm if you meant that we should expect them before april?

Thanks!

Was just told that they got pushed back and we should expect them before april. :(!!!!