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You are here : Home > FAQs
FAQs
See also: Contact Information | Returns Policy | Privacy Policy | Shipping Policy | Legal Notices
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Why buy from Camera-Warehouse?
- 6 reasons to buy from Camera-Warehouse
Though we have the best prices in Sydney, we're about more than just cheap hardware: - All products are supplied with a 12 month Australian manufacturer's warranty - WE DO NOT GREY IMPORT!
- 28-day money back guarantee
- 12 months free post-sales support to help you improve your photography and get the most from your purchase
- Large range of cameras, accessories, photo frames and albums in stock at all times at out Sydney CBD store
- McAfee Secure accredited website...you're safe shopping online with Camera-Warehouse.com.au
- We employ keen photographers, not professional salespeople. We don't pay commission, so you get the best camera for your needs, not the camera with the highest profit or biggest bonus for the salesperson
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Payment
- What methods of payment do you accept?
When placing your order online you will be presented with the following payment options: - Pay on collection at store
If you're collecting your order from our store, select this option and we'll take payment at the till using credit card, cash or cheque, just like a normal shop sale - Credit/debit card
We accept all major credit cards including American Express and Diners Club. Visa and Mastercard payments are subject to a surcharge of 1%; American Express and Diners Club are liable to surcharges of 2% and 3% respectively. You can use your credit card to make a BPAY payment through your financial institution without incurring these surcharges (see BPAY option below).
When you place your order we will pre-authorise the transaction, but will not actually take the money until the goods ship. Sometimes it may look like a real transaction on your credit card statement, but this only lasts a couple of days - Bank transfer/deposit
If you select this option we will provide our bank details for you to make an electronic transfer, or pay direct over the counter at any Westpac branch. Please note, however, that we are unable to ship the goods until the funds have appeared in our account - BPAY
We are a registered BPAY biller. Your order will have a unique code that we'll provide when you place your order. You use this code, and our unique biller code, to make payment from your bank via their online banking service. As with the bank transfer option, we are unable to ship the goods until the funds have appeared in our account - Cheque/money order
We also accept payment by cheque or money order, so long as they're made payable to DSL-Warehouse (Australia) Pty Ltd. Once you've placed your order, send your cheque to our store address. We'll ship the goods when the cheque is banked and the funds are cleared.
We're always looking for new and innovative ways to help our customers, so if you'd like to pay using an alternative method, please let us know - we may be able to help.
- Credit card security
If you choose to pay for your order by credit card, you can be assured that we employ the latest security measures to ensure the safety of your details. This includes, but is not limited to: - We do not store your credit card details
- We will never ask you to email your credit card number to us (although we may ask for additional information to verify the details provided at order time)
If you'd like further assurance, please send us an email.
- Credit card pre-authorisation
Camera-Warehouse does not charge for any goods ordered until they ship. However, we do use a pre-authorisation system that checks your card details and the available credit at the time that the order is placed. This may appear on your credit card statement or available credit balance as a normal transaction, but this will disappear from your card within a few days (dependent on the card issuer) of the pre-authorisation being performed.
In most cases, your order will ship within the pre-authorisation lifetime and the actual charge will have been put through, but, where there is an extended delay in shipping, these funds are returned to you so as not to cause you any prolonged inconvenience.
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Our Pricing Policy
- How are we so cheap?
People often ask how or why our prices are so low: are the goods reconditioned or refurbished or are they second hand? The answer is always NO! The goods are brand new, the same as you'd buy from any of the big-name stores, and are all supplied to us direct from the manufacturers or authorised Australian distributors and all come with standard manufacturer warranties ( extended warranties are available up to 4 additional years). If you'd prefer to pay more for your digital camera, please call 1300 304 165 and that can be arranged...or simply visit our competitors! If you're looking for a bargain, look no further than Camera-Warehouse.com.au.
- Credit card surcharges
Because of the increasing incedence of credit card fraud and the additional provisions required to protect ourselves against that, the following surcharges are payable on credit card purchases: - Visa and Mastercard credit card purchases are subject to a surcharge of 1%
- American Express payments incur a surcharge or 2%
- Diners Club card purchases incur a surcharge of 3%
We are sorry if this causes any inconvenience and remind our customers that payments can be made by BPAY through your bank without this surcharge (please check if your bank charges a fee for this service).
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Product Source
- Are these products 'grey import'?
No. We do not import any product ourselves. We are a member of the Kodak Express Camera Centre (KECC) group, which has over 200 stores throughout Australia, and as such are an authorised dealer of all the brands we carry. All our products are sourced in Australia and come with full Australian warranties. When buying from us you can buy with the confidence of knowing we are part of Australia's biggest camera store group. Please note: Our range of Canon pro lenses are sourced within Australia from an independent importer. However, normal warranty provisions apply through Canon Australia. For more information, please send us an email.
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Shipping
- Cost of shipping
The standard freight charge on all orders is $15 incl. GST. This is for overnight shipping* with our preferred couriers, Australian Air Express or Couriers Please. Most items, including multiple-item orders, will ship under our standard shipping charges as described above. However, exceptionally large or heavy items (e.g. printers and some tripods), are subject to additional freight charges and/or reduced service (2-3 days instead of overnight) in order to avoid excessive freight charges. Any changes in the shipping method will be advised to you before despatch. Registered Australia Post is also available, with the cost of freight TBA, dependent on size and weight of delivery, and destination. You can also collect for free from our Sydney CBD camera store at MLC, Martin Place. * Overnight from time of shipment, subject to stock availability
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Returns Policy
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Warranty
- What warranty is provided?
All products* are genuine, Australian-sourced products and are provided with full manufacturer's warranty. This will vary between products, but is typically 1-year cover against manufacturing failure. Warranty on some batteries is limited to 90-days. All warranties are issued on a 'return to base' basis. I.e. you will be responsible for the cost of returning the goods to us or the manufacturer if a claim is necessary. More details are available on request. * Excludes Canon Pro lenses, which are sourced locally from an independent importer, but which are still serviceable through Canon Australia under normal warranty conditions
- Warranty extensions
We are pleased to be able to offer extended warranties up to 4 years on top of the standard manufacturer's warranty (normally limited to 1 year). Click the link below for more information: Digital camera warranty extensionsPlease note that you can purchase an extended warranty right up until your original manufacturer's warranty expires, even if you didn't purchase your camera from us originally!
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Freight
- How do the goods ship?
Almost all orders ship using the overnight services of reputable courier companies such as Australian Air Express and Couriers Please. For exceptionally large or heavy items, it may be necessary to ship on a slower service (typically 2-5 days) to aviod excessive freight charges, and you will be notified if that is that case. We are also able to ship the goods using Registered Post if you find that service is more reliable in your area and you will be charged the cost of this service as quoted by Australia Post. For courier delivery, someone must be available to sign for the goods, so please bear this in mind when providing your delivery details. We can ship to your office address, or an alternative address if necessary. We cannot ship to PO box addresses.
- How long will it take to receive my order?
For our standard delivery, if the goods you've ordered are in stock at the time of order, and the order is placed before 2pm, you can expect to receive your order overnight. Please allow an extra day for orders placed after 2pm. If the goods ordered are not in stock at our shop, we may have an imminent delivery due, which will mean no delay to your order. If that is not the case, we'll contact our supplier and calculate an ETA and relay this information to you as soon as possible, normally via email. If this is outside of your required timeframe, you have the option to cancel the order. More than half of our orders are received within 3 working days
- Can I collect the goods?
Yes, you can. You can collect from our store in Sydney's MLC Centre at the heart of the CBD. Collection is available between 8am and 6pm. Please select 'Customer Collection' from the delivery options when placing your order. We will contact you soon after to confirm availability and provide collection details. PLEASE NOTE: Not all items on the website are available "off the shelf" in store, so if the requirement is urgent, please check availability by calling us before coming to the store.
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Choosing A Digital Camera
- Which Camera?
The first step in buying a digital camera, like most things, is to set a budget. Without this important guideline, the choices are endless. Once you've set a budget, you need to consider what kind of photographs you're likely to take, and what you're going to do with them once you've taken them. Digital cameras come in many shapes and sizes for use in many different circumstances. Prices are determined by the camera resolution, zoom (optical and digital) and level of manual functionality for more serious photographers. If you're likely to use the camera mostly for snaps of friends and family in social occasions, to email or print for an album then a compact camera with 3-4 megapixel resolution and modest 3x optical zoom will be ideal. A realistic budget would be $300-500. If you take more artistic or subject-based shots, e.g. of nature or sporting events, or if you'll want to print at poster size or larger, then a camera with more optical zoom, higher resolution and greater manual functionality will be required. A realistic budget for this type of camera would be $600-900. For serious hobbyist or professional use, you should consider the digital SLR type cameras. These accept standard SLR type lenses and offer complete manual adjustment of all settings. A typical budget of $1000+ will be required.
- Accessories
When considering which camera to buy, don't forget to allow some of your budget for accessories or extras. All cameras are supplied with a memory card or internal memory, but these will typically allow only a small number of shots to be stored and we always recommend that you buy a 256MB or 512MB memory card with your camera. You should pay between $50 and $80 for this size of memory card, and you should ensure that high-speed cards are used, especially if you're likely to shoot movies on your camera. You may also want an AC adapter if you're likely to use photo editing software and need your computer to be connected to the camera for long periods of time. It can be very annoying if you have to wait for your battery to charge before downloading your day's photographs, and excessive charging of the battery should be avoided. Other recommended accessories include a spare rechargeable battery, so you can be charging one whilst using the other, a case to protect the camera against accidental damage and a car charger if you'll be using your camera a lot on the move. Some cameras also have optional underwater cases and lenses. Camera-Warehouse has access to a huge range of camera accessories, so if you can't find what you're looking for on the website, please send us an email with the details and we'll get you price and availability.
- Recommendations
In each product category of our site you'll find a list of recommendations on the right-hand side. These are the cameras (and other products) that we feel offer the best features and/or value in that category.
If you'd like us to recommend a camera suitable to your particular needs we're only too happy to do so. Please, send us an email.
- Optical v Digital Zoom
Most digital cameras have a mixture of optical and digital zoom features. Optical zoom uses the lens of the camera to zoom in on the photo subject. This kind of zoom results in no loss in quality of the final image. 3x optical zoom is standard on most digital cameras, but technology is constantly improving and newer models can range up to 18x. If you're looking at a high-zoom model, try and make sure the camera has image stabilisation, too (most do, these days) as the further you zoom, the more sensitive your photos will be to hand shake. Digital zoom uses the resolution of the camera to zoom in on the image, so by using the digital zoom, you're actually reducing the resolution of the final image. This results in a loss of quality, which may appear as pixelation (jagged edges and small blocks of colour instead of smooth lines). Cameras with a mixture of optical and digital zoom will normally use the optical zoom first, then add digital zoom if required. This results in the best image quality.
- Image Stabilisation
Many of the latest generation of cameras are fitted with image stabilisation technology. Image stabilisation is a particularly important feature for ultra-zoom cameras (6x optical +) as the further you zoom, the more sensitive the image is to hand shake.
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Camera Memory
- What brand of memory do we supply?
When comparing different prices, many people view memory as a cost-saving option, only to end up with an inferior memory card that prevents them from getting the most from their new camera. At Camera-Warehouse we provide only high-quality, high-speed memory from recognizable brands such as SanDisk, Apacer, Adata or Kingston.
- What size memory card should you purchase?
On each camera detail page we quote a memory card under the 'Recommended Extras' section that we think offers the best mix of image capacity (taking the camera resolution into consideration) and cost. As a rule of thumb, a 256MB card will store approximately 300 images from a 3.2MP camera; a 512MB card will store approx. 450 images from a 5MP camera. The price of high-capacity cards is constantly falling, and so they are becoming more attractive, but that's a lot of images to lose in the event that the card should malfunction, albeit highly unlikely! However, we would normally recommend purchasing 2x smaller capacity cards instead of one large one.
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Duty Free Sales
- The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS)
The Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) allows tourists to claim back GST paid on goods purchased in Australia provided the following conditions are met: - Invoice total must exceed $300 incl. GST
- The tax invoice date must be within 30 days of departure from Australia
- The goods and tax invoice must be held in hand luggage
If you can meet these conditions, you may be eligible to claim the GST on your purchases back, effectively saving 10% on the advertised prices on our site. One advantage of the TRS over other schemes is that you can open and use your purchases before you get to the airport (or sea port) and don't need to present all packaging when claiming the GST back. For more information, please visit the Australian Government TRS webpage.
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Product Support
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See also: Contact Information | Returns Policy | Privacy Policy | Shipping Policy | Legal Notices
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