Cheapest Camcorders
Cheapest Camcorders
So where are the cheapest camcorders on the Internet?
Unless you want to fall victim of the many scams lurking on the web (see details below), you must first understand that finding the cheapest camcorder doesn't necessarily mean getting the best bargain, as there are other very important factors you must consider.
We've all done it. Bought something at a price that was really too good to be true, and soon paid the real price with bad customer service, poor quality goods or even no goods at all!
When it all goes pear-shaped, we always wish we'd paid a little more for better quality or service.
Price comparison sites like Become (www.become.com), Pricegrabber (www.pricegrabber.com), PriceSCAN (www.pricescan.com) and Shopping (www.shopping.com) are a good place to start looking for the cheapest camcorders, but not every reputable retailer is listed here, so some great bargains can be missed.
Remember, retailers pay to be on these price comparison sites, so make sure you read the customer reviews first.
Amazon can offer greatly reduced special deals if you know where to look for them, but don't expect the digital camcorders with the biggest discounts to be the very latest models.
You may need to compromise on make and model, but there are some BIG savings to be had at Amazon if you are a little flexible. The biggest advantage of using Amazon (apart from their low prices), is their excellent customer and after-sales service.
Click here to find special camcorder and digital camera bargains at Amazon that are discounted by up to 90%!! 
Ebay can be a goldmine for bargains when you're looking for the cheapest camcorders, but proceed with caution.
Remembering the age old words of wisdom, "If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is!", will hold you in good stead. Use your common sense.
If someone on Ebay with a zero rating is offering a new $2000 digital camcorder for $350, then it might be best to give it a wide berth, no matter how tempting it may seem.
Especially if the seller is from China or Nigeria and wants to be paid by Western Union. The chances are you will never see your money again.
The same warning goes for second hand or used camcorders purchased online or off. Buyer beware! You have no idea how many hours the camcorder has been used or dropped! The damage caused on the 'inside' due to both of these factors can seriously reduce the life expectancy of your camcorder.
There are reputable retailers online who offer very competitive prices and great customer service. And then there are those that do not.
The ones that do not often offer the cheapest camcorders and pull people in with super low prices. What you get for the cheap price tag is a 'grey' or counterfeit camcorder from another country (with no warranty or instructions), an aggressive sales pitch, where you discover the accessories and warranties that normally come with the camcorder cost extra and, worst case scenerio, you pay your money and the camcorder never arrives!
Welcome to the 'bait and switch' fraud.
There are even reports of accessories and extended warranties being added to credit cards without the buyers permission after the sale has been completed. It's then left to the buyer to prove they didn't order it, which is difficult when ordering by phone.
Online retailers to avoid like the plague include broadway photo, ritz photo, dBuys.com, iBuyDigital.com, iBuyPlasma.com, RealDealShop.com, DigitalMegaStore.com, CentralDigital.com, Time2Envy.com, Quest 4 Cameras and Quest4Cameras.com
These are scam sites that all operate out of a back alley lock-up in Brooklyn, New York (pictured left) and will part you with your money quicker than you can say 'Where's the cheapest camcorders?'. A bad buying experience just isn't worth saving a few bucks for.
Reputable online retailers that offer great prices and great service include Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama and NewEgg.
But remember to tread carefully, stick with reputable retailers and pay with a credit card for insurance if anything goes wrong.
Here's a very neat tip for using the tempting low prices used by disreputable retailers to your advantage.
1. Obtain a credit card with "purchase protection." This is where the credit card company agrees to refund the difference if you purchase an item and later find it listed somewhere else cheaper (Normally within 30 days). e.g. AMEX small business card.
2. Research the camcorder you want to buy, and then purchase it with this card from the most reputable retailer you can find, such as B&H Photo, Amazon, Adorama and NewEgg).
3. Pick up a couple of budget electronic or camcorder magazines and look for the cheapest deal on the camcorder you already bought. It must be a printed ad, not an internet ad.
But that's cool, because you're not going with them. You're just using this low priced magazine advert as proof of a lower price you found after purchasing.
Photocopy the ad, and submit it to your credit card company just like it says in their purchase protection agreement. AMEX, for example, will simply credit the difference to your account (Normally up to about $500).
This means you not only get the lowest price and the cheapest camcorders known to man, but the reputable retailers excellent customer support and warranties.
But the good news doesn't stop there! Most credit card companies also extend the manufacturers warranty as well by up to an extra year.
Using this system could easily save you up to $500!