Andy’s cameras versus Chinese

bugsysiegals

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I’m looking to buy a bunch of cameras by Black Friday and have been reading the forum for the best camera and it seems the favorite is the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE.

It seems many people prefer to use Blue Iris rather than a NVR and thus you lose the IVS features. I’m not sure what Andy’s Black a Friday deals look like if I spend $1,000 with him but see I can get these cameras for $136 through dhgate which is a pretty big difference between his list price.

That said, is there any reason not to go through dhgate?
 

fenderman

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I’m looking to buy a bunch of cameras by Black Friday and have been reading the forum for the best camera and it seems the favorite is the IPC-HDW5231R-ZE.

It seems many people prefer to use Blue Iris rather than a NVR and thus you lose the IVS features. I’m not sure what Andy’s Black a Friday deals look like if I spend $1,000 with him but see I can get these cameras for $136 through dhgate which is a pretty big difference between his list price.

That said, is there any reason not to go through dhgate?
You dont lose ivs features as you can trigger blue iris via ivs, but why? blue iris has much better zone crossing motion detection than dahua cameras.
andy ships dhl 3 days...buy dhgate if you want cheaper...or ask andy for a slow shipping price.
 

bugsysiegals

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Thanks Fenderman! I’m not sure the differences between country of origin but thought I read the Chinese strip IVS in their firmware so thought I’d mention I don’t need it for clarity.

Once I have my list finalized, I’ll absolutely see what Andy can do but wondered whether there’s anything “different” or any reason not to go Chinese in the event Dhgate is more competitive.
 

fenderman

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Thanks Fenderman! I’m not sure the differences between country of origin but thought I read the Chinese strip IVS in their firmware so thought I’d mention I don’t need it for clarity.

Once I have my list finalized, I’ll absolutely see what Andy can do but wondered whether there’s anything “different” or any reason not to go Chinese in the event Dhgate is more competitive.
You are confusing buying cameras from China vs buying China region cameras..that model number is an international camera..
Buy from dhgate, if you have any issues don't count on them helping to resolve it none of these have dahua warranties.
 

fenderman

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Are there any warranties when buying from Andy?
Only what he promises...hes in china, no one can enforce it. However, in the past he has taken care of everyone. That is why they buy from him. But if saving a few dollars is important to you then go for it and buy from dhgate.
 

ThomasPI

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If you are spending that kind of coin and value the tremendous support you'll receive from Andy, why in God's name are you going to attempt to save a few bucks? With Andy, you KNOW what you're getting period. Do it once and do it right IMHO.
 

bugsysiegals

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I’ve only begun reading the forums last week so I’m familiar with many people purchasing through Andy but have not read any threads yet regarding how he’s taken care of issues, etc.

Service and support is of course part of the reason for this post, to understand why I might not want to go through dhgate. That said, without knowing how frequent people have issues and what Andy promises, it’s hard to say whether it’s worth an extra $100, $200, etc.
 

fenderman

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I’ve only begun reading the forums last week so I’m familiar with many people purchasing through Andy but have not read any threads yet regarding how he’s taken care of issues, etc.

Service and support is of course part of the reason for this post, to understand why I might not want to go through dhgate. That said, without knowing how frequent people have issues and what Andy promises, it’s hard to say whether it’s worth an extra $100, $200, etc.
once again its not 100 dollars or 200 dollars, you are comparing a price with fast DHL shipping vs slow shipping. First get the prices straight. I suggest you by from DHgate. Assume andy promises nothing and go with the lowest price you can, you will buy from dh gate even if it saves you 5 dollars a camera. That is fine. Why bother asking? Issues with dahua are rare. You will be just fine.
 

ThomasPI

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Keep reading, to me personally I'd happily spend more. However, I assure you he takes care of forum members and is a known commodity and solid resource and there's value in that.
 

bugsysiegals

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I'm not that hard up for money that I'd use dhgate to save $5. LOL I'm willing to spend a little more for good customer service, peace of mind, etc. but have to draw the line in the sand somewhere. That said, I'll hit up Andy for pricing and see how competitive he can be and what he offers for his customers should I have issues.

Thanks for all your feedback, have a great weekend!
 

bob2701

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I’ve only begun reading the forums last week so I’m familiar with many people purchasing through Andy but have not read any threads yet regarding how he’s taken care of issues, etc.
Maybe because he has not had many issues...
 

Pmedicj

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We are very lucky to have Andy! He backs the products he sells and takes excellent care of any issues that may arise. I have watched him go the extra mile to make his customers happy.
 

J Sigmo

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Another thing is that if you put together a list of the goodies you want to get, you can email Andy and have him quote the whole group as a single order both with and without the fast shipping. He may be able to beat the other prices you've seen. That way you get the good service we've all had from Andy and may save even more money. It's worth a try, for sure.
 

bugsysiegals

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Thanks, I emailed Andy and for what I’m looking to buy he was $80 more.

He said the other cameras couldn’t be upgraded; however, the dhgate advertisement “says” they can be upgraded for life, include video instructions, and 2 year warranty and support like Andy.

I was willing to overlook the $80 for peace of mind not knowing the reputability of the other supplier; however, Andy’s out of the cameras I want in White and if I wait for him I’ll be installing cameras in December which is 15 degrees F in Wisconsin!!

What to do , what to do ...
 

bugsysiegals

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I actually just noticed the seller has some coupons which makes it $180 cheaper ... I really wanted to go with Andy but it’s looking like I might have to try my luck with dhgate if they really can be updated.
 

fedexit

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Have you considered the upcoming 11.11 sales may find a better deal on aliexpress
 
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