JetCamera.com is a family-owned business, launched onto the retail scene in 2015 as a direct challenger to the global e-commerce behemoth Amazon.com.
When they launched their site, their primary goal was to provide the highest level of customer service, with prices so cheap that anyone could afford it. They sold cameras at a price lower than the average cost at Canon and Nikon – the manufacturers.
If you visit the web and search for Jet reviews, you’ll likely see questions like these:
- Is jet cameras legit?
- Is jetcameras.com a bait and switch?
- Has anyone purchased anything there before?
The list goes on and on…
What is JetCameras?
This family-owned and operated business has stirred a lot of discussions and debates in forums, such as Reddit. JetCamera assures its customers of perfect cameras and other products.
They sell numerous products sorted into the following four categories:
- Camcorders
- Photography
- Audio
- Projectors
The following are some of the services that attract people to Jet Cameras:
- Brand new jet cameras, lens, and factory-fresh products
- Low prices that can save you up to 50%
- You can purchase small items such as a lens or battery
- No sales tax on camera, battery, and lens
- Free camera shipping nationwide
- ridiculously low prices on small items their customers want such as lens or battery
- Multiple payment options on any item you want
- User-friendly and easy to navigate website
- Polite sales staff and well-informed customer service
- Quick turnaround shipping of orders – within 2 days
- Prompt communication and reply to customer inquiries
- Latest and perfect cameras and camcorders
- Trusted and reliable camera equipment
- Obtaining unavailable accessories such as a lens or any other item their customers want
The Buying Experience
Here’s how the company’s buying experience compares to Jeff Bezos’ behemoth. When Jet.com launched a few years ago, it introduced an initial membership model where members were eligible for free shipping. They soon dropped the prime membership and allowed free shipping on orders $35 and over.
They also introduced a two-day delivery on common household items. The customers were promised discounts and new deals if they waived free returns, pay with debit cards, add items to their online carts or buy in multiples – a game show style shopping experience. They were trying to get as many customers as they could to buy goods in bulk.
This new business model attracted many free shipping-loving and savings-hungry shoppers from all over the world. At first, many customers thought that Jet Camera was destined to become Amazon’s biggest competitor and make inroads with consumers. Competitors were sure that the new entrants would last for years if not forever.
Why is Jet Cameras so Cheap?
Many customers claim that the camera website sells equipment at ridiculously low-cost. Their advertised price is even lower than what is advertised on Fujifilm, Nikon, and Canon – companies that make the products. This makes people start questioning the legitimacy of the website.
Many people believe that Jet Cameras is a gray market bait-and-switch operation. A “gray market” camera is a product advertised for a significantly lower price compared to the price offered by the original manufacturer and authorized dealers.
When customers visit the Jet Cameras website for the first time and see their prices, they think it’s just a switch bait site. This is one of the reasons why many people lack confidence in investing their money into this site. Jet cameras’ primary goal was to get as many customers as possible. But they lacked what any serious customer would want – exceptional client service.
With these totally amazing deals, it’s hard to tell if a camera is really genuine. When planning to purchase an expensive camera for an absurdly low price, do a quick research on the camera specifications and how the discount market for the product works. Remember, you want to get a camera that would last for years.
A Big Positive
When Jet Cameras entered the retail scene, it had free two-day shipping on household items. This offer was later extended to shoppers who did not have the budget and those who opted not to become members. The offer included a broad range of widely used products ranging from household essentials to groceries.
At the time, Amazon used to give such offers to prime members only. Shoppers had to fill a box of goods with such items and would be charged a small fee for delivery.
Amazon would later expand the prime delivery service and free two-hour delivery to its customers. This helped Amazon serve its customers well while solving the shipping expenses problem among the retailers – making it a winner in this category.
Jetcameras.com has been advocating for higher-volume orders. Shoppers are encouraged to buy in bulk in order to receive discounts. They can also unlock discounts on other cameras when they add specific items to their carts. Some offers would even include a discounted trip to the Caribbean.
Offers like this made customers make purchasing decisions they had not planned. The discount “game show” became a little off-putting and perceived as treasure hunting ventures. This made the Jet camera customers question their legitimacy.
Glaring Drawbacks
There are so many reviews trying to answer some of the questions that web visitors ask. Some of the posts include keywords phrases such as, “is jet com Canada shipping reputable, jet cameras scam or not, b h camera legit, etc.” If you read posts from previous years, you’ll see numerous discussions and feedback from their previous consumers.
Unfortunately, almost 95% are complaints and negative feedback. Customers have been complaining about their cameras having been shipped via third-party sellers. Notwithstanding that buying products online from an unverified third party seller is a very risky affair. Amazon on their part, allows new shoppers to access posts and ratings from their previous buyers. A buyer can even pose questions to a seller through messages.
One may wonder whether the “no review” approach that Jet takes on its website is worth considering. Most buyers do quick research on products before making a buying decision. Amazon understands the importance of placing both negative and positive posts on their website. They are undoubtedly one of the few places in the world where you can get posts that are genuine.
The company understands that products with low ratings drive more sales than those with no ratings. This is one of the reasons why Amazon drives traffic and potential customers to its website. According to research, Amazon is the top information destination for buyers, followed closely by Google.
Over the years, Amazon has earned the trust and loyalty of online shoppers. They offer a wide selection of products and exceptional shopping experience to their customers. However, Jet has failed to replicate the Amazon retail business model.
Complaints
By looking at Jet Camera consumer insights on their previous shoppers, they have a poor track record. The company’s image has been tarnished by multiple complaints and low ratings. One customer took her complaint to the next level, attracting the attention of BBC Channel.
One customer visited Jet.com and found the camera that she’d been looking for. When she saw that she would save hundreds of dollars, she was very much excited that she wanted to make the purchase right away. She received a message from the high-ranking site on Google, stating that she finish processing the order. However, the company’s staff kept insisting on how they would package battery, lens, and other camera accessories.
Within a short time, she received another message stating that she must add another $350. Which she was to pay later. She realized there was no deal and the company was using sleazy strategies to upsell her. What angered her most was that during the buying process, no one mentioned about the additional price. Yet, the company went ahead and charged her credit card.
When she canceled the purchase, the company told her that there was nothing they could do and instead ordered her to pay a 15% fee to return the camera. She refused the shipment and expressed her case publicly and her story was broadcasted on BBC. She opened a case with her credit company. Within a few weeks, she was able to get a full refund.
Conclusion
After doing a bit of research and reading Jet Camera reviews, I realized that the equipment advertised on their website is not sold as a whole. My conclusion is that these guys seem like a bait and switch site. They sell products at extremely low prices, hoping to upsell their customers when they receive the merchandise they ordered. The trick here is to make customers pay more money to make the products work.
Because of multiple complaints and negative posts about Jet.com, the company is no longer operating, however, if you visit the website, it is still active.
Whether the business ceased operations or is fully functional, that’s a story for another day. Regulatory Authorities like Better Business Bureau (BBB) and ABC2 have since stepped in following numerous complaints filed to them. ABC2 is on record as having called the company and even sent them an email, but are yet to hear from them.
Additionally, the address provided by the company on their homepage is not real. ABC2 contacted Jetcom’s office space provider to inquire about the listed location. They were told that the company was not located there and is using their address without permission.
It’s worth noting that whenever you want to purchase a product online, don’t be blinded by the low price. As the old adage goes, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you blindly make a purchase online, do not expect a return policy from a bait-and-switch site. Do some thorough research on the product, the website you’re buying from, and check out posts on their online ratings. This way, you won’t risk losing your hard-earned money.