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09-22-2017, 04:04 PM - 1 Like   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wild Mark Quote
So, I am juts saying, beware on eBay - really going downhill at least for Pentax legacy gear.
I am thinking gear in general. It has been along time since I have been tempted to bid on a lens or camera that was not a) from a recognized dealer or b) from Japan. There are too many listings where the critical photos of lenses (in-focus showing surface of rear element, condition of mount, condition of front element/filter ring, etc.)or bodies (inside of film compartment, mount face, top plate, battery compartment, etc.) are strangely missing.


Steve

09-22-2017, 05:33 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
I am thinking gear in general. It has been along time since I have been tempted to bid on a lens or camera that was not a) from a recognized dealer or b) from Japan. There are too many listings where the critical photos of lenses (in-focus showing surface of rear element, condition of mount, condition of front element/filter ring, etc.)or bodies (inside of film compartment, mount face, top plate, battery compartment, etc.) are strangely missing.


Steve
I am in total agreement; although I do sell on eBay and have feedback akin to a Japanese seller and am not one .

Japanese sellers are the best imho. If the item is not so good, they generally describe as such and mark the price down. You can buy with confidence that the item is well described and you can fix the problems as described (otherwise you do not buy). I had great experience with a Japanese seller who got it wrong (i.e. camera shutter failed on arrival) and he immediately entered into negotiation re: recompense. We came to a very amicable agreement that reflected the problem and nothing else.
09-22-2017, 11:18 PM   #18
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Hilarious update. Seller of lens with chunk of glass missing said, yeah, send it back. I'll pay you $25 less for the item after it is returned and, oh, please use the cheapest means possible to return and, oh, just chuck it in a postal bag ........

The seller charged me double actual postage and has the hide to say the above.

Seriously people, what is wrong with this picture? I know, it is eBay!
09-22-2017, 11:32 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by goatsNdonkey Quote
My worst things that ever happened on ebay were two cases when the item was never sent to me, but in the second case the seller died the day I purchased it.
Now there is a story that deserves to be told in more detail. Very sad, I have to say, but the world wants to know.

09-23-2017, 01:44 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wasp Quote
Now there is a story that deserves to be told in more detail. Very sad, I have to say, but the world wants to know.
My ebay-message-system notes to the seller asking when my item would ship went without response until, after a week or so, a message finally came from the seller's business partner or spouse saying he had died and that she was desperately trying to resolve uncompleted sales. After no more updates after several days, and no more replies to messages from me (expressions of my sympathy, pointing out that if my item could be located and sent to me my sale would be resolved), I filed with ebay for a refund, explaining to them what she had told me and asking that they try to help her out since a number of ebay customers might be affected. I don't know more about what actually happened than that, and that my ebay processed the refund for me. In the spouse/partner's only message there were few details about what had happened around the time of and since the seller's death, but what there was gave me the impression that he had died right around the time the auction completed in which I won the item.
09-23-2017, 11:20 PM   #21
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I'll agree about Japanese ebayers...very honourable..ive bought a half Dozen items and they are well described....the price of legacy glass has doubled and tripled in some cases...due to ML people adapting and the K1 owners wanting wide angle primes.Glad ive got more than enough and may be tempted to cash in.ha ha
09-24-2017, 06:56 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by surfar Quote
the price of legacy glass has doubled and tripled in some cases
I hadn't noticed. Seems to me actual sales prices are much the same as they've been for years, at least for manual focus lenses. Been a couple of years since I've bought any photo gear on the Bay but I check in occasionally to see if it would be worth listing anything for sale. For the K- and M-series lenses I'd like to unload the hoped-for price bump after the debut of the K-1 never happened.

I've had a few good surprises and a few bad surprises with my eBay purchases, but the vast majority have been routine. But, again, I haven't bought there recently.

09-24-2017, 07:11 AM   #23
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All of my Pentax gear has come from eBay and I haven't had any real problems. Sure, I've been disappointed with the performance of the occasional lens but I've been able to sell those on to others, sometimes at a modest profit, sometimes at a minimal loss, same with camera bodies that I feel no longer suit my needs as well as others I have. I've also gotten some incredible deals on eBay, so it all balances out.
09-24-2017, 10:19 PM   #24
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Another thing I do besides look at the seller rating, is read the actual feedback. So far I've bought about a dozen items on Ebay and haven't been disappointed. *crosses fingers*
09-25-2017, 10:29 AM - 1 Like   #25
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Be careful with RobertsCamera

I had a recent bad experience with RobertsCamera.

They had a DA-L 55-300 for Buy It Now of $45 (+$12 shipping) or best offer. Descriptions said 'Not Tested, sold as is" but there were multiple pictures (7-9 ish) showing the body looked great and the glass was clean and clear. I figured just might not want to mount to a camera and test since it is a cheaper consumer zoom with a lower profit margin. I offered $29 figuring it was a slim chance but they accepted (at which point I'm obligated to complete the purchase per eBay TOC). When it arrived I found the zoom ring was VERY stiff, to the point I would be afraid of breaking it further if I forced it any more, and the focus ring wouldn't turn at all. For the amount of handling it took to get the pictures in the listing, there's no way any competent camera company employee wouldn't notice that the lens was obviously broken, even without 'testing' it. I looked at some of their other listings, and they show other zooms extended and un-extended, so I'm sure they noticed that this one wouldn't extend. Even a camera lens novice could figure out something was wrong. Basically, they took an obviously broken zoom, labeled it as 'not tested' and sold it to eager me. I'm not the only one to fall for this either if you look at their feedback.

Luckily, I was suspicious before I even made an offer, so I had an idea of what I might be buying beforehand. I have another 55-300 with a chip in the front objective and some slight haze, so I had a backup plan of merging the two lenses to make a fully functioning one if I couldn't get this one to work. I have since taken the broken one apart and found that the front was shoved back, cracking some internal plastic stops and jamming the focusing helicoid. I got it to go back together correctly and it works, but if you focus past infinity while at 300mm it slides out past the cracked stop and jams again, so I'll instead be moving this clean glass into my other lens. (Still on my to do list.)

Like other have said though, I will only buy items with actual pictures (camera gear or used phones), and I make sure to ask specific questions about expensive items so I have things stated in writing in a message that eBay administrators can see in a dispute. Important questions are fungus, haze, is the aperture slow, and most importantly "Is the item fully functional". If they respond yes and it isn't, it's an easy dispute if they don't agree to a refund.

Another note - Feedback is permanent. Use the item for a week before you leave positive feedback, and try to work it out with the seller before you leave negative feedback. It's hard to make a case the item is broken if you leave a glowing review a day after you receive it and find the issue a week later. I've also had times where I ended up leaving positive feedback after receiving defective items since the seller worked so hard to make things right.

---------- Post added 09-25-17 at 01:42 PM ----------

Just to add, ever since I upgraded from a point and shoot Canon, all of my bodies and lenses have been bought used. Most of my expensive gear (flashes, strobes, carrying bags) has been used as well. The only things I've bought new are lens filters, a tripod, aftermarket batteries, and SD cards. (Though I have a used 128GB microSD in my phone.) I have had many trouble-free experiences buying used equipment, and also some great experiences when I actually communicated back and forth with the seller a few times. My most recent purchase was from HuntsPhotoandVideo and they were good about answering my multiple messages and questions before I clicked Buy-It-Now.

You can get some really good deals on eBay or PentaxForums. The key is to be careful about looking at descriptions, ask pertinent questions, and be patient. Eventually you'll catch something selling for less than the average selling price. (The best deals are at odd times when people are asleep or at work, or someone just posted a Buy-It-Now at a low price just to get rid of it.)

Last edited by TheOneAndOnlyJH; 09-25-2017 at 11:02 AM.
09-25-2017, 10:59 AM - 1 Like   #26
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I have bought a lot, and sold a little over the last 6 years. I have been mostly lucky, and have learned from the odd disappointment. It's hard for me to describe, but over the years I seem to have developed a feel for what to avoid. I sometimes take a gamble with an item if the price is right on something that may look a little suspect, and my success rate is no worse than those that appear to be as described. My biggest problem now is that most of the good and interesting stuff has been bought up, and what remains is very expensive on Ebay. I have bought a few items from Ffordes of Inverness this year which were considerably cheaper than that offered by Ebay. I now check anything I am interested in , if I can, by trying to track it down in reputable shops, not on Ebay, first
09-25-2017, 11:29 AM   #27
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I try to remind myself that "not tested," "as is," and "for parts or repair, may or may not be working" lenses might really be broken in ways that don't show in the pictures. I also think "not tested" can mean a lot of things:

* A lot of used lenses came in lately, and we only have time to carefully examine some of them.
* This particular type of lens isn't in that much demand anymore, so do good pictures but don't take time evaluating it.
* There's a new guy working in the used lens department who said, "I think there's something funny going on with this lens?" and who heard in reply, "Better list it 'as is' and move on to the next one."

Roberts ads often do say if a lens has haze or fungus or scratches, which most such listings do not include, but, if they also note how well focus or zoom rings work, I haven't seen it the ebay ads of theirs I've looked at.

Since I've gotten some poorly described lenses which I thought were in much better condition when they arrived. If the next time the broke lens I bought turned out to really be broke, I could certainly feel disappointed, but not exactly like I got burned.

Also, I have a zoom with a zoom ring that only partially works; however, the focus ring does work. I pretty much shoot it as a prime, keeping it set at one end of the zoom range. I really like the pictures it makes. The lens came on an "as is" camera body, which was in fact broken. Maybe, if you keep your lens in a warm place a while, the focus ring will start to loosen up.....





QuoteOriginally posted by TheOneAndOnlyJH Quote
I had a recent bad experience with RobertsCamera.

They had a DA-L 55-300 for Buy It Now of $45 (+$12 shipping) or best offer. Descriptions said 'Not Tested, sold as is" but there were multiple pictures (7-9 ish) showing the body looked great and the glass was clean and clear. I figured just might not want to mount to a camera and test since it is a cheaper consumer zoom with a lower profit margin. I offered $29 figuring it was a slim chance but they accepted (at which point I'm obligated to complete the purchase per eBay TOC). When it arrived I found the zoom ring was VERY stiff, to the point I would be afraid of breaking it further if I forced it any more, and the focus ring wouldn't turn at all. For the amount of handling it took to get the pictures in the listing, there's no way any competent camera company employee wouldn't notice that the lens was broken, even without 'testing' it. Even a camera lens novice could figure out something was wrong. I looked at some of their other listings, and they show other zooms extended and un-extended, so I'm sure they noticed that this one wouldn't extend. Basically, they took a broken zoom, labeled it as 'un-tested' and sold it to eager me. I'm not the only one to fall for this either if you look at their feedback.

Luckily, I was suspicious before I even made an offer, so I had an idea of what I might be buying beforehand. I have another 55-300 with a chip in the front objective and some slight haze, so I had a backup plan of merging the two lenses to make a fully functioning one if I couldn't get this one to work. I have since taken the broken one apart and found that the front was shoved back, cracking some internal plastic stops and jamming the focusing helicoid. I got it to go back together correctly and it works, but if you focus past infinity while at 300mm it slides out past the cracked stop and jams again, so I'll instead be moving this clean glass into my other lens. (Still on my to do list.)

Like other have said though, I will only buy items with actual pictures (camera gear or used phones), and I make sure to ask specific questions about expensive items so I have things stated in writing in a message that eBay administrators can see in a dispute. Important questions are fungus, haze, is the aperture slow, and most importantly "Is the item fully functional". If they respond yes and it isn't, it's an easy dispute if they don't agree to a refund.

Another note - Feedback is permanent. Use the item for a week before you leave positive feedback, and try to work it out with the seller before you leave negative feedback. It's hard to make a case the item is broken if you leave a glowing review a day after you receive it and find the issue a week later. I've also had times where I ended up leaving positive feedback after receiving defective items since the seller worked so hard to make things right.

---------- Post added 09-25-17 at 01:42 PM ----------

Just to add, ever since I upgraded from a point and shoot Canon, all of my bodies and lenses have been bought used. Most of my expensive gear (flashes, strobes, carrying bags) has been used as well. The only things I've bought new are lens filters, a tripod, aftermarket batteries, and SD cards. (Though I have a used 128GB microSD in my phone.) I have had many trouble-free experiences buying used equipment, and also some great experiences when I actually communicated back and forth with the seller a few times. My most recent purchase was from HuntsPhotoandVideo and they were good about answering my multiple messages and questions before I clicked Buy-It-Now.

You can get some really good deals on eBay or PentaxForums. The key is to be careful about looking at descriptions, ask pertinent questions, and be patient. Eventually you'll catch something selling for less than the average selling price. (The best deals are at odd times when people are asleep or at work, or someone just posted a Buy-It-Now at a low price just to get rid of it.)
09-25-2017, 12:16 PM - 2 Likes   #28
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I've purchased two lenses from Roberts Camera and both were, in my opinion, better than described. Also, for us as Pentax users, "not tested" for a lens could also mean they only had Canikon bodies sitting around the shop and thus couldn't put it through its paces.
09-25-2017, 02:16 PM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by goatsNdonkey Quote
I try to remind myself that "not tested," "as is," and "for parts or repair, may or may not be working" lenses might really be broken in ways that don't show in the pictures. I also think "not tested" can mean a lot of things:
* A lot of used lenses came in lately, and we only have time to carefully examine some of them.
* This particular type of lens isn't in that much demand anymore, so do good pictures but don't take time evaluating it.
* There's a new guy working in the used lens department who said, "I think there's something funny going on with this lens?" and who heard in reply, "Better list it 'as is' and move on to the next one."
QuoteOriginally posted by E-man Quote
Also, for us as Pentax users, "not tested" for a lens could also mean they only had Canikon bodies sitting around the shop and thus couldn't put it through its paces.
I can agree with that. I knew I was taking a chance going in, which is why I offered so little. If it was de-centered or didn't zoom smoothly I would have just taken it in stride, but what bugs me is that this lens was OBVIOUSLY broken. I checked their other listings at the time and all the other zoom lenses were photographed in both extended and retracted states, so when they tried to photograph this one extended and couldn't it should have been marked it as 'for parts or not working' rather than just 'not tested'. For a random user or someone who said they don't know anything about it I wouldn't be annoyed, but for a seller who focuses on camera gear and should have caught such an obvious problem, I'm irritated that it wasn't disclosed.

When I say it was stiff, I mean I could only turn it between 55mm to 60mm with some effort, but I couldn't try any further for fear of breaking it completely. After taking it apart, I can tell it was dropped on the objective, shoving the barrel back and shearing off plastic stops for the focusing helicoid. (Not RobertsCamera's fault that it was broken in the first place, but still obviously broken to the point that it'd be hard not to notice.) During disassembly I also noticed one of the contact springs in the mount was missing, which tells me that it had been at least partially disassembled before. Did they try to repair it and give up? I don't know. I still kept the lens because I went in knowing that I could use it for parts. I wouldn't say I've been burned, but I feel like they weren't fully truthful. Based on other similar feedback comments, I'm not the only one.

QuoteOriginally posted by goatsNdonkey Quote
* There's a new guy working in the used lens department who said, "I think there's something funny going on with this lens?" and who heard in reply, "Better list it 'as is' and move on to the next one."
I usually like to think the best of people, so I hope this is what happened. Despite all the negative reviews, they do have a 99.7% feedback rating, so I won't rule them out completely. I'll definitely think twice before I buy another lens from them though.
09-25-2017, 02:21 PM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by TheOneAndOnlyJH Quote
I'll definitely think twice before I buy another lens from them though.
Sorry you had a bad experience. I've always been happy with them, but I've always bought direct from their website rather than through eBay, giving me the option of a return if needed.
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