hughcam1 Junior Member Joined: 1 Mar 2013 Posts: 2 Location: Seattle, WA Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 9:41am Subject: Any experience with Istana Kitchen?
There's an online retailer called Istana Kitchen. Their prices seem to be really low (e.g. new Rocket R58 for $1,900, $400 below what I've seen refurbed ones on other sites). Seems too good to be true but damn, the prices are enticing.
Markarian Senior Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 474 Location: Seattle Area Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Modded Nuova Simonelli Oscar Grinder: Vario-W, Mazzer Super Jolly Drip: Moka, Aeropress, Melitta 102 Roaster: Wear-Ever Popcorn Pumper
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 1:46pm Subject: Re: Any experience with Istana Kitchen?
Another overly expensive hobby of mine is photography. As more and more people become interested in taking high quality pictures, and the prices of DSLR cameras come down, a plethora of retailers have sprung up online to take advantage of this popularity. A notable phenomenon is what I like to call the Camera Mafia, which is a shady, interconnected series of different websites that is traceable to only a few people in the NYC area. They will often offer fantastic deals--too good to be true--on cameras. A savvy photographer will buy the camera and then shortly receive a high pressure phone call from a sales rep who wants to upsell them cheap accessories at a huge markup. If you continue to politely refuse and just say you want your camera body only, the one you got $300 off, they will nastily tell you "Well, it's no longer in stock" and cancel your order. Sometimes they'll even swear at you. It's like buying a Izzo Alex Duetto III for only $1700, only to receive a call from the retailer, urging you to buy 5lbs of Kopi Luwak espresso blend for another $600, and a gold-plated PF handle for $200, etc. You tell them you just want the machine--that you already have E61 gear, they tell you it isn't in stock.
Now this outfit may simply take your money. But if it IS legit, my guess is that it might have something to do with currency exchange rates and that the Indonesians are taking advantage of them to offer the machines at lower prices. But I'm not an economist, and what I've read simply implies that it's a scam.
SStones Senior Member Joined: 24 Nov 2012 Posts: 207 Location: Canada Expertise: Professional
Espresso: Giga 5, ECM Giotto, Rocket... Grinder: Anfim Milano-Best Vac Pot: No :( Drip: Some $30 thing from Walmart Roaster: I buy pre-roasted.
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 7:18pm Subject: Re: Any experience with Istana Kitchen?
Lines like:
Minimum Purchase: 5 unit(s)
And:
Shipping: Calculated at checkout
should stop you before giving credit card info to this sort of establishment.
Spend a couple hundred more to buy it from a person who has given you a reason (Or several) to believe they agree the machine is right for you and has a door you can carry it back through when you need it looked at.
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