Problem with (not cheap) eBay lens, what should I do?

StevePrime · 11-30-2011, 04:29 PM

Hi everyone, I recently received what should be a spectacular Zeiss lens from Eastern Europe but it turns out to have problems...

The lens is a CZJ Sonnar 200/2.8 in excellent apparent condition, super clean inside and out. However, it looks like a previous owner has taken it apart to clean the elements and completely screwed up the adjustment. Test pics don't have the sharpness I've seen from other samples and the lens barrel won't rotate to infinity.

I'm definitely keeping the lens and I have a local lens guy who is rebuilding it for $70 (which I think is a great deal). The question is: should I ask the seller to refund some of the repair cost? Is that likely to do any good?

I'm relatively new to the LBA game, so any advice you can give is much appreciated.

Thanks!
-Steve

littledrawe · 11-30-2011, 04:36 PM

I would definately ask for something back to compensate for repair costs. Also some ebay purchases are covered under their buyer protection so if the seller does not cooperate then you can go through ebay and see what they can do. I would be really upset if I got a lens that was described differently than it actually functions, especially with the one you have there it sounds like it would be relatively expensive.

geezer52 · 11-30-2011, 05:01 PM

It certainly never hurts to ask and there are additional steps you can take. But if the seller doesn't plan to do much on e-bay you may be SOL. On the other hand if the seller does a lot of business on e-bay he has a stake in maintaining his reputation. I've only had one bad experience on e-bay, a bad lens which I basically wrote off as a loss. But other than that if I've had a problem, the seller has tried to make things right. It depends in part on how you approach the seller and if they get the impression you're trying to take advantage of them. You might need to provide copies of documentation showing a repair estimate and actual costs. Be aware too that the seller may not have known about the problems because photography isn't his main line. Nowadays if I buy a lens on e-bay, I read the description carefully and check out the seller's experience in dealing camera equipment. If the lens offered is a one time deal for the seller I pass not because I think the seller is acting in bad faith but because they often just don't know what to look for in a used lens.

Pioneer · 11-30-2011, 05:15 PM

Most E-Bay sellers will be willing to give you some consideration for something that was not as advertised. They are not usually interested in receiving a poor review and will most times work with you. I have contacted sellers before and have usually been successful if something was not quite right. I have no idea what you paid for the lens to start with but it is certainly more than reasonable to request a $70 dollar refund to cover the cost of the repair.

I would certainly give it a try since the alternative is to eat it.

StevePrime · 11-30-2011, 05:37 PM

Thanks for the quick replies!

I will contact the seller and ask him to reimburse me at least a portion of the repair cost. He does a good amount of lens sales on eBay, so hopefully he'll be helpful.

I'll share the outcome with the forum as soon as I hear back.

Thanks again!

Philoslothical · 11-30-2011, 05:38 PM

Originally posted by Pioneer

I would certainly give it a try since the alternative is to eat it.

Well, not quite, depending on the sale/auction and method of payment. If the seller is difficult about this, and he's covered by Ebay's "Buyer Protection" then it's usually just a matter of filing a "not as described" dispute, and Ebay will usually refund the price, shipping, AND you don't have to return the item. So the difficult/misleading seller eats it in these cases.

MegaPower · 11-30-2011, 05:39 PM

I would ask for more since an opened lens should be lower in value.

SpecialK · 11-30-2011, 06:57 PM

I would like to see the seller's description.

StevePrime · 11-30-2011, 08:14 PM

I'm not bothered that it's been serviced as long as it was serviced properly. Which, in this case, it wasn't. :/

The seller gave no indication of any issues, SpecialK:

Quote:

Excellent condition and fully operational

Excellent optics - very slight dust

Mechanically excellent

borno · 11-30-2011, 09:05 PM

Originally posted by Philoslothical

Well, not quite, depending on the sale/auction and method of payment. If the seller is difficult about this, and he's covered by Ebay's "Buyer Protection" then it's usually just a matter of filing a "not as described" dispute, and Ebay will usually refund the price, shipping, AND you don't have to return the item. So the difficult/misleading seller eats it in these cases.

Why would you get your money back and keep the item? That seems like stealing to me, just saying.

Philoslothical · 11-30-2011, 09:37 PM

It verges on punishment for sellers that mislead, don't declare/admit defects, and refuse to work with sellers to resolve it, and it's entirely at Ebay's discretion. If you're a seller, it's scary, if you're a buyer, it makes good sense. It's just as much stealing to sell a broken item as working, or a fake item as genuine, to my mind.

johnyates · 11-30-2011, 09:42 PM

If you paid by PayPal, you'r fine. Ask the seller for an adjustment. If he refuses, open a dispute with PayPal. They have a category for that "significantly other than described". I'm sure PayPal will side with you.

jgmankos · 11-30-2011, 10:59 PM

Originally posted by Philoslothical

Well, not quite, depending on the sale/auction and method of payment. If the seller is difficult about this, and he's covered by Ebay's "Buyer Protection" then it's usually just a matter of filing a "not as described" dispute, and Ebay will usually refund the price, shipping, AND you don't have to return the item. So the difficult/misleading seller eats it in these cases.

I'm pretty sure if you go through ebay's dispute policy they require that an item be returned, assuming that the seller responds to the complaint. I think if the seller doesn't respond then eBay refunds by default but if the seller responds and agrees to take the item back then ebay will require proof of it being returned before issuing the refund. The only way you can get away with this is by bypassing ebay/paypal and doing a direct chargeback from your CC.

Philoslothical · 11-30-2011, 11:42 PM

It can go either way, as I said it's at Ebay's discretion. The point of this policy is to handle problem sellers who aren't cooperative about partial or full refunds where they should be, and sellers that purposely deceive people about condition or authenticity.

MegaPower · 11-30-2011, 11:45 PM

I had a very bad experience from a Korean seller.
I bought a K50/1.2 lens from him.
The lens has a 1mm scratch on the front glass, so I asked for a discount but we did not agree with the amount.
Then, I returned to him with FULL TRACKING and FULL INSURANCE. (very important if you are returning)
After he got the lens, he said the lens is not right, the inner element is moving. (which I think it's pretty normal for some of my old lens)
So he put the lens on hold and did not refund my money.
After he kept the lens and the money for 10 tens, I filed a dispute in ebay.
Ebay then refund my money after 2,3days.

I am skipping some detail but you get the idea.

11-30-2011, 04:29 PM	#1
StevePrime Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Upper Arlington, OH Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 82	Problem with (not cheap) eBay lens, what should I do? Hi everyone, I recently received what should be a spectacular Zeiss lens from Eastern Europe but it turns out to have problems... The lens is a CZJ Sonnar 200/2.8 in excellent apparent condition, super clean inside and out. However, it looks like a previous owner has taken it apart to clean the elements and completely screwed up the adjustment. Test pics don't have the sharpness I've seen from other samples and the lens barrel won't rotate to infinity. I'm definitely keeping the lens and I have a local lens guy who is rebuilding it for $70 (which I think is a great deal). The question is: should I ask the seller to refund some of the repair cost? Is that likely to do any good? I'm relatively new to the LBA game, so any advice you can give is much appreciated. Thanks! -Steve

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11-30-2011, 04:36 PM	#2
littledrawe Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Red Rock Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,514	I would definately ask for something back to compensate for repair costs. Also some ebay purchases are covered under their buyer protection so if the seller does not cooperate then you can go through ebay and see what they can do. I would be really upset if I got a lens that was described differently than it actually functions, especially with the one you have there it sounds like it would be relatively expensive.

11-30-2011, 05:01 PM	#3
geezer52 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: High Desert, California Photos: Gallery Posts: 231	It certainly never hurts to ask and there are additional steps you can take. But if the seller doesn't plan to do much on e-bay you may be SOL. On the other hand if the seller does a lot of business on e-bay he has a stake in maintaining his reputation. I've only had one bad experience on e-bay, a bad lens which I basically wrote off as a loss. But other than that if I've had a problem, the seller has tried to make things right. It depends in part on how you approach the seller and if they get the impression you're trying to take advantage of them. You might need to provide copies of documentation showing a repair estimate and actual costs. Be aware too that the seller may not have known about the problems because photography isn't his main line. Nowadays if I buy a lens on e-bay, I read the description carefully and check out the seller's experience in dealing camera equipment. If the lens offered is a one time deal for the seller I pass not because I think the seller is acting in bad faith but because they often just don't know what to look for in a used lens.

11-30-2011, 05:15 PM	#4
Pioneer Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Wandering the Streets Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,411	Most E-Bay sellers will be willing to give you some consideration for something that was not as advertised. They are not usually interested in receiving a poor review and will most times work with you. I have contacted sellers before and have usually been successful if something was not quite right. I have no idea what you paid for the lens to start with but it is certainly more than reasonable to request a $70 dollar refund to cover the cost of the repair. I would certainly give it a try since the alternative is to eat it.

11-30-2011, 05:37 PM	#5
StevePrime Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Upper Arlington, OH Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 82 Original Poster	Thanks for the quick replies! I will contact the seller and ask him to reimburse me at least a portion of the repair cost. He does a good amount of lens sales on eBay, so hopefully he'll be helpful. I'll share the outcome with the forum as soon as I hear back. Thanks again!

11-30-2011, 05:38 PM	#6
Philoslothical Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,889	Originally posted by Pioneer I would certainly give it a try since the alternative is to eat it. Well, not quite, depending on the sale/auction and method of payment. If the seller is difficult about this, and he's covered by Ebay's "Buyer Protection" then it's usually just a matter of filing a "not as described" dispute, and Ebay will usually refund the price, shipping, AND you don't have to return the item. So the difficult/misleading seller eats it in these cases.

11-30-2011, 05:39 PM	#7
MegaPower Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hong Kong / Irvine, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 636	I would ask for more since an opened lens should be lower in value.

11-30-2011, 06:57 PM	#8
SpecialK Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: So California Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,481	I would like to see the seller's description.

11-30-2011, 08:14 PM	#9
StevePrime Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Upper Arlington, OH Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 82 Original Poster	I'm not bothered that it's been serviced as long as it was serviced properly. Which, in this case, it wasn't. :/ The seller gave no indication of any issues, SpecialK: Quote: Excellent condition and fully operational Excellent optics - very slight dust Mechanically excellent

11-30-2011, 09:05 PM	#10
borno Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: md-usa Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,580	Originally posted by Philoslothical Well, not quite, depending on the sale/auction and method of payment. If the seller is difficult about this, and he's covered by Ebay's "Buyer Protection" then it's usually just a matter of filing a "not as described" dispute, and Ebay will usually refund the price, shipping, AND you don't have to return the item. So the difficult/misleading seller eats it in these cases. Why would you get your money back and keep the item? That seems like stealing to me, just saying.

11-30-2011, 09:37 PM	#11
Philoslothical Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,889	It verges on punishment for sellers that mislead, don't declare/admit defects, and refuse to work with sellers to resolve it, and it's entirely at Ebay's discretion. If you're a seller, it's scary, if you're a buyer, it makes good sense. It's just as much stealing to sell a broken item as working, or a fake item as genuine, to my mind.

11-30-2011, 09:42 PM	#12
johnyates Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Saskatoon, SK Photos: Albums Posts: 1,345	If you paid by PayPal, you'r fine. Ask the seller for an adjustment. If he refuses, open a dispute with PayPal. They have a category for that "significantly other than described". I'm sure PayPal will side with you.

11-30-2011, 10:59 PM	#13
jgmankos Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Photos: Gallery Posts: 518	Originally posted by Philoslothical Well, not quite, depending on the sale/auction and method of payment. If the seller is difficult about this, and he's covered by Ebay's "Buyer Protection" then it's usually just a matter of filing a "not as described" dispute, and Ebay will usually refund the price, shipping, AND you don't have to return the item. So the difficult/misleading seller eats it in these cases. I'm pretty sure if you go through ebay's dispute policy they require that an item be returned, assuming that the seller responds to the complaint. I think if the seller doesn't respond then eBay refunds by default but if the seller responds and agrees to take the item back then ebay will require proof of it being returned before issuing the refund. The only way you can get away with this is by bypassing ebay/paypal and doing a direct chargeback from your CC.

11-30-2011, 11:42 PM	#14
Philoslothical Veteran Member Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 1,889	It can go either way, as I said it's at Ebay's discretion. The point of this policy is to handle problem sellers who aren't cooperative about partial or full refunds where they should be, and sellers that purposely deceive people about condition or authenticity.

11-30-2011, 11:45 PM	#15
MegaPower Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Hong Kong / Irvine, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 636	I had a very bad experience from a Korean seller. I bought a K50/1.2 lens from him. The lens has a 1mm scratch on the front glass, so I asked for a discount but we did not agree with the amount. Then, I returned to him with FULL TRACKING and FULL INSURANCE. (very important if you are returning) After he got the lens, he said the lens is not right, the inner element is moving. (which I think it's pretty normal for some of my old lens) So he put the lens on hold and did not refund my money. After he kept the lens and the money for 10 tens, I filed a dispute in ebay. Ebay then refund my money after 2,3days. I am skipping some detail but you get the idea.