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Warning about The Classic Camera shop in London


WildWood

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Well. well yet another thread about The CC.

The CC was quite definitely dropped as an authorized dealer about two years ago and my understanding is that the decision was backed at the highest level in Solms.

That means that any new Leica products sold since then have been obtained with the help of 'friendly' dealers within the EU.

Whether such trading is breaking any laws I do not know, but certainly from a customer's point of view I find it disingenuous and opaque.

I wonder whether they are still taking non-returnable 10% deposits on out of stock orders?

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What have you seen in this thread that's not factual Kenneth?

 

I haven't read all the comments but I am saying factual representation on the matter needs to be taken into consideration before posting otherwise Classic Camera would be quite justified in taking any misrepresentation made seriously

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I haven't read all the comments but I am saying factual representation on the matter needs to be taken into consideration before posting otherwise Classic Camera would be quite justified in taking any misrepresentation made seriously

 

Well, misrepresentation is certainly something they seem to take very seriously...

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Well, misrepresentation is certainly something they seem to take very seriously...
Here is an example of casual comments that could be construed as libelous. I think we are heading into dangerous waters with this sort of comment
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Here is an example of casual comments that could be construed as libelous. I think we are heading into dangerous waters with this sort of comment

Kenneth,

 

I disagree; the statement is so ambiguous that it could either be viewed negatively or positively. You appear to have viewed the comment in a negative way but the way I read it Akiralx is saying that TCC is careful not to misrepresent itself. There's no context to indicate either way so it could not be construed as libelous.

 

Pete.

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Kenneth,

 

I disagree; the statement is so ambiguous that it could either be viewed negatively or positively. You appear to have viewed the comment in a negative way but the way I read it Akiralx is saying that TCC is careful not to misrepresent itself. There's no context to indicate either way so it could not be construed as libelous.

 

Pete.

But this is exactly how comments can be mis interpreted. Can you not see that?
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But there's nothing to stop one from giving ones own opinion, is there? One could for example say that in ones opinion it is an abysmal shop which one personally would not recommend to others, given the choice of authorised Leica dealers to choose from instead.

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I haven't read all the comments but I am saying factual representation on the matter needs to be taken into consideration before posting otherwise Classic Camera would be quite justified in taking any misrepresentation made seriously

 

Perhaps you can read the posts on this thread and let us know which you consider to be incorrect or libelous. Thanks. Moderators will the deal with them appropriately.

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But this is exactly how comments can be mis interpreted. Can you not see that?

No, you're missing the point - the golden thread that runs through British justice: that you're innocent until proven guilty. For a charge of libel to succeed the prosecution would have to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the statement was libelous, which is impossible because of the existence of the positive and therefore non-libelous interpretation.

 

To think, or even show, that something *might* be libelous is not enough.

 

Pete.

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But there's nothing to stop one from giving ones own opinion, is there? One could for example say that in ones opinion it is an abysmal shop which one personally would not recommend to others, given the choice of authorised Leica dealers to choose from instead.

 

I agree entirely James everyones opinion has to be valid after all it is that persons right. It is however important to state that within the message body. Having said that my late mother always had a saying "If you can't think of anything good to say about anyone then don't say anything"

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I agree entirely James everyones opinion has to be valid after all it is that persons right. It is however important to state that within the message body. Having said that my late mother always had a saying "If you can't think of anything good to say about anyone then don't say anything"

 

But then how would any sort of critic make their living? Or politicians for that matter :D

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No, you're missing the point - the golden thread that runs through British justice: that you're innocent until proven guilty. For a charge of libel to succeed the prosecution would have to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the statement was libelous, which is impossible because of the existence of the positive and therefore non-libelous interpretation.

 

To think, or even show, that something *might* be libelous is not enough.

 

Pete.

 

Defamation isn't a crime. In the civil courts the standard is "on the balance of probabilities",

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We need to remember that The Classic Camera is a UK company, so UK law would apply in the event of a complaint. I’m not a lawyer, but as a magazine editor I did a training course on libel several years ago, and was taught that under UK law if a publication is charged with libel, in practice its only defence is to prove that the contested report was 100% accurate.

 

It is my understanding that there is no “balance of probabilities” or "reasonable doubt" under UK libel law. If the prosecution can find the tiniest error in the report, they win the case.

 

The result is that libel cases are so easy to win in the UK that we are seeing what is being referred to as 'libel tourism'. Wikipedia will describe this better than I can, but I'll quote one sentence:

 

"It particularly refers to the practice of pursuing a case in England and Wales, in preference to other jurisdictions, such as the United States, which provide more extensive defences for those accused of making derogatory statements."

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Is the suggestion that if you walk into a camera store and are treated with snooty indifference, you must keep this a lifelong secret, in case the store late decides to sue you for libel?

 

My own description of my own experience of the Classic Camera is as follows - I was there a couple of years ago, and was completely ignored when I stood beside the man sitting at the counter clicking away on his computer. The two men in the store evidently thought that a person dressed in tee-shirt and jeans (the only attire I can think I was wearing on a visit to the British Museum), couldn't possibly be worth even talking to.

 

I certainly don't see that anyone can sue me for passing on this tiny snippet of information about my own experience.

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  • 8 months later...

I was in the CC shop on Saturday and only male shop assistant there was trying to persuade a lady customer to buy a Zeiss lens over the Leica by some rather unusual arguements.

 

I asked to look at some Leica M3's, and CC had four.

 

Camera 1 -jammed film transport

 

Camera 2. misty viewfinder

 

Camera 3. Fungus

 

Camera 4.Fungus with white spots all over the shutter. The lady shop assistant tried to scrape the white spots off with her fingernail.:eek:

 

Meanwhile I had brought back my Leica R8 (Purchased from CC two weeks previously) )because the flash electronics appeared to be faulty. I asked to try one of their Metz flashguns (I wanted to buy one anyway) and after a bit of time, the lady assistant found the cabinet, and got a tiny metz flash out of a box.

 

I said "do you have any test batteries"

 

Lady shop assistant "yes, but they are all sealed".....and declined to go any further.

 

No batteries or flash or tested camera I walked out the shop...dazed...!:confused:

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I was in the CC shop on Saturday and only male shop assistant there was trying to persuade a lady customer to buy a Zeiss lens over the Leica by some rather unusual arguements.

 

Please elaborate. I would be persuaded by the argument that certain Zeiss lenses offer equivalent performance at a significantly reduced price.

John

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The shop, which has a "reputation" amongst forum members here, obviously wants to sell Zeiss lenses over Leica ones, as they are not an official Leica dealer.

 

One can only assume that they make more money through selling Zeiss lenses than their grey import Leica ones. Not that there's anything wrong with Zeiss lenses, per se.

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Bit of a circus really. Seems Frank would have been out of luck with passport, not being a resident, so it didnt do him any good to walk away on the basis of Authorised/Passport. Walking away on the basis that they got up his nose is altogether another issue.
One does not have to be a resident. The only qualification is buying at an UK authorized dealer.
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