LensClearance.com
Complaint 93899 Details

Ordered an Olympus 14-150mm lens at a good price, but only about $20-$50 cheaper than elsewhere. BIG MISTAKE. I should have known something was up when I saw the incredibly absurd filter package prices. I mean seriously, who pays that kind of money for filters?

Got the same routine that others have experienced. I had to email them to ask about shipping confirmation after waiting a week. Next day I got a call asking for the card verification code that I "forgot" to enter (it wasn't on the form, and if it was, I entered it.) The man proceeded to make high-pressure sales pitch for a "better" lens (Panasonic 45-200mm) for $600; claimed that there was a $200 "instant rebate" applied. Like a moron, I went along with it, because I had never considered using an off-brand lens and hadn't researched it. I also didn't see any seller ratings when I was looking up prices for the Olympus lens, or else I would have avoided this seller.

I received the lens 2 days later (although it took them 7 days and an email to do anything with the original order.) Everything the salesman told me was a lie. The Panasonic lens is older, larger, heavier, has less magnification, and has a worse minimum focus distance than what I originally ordered. The manufacturer price for this lens is $350 and the Amazon price is $250. There's a reason the Olympus lens retails for a higher price!

They also charged me for $30 shipping insurance, which I didn't order and was not offered the option to refuse. Since the USPS shipping label shows a $4.97 postage fee and the USPS insurance fee for a $600 item is about $8, it's pretty clear that there was no shipping insurance purchased, so that means the sale included services that were not received.

Once I realized the issue, I called to request an RMA on 3/26 but had to leave a message. I called back twice more the same day but there was no answer. Then I looked them up and found that there are a bunch of scam reports showing the exact same fraudulent misrepresentation and mail fraud tactics. There is no question that this is intentional deception! There is only one Panasonic lens listed on their website - the one that I purchased - so I can only assume the page was put there to pretend that this is a product they normally carry.

I have lodged a dispute with my credit card company, and am sending a very clear email back to the website saying that I expect a full refund of purchase price and shipping insurance, with return postage provided. I also noted that if I do not receive an RMA in time to ship it back within their 7-day return window, I expect the restocking fee waived because it's not my fault they won't respond. I have seen no evidence that anyone making a return to them has actually received a refund. The wording on their site suggests that their "minimum" 15% restocking fee is a hoax as well, especially since others mention a 35% restocking fee.