Problem with Lens Dealer

[stiletto107 0]

I ordered a wide angle lens thru a company that is rather well known in the skydiving community and the lens never came. I was charged for the lens and when I try and contact the company, no one replies to my emails or my phone messages. The owner of that company is a very well known skydiver and so I am confused as to how this could have happened. Has anyone else had similar problems? My lens was ordered back in mid November, and it is now almost mid January and still no lens. It takes a while to dispute charges thru my bank. I would be interested to know if this is an isolated incident or not.

[PhreeZone 20]

http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2567193#2567193

Max Cohn and Royal Lens? This post outlines issues people have had since mid December getting things from him.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[sinjin 0]

i ordered one in early december.. i finally had to reverse the charges and buy one from another company outside the US. i talked to a friend of mr cohen and he said he would talk to him and nothing happend.. it is bad business. cant be hard to stop the automatic payment he has set up or to disconnect the link if he cant provide the goods. is what i say to that. i know three others had the same problem

dont let life pass you by

[DSE 5]

Cohen hasn't responded to my phone calls, emails. I'm waiting to get a reversal on my card as well.
My feeling is he's been given enough time to make good.

[stiletto107 0]

My god.... Yes, I am talking about Max Cohn and Royal Lens. It sounds like a lot of people have been through the same thing with this guy. I really don't get it. I am in the process of denying the charge to my credit card. But I also really wanted a .3 lens. I guess I will get a cookie .29 lens. But I have no idea what quality it is. I have seen the diamond .3x and I liked it and what it captured. I am very disappointed that I did not get my lens which I ordered months ago, and I am also very disappointed that a skydiver (and a famous one at that) would treat fellow skydivers like this. Its bad business deals like these that make it hard to trust anyone. Well, thanks to those who replied so I don't feel like I was singled out by this guy. I sure wish we could force that Royal Lens order site to be taken down. But I have no idea what that entails. I have report the company to the Better Business Bureau (but I doubt it will have any impact). I know that I certainly won't be having any Generation Freefly events at my dropzone.

[piisfish 140]

Liquid Lens
Waycool (red eye)

are also alternatives.

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[DSE 5]

I also have a Cookie and a DiamondX, like em' both. We use them for motorcycle and ATV mounting. They're great. I wanted the Royal, because it has less refraction from close light sources, but it's not so significant that I'm willing to give up 300.00 to wait several months, if I ever receive the lenses at all.
C'mon Max, at least respond to mail or phone calls.

[hommie 0]

I want to apologize to everyone for their lack of service they have received from Royal Lens. The company is undergoing some changes as of late. Max, who used to run the company has told me he has no interest in selling the lenses any more. He is going through a really rough time having not being elected back into office as a national director for the USPA. He's dealing with it ok and is heavily medicated and just can't deal with all the whining for the lenses. He suggests buying from Way Cool. He admitted to me that's it's actually a better lens. Hope this helps clear things up......

[DSE 5]

Would surely be nice if Max refunded money rather than disputing refunds. Sorry to hear of his problems, sounds like he's got a lot going on. I'd be grateful for my money or my glass.
If you're in touch with him, I'd surely appreciate it if you'd pass this message along, since he's not responding to phone calls nor emails, but is able to dispute credit card charges.

[sinjin 0]

i have no problem with taking some time off for personal issues. we all have things going on.. but if your running a business then disconnect the link that allows charges to the site if you cant or wont deliver the goods.. it cant be that complicated. got my .45 from cookie and it seems to be nice. thanks for the reply on mr cohens behalf.

dont let life pass you by

[stiletto107 0]

Woh....wait a minute. Whining for the lenses? This guy takes my money, has no intention of sending me what I paid for, and I am the whiner?? F that. Not getting re-elected is no excuse for ripping off fellow skydivers. Refund the f-ing money or send the product that we paid for. I have no sympathy for the guy at all. What he did (or didn't do) is messed up and it is a horrible way to treat fellow skydivers. Its also a horrible way to do business. It has been a giant pain to try and get my money back and I still don't have my money or my lens. So don't expect me to feel bad for Max. He is not the victim. All of his customers are the victims. He can suggest other lenses all he wants, but that doen't get my money back. Why doesn't he step up and apologize for himself and refund money and do the right thing?

[freeflysteve 0]

Cancel card transaction,quite simple.
WAYCOOL is cool way to go.

Swooping, huh? I love that stuff ... all the flashing lights and wailing sirens ... it's very exciting!

[Dokeman 0]

I just ordered on from paragear. They seem to have a few in stock.

[DSE 5]

Some credit card companies won't allow you to cancel after 30 days; how convenient for Royal.
I asked for cancellation; Royal disputed the charge.
So in addition to being out the $$, I now get the privilege of hassling with my bank, etc.

Not so simple

[FFlyer 0]

F*&k this, ive also gone and ordered 2 lenses from royal and am of coarse having the same problem. I was charged for the lenses a few minutes after placing the order and have been emailing max/royal almost daily to no avail. No response.

What a mission its going to be to somehow get the charges reversed.

[popsjumper 2]

Wow!

Thank God I read this thread before I ordered a lens. This shop was one I was considering buying from.

Hope all you guys get things straightened out. You sure saved my camera-newbie ass.

Thanks again...all of you.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Skydave103 0]

Quote

You sure saved my camera-newbie ass.

DAMN I cant wait to see some of THOSE shots!!!!

ground / sky / distant jump plane / ground / sky / cloud / more sky / lots of ground footage. bwwwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Skydave

LifeshouldNOTbeajourneytothegravewithawellpreservedbody,buttskidinsideways,cigarinone hand,martiniintheother,bodythoroughlyused upandscreaming:"WOO HOO!! What a ride!!!"

[bob.dino 1]

You won't have problems with Waycool or Cookie Composites. Grant and Jason (Cookie) are both top quality people.

[FFlyer 0]

I wish I had just gone with Waycool instead. My friend has a waycool lens and it was on his camera 4 days after ordering it (he also lives here in South Africa).

My bank said it can take over a month to get the money back, if at all. It has already come off my card so they say getting it back is no easy task. I ordered 2 lenses and cant afford to just forget about that money spent and go buy another lens.

All I can hope is that when Max is off medication or whatever is going on with him,...he tends to all these orders that have been made and paid for. Surely he cant be the only person working for Royal, is there no-one else? Other than that I dont know what else to do

[DSE 5]

FFlyer, I believe Max *is* Royal Lens.
I feel bad for the person, but am very unhappy about the business.
In my case, I used a debit card and after putting in a request for refund through the bank, it was denied by Royal Lens. In other words, they've had a chance to make it right, but choose to keep the money.
If he is out of business, I believe he owes it to everyone to put a notice on his website and discontinue accepting money.

The suggestion of not shipping/selling because "...he's really distraught over not winning the USPA election..." is bullsh**. I ordered my lenses with overnight delivery in early December. The USPA elections weren't over yet.
Not trying to beat on the guy, life sucks sometimes.

[Fast 0]

I know someone as far back as last October not getting his lense at all. I feel bad cause I made the recomendation to use Royal. I have one and it is a nice lense. I know none of my money will ever go that direction again.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[FFlyer 0]

Well as I said, ive been emailing every day and will continue to do so. If it takes an email, phone call and fax every single day, then thats what im going to do to iether get the lenses or get my $350 back.

At least its finally friday,...got a whole weekend of jumping ahead to forget about this crap.

[vid666 0]

Quote

Well as I said, ive been emailing every day and will continue to do so. If it takes an email, phone call and fax every single day, then thats what im going to do to iether get the lenses or get my $350 back.

At least its finally friday,...got a whole weekend of jumping ahead to forget about this crap.

Dude, seriously, reality check - if after a few emails you get no answer it's time for a chargeback. And being on both sides of the table, I can tell you that if you don't ship the product, a consumer chargeback will be honored. No ifs, no buts, no maybes. So quit wasting your energy where it makes no difference and call your credit card issuing bank and dispute the charges. I swear it takes all of 3 minutes to do.

good luck

[sinjin 0]

i just reversed the charges and got my $$$ back.. call your credit card company, ask for a human and tell them you need to reverse the charges.. takes 1-3 days.. fly free . i ordered a cookie and got it a week later.. fed ex f@#$@ up the shipping (two days late.) and they returned my shipping fee.

fly free

p

dont let life pass you by

[DSE 5]

Quote

Quote

Well as I said, ive been emailing every day and will continue to do so. If it takes an email, phone call and fax every single day, then thats what im going to do to iether get the lenses or get my $350 back.

At least its finally friday,...got a whole weekend of jumping ahead to forget about this crap.

Dude, seriously, reality check - if after a few emails you get no answer it's time for a chargeback. And being on both sides of the table, I can tell you that if you don't ship the product, a consumer chargeback will be honored. No ifs, no buts, no maybes. So quit wasting your energy where it makes no difference and call your credit card issuing bank and dispute the charges. I swear it takes all of 3 minutes to do.

good luck

If it's a debit card, it's not so easy.
If the vendor disputes it, it's not so easy.
If it's gone past 30 days, it's not so easy.

If you can get the 300.00 back for me in 24 hours, I'll give you 20% of it.