New to eBay, how do you know which seller to trust?

eliris · 03-01-2017, 04:36 AM

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Good day folks,

I am browsing for some pentax K-5 bodies and I have come across this guy several times:

PENTAX K-5 Limited Silver | eBay

Now his listing says that a k-5 body is only $330 compared to the others that have a much higher price. I am not sure if the price of k-5 bodies are around this range today or if there's any catch to it, but he has a whole bunch of those in there with some lacking description, the seller has a 100% positive feedback which makes it feel too perfect.

Now there's another one right here with a much higher price:

PENTAX Pentax K K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black w/ DA 18-55mm Lens | eBay

And upon checking the seller feedback and organic pics, it looks like this one is more trustworthy.

Am I just being paranoid or is it safe to buy from the first guy?

Note: I live in a third world country if that helps with anything.

**BigMackCam** · 03-01-2017, 05:01 AM

First things first... Checking the condition of the camera. For the first listing:

You want to know from the seller how many times the shutter has been fired. I don't see that mentioned anywhere in the listing. The K-5 has an estimated shutter life of 100,000 actuations. There's no reason to shy away from buying a camera with, say, 50,000 actuations - but you would expect it to be priced considerably lower than one with just 10,000.

Looking at the base of the camera, it is quite badly scratched. I'd guess that the camera has been quite heavily used, by someone who isn't all that careful with their equipment. My own K-5 has just one tiny mark near the shutter button, and has a few little scratches, scrapes and little dings on the mount from fitting adapted lenses (which is mainly what I use my K-5 for, now). I've taken a *lot* of shots with that camera, but it still looks very little different to new, because I take very good care of my equipment. A camera with lots of scratches and dings suggests a lack of care from the owner. Not always, but it's a consideration.

Ask if the viewfinder is clean. A few little dust spots don't matter, but it should be generally clear. Also ask if the mirror is clean and unscratched. Some people try to clean the mirror with all sorts of unsuitable items... Ideally, it should never be touched.

Ask if the main LCD display has any stuck or dead pixels. It's not the end of the world if it does, but it can be annoying.

Ask if the camera has any problems at all, however minor - anything that is not explained in the listing.

Ask if it comes with battery, charger, strap, CDs, documentation, box etc. The battery and charger are the most important. If it doesn't come with the strap, will it come with strap rings so you can at least fit one of your own? The strap rings are missing from that camera, and whilst 3rd-party replacements are easy enough to get hold of, you'll have to buy some and wait for them to be delivered.

As for the seller...

Always check feedback level, look at recent sales activity and particularly any recent negative feedback to see what the problems were, and if the seller responded reasonably. Make sure that the seller accepts returns, too. And pay for your transaction via PayPal, so you're covered by eBay and PayPal buyer protection

eddie1960 · 03-01-2017, 05:07 AM

I'd buy from the first guy, there are a ton of Japanese camera sellers on eBay, my experience has generally been positive. There are dispute mechanisms in place. The worst part is delivery time when they use mail . It can be a long wait. China is worse by an order of magnitude for wait time. If it is an issue both eBay and paypal have dispute mechanisms.in place. The eBay one is very heavily in the buyers favour so sellers usually go out of their way to satisfy and maintain a good score. 415 sales with 100% is viable.. 99. Something is more common. Many vendors will not ship to some third world countries as well. Check the exception lost they have

---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:09 ----------

Second one is about the same price once you take the lens into account and it is a low shutter count , you need a lens anyway ....

eliris · 03-01-2017, 05:22 AM

Originally posted by BigMackCam

First things first... Checking the condition of the camera. For the first listing:

You want to know from the seller how many times the shutter has been fired. I don't see that mentioned anywhere in the listing. The K-5 has an estimated shutter life of 100,000 actuations. There's no reason to shy away from buying a camera with, say, 50,000 actuations - but you would expect it to be priced considerably lower than one with just 10,000.

Looking at the base of the camera, it is quite badly scratched. I'd guess that the camera has been quite heavily used, by someone who isn't all that careful with their equipment. My own K-5 has just one tiny mark near the shutter button, and has a few little scratches, scrapes and little dings on the mount from fitting adapted lenses (which is mainly what I use my K-5 for, now). I've taken a *lot* of shots with that camera, but it still looks very little different to new, because I take very good care of my equipment. A camera with lots of scratches and dings suggests a lack of care from the owner. Not always, but it's a consideration.

Ask if the viewfinder is clean. A few little dust spots don't matter, but it should be generally clear. Also ask if the mirror is clean and unscratched. Some people try to clean the mirror with all sorts of unsuitable items... Ideally, it should never be touched.

Ask if the main LCD display has any stuck or dead pixels. It's not the end of the world if it does, but it can be annoying.

Ask if the camera has any problems at all, however minor - anything that is not explained in the listing.

Ask if it comes with battery, charger, strap, CDs, documentation, box etc. The battery and charger are the most important. If it doesn't come with the strap, will it come with strap rings so you can at least fit one of your own? The strap rings are missing from that camera, and whilst 3rd-party replacements are easy enough to get hold of, you'll have to buy some and wait for them to be delivered.

As for the seller...

Always check feedback level, look at recent sales activity and particularly any recent negative feedback to see what the problems were, and if the seller responded reasonably. Make sure that the seller accepts returns, too. And pay for your transaction via PayPal, so you're covered by eBay and PayPal buyer protection

Hey thank you very much for taking your time to write a detailed answer, I have a better idea of what to ask and what to do right now, I was wary of scammers from long distance countries disappearing but I hope the eBay and paypal buyer protection will be a viable option if ever anything turns out wrong.

By the way, can you order something and ship to a different address from your paypal address when you shop on e-bay?

The second one details that it has gone through around 7000+ shutter actuations.

---------- Post added 03-01-17 at 03:27 PM ----------

Originally posted by eddie1960

I'd buy from the first guy, there are a ton of Japanese camera sellers on eBay, my experience has generally been positive. There are dispute mechanisms in place. The worst part is delivery time when they use mail . It can be a long wait. China is worse by an order of magnitude for wait time. If it is an issue both eBay and paypal have dispute mechanisms.in place. The eBay one is very heavily in the buyers favour so sellers usually go out of their way to satisfy and maintain a good score. 415 sales with 100% is viable.. 99. Something is more common. Many vendors will not ship to some third world countries as well. Check the exception lost they have

---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:09 ----------

Second one is about the same price once you take the lens into account and it is a low shutter count , you need a lens anyway ....

I think the second one is a better option as well. I was tempted to consider the first one at first because old pentax manual lenses are very cheap where I live, but I would still need the SMC DA 18-55 for traveling and street photo due to the AF.

Nonetheless, it's still after some weeks/months that I can order as I am waiting for a payout to be issued to my paypal at the moment.

Last edited by eliris; 03-01-2017 at 05:30 AM.

eddie1960 · 03-01-2017, 05:27 AM

Usually buyers only ship to PayPal verified addresses. I have my work address verified as well so I shop there usually I also tend to prefer postal delivery because courier services charge a lot for brokerage at customs. (Also on low value items say sub $75 CANADA post doesn't seem to bother collecting any brokerage or taxes

the second one here uses the global shipping program which I find has high shipping cost but fair brokerage cost

---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:28 ----------

7k activations is nothing btw, shutter life is rated to 100k on these

eliris · 03-01-2017, 05:33 AM

Originally posted by eddie1960

Usually buyers only ship to PayPal verified addresses. ~.....~ cost but fair brokerage cost

---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:28 ----------

7k activations is nothing btw, shutter life is rated to 100k on these

Thanks for the clarification

. My problem now then would be the address as my paypal is verified under the address I used to be in the United States, but I am now living in the island of Madagascar. I hope that contacting the seller is possible on e-bay to clarify some misunderstandings.

eddie1960 · 03-01-2017, 05:39 AM

Originally posted by eliris

Thanks for the clarification

. My problem now then would be the address as my paypal is verified under the address I used to be in the United States, but I am now living in the island of Madagascar. I hope that contacting the seller is possible on e-bay to clarify some misunderstandings.

You can contact PayPal as well and verify the new address. Post office boxes justifiably scare sellers off because they can easily be burned that way . There is at a little higher price a kit with the 18-135wr which is a very nice lens (and a k5iis with 18-55 at the same price range) both worth considering if you can stretch the budget. Was there no forum deal listed (frequently there are better deals here no eBay seller fees)

wsteffey · 03-01-2017, 06:04 AM

I have purchased many items from ebay and have never been sorry about the condition. Never had a dispute or had to return anything. I only look at auction items because buy it now items seem way overpriced. For a camera I look first at KEH (they had a "like new" K-5IIs for $430 yesterday) with short warranty and generous return policy, but I don't know about shipping to your location. For price comparison you might also try B&H and Adorama. You might be able to haggle with them.

**UncleVanya** · 03-01-2017, 08:17 AM

I suggest the forum marketplace as an alternative.

eddie1960 · 03-01-2017, 10:31 AM

there is a K5iis for a very reasonable price , i'd start there better camera for about what you are looking at

K-5 IIs with Grip, 18-135 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, DA55 1.4, F50 1.7, FA35 2.0, 55-300 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, & more. - PentaxForums.com

in fact there are several good offers on the marketplace, definitely a better place to start than ebay

**eminker** · 03-01-2017, 10:49 AM

Originally posted by eddie1960

there is a K5iis for a very reasonable price , i'd start there better camera for about what you are looking at

K-5 IIs with Grip, 18-135 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, DA55 1.4, F50 1.7, FA35 2.0, 55-300 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, & more. - PentaxForums.com

in fact there are several good offers on the marketplace, definitely a better place to start than ebay

Definitely some wonderful K-5 and K-5ii models available on Marketplace. I've personally picked up one body and multiple lenses and everything was spot on. Sellers are top notch
and I've never been disappointed or burned.

03-01-2017, 04:36 AM	#1
eliris New Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 12	New to eBay, how do you know which seller to trust? Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Good day folks, I am browsing for some pentax K-5 bodies and I have come across this guy several times: PENTAX K-5 Limited Silver \| eBay Now his listing says that a k-5 body is only $330 compared to the others that have a much higher price. I am not sure if the price of k-5 bodies are around this range today or if there's any catch to it, but he has a whole bunch of those in there with some lacking description, the seller has a 100% positive feedback which makes it feel too perfect. Now there's another one right here with a much higher price: PENTAX Pentax K K-5 16.3 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black w/ DA 18-55mm Lens \| eBay And upon checking the seller feedback and organic pics, it looks like this one is more trustworthy. Am I just being paranoid or is it safe to buy from the first guy? Note: I live in a third world country if that helps with anything.

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03-01-2017, 05:01 AM	#2
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,674	First things first... Checking the condition of the camera. For the first listing: You want to know from the seller how many times the shutter has been fired. I don't see that mentioned anywhere in the listing. The K-5 has an estimated shutter life of 100,000 actuations. There's no reason to shy away from buying a camera with, say, 50,000 actuations - but you would expect it to be priced considerably lower than one with just 10,000. Looking at the base of the camera, it is quite badly scratched. I'd guess that the camera has been quite heavily used, by someone who isn't all that careful with their equipment. My own K-5 has just one tiny mark near the shutter button, and has a few little scratches, scrapes and little dings on the mount from fitting adapted lenses (which is mainly what I use my K-5 for, now). I've taken a lot of shots with that camera, but it still looks very little different to new, because I take very good care of my equipment. A camera with lots of scratches and dings suggests a lack of care from the owner. Not always, but it's a consideration. Ask if the viewfinder is clean. A few little dust spots don't matter, but it should be generally clear. Also ask if the mirror is clean and unscratched. Some people try to clean the mirror with all sorts of unsuitable items... Ideally, it should never be touched. Ask if the main LCD display has any stuck or dead pixels. It's not the end of the world if it does, but it can be annoying. Ask if the camera has any problems at all, however minor - anything that is not explained in the listing. Ask if it comes with battery, charger, strap, CDs, documentation, box etc. The battery and charger are the most important. If it doesn't come with the strap, will it come with strap rings so you can at least fit one of your own? The strap rings are missing from that camera, and whilst 3rd-party replacements are easy enough to get hold of, you'll have to buy some and wait for them to be delivered. As for the seller... Always check feedback level, look at recent sales activity and particularly any recent negative feedback to see what the problems were, and if the seller responded reasonably. Make sure that the seller accepts returns, too. And pay for your transaction via PayPal, so you're covered by eBay and PayPal buyer protection

03-01-2017, 05:07 AM	#3
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	I'd buy from the first guy, there are a ton of Japanese camera sellers on eBay, my experience has generally been positive. There are dispute mechanisms in place. The worst part is delivery time when they use mail . It can be a long wait. China is worse by an order of magnitude for wait time. If it is an issue both eBay and paypal have dispute mechanisms.in place. The eBay one is very heavily in the buyers favour so sellers usually go out of their way to satisfy and maintain a good score. 415 sales with 100% is viable.. 99. Something is more common. Many vendors will not ship to some third world countries as well. Check the exception lost they have ---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:09 ---------- Second one is about the same price once you take the lens into account and it is a low shutter count , you need a lens anyway ....

03-01-2017, 05:22 AM	#4
eliris New Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 12 Original Poster	Originally posted by BigMackCam First things first... Checking the condition of the camera. For the first listing: You want to know from the seller how many times the shutter has been fired. I don't see that mentioned anywhere in the listing. The K-5 has an estimated shutter life of 100,000 actuations. There's no reason to shy away from buying a camera with, say, 50,000 actuations - but you would expect it to be priced considerably lower than one with just 10,000. Looking at the base of the camera, it is quite badly scratched. I'd guess that the camera has been quite heavily used, by someone who isn't all that careful with their equipment. My own K-5 has just one tiny mark near the shutter button, and has a few little scratches, scrapes and little dings on the mount from fitting adapted lenses (which is mainly what I use my K-5 for, now). I've taken a lot of shots with that camera, but it still looks very little different to new, because I take very good care of my equipment. A camera with lots of scratches and dings suggests a lack of care from the owner. Not always, but it's a consideration. Ask if the viewfinder is clean. A few little dust spots don't matter, but it should be generally clear. Also ask if the mirror is clean and unscratched. Some people try to clean the mirror with all sorts of unsuitable items... Ideally, it should never be touched. Ask if the main LCD display has any stuck or dead pixels. It's not the end of the world if it does, but it can be annoying. Ask if the camera has any problems at all, however minor - anything that is not explained in the listing. Ask if it comes with battery, charger, strap, CDs, documentation, box etc. The battery and charger are the most important. If it doesn't come with the strap, will it come with strap rings so you can at least fit one of your own? The strap rings are missing from that camera, and whilst 3rd-party replacements are easy enough to get hold of, you'll have to buy some and wait for them to be delivered. As for the seller... Always check feedback level, look at recent sales activity and particularly any recent negative feedback to see what the problems were, and if the seller responded reasonably. Make sure that the seller accepts returns, too. And pay for your transaction via PayPal, so you're covered by eBay and PayPal buyer protection Hey thank you very much for taking your time to write a detailed answer, I have a better idea of what to ask and what to do right now, I was wary of scammers from long distance countries disappearing but I hope the eBay and paypal buyer protection will be a viable option if ever anything turns out wrong. By the way, can you order something and ship to a different address from your paypal address when you shop on e-bay? The second one details that it has gone through around 7000+ shutter actuations. ---------- Post added 03-01-17 at 03:27 PM ---------- Originally posted by eddie1960 I'd buy from the first guy, there are a ton of Japanese camera sellers on eBay, my experience has generally been positive. There are dispute mechanisms in place. The worst part is delivery time when they use mail . It can be a long wait. China is worse by an order of magnitude for wait time. If it is an issue both eBay and paypal have dispute mechanisms.in place. The eBay one is very heavily in the buyers favour so sellers usually go out of their way to satisfy and maintain a good score. 415 sales with 100% is viable.. 99. Something is more common. Many vendors will not ship to some third world countries as well. Check the exception lost they have ---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:09 ---------- Second one is about the same price once you take the lens into account and it is a low shutter count , you need a lens anyway .... I think the second one is a better option as well. I was tempted to consider the first one at first because old pentax manual lenses are very cheap where I live, but I would still need the SMC DA 18-55 for traveling and street photo due to the AF. Nonetheless, it's still after some weeks/months that I can order as I am waiting for a payout to be issued to my paypal at the moment. Last edited by eliris; 03-01-2017 at 05:30 AM.

03-01-2017, 05:27 AM	#5
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Usually buyers only ship to PayPal verified addresses. I have my work address verified as well so I shop there usually I also tend to prefer postal delivery because courier services charge a lot for brokerage at customs. (Also on low value items say sub $75 CANADA post doesn't seem to bother collecting any brokerage or taxes the second one here uses the global shipping program which I find has high shipping cost but fair brokerage cost ---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:28 ---------- 7k activations is nothing btw, shutter life is rated to 100k on these

03-01-2017, 05:33 AM	#6
eliris New Member Join Date: May 2013 Posts: 12 Original Poster	Originally posted by eddie1960 Usually buyers only ship to PayPal verified addresses. ~.....~ cost but fair brokerage cost ---------- Post added 1st Mar 2017 at 07:28 ---------- 7k activations is nothing btw, shutter life is rated to 100k on these Thanks for the clarification . My problem now then would be the address as my paypal is verified under the address I used to be in the United States, but I am now living in the island of Madagascar. I hope that contacting the seller is possible on e-bay to clarify some misunderstandings.

03-01-2017, 05:39 AM	#7
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	Originally posted by eliris Thanks for the clarification . My problem now then would be the address as my paypal is verified under the address I used to be in the United States, but I am now living in the island of Madagascar. I hope that contacting the seller is possible on e-bay to clarify some misunderstandings. You can contact PayPal as well and verify the new address. Post office boxes justifiably scare sellers off because they can easily be burned that way . There is at a little higher price a kit with the 18-135wr which is a very nice lens (and a k5iis with 18-55 at the same price range) both worth considering if you can stretch the budget. Was there no forum deal listed (frequently there are better deals here no eBay seller fees)

03-01-2017, 06:04 AM	#8
wsteffey Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 106	I have purchased many items from ebay and have never been sorry about the condition. Never had a dispute or had to return anything. I only look at auction items because buy it now items seem way overpriced. For a camera I look first at KEH (they had a "like new" K-5IIs for $430 yesterday) with short warranty and generous return policy, but I don't know about shipping to your location. For price comparison you might also try B&H and Adorama. You might be able to haggle with them.

03-01-2017, 08:17 AM	#9
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,407	I suggest the forum marketplace as an alternative.

03-01-2017, 10:31 AM	#10
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,666	there is a K5iis for a very reasonable price , i'd start there better camera for about what you are looking at K-5 IIs with Grip, 18-135 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, DA55 1.4, F50 1.7, FA35 2.0, 55-300 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, & more. - PentaxForums.com in fact there are several good offers on the marketplace, definitely a better place to start than ebay

03-01-2017, 10:49 AM	#11
eminker Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Brooklyn, New York Posts: 150	Originally posted by eddie1960 there is a K5iis for a very reasonable price , i'd start there better camera for about what you are looking at K-5 IIs with Grip, 18-135 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, DA55 1.4, F50 1.7, FA35 2.0, 55-300 <acronym title="Weather Resistant">WR</acronym>, & more. - PentaxForums.com in fact there are several good offers on the marketplace, definitely a better place to start than ebay Definitely some wonderful K-5 and K-5ii models available on Marketplace. I've personally picked up one body and multiple lenses and everything was spot on. Sellers are top notch and I've never been disappointed or burned.