Last Updated on March 19, 2019 by cameraconsumer
Photo Savings is a camera and electronics store on Amazon. They have been an imaging retailer for over 30 years. Should you make your next photography purchase from their store?
Let’s do a deep dive in order to thoroughly critique their store, and answer that question definitively – one way or the other.
Since they have more than 4,000 products for sale in their Amazon storefront, they definitely have the look of a camera shop. And since they’ve been in business for over 30 years – long before Amazon even existed – they have the requisite longevity in the camera business. Are those two factors enough to unequivocally say that this is a credible store? No, but it’s part of the overall equation.
It’s hard to trust online reviews these days. Independent reviews are usually paid for or sponsored. Individual positive customer reviews are obviously the result of a positive transaction, while negative feedback is usually retaliation for a sale gone wrong. How do you know which is a true representation of the business?
For costly purchases, like a camera or drone bundles, you want to know that you’re purchasing from a trusted seller. You want the store to not only be an authority in the field, but to also have some credibility.
To find out whether or not Photo Savings should be a trusted seller, let’s take a look at all of the evidence available to us.
General Feedback Overview
Over the lifetime of their Amazon store, Photo Savings has earned about 17,000 positive feedback ratings, with a 99% overall satisfaction rate (99% over the past 12 months as well).
For Amazon stores, their feedback should preferably be above 95%. Anything less is often the result of a seller that does not prioritize customer satisfaction – whether maliciously or accidentally.
The snapshot below is from their profile page on Amazon.
Post edit: This post was written in February 2019, and the numbers above might not be current when you read this. This is their feedback page with current stats.
So far, so good. Let’s see what else we can find out about Photo Savings.
Products in store
Photo Savings sells cameras and photography equipment like DSLR camera bundles, camera lenses, tripods, flashes, etc. They sell various electronics like audio and video equipment as well.
In their store, you’ll find the usual suspects. Items like a Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens, Tiffen 77mm Variable Neutral Density Filters, or a Nikon D750 FX-format Digital SLR Camera Body.
This is a full-service camera shop, so they do carry the usual camera brands like Canon, Nikon, Tiffen, Sony, Fujifilm, Manfrotto, Tamron, etc. Since they do sell other electronics, you’ll also find audio/video brands like Fender, M-Audio, Mackie, Polk, Shure, etc.
If you’re in the market for bundles, click on the “Photo Savings” category in the “Brand” section of their store.
Most camera shops carry just camera and related accessory bundles. Photo Savings has all sorts of bundles for sale like podcasting kits, drum machine kits, etc.
Returns and Warranty Information
Photo Savings offers the standard thirty-day refund policy. You’ll have 30 days to return items for a full refund if you choose.
They do reserve the right to charge a 15% restocking fee should you send your purchase back. This fee does not apply if you received incorrect, or defective merchandise.
They claim that all products come with the original manufacturer’s warranty – we’ll discuss this more in depth later below.
Company Profile
Like many other camera shops, Photo Savings is located in Brooklyn, NY.
They have been in business for over 3 decades. They have retail locations in the New York area, as well as a presence on different online platforms (Amazon, their own website, etc.).
If you need to contact them, their phone number is 1-800-606-PHOTO (7468).
Feedback in Detail
The general information has been provided. We’ve looked at what they sell, and how they sell it. Now let’s get serious and find out if Photo Savings is worthy of your business.
With over 30 years of selling experience – with a bulk of it on Amazon – we have a lot of evidence to sort through.
They have stellar feedback, they have the selling experience, and they guarantee that their products to be authentic. Which is all excellent, but what about their past customers? What do they have to say about their experience with Photo Savings?
About 10% of Amazon shoppers end up leaving feedback. Feedback on Amazon isn’t as prevalent as it is on other platforms – unless expensive products are involved. And you know how pricey cameras and lenses get!
With expensive items, like a mirrorless camera, a zoom lens, etc., buyers tend to get quite descriptive and detailed with their vitriol. If you mess up their order, whether it be an accident or purposeful, they’ll let you, and the rest of Amazon know about it.
Which in a way is good, because it tends to highlight the unscrupulous sellers, and shine some light on their shady tactics.
With that said, over the past year, Photo Savings has earned 3,120 positive feedback ratings, with only a 1% negative rate. Anything under 5% is a very good sign that you’ve found an honest seller – especially since buyers mainly use Amazon’s feedback platform as a means of revenge.
Here is a snapshot of their full feedback history as of February 7, 2019. You can also read their current feedback stats here.
The feedback snapshot above is definitely a good sign. Their recent scores are very positive. But enough with the numbers – let’s hear from their actual customers!
All sellers receive their share of negative feedback. It’s inevitable. But not all negative feedback is equal. In order to differentiate between good sellers and bad, you have to learn to recognize what each type of negative feedback indicates.
You can generally ignore comments which mention:
- Shipping time
- Out of stock
- Wrong item shipped
These kinds of comments indications of a mistake. No seller is perfect. Even the best will experience a handful of bad transactions.
Unless their feedback is littered with these types of comments, you can pretty much ignore them -mistakes don’t imply dishonesty.
What should you pay attention to?
Comments that mention:
- Item wasn’t received
- Counterfeit product(s)
- A used item was received (when described as new)
- Hassles with returns, such as refunds not being sent
A few of these comments could be an exception and can be overlooked. However, more than a handful indicate a rule, not the exception. In which case you should definitely look around for another camera store.
Let’s find out…
Looking through their most recent feedback comments, you tend to only see positive ratings. “Fast shipping” or “great seller”, etc. Like these:
What about the negative feedback comments – what do they say?
Are they making simple mistakes, or do the comments reveal a dishonest business?
Notice anything there?
None of these “mistakes” were caused by the seller – in this case, Photo Savings.
The first comment was unsatisfied with the packaging – not with the actual product. While the packaging is an easy way to ensure customer satisfaction, you can’t please everyone.
The other comments were the fault of Amazon’s fulfillment center – and they took full responsibility for the orders not going as expected.
Their negative comments definitely indicate mistakes with shipping time, packaging, etc. – NOT counterfeit goods, or malicious selling activity.
Photo Savings appears to be legit so far.
Now let’s see if they can pass one more test. Camera stores with any sort of authority always pass this test; whereas the lesser stores will almost always fail. Does Photo Savings have any authority in the camera industry?
Authorized Dealer (or not)
One of the main indicators to consider when buying a camera is whether or not the seller is authorized to sell the product. Photo Savings does claim to be an authorized dealer for all of the brands that they carry.
Let’s just confirm if that’s true.
You might be wondering why you should always purchase from an authorized dealer. With your average purchase, it’s a bit inconsequential. When it comes to an expensive camera or accessory – ONLY purchase from an authorized reseller!
Authorized dealers are sellers who purchase their products directly from the manufacturer. The only way to know that you are receiving both an authentic product, as well as the full and original manufacturer’s warranty is by purchasing from an authorized dealer.
With that said, let’s see if Photo Savings is able to pass this test:
Canon
How about Canon? Any credible dealer will be authorized by Canon. Is Photo Savings authorized to sell Canon products?
Verified! They are authorized to sell Canon cameras and photography accessories.
Nikon
What about Nikon? Any credible camera should definitely be authorized to sell Nikon products right?
Yup, they are an authorized Nikon dealer as well.
Rokinon
Let’s check with Rokinon. Photo Savings does sell Rokinon lenses, and you might be considering a lens purchase. Are they authorized with Rokinon?
Yes, they are a Rokinon authorized seller!
Let’s check one more just to be safe. How about…
Audio-Technica
Photo Savings sells audio and video equipment. Let’s throw a swerve here and see if they are authorized to sell Audio-Technica products. They carry all sorts of monitor headphones, microphones, turntables, etc. Are they authorized to?
Yes, we can confirm that Photo Savings is an authorized Audio-Technica dealer!
Conclusion
Given their lofty feedback score and reputation, the lack of meaningful negative comments in their feedback history, and that they are authorized dealers of major electronics brands, we can definitely say that Photo Savings is worthy of your business.
If you are considering making a purchase from them on Amazon, go for it – Photo Savings is a legit camera store!
