I did my research. I contacted acquaintances who had the same product and were happy with it. I checked the product reviews through several online sites.
And I still managed to get a lemon.
Yes, my new Nikon Coolpix B700 camera may be dead. I called the camera shop to check on the status of the warranty repairs and was told Nikon had returned the camera with a note saying the necessary parts were no longer available. Say what? I bought that camera only 5 months ago!
The camera shop is sending the camera to a different repair facility in hope they may have the needed parts. But I’m not hopeful.
There ‘s a 1-year warranty. Someone is going to honor it, either by making the camera fully functional, giving me a new camera, or crediting me the over $500 I paid for the darn thing.
Damn. Could I ever have good luck?
At least it was a nice, sunny day.
Still fuming, and being unable to take quality photos, I decided to simply run errands.
First, to the library to pick out a number of books to entertain myself. Upon exiting, I saw a person lying face-down on the ground by a picnic table to the side of the building. I hesitated. Then the person got up onto all fours, and I figured he (or she, I couldn’t tell) was maybe doing yoga or something. After all, it was a very nice fall day. But then, the person straightened up and was decidedly unsteady on his (or her) feet. At which point, I decided to help him (or her – the person was elderly, thin, had short hair, and to be honest I couldn’t decide between male or female). I was totally ignored when I asked if all was ok or was help needed. Maybe he/she was deaf? He/she had managed to gather up his/her belongings, including a cane, and had started toddling (and huffing) towards the parking lot, so I strolled along. The most help I was able to provide was to move a rather large branch out of the way. At any rate, the person got in his/her car and eventually drove away. As I was going in the same direction, I followed a bit and saw that his/her driving skills had not been impaired.
So I went on to my next destination. Everyone’s favorite —
Walmart.
Yes, I shop at Walmart. Like everyone else I know, I really hate that store, but the prices are too good to avoid, especially when one does not have unlimited income.
No huge issues at Walmart, except that they seem to always manage to put whatever items I’ll need on the very top shelf. That makes shopping a challenge, seeing as I’m only 5’2″ (or at least I was – I may have shrunk in the last couple of years, being that I’m now officially a senior).
Anyway.
I have a particular type of instant coffee I use, which comes in little sticks, 7 to a package, for only 90 cents. Perfect for both work and home, so I can nuke a cuppa whenever I get the urge, without wasting a whole pot. The store is nearly always sold out of that particular product, so I stock up when I can.
And wouldn’t you know it – the few boxes that were left were not only on the very top shelf, but also at the very back of the shelf.
Did I mention that I am height-challenged?
I tried reaching up as far as possible. No luck. I tried jumping up and grabbing. Forget it. I took a can from a lower shelf and tried to use it to bat what I wanted off the top shelf. No dice. I tried reaching, jumping, and batting simultaneously. When you stop laughing, you may continue to read.
I considered climbing up the shelving, but how embarrassing would it have been if the whole structure fell down on top of me? I thought about standing up on the shopping cart – after all, 5-year-olds ride in those carts all the time. But I’m not 5, and I’m not agile.
Apparently, no one was manning the security cameras to see the goofy woman in the coffee aisle.
There were no salespeople around to help. I saw a very tall man a couple of aisles over, but he adamantly refused to make eye contact.
The only other person to approach was a lady even older than me, by 15 years or more – and she was no taller than me, and no more agile. Sighing, I began to turn away, coffee-less.
Wait — what was that hanging off her cart? A cane! With a hooked top!
She was a kindly old lady and agreed her cane is perfect for retrieving top-shelf items. She even did the honors, knocking an entire carton of coffee boxes down so I could take my pick. (I think maybe she was afraid I’d steal the cane.)
Gotta get me one of those canes! No one ever questions a senior carrying one, and they come in handy as aforementioned – plus, one could be useful out in the parking lot should there be robbers.
Just an ordinary Cordelia’s Mom day.
Sorry about the quality of today’s photos. Blame Nikon.
__________
I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com
__________
Images by Cordelia’s Mom
Cordelia's Mom, Still 
Wow, I’m impressed! Such a bad day, with the universe decidedly against you, and STILL, you manage to retain your cool! I don’t think I could have done that!
LikeLike
It wasn’t really that bad a day. Sure, it was frustrating to learn about my camera, but at least it was my normal day off so I could do whatever I wanted.
LikeLike
You need something similar to our Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA). A $500 camera should be expected to last 3 to 5 years at a minimum. Here the CGA would protect you for that period regardless of any manufacturer or retailer warranty. I had a situation where a tablet failed one month after the manufacturer’s one year warranty expired, and the device proved to be irreparable. The shop told me I was unfortunate but they could sell me a new model for around the same price. I put my foot down and reminded them that the device could be reasonably expected to last for at least 3 years, and so they could choose to repair, replace or refund the purchase price. In the end they agreed to refund the full purchase price. In the case of a larger home appliance such as a refrigerator, the CGA might apply for up to 8 years depending on the relative price of the item compared to similar items. If one buys on credit, and the seller goes out of business, then you can usually make a claim in the creditor – something the credit card companies don’t like being known.
As for you being vertically challenged, consider my wife. You have a four inch advantage over her 🙂
LikeLike
My sympathy to your wife whenever she must go shopping. As for the camera, we have a Lemon Law in New York State, but I don’t think it will come to that. It’s a reputable store, and if the camera can’t be repaired, I believe they’ll help me with a warranty claim, or do something on their own for the sake of good customer service. We’ll see.
LikeLike
wow, so sad about the camera. I hope they honor it. We are going through hoops for my husbands brand new car that decides to drive on its own. They sure don’t make them like they used to.
LikeLike
Sorry to hear you’re still struggling with that car. That’s just wrong.
LikeLike
BIG HUGS!!! I am SO sorry about your camera, CM! That sucks the big one! I would be SO upset if it was me. Shame on Nikon for acting the way they are! 💞💞💞
LikeLike
Shame on Nikon, indeed. Who makes a product and then discontinues the parts immediately? I never heard of such a thing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me either! Aw, man! SO sorry …. really! I’d be heartbroken! And really pissed!
LikeLike
No, not heartbroken, just extremely frustrated. I was looking forward to taking some awesome fall photos, and I doubt my older camera will be good enough. But I’ll try anyway.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hubby bought me a Nikon A10 camera for my 60th 2 years ago as it was on special offer at £60 so not as expensive as yours. I’m pleased with it as it does what I want of it, and it has both a digital and optical zoom on it.
As yours is only 5 months old, you still have seven months of the one year warranty. If it is not repairable, Nikon should either refund you and offer a replacement at no extra charge if the store does not do that first.
I had a cheap (£35) digital camera which I’d purchased for my holiday in NZ. It failed when I was on a once in a lifetime trip along the 90 mile beach, and I managed to get only a few sensible photos, but anything I took was pink! I was only 2 weeks into my 2 months holiday and my SIL lent me her camera for the remainder of my stay. When I got back to the UK, I went into the supermarket where I’d bought it with my receipt, and was refunded on the spot. There was no argument, just disappointment by the staff that my holiday had been spoilt. You should have the same service. If not, write to Nikon direct (I would…. $500 is a lot of money!)
LikeLike
oh, the fight isn’t over yet. I’ll give the camera store the time to deal with it first, then I’ll take action if need be. $500 is a lot of money to me, even though it’s not a lot to spend on a camera.
LikeLike
You have a good case as it’s still well in warranty.
LikeLike
I sure hope so. I know I’m not buying another camera.
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Now I’m worried, since I own the same camera. Getting a cane sounds like a good idea for a short person. And a lead-bottomed cane could be very useful for cracking the skulls of would-be robbers.
LikeLike
If your camera hasn’t already failed, it probably won’t. As I said in the post, I did extensive research and the reviews were excellent. I think I just got a lemon, which is pretty much par for the course for me. A lead-bottomed cane probably wouldn’t work for me as I wouldn’t have the arm strength to lift it high enough to bash in a skull, but I could use a lighter cane to cause injury elsewhere.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The wife has about a dozen canes, including a couple my Mother owned. We’ve already discovered how handy they are for top/back of the shelf items.
Perhaps we could bring a selection to help you choose. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You don’t need to bring me canes. Your presence is sufficient. Any chance that might happen before winter?
LikeLike
I totally hate the Nikon Coolpix cameras. The last one so frustrated me, I literally gave it away. It worked, but I swear I could never get it to take a decent picture. If they give you your money back, buy something else. There are plenty of good cameras out there. That simply isn’t one of them.
LikeLike
Thanks, Marilyn. I actually loved the camera, but then, I’m only a beginner so it was good for me as I didn’t want to have to juggle lenses and all that. We’ll see how this all plays out. I don’t have money to buy a new camera – this was my once-in-a-lifetime gift to myself – so hopefully they’ll give me the money back.
LikeLike
It’s ridiculous that the manufacturer doesn’t have parts for a camera purchased five months ago. I hope the new facility can make the repairs or that someone figures out how to make you whole.
My wife is also 5′ 2″ and she often comes home with stories like this. She sometimes carries a cane. I think I’ll pass this along.
LikeLike
Thanks, Dan. I’ve thought about carrying one of those “grabber” devices, but a cane is more discreet. A “grabber” might make it look like I was planning to shoplift.
I was flabbergasted when told Nikon no longer has parts for a 5-month-old camera. Really? Then why give 1-year warranties?
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’d think that Nikon Central would have a way for repair stores to communicate with them about repair parts instantaneously in this day and age before sending a camera here and there, CM. You know, online? Ahem. Also, somebody somewhere isn’t doing a great job of customer service, no matter the state of the camera.
LikeLike
Thanks, Mark. I’ll let the camera store deal with it for now. It’s a well-respected store that has been in busy for many years and has many professional photographers as customers which is why I went there. If the camera comes back unrepaired, I’ll take whatever steps are necessary to make Nikon (or the store) honor the warranty. I agree that someone has dropped the ball – both Nikon and the camera store have probably lost at least one customer.
LikeLike
I’m agitated with and for you, CM. I hope it still turns out right!
LikeLiked by 1 person
i enjoyed reading about your day. The camera thing I hope you can resolve. I can see that you keep your sense of humor about life and that will keep you young and fun.
LikeLike
Sometimes all that keeps me going is a sense of humor. May you and I both keep our senses of humor for a long time to come, and may your wait be short.
LikeLike
Pingback: Time to Relax | Cordelia's Mom, Still