The Camera Shoppe 533 Decatur St. New Orleans, La. ripoff, overpriced merchandise, evidently all sales final, will NOT negotiate! New Orleans Louisiana

BUYER BEWARE!!!!!

This is a story of a personally distasteful experience which my wife and I encountered on a recent trip to New Orleans.I am sending it out here, as embarrassing as it is, to hopefully keep this type of thing from happening to anyone else visiting this fine city. I'm asking for YOUR HELP here folks.

Thanks for taking the time to indulge me for a brief period! Please bear with me and read all of it. I know it may be rather lenghty in it's explanation.

BUYER BEWARE!!!!!

As many of you are aware, I have been in the New Orleans area for 3 1/2 months working security while the area is undergoing it's Hurricane Katrina Recovery process. By and large, almost to a person, everyone I have come in contact with in the outlying area, as well as the City of New Orleans proper have been just wonderful.

On June 16th, my wife had made it into town to spend a few days with me as a vacation time, of sorts, for the both of us. She had never seen New Orleans and I have grown to love the city and wanted to show it to her. We were in the French Quarter area, on Decatur St. to be exact, when my wife asked if I knew of a camera shop or somewhere that she could purchase a carrying case for her digital camera. I had seen one on Decatur St. and we proceeded to go to the establishment.The name of the camera shop is The Camera Shoppe, located at 533 Decatur St. (Remember this name and address folks!)We entered the establishment and were helped by a man who said his name was Joey. (Remember this individual folks!)

My wife made her selection of the case she wanted for her digital camera and then the conversation turned to, quite naturally, camera's! "Joey" showed us one camera which he said was the latest thing in digital, being small and able to take movies in addition to just photos. The camera was the DXG 3.0 Megapixel Model 305 V Digital Camcorder, which he said he could let us have for around $400. (I'm not going to get into specific numbers here at this point, but will address this later)

As my digital camera had broken, my wife was going to get me another and we decided to purchase this camera from this store. This is where the story turns ugly, and the reason I am writing this as a WARNING to anyone who should visit here.

My wife and I continued to tour and enjoy New Orleans and all the city has to offer, with my wife leaving for home in Texas on June 17th. Fast forward now to June 23rd., just six (6) days after making our purchase at The Camera Shoppe.

I had not had time to really research this camera we had just purchased and decided to do so during a lull at work. Imagine my surprise upon finding that this very camera we had just purchased for $400 could be had at any Radio Shack or ordered from TigerDirect on the Internet for the sum of $99!

Talk about feeling S T U P I D!

The very next morning, Saturday June 24th, after working all night long, I went back to The Camera Shoppe, located at 533 Decatur St and talked with this individual, Joey , in the hopes that this matter could be resolved and that I could get our money back. (To make matters worse, just so you will know that I truly have a bad case of "egg on face", we had purchased other things along with the camera.....purchases coming to a total of $599!)

Of course, you all know the outcome of this meeting............NO WAY was he going to take the camera back and return our money!

So, there you have it folks. Please.......please, if you are going to make purchases of this nature, don't be S T U P I D like we were. Research your purchase first. And, deal with someone reputable! Hopefully, our experience and the telling of it here, will help some other individual to not make the same mistake.

I am now the proud owner of a $100 ($500 camera), or am I the proud owner of a $500 ($100 camera).....I haven't decided yet! Maybe, WITH YOUR HELP, I can put this guy out of business and get him run out of town. I have already reported this matter to the NOPD and will be reporting this establishment to the Greater New Orleans Chamber Of Commerce as well as the New Orleans Better Business Bureau. My wife has already been in touch with the New Orleans newspaper the "Times Picayune" and told them the story! I informed this guy that I would do everything in my power to kill his business and destroy him as a business person and I fully intend to do just that!

PLEASE..............FORWARD THIS to everyone you know, especially those living in the New Orleans area or those you know thinking of visiting this fine city. New Orleans is a wonderful city, full of history and sights to be remembered and last us a lifetime!

This camera shop is located just southeast of the corner of Decatur and Toulouse Sts. and is in a major shopping and traveling area for tourist. It's just across the street from where a lot of tourist enter to take a ride on the riverboat Natchez Queen.

I've noticed that a lot of people frequent The Camera Shoppe, not realizing that this establishment's prices are so inflated. People are on this street in droves and wanting to take pictures of their trip to "The Big Easy". If this guy can do it to one person, he is definitely doing it to others! So please.....help me stop this guy! Let everyone you know hear about this......and remember........when in New Orleans.......

EAT....DRINK....BE MERRY....ENJOY

BUT ABOVE ALL

REMEMBER THIS NAME AND ADDRESS

THIS PERSON / PLACE TO BE AVOIDED

JOEY
THE CAMERA SHOPPE
533 DECATUR ST.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

BUYER BEWARE!!!!!

Bill
Victoria, Texas
U.S.A.