Calumet, It’s Where the Pros Don’t Go Anymore

There comes a time in in business that relationships must be evaluated. That time come with my relationship with Calumet, and my long time salesperson Victor Frey.

I started ordering equipment from Vic when he was a sales person at Alkit in New York. At the time I found him knowledgeable, friendly and willing to go the extra mile in service.

Over the 20 plus years I have been his customer, I have followed him to Adorama and then later to Calumet. During those years I have sent countless amount of business his way from friends, relatives and other photographers.

I can no longer recommend Victor Frey, or Calumet to anyone, and I would suggest that others also re-evalute their business relationships with Vic and Calumet.

The downfall of Calumet and Vic started late in the fall of 2009. I had ordered a new Canon flash and needed it delieved by a certain date. The flash never arrived, and Calumet blamed their shipper UPS for having equipment failure.

A few weeks later my business partner at The News Group Net ordered a video camera from Calumet and Vic on my suggestion. Again, the camera was needed in DC on a certain date, but once again Calumet and Vic did not deliever.

The straw that broke the camels back happened two weeks ago. While in New York City for a Syracuse Newhouse School conference, I stopped by Calumet and in person placed a large order that I told Vic needed to be delivered to Austin by the following Wednesday.

To my dismay only part of the order showed up, two weeks later UPS, Calumet and Victor Frey could never figure out how to get the rest of the order to me.

I expressed by dismay with the company (a little to loudly and in no uncertain terms) to both Vic and the store manager John (and I apologize to my readers, I could never understand him when he said his last name). Neither one really expressed any kind of apologetic attitude pushing the blame on UPS, and the store manager, John whats-his-name, promised to looked into the matter and call me back…. that call never took place.

As photographers are dropping like flys because of the downward economy, it is good to know that Calumet is be making a fortune on lousy service, enough so that they can lose a paying customer of more than 20 years.