We often get asked why we never list Abe’s of Maine, or post some of their “great deals”, notably the EOS 6D for $1289. The short answer is, we classify the new Abe’s of Maine as a Bait & Switch store, alongside other notable ones including Ryther Camera, 42nd Street Photo, Fumfie, and DigitalOutlets.

We say “new” Abe’s of Maine because the “old” Abe’s of Maine (“Abe’s Electronics Center, Inc.”) used to be a reliable Canon authorized retailer who would regularly beat B&H or Adorama by $20-$30; you’d just have to endure a short up-sell call (and if you were firm they would still ship your order at the advertised price). Unfortunately this Abe’s of Maine filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2012.

The new Abe’s of Maine (corporate name now “Westpark Electronics, LLC.”) has been nothing but bad news: first, they are no longer a Canon authorized dealer; worse, readers report a bait & switch style up-sell upon placing orders. UPDATE: At the time we wrote the post in May 2014, we had not heard a positive story since July 2013. Recently we’ve heard of a few successfully completed transactions (after the upsell call described below.)

The common bait & switch is you are asked to upgrade your “import body” as it is made out of plastic and at an inferior foreign factory (blatant lie: US and import items are made side-by-side in the same factory and are the same quality), or that your purchase comes with an inferior battery or memory card and an upgrade to a much better version is needed (another lie: the over-priced “upgrade” will be to some generic or no-name brand). If you don’t agree to any of these “upgrades” your order will be delayed indefinitely, claiming a lack of stock; a lengthy process would be needed to get your cancellation processed and your money back.

We strongly recommend staying away from Abe’s of Maine and other stores that are, in our opinion, bait & switch (some of the worst are named above).

You can keep on reading for some tips on how to protect yourself.

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A couple days ago we posted a EOS 6D + 24-105mm deal for $1899 at unauthorized dealer “BestStopDeals” via eBay.

We can now report back based on initial reader reports from the twelve readers (thus far) who have already received their purchases and contacted us.

• Everyone received a brand new EOS 6D (including Wifi and GPS) as well as a brand new 24-105mm lens.
• Most people reported receiving a Canon USA and Canada warranty card. This is good!
• Unfortunately two readers (thus far) reported not receiving any warranty card at all.
• No “International Warranty Cards” seen yet.

UPDATE: I spoke to the owner of BestStopDeals by phone today. He explained that the confusion on Tuesday was caused by a new customer service rep who did not answer the questions about the warranty cards correctly. The owner gave me his assurances that all the bodies sold in this deal were brand new Canon USA models and were fully eligible for the Canon USA warranty. Most boxes will have the Canon USA warranty card, however, as we explain in our article, some may have been removed by the original authorized dealer. As we note in our article you don’t need the warranty card for service (just the receipt) but the warranty card is often a good proof of Canon USA status.

I am quite satisfied by his explanation, and the initial reports from readers who have received US models mostly with USA warranty cards corroborates his explanation. Any customer who is not satisfied is welcome to contact the store, or you can contact me and I can help relay the message. He also notes the store will back the Canon USA warranty should there be any issues — but we’re always here for you if you need us.

The deal is still live for one more day.

UPDATE 2: See reader comments on this blog post for pictures & reports of receiving Japanese model bodies with no warranty cards (just copies of US warranty term cards that DO NOT BELONG in Japanese model boxes).

Yesterday we posted a deal from “BestStopDeals via eBay” featuring the EOS 6D + 24-105mm at $1899.

We called the store when the deal started and they informed us it was US model + USA warranty card. However over the course of the day they changed their tune, and several readers reported that they were now saying it’s an “International warranty card” (which is one of the signs of a non-US body).

We’re not too happy with this retailer and the confusion they’re causing. Needless to say, we won’t be posting any more deals from “BestStopDeals via eBay” until they clean up their act.

UPDATE: I spoke to the owner of BestStopDeals by phone today. He explained that the confusion on Tuesday was caused by a new customer service rep who did not answer the questions about the warranty cards correctly. The owner gave me his assurances that all the bodies sold in this deal were brand new Canon USA models and were fully eligible for the Canon USA warranty. Most boxes will have the Canon USA warranty card, however, as we explain in our article, some may have been removed by the original authorized dealer. As we note in our article you don’t need the warranty card for service (just the receipt) but the warranty card is often a good proof of Canon USA status.

I am quite satisfied by his explanation, and the initial reports from readers who have received US models mostly with USA warranty cards corroborates his explanation. Any customer who is not satisfied is welcome to contact the store, or you can contact me and I can help relay the message. He also notes the store will back the Canon USA warranty should there be any issues — but we’re always here for you if you need us.

You can read more for the original guarantee we offered, but hopefully no one needs this anymore.

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