ebay nightmare - what to do

*smc* · 10-19-2009, 09:56 AM

I sold my 35/2.3 M42 takumar on ebay last month. I now received an email from the purchaser stating that his adapter is stuck on the lens and he wants his money back, wants me to pay for his adapter and wants all the shipping paid for (to China). I had this lens on and off my digital and film cameras many times without issue.

I'm either going to get a negative feedback mark or I'll get my lens back screwed up (no pun intended) at great cost to me and can't use it on my older film bodies

Has anyone else come across something like this and any ideas? (I think I'm hosed)

flippedgazelle · 10-19-2009, 10:01 AM

Originally Posted by smc

I sold my 35/2.3 M42 takumar on ebay last month. I now received an email from the purchaser stating that his adapter is stuck on the lens and he wants his money back, wants me to pay for his adapter and wants all the shipping paid for (to China). I had this lens on and off my digital and film cameras many times without issue.

I'm either going to get a negative feedback mark or I'll get my lens back screwed up (no pun intended) at great cost to me and can't use it on my older film bodies

Has anyone else come across something like this and any ideas? (I think I'm hosed)

If I were in your shoes, I would take the hit on fleabay feedback. How do you know his adapter is faulty - that's a point you could make in your response to his negative feedback. I also think his request for you to pay for everything is absolutely unreasonable.

Sorry to hear you're in this mess...

*ChrisPlatt* · 10-19-2009, 10:09 AM

Does eBay still offer use of an arbitrator for such disputes? The fee is minimal.

IMO his adapter is his problem. Gotta watch those non-Pentax brand adapters!

Chris

*Ratmagiclady* · 10-19-2009, 10:13 AM

It can hardly be the fault of the lens if he stuck the wrong adapter on or whatever. It's a Pentax-made screwmount lens. It can't be your fault.

Also, did he take that photo? That silver knurled ring, (it's out of focus) ...if that isn't a part of the lens, it looks like a T-mount adapter, not an M42 one. That would not be your fault, but the wrong darn adapter jammed on.

I'd. Try to help solve his problem, but say, 'Listen, this just isnt' the lens' fault. "

*RawheaD* · 10-19-2009, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by Ratmagiclady

It can hardly be the fault of the lens if he stuck the wrong adapter on or whatever. It's a Pentax-made screwmount lens. It can't be your fault.

Also, did he take that photo? That silver knurled ring, (it's out of focus) ...if that isn't a part of the lens, it looks like a T-mount adapter, not an M42 one. That would not be your fault, but the wrong darn adapter jammed on.

I'd. Try to help solve his problem, but say, 'Listen, this just isnt' the lens' fault. "

That would be part of the old Takumar lens.

Still, it's the fault of the buyer, no need to take the hit. Get one neg., then ask Ebay if they'd consider removing the neg. as the claim is clearly user-error.

sharathk · 10-19-2009, 10:30 AM

its like you buy a new pentax and put an Ricoh lens on it and send a message to pentax saying your lens is stuck and ask them to pay for both. well, you are not responsible for 3rd party accessories getting stuck. if what you sent was in condition as you metioned on ebay, thats all you have to worry about.
did you check with him if the lens itself worked fine? if it did. the case is closed.

*Nowhere Matt* · 10-19-2009, 10:43 AM

Getting eBay to remove a negative feedback is not an easy task either, I am afraid. At least that was the case in one of my stories. Just tell your side and see what can be resolved if you are hoping to protect your 100% score.

seacapt · 10-19-2009, 10:53 AM

Been ther , done that. This guy has probably allready requested a refund from paypal. There are a ton of scam artists buying pentax product in China , all they have to say is " I never got it or it was defective" and paypal will pull money from your account and refund the buyer.
You need to contact Ebay and Paypal about this ASAP
I had paypal pull money fron my checking account and cause a chain reaction of NSF fees on a simillar case. After explanation they refunded my money but I took the beating on the NSF's!
My advice 1) call Ebay/paypal right away.
2)Limit where you sell on ebay.
Sucks how a few dirtbags can ruin a system.

*smc* · 10-19-2009, 11:07 AM

Thanks everyone,

The picture was one that I took a while back....just before I sold it (using a Pentax adapter). I've been in touch with him since the post...he wants to see if he can get it fixed and we'll share the cost. I'm not sure if it'll work out if it's been cross threaded but I have taken him up on the offer....so we'll see what happens.

wish me luck!

netuser · 10-19-2009, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by ChrisPlatt

Does eBay still offer use of an arbitrator for such disputes? The fee is minimal.

IMO his adapter is his problem. Gotta watch those non-Pentax brand adapters!

Chris

also my opinion

r0ckstarr · 10-19-2009, 11:32 AM

Sounds to me like the person who sold him the adapter needs to be eating the costs, not you.

*tybeck* · 10-19-2009, 12:07 PM

With any disagreement like this it's best to get your side of the story in early with the third party with decision making power. So, like some other folks have said I'd get eBay/PayPal involved sooner than later.

*Ratmagiclady* · 10-19-2009, 12:13 PM

The thing that makes me think the dude may be sincere, if with a misplaced sense of who's responsible for his screwup... Is that if he was making it up, he could have come up with something less boneheaded for a story.

Fact is, unsticking the thing shouldn't be a complicated process. If he jammed a T-mount adapter on there, it's possible there's a loose set screw in there that won't let him remove it. Otherwise, it'd have to be just cross-threaded or on a poorly-machined adapter. Either way, the procedure shoudl be the same there.

*smc* · 10-19-2009, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by tybeck

With any disagreement like this it's best to get your side of the story in early with the third party with decision making power. So, like some other folks have said I'd get eBay/PayPal involved sooner than later.

Thanks tybeck.....I just finished sending ebay a note

Originally Posted by Ratmagiclady

The thing that makes me think the dude may be sincere, if with a misplaced sense of who's responsible for his screwup... Is that if he was making it up, he could have come up with something less boneheaded for a story. Fact is, unsticking the thing shouldn't be a complicated process. If he jammed a T-mount adapter on there, it's possible there's a loose set screw in there that won't let him remove it. Otherwise, it'd have to be just cross-threaded or on a poorly-machined adapter. Either way, the procedure shoudl be the same there.

Hopefully he can get the adapter off and the threads are reasonablly fine. I don't mind helping to pay for part of it if at the end of the day everyone is happy...

I always thread the adapter onto the lens gently with my fingers before mounting it onto the camera....if it gets fixed..hopefully he will do the same....

*LeDave* · 10-19-2009, 01:13 PM

You sold it to him in good working condition. He got it stuck in there so that's his fault and his problem.