Warning. Long story, read if you're super bored. No refunds on minutes lost from your daily routine :D
So a lot of people say car buying is all based on emotions, but I'd say camera buying can be the same. I've been watching for a good price on a Nikon D700 and recently came across a used one on the Amazon.com Marketplace. If you've never used it before, it's like Amazon's version of eBay, where buyers can purchase items from other vendors besides Amazon. These items can range from new or used, payments are made through Amazon, and then feedback can be left for the seller. Anyhow, yesterday morning, I find a used Nikon D700 in "Like New" condition for $1,350.00 USD. Of course, I'm astounded, because these cameras typically average $1900-$2200 used, depending on their condition. I thought to myself "Really?!? No way!" and then looked at the seller's feedback rating, which was 94% positive. I thought to myself "94% ain't bad. You can't please everyone, maybe there's just one disgruntled buyer or something?"
Well, I then noticed he wanted buyers to contact him by email before making the purchase, so I immediately shoot off an email requesting more info on the condition of the camera, how many actuations, etc. In the meantime, the thought is floating in my head, "Maybe I should just buy it now. What if someone else buys it before he answers my question? That's a damn good price!" That was all at about 10am, Columbus Day morning.
Now as I'm going about my day, I'm constantly checking my phone to see if I had any replies to my email. The feeling was the same if not worse than waiting for a call from a girl you like :p Meanwhile, I'm picturing myself using the camera, thinking about the depth of field of a full frame, even looking online at Compact Flash memory. Then, at about 2:30pm, like a voice from the heavens, I get an email reply!
In the email, he mentions the following:
At this point, my brain just goes numb and all I can hear is the chorus from Handel's Messiah continually sounding "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hall-laayy-looo-yaahh!"
Of course, thinking nothing of it, I instantly reply saying "Yes! I'd like to buy the camera. Here's my shipping address..." The reply was within 2 to 3 minutes from the seller's own email, so I figured I had my claim on the camera.
Minutes go by. Nothing. Then a half hour. Still nothing. Then an hour to 2 hours. Zilch. Frantic, I looked at Amazon again and see that the camera was no longer listed in the Used section.
"Nooooooo!" I screamed in my mind. "Did someone else buy it? Crap I should've just added it to the cart and checked out." And like a madman, I start hitting F5 to refresh Amazon's page to see if a mistake had been made. At this point, I got pretty sad thinking to myself that I had missed the deal of the century and someone else out there was going to be playing with a practically new D700. I kept beating myself up mentally over and over about how I should have just pulled the trigger early instead of being so inquisitive, especially since the seller had 94% positive feedback and Amazon has buyer protection.
Anyhow, at this point it is late in the evening and I'm still perusing sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Fred Miranda. All of which had used D700's for $1900 to $2300. So again, I prolong the masochistic self-torture on how I missed an awesome deal, but eventually manage to get to sleep with dreams of camera gear. Pathetic? Yes, absolutely.
The Next Day.
Now, I woke up this morning and surprise, surprise, what's this? It's an email from the seller! I think to myself, "There truly is a God!" and in the email he wrote:
Hallelujah chorus plays again and I am wide awake with a big grin from ear to ear. That is, until I receive a subsequent email:
 Quote: The seller requests to be paid via MoneyGramŪ Money Transfer.
To submit the payment with MoneyGram Money Transfer you have the following option:
Pay for the transfer with cash at a local MoneyGram agent.
Click here to locate the agents in your area.
To confirm your payment with Amazon send the payment detaills from Money Gram: Confirm Payment
Use this secure way to confirm your payment only if you feel unsafe to release the payment details directly to your seller.If you need further assistance contact Customer Center by Clicking here
Once the payment was sent, provide the following information:
1) Reference Number (MoneyGram Reference Number):
2) Sender name :
3) Sender address :
4) City where you sent the money from:
5) Amount sent:
Then wait for the confirmation that the payment was received. After that you will receive the tracking number for your product.
The funds will not be released under any circumstances! We will hold the payment until you will send us your confirmation that you have received, inspected and you agree to keep the item. When we will have your confirmation we will transfer the funds to the seller. If the item it is not what was described you will ship it back to the seller and we will refund your money 100%.
E-mail Address: aristacamera@live.com
Ship from Address:
Richard Restianuh
2501 Algoma St Apt A
Stevens Point
WI 54481
United States
Payment Address:
Dan Bitner
Via Piemonte 108
I-00187
Roma
Italy Uh huuuuhhhh...
Now mind you, all of this was in an official looking Amazon email, with headers, links, and what not. But I was really suspicious of the payment method and the fact that some of the links led to a "live.com" domain instead of "amazon.com". My suspicions were justified, as a simple Google search showed me this was a routine scam on Amazon, frequently done with other cameras or electronics. In any case, I did not redact any names or emails so others can see the potential fraudsters involved.
So the point of this story? As cliched as the saying goes, if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. But boy, what an emotional roller coaster! Watch out for AristaCamera on the Amazon Marketplace.
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