P2 rental experience
by Brian Nermyr
on
May 14, 2009 at 12:23:01 am
I thought I'd drop a note about a P2 rental experience. I shoot a concert every year with HVX200's and I've always had to use the Firestore due to the need for long segments. I've never been totally successful so this year I decided to rent either 3 64GB or 6 32GB P2 cards. I'm unaware of any local companies offering this size card so I was able to locate a rental company in Sherman Oaks. Wintech Video said they had 64GB available for $150 per day. I asked about shipping policies, as some companies won't ship their cards. I was told I'd pay shipping both ways. Wintech had me fill out the usual forms along with insurance, all standard procedures. I placed my order. Wintech Video said they would send me tracking numbers and a quote. On the Friday before the concert I had not received either. I sent an email wondering about the order. I got a frantic call asking for me to call them. It seems that they didn't have the 64GB cards but they had 6 32GB sub-rented from other vendors. I didn't care, I just wanted 3 64GB or 6 32GB cards to be received on Friday, shoot Saturday and ship out Monday. They shipped the 6 cards Friday and I got them Saturday. Cards worked great and I sent them out Monday. Here's the rub. I was not informed that I was being charged for 2 days. So from the expected fee of rental and shipping totally around $560 I was charged $950. I never received that quote I was promised either. I called Wintech and they said that I should have "understood" that it would be a 2 day rental and that "they'll make it up to me the next time". I don't have any clients that would accept me charging a fee and not informing them, and then tell them after I've billed their credit card..."that I'll make it up the next time".
I'm the person at fault. I know that. I should have asked and received a quote. Our local rental companies, Broadcast Rentals for example, always tell you up front what it's going to cost...and it's usually less. So, if your looking for P2 rental...get a quote. There are other choices available...just ask.
Re: P2 rental experience by Brian Nermyr on May 23, 2009 at 8:29:58 pm
Both of those comments are acceptable observations. Getting into pi#@ing contest is always a possible action but not always a solution.
If the cards were available with Ozzie, that too would have been a solution. But at this time BR will only make 8GB and (1) 32GB cards available when P2 cameras are not being rented.
Thus, the conundrum. Large capacity P2 cards are not available for rent in Phoenix and until they are, the search will need to continue. I believe I have found one company that "says" they'll rent over the weekends for one day. It's particularly tough when the networks horde the cards as they do in So Cal.
