where there’s smoke there’s forum fire
I wonder if B&H allows people (celebrities etc) to jump to the top of the list.
On Mar 30 2012, Greta Van Susteran from FoxNews was looking for a Nikon D800.
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By April 20 2012,She is already using one. Thanks to B&H Photo:
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This sucks.
I pre-ordered mine on Feb 8th from B&H, and today I am still waiting for one.....
Now you know why these online sellers say that they cannot disclose the list to us - the poor souls. Right? That is how the old saying was invented: "The first rule of fight club is - dont talk about the fight club". Replace "fight club" with "pre-order list" and you got what you need.
Fame has a fickle friend. May be this is one of them!
What about those two BH mugs? Are you going to get them too? :-) Yay! BH gives away free mugs (two of them - if you haven't noticed!) with D800!!
I don't know exactly how Greta Van Susteren came by her D800. Maybe someone voluntarily gave up their place in the queue, maybe not. But, if it is the maybe not, then I despise the retailer for acting unethically. If someone volutarily gave their spot to Ms. Van Susteren then the transaction is legitimate and ethical. And, maybe the camera gear was loaned to her. We do know that fame and fortune seems to always have its privileges. If B&H was the provider of the equipment it appears they (and Nikon) probably derived thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in free advertising.
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Beso said:
I don't know exactly how Greta Van Susteren came by her D800. Maybe someone voluntarily gave up their place in the queue, maybe not. But, if it is the maybe not, then I despise the retailer for acting unethically.
My guess is that Nikon marketing made an extra D800 available to her via B&H, not affecting anyone in the waiting queue.
It wouldnt bother me if it was Nikon who provided Greta the D800.
But when B&H starts a pre-order queue, there is an implicit agreement that they would fulfill the order on a first come first served basis, not more famous, served first.
Bob Vishneski is an idiot if he really thinks that getting spokespersons like Greta will reduce the cost of the camera. It will raise Nikons sales and profit. But this exposure plus nikon's imcompetent supply chain management surely has brought them a lot of ill will.
I, for one, will not order from B&H again.
Look, the news folks have connections like we do not even understand..... just trust me on this one. And, while NIKON may not be able to say they gave a camera away, or supplied the camera, these things happen. There is so much which goes on in this world we do not know about. I used to travel around the country on a motorcycle. Stayed in one hotel chain regularly and accumulated an incredible number of points on the "program". Well, I would check in and instead of a regular room, like what I paid for, I got the one with the hot tub. Never asked, just was given the room. I did not even know they had these rooms until all of a sudden, this was what they gave me. We live in a world which is based on the "good old boy" system. All companies, including NIKON are sensitive to the power of the press. If they have an opportunity to get a NIKON out there instead of a Canon, well.... The Olympics are going to be interesting to see what everyone is shooting. Maybe they will all be "black" lenses, ha, ha, ha..... stuck on the end of D4s.
Of course, I must confess, I am posting this as I hold my D4, so if you wish to dish me, be my guest....
Oh, one may order from anyone they like..... B & H will always be at the top of the list for overall service. That is why they are who they are.
I'd not be happy however I understand their desire to make a (likely) large customer (the company she works for) happy.
Only the young and liberal do not understand that things are NOT always "fair". /shrugs
MSMOTO;
I agree with most of what you have stated. However, bragging about the D4 in your possession, well, I would have ended before that statement, as you are making yourself look like you are elite.
Nikon has two problems, first is supply and demand, they are unable to meet the supply based on the demand. So the solution is to increase supply by increasing production, of which I am sure they are doing. However, what NIKON IS NOT DOING is communication of the problems and solution to their customers, and leaving this up to their resellers to take on the role as bad cop while Nikon remains the good cop sending out emails to customer who ask them where is the product? Nikon replies are: We are sending out all the vendors allotments each week, shifting blame to the vendors.
Look, its a cruel lousy fact, some people are treated better than others based on their position in our society or by the celebrity status. All of us see this, after all that is why they have the VIP Treatement right? But, I blame Greta Van Susteran
from bragging about it, if she did not post she got one after making a telephone call, NOBODY would have notice or really knew, it was Greta WHO IS THE BRAGGET, and she should be told.
I remain waiting for my D800, but I thank the Lord first I could afford one in these during the current hard economic times, when many others are loosing their homes, I have the funds to purchase a camera, just like most on this form, realize that, and second, I am lucky enough to have another Nikon that I can use to take photos until it arrives.
In times like this maybe we should just stand back a little and look and appreciate what we have and know we are lucky to be to afford what is coming in the near future.
I am SURE there are MANY other Celebrities who have their D4 and D800s alread, while we still wait, it called life, just thank the Lord you are here to experience it.
there's already a d800/d4 order and shipping thread - please follow over there. also please remember that external links are in violation of forum rules.
I was asked by Henry Posner / B&H to allow him to set the record straight, and as he (and the company behind him) is a site in this conversation I'll let it. Below is his explanation:
"The coffee mugs were from us but her camera came to her directly from Nikon USA. It did not alter our allocation; it did not alter any customer's place in the queue; it has and will have no impact on when any customer gets a D800 ordered from us.
--
Henry Posner
B&H Photo-Video"
I'll also not close this topic so other ppl could continue this discussion but please notice that companies such as B&H and Adorama are not small companies and it's much harder to modify the queue in larger companies with certain customer standard than in smaller shops - at least that's what I have noticed from my own experience. Also, please remember that Nikon as a company is also selling their products and sending a camera to celebs gives them publicity = free advertisements, either we like it or not.
BTW: I'm still in queue in Adorama for one of the products, and being a mod over here doesn't alter my position at all.
@Ebvette
Please go through some of the posts on NRF and see if you still think I am "elite". Lucky and grateful is how I see it. And I try to be a little helpful and offer suggestions when I can. But, it was a fluke i got a D4 when I did. Definitely not because I am elite.
msmoto:
I have no idea why you think, I think, you are elite in any manner at all. For the most I agreed with your post as I stated, however as I stated, it did come across a littel braggety, but I am SURE you really did not mean it that way. May I suggest you go back and read your post with an open mind and put yourself in the place a person who is still waiting for their camera and read how you phrased it. I know and feel very strongly you certainly did not mean any one harm with this, its just that way it was worded and the tone, and of course how it was read by others.
I have been on this earth for a long time, and have seen this before. From what I have seen now and in the past with regard to the distribution new and desireable products like the D800 and D4 cameras, there seems to be no rhyme or reason for distribution, other then what the vendors/stores have for lists and if the vendors/store desire to honor the list or if they modify the list to suit their business needs. I really don't think this is fair, but I don't this this is necessarily wrong neither, IT BUSINESS and the survival of the business. People will favor other people in this world, this is a fact that will remain throughout to the end of time. This should be not surprise to anybody, but its how the favored person handles it after the fact that causes people to take issue. That is not cool what the Fox Reported stated and did.... Of course people are going directly back to who provided the camera, and the two coffee mugs, well thats business, and that is why the company purchased them. Good business to favorable people who possibly could do something for them in the future. DON'T BLAME B&H for anything, they did what ANY business would do under the circumstances. It all comes back again to the lack of COMMUNICATION coming from NIKON itself. Now we find out the D800 sent to the Fox Report came directly from NIKON, why didn't NIKON state this directly instead of letting B&H take the fall. Again LACK OF COMMUNICATION FROM NIKON USA and NIKON JAPAN.
Perspectives on things are differently preceived by everybody. Myseld having survived cancer, fought and survived Viet Nam, and working at US Customs every day, I count my blessings and I think everybody who reads this understands my perspective is much different than others I have read, including yours who have had different life experiences.
Forums, like this and others, are made to inform and provide you a platform to express your thoughts. Not everybody every agrees with everybody else, in this case people are expressing their own thoughts, doesn't mean they are factual, correct, wrong, accepted, or stupid its just a snapshot of a though during a time based on their own interpretation of what they read from previous posts. In some cases people or projecting thoughts before it happens, or not having all the facts which is always dangerious. I certainly have done that in the past, and so has everybody else, its human nature.
MSMOTO, I see nothing wrong with you receiving your D4, whether you are "elite", lucky, or sit on board of NIKON, I am happy you got a wonderful camera, and I truely hope you enjoy it to the fullest. I wish others on the forum would just be happy for people who get their cameras, and stop this idle chatter. I still beleive NIKON and all the Camera shops are and will continue to do their best to deliver, like I have said over and over again, I find that NIKON could stop alot of this if they JUST COMMUNICATED better to their customers, KEEP THEM INFORMED, regardless if the cameras have problems or not, the lack of communication from the source is the primary reason many are turning on each other.....NIKON can fix this quickly if it so desires.
Sorry for being so long, but until NIKON COMMUNICATES and provides its customer base with facts, speculation, rumors, and accusations will continue in this matter, just human nature. A student writting a thesis in Phychology could use this as a study, the distribution of the D800/D4 in modern society.
Again best of luck and enjoy life, it can leave you quickly.
EBVETTE
I am happy for those who got their D800s and D4s, hope they are enjoying them as much as I will when I finally receive mine.
Can't we just all get along?
You often see the phrase "pent up demand" as if there is some emotional aspect just ready to burst out. I guess the demand for the D800 and D4 start to become emotional "pent up" demand after about 4 months of waiting and some emotion is released now and then.
Eventually supply will catch up with demand and everyone will be emotionally satisfied.
I agree with all of you pissed at those bad corps playing the aristocracy game, let’s find them and boycott them out of business. That will teach them to behave and let’s pray the lord that there won’t be too much collateral damage.
Ebvette said:..Forums, like this … people are expressing their own thoughts, doesn't mean they are factual, correct, wrong, accepted, or stupid its just a snapshot of a though...
Now that you mention that, I apparently have a good history at putting my foot in my mouth, so, well I am not going to miss a chance to do it again ;-> I have no opinion about B&H, Andorama or others and I might be in the wrong thread but here is an opinion anyway (for what it is worth).
First, I am so jealous of all those that already received their toy while I am still waiting… wait, what you say? I am a bit childish, crying because my bros got their ice-cream before me? Gee, that’s nasty…!
A hospital, the police, firemen, governments, pharmaceutical, airline, car manufacturer and the like have a moral “obligation” to deliver a good, prompt and safe service to the public, a camera company? Well…
As far as obligations goes, Nikon could decide to become a pharmaceutical and cosmetic company only, that would be very sad for us but we would have nothing to say, zip. They also could have announced the D800 and D4 only in 2 years or sell only to those with a red (or green) hat, again none of our business, the only thing we could do is to cry, burn the neighbours' car or jump ship, that’s the name of the capitalism game.
Why would Nikon president risk his neck with the shareholders by not taking the opportunities to double, triple their profits by delivering faster? Think about it, sure there must be good reasons… supply chain perhaps? Long term planning for careful growth and survival? Employees still recovering after losing their parents and/or child? Going to work threaten by radioactive fallout for being so close to the danger zone? Still having to rebuild their finance, home, life? That was like what, yesterday?
As they say, if a woman can deliver a baby in nine months, nine women cannot deliver a baby in one, and besides, what would one do with nine women once he got his fill of kids? These factories are surely not cheap nor easy to setup. Oh, others have said that already? Sorry.
I would not want them to outsource the production-line neither, could you imagine! my beloved Nikon build by Canon, Sony or the Tata industries? I would not want them to cut corners neither and receive a D800 with wires hanging and focus problems, would I?
Gee, when is my D800 coming…. Where is it, I want it now… snif snif…
PS, about msmoto, happy the records were straighten, being her age, carrying the beast around all days, publishing for us to see how good the camera is in full res, volunteering countless hours and wise posts and even free psychological counselling for us losing our mind over the wait, to me that sounds like elite, and I am glad she got it early and I hope she will continue to be proud, loud and brag about it and be a Nikon ambassador. Way to go msmoto.
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