beware: Alex Photo

[JONLEE]

I had bought a lens from Alex Photo, which he claimed was a new lense.

But upon closer inspection, much later too, at home, i saw some scratches on the surface of the lens near the mount.

EVERYONE, BE AWARE, ALEX PHOTO SELL OFF mint Second hand goods, and charge a NEW price for it!

looks like it's just my luck to go to a second hand dealer to buy a new lenses.

Anyone experience this b4?

 

[Astin]

Sorry to hear your story, but where is Alex Photo so we can aviod it?

 

[Barrios]

If your warranty card is unfilled, go back to the shop and demand for another brand new lens. If they refuse, threaten to make a complaint to CASE.

 

[mylau]

Originally posted by Astin
Sorry to hear your story, but where is Alex Photo so we can aviod it?

I think it is at Penisular Plaza third level. Can someone pls confirm on this?

 

[ninelives]

Originally posted by JONLEE
I had bought a lens from Alex Photo, which he claimed was a new lense.

But upon closer inspection, much later too, at home, i saw some scratches on the surface of the lens near the mount.

EVERYONE, BE AWARE, ALEX PHOTO SELL OFF mint Second hand goods, and charge a NEW price for it!

looks like it's just my luck to go to a second hand dealer to buy a new lenses.

Anyone experience this b4?

jonlee, was you in jedi knight server yesterday?

 

[Kho King]

Originally posted by mylau


I think it is at Penisular Plaza third level. Can someone pls confirm on this?

I think is 2nd floor.

 

[Simon]

Originally posted by JONLEE
I had bought a lens from Alex Photo, which he claimed was a new lense.

But upon closer inspection, much later too, at home, i saw some scratches on the surface of the lens near the mount.

EVERYONE, BE AWARE, ALEX PHOTO SELL OFF mint Second hand goods, and charge a NEW price for it!

looks like it's just my luck to go to a second hand dealer to buy a new lenses.

Anyone experience this b4?

Just curious, why didn't you inspect the Lens before you buy it?

There could be many reasons why scratches are on the surface of the lens mount.

1: Caused by you when you mount the lens on the camera.
2: Caused by Alex Photo when they mount the lens on the camera to let you test the lens.
3: Caused by some other customer who tried mounting the lens on a camera to test the lens.

I'm not siding anyone here, but the question here is, when you buy the lens, you expect it to be NEW. When Alex Photo sells you the lens, they too expect it to be new (unless they are out to ruin their own reputation).

So i ask the same question again, why you didn’t inspect the lens when you buy it.

 

[erwinx]

i prefer to focus on shops that are good and have been quoted in CS time and time again - CP, Fotoguide, 3:16 etc...

Since Fotoguide and CP are in the same building as Alex Photo, I wonder why Jonlee went to Alex Photo... (I'm not even aware of Alex Photo since between Fotoguide and CP, don't really need to go anywhere else)

 

[mpenza]

Alex Photo sells 2nd hand stuff. I've bought a flash from them. So far no complaints

 

[Kho King]

Jonlee hasn't respond to our enquiry yet. I would like to know:

1. What does he bought?
2. What's the price?
3. Has he contact Alex Photo for the "misunderstanding"?

 

[Kit]

When it comes to buying equipment, I tend to stay on the ground floor(if you know what I mean). Just me.........

 

[David]

I think it is the consumer's responsibility to check the lens b4 buying. Never take the shopkeeper's word that it is brand new, the best you can find, etc. Always question. Always inspect. You have the right to do that. In singapore, unlike the States, it's usually very difficult to return or replace a product that has been sold.

In this case, I think it's not Alex Photo that is to be blamed fully. Not siding Alex P, and neither do I know their credibility but you just have to inspect b4 buying!

 

[Kho King]

talking about inspecting before buying...if buying new from shop, I always check/make sure the box has not been opened before, the plastic wrapper for the lens/cam is fresh (not messy here and there), warranty card unfil/not cop yet, all arrange in good order...etc. Always making sure that I am the first one opening/inspecting the stuff, and not by any other customer who has inspected/tested/tried it before.

Anywhere, sometimes we do get careless by the mouthful and "friendly" shop seller...

 

[Kit]

Originally posted by Kho King
talking about inspecting before buying...if buying new from shop, I always check/make sure the box has not been opened before, the plastic wrapper for the lens/cam is fresh (not messy here and there), warranty card unfil/not cop yet, all arrange in good order...etc. Always making sure that I am the first one opening/inspecting the stuff, and not by any other customer who has inspected/tested/tried it before.

Anywhere, sometimes we do get careless by the mouthful and "friendly" shop seller...

Assuming everybody is like you and you don't buy the stuff upon inspection, who's the shop going to sell the stuff to then?

How do you make sure you're absolutely the first person that opened the box? Btw, I'm pretty sure being the second person who opened the box won't affect the resale value should he choose to sell it in future as usual.

 

[Kho King]

Originally posted by Kit


Assuming everybody is like you and you don't buy the stuff upon inspection, who's the shop going to sell the stuff to then?

How do you make sure you're absolutely the first person that opened the box? Btw, I'm pretty sure being the second person who opened the box won't affect the resale value should he choose to sell it in future as usual.

If I have no interest to buy, I won't ask the shop to show me the stuff. If I plan to buy, I would want to make sure that the stuff is new and not some return stuff by others. Not everyone is like me, and those like you will buy what I don't want to buy.

I don't have to be absolutely sure that I am the first one to open the box, but just "hope" to be the one who got new stuff by making sure there is no sign of opening/use on the box.

Shops in Singapore/Malaysia are different from those in Europe, where customer has the right to return the stuff even if he/she is not satisfied with it (not because the stuff has problem). So, I am just doing what I can to make sure that I am satisfied with what I bought, as the chance of returning is very unlikely once I paid the money.

 

[Kit]

Originally posted by Kho King


If I have no interest to buy, I won't ask the shop to show me the stuff. If I plan to buy, I would want to make sure that the stuff is new and not some return stuff by others. Not everyone is like me, and those like you will buy what I don't want to buy.

I don't have to be absolutely sure that I am the first one to open the box, but just "hope" to be the one who got new stuff by making sure there is no sign of opening/use on the box.

Shops in Singapore/Malaysia are different from those in Europe, where customer has the right to return the stuff even if he/she is not satisfied with it (not because the stuff has problem). So, I am just doing what I can to make sure that I am satisfied with what I bought, as the chance of returning is very unlikely once I paid the money.

Ahhh yes..........how can I forget. Unlike many people, you still have to worry about resale value down the road.........

 

[erwinx]

Originally posted by Kit


Ahhh yes..........how can I forget. Unlike many people, you still have to worry about resale value down the road.........

I agree with you - after 5 years usage, the fact that you were then '2nd person' to open the box when you first bought it isn't going to matter at all..... but if you are an equipment collector I suppose there're different considerations.

 

[Goondu]

Sorry, OT. Seems to me the weather is getting hotter nowadays. Will it get even hotter later?

 

[Kit]

Originally posted by Goondu
Sorry, OT. Seems to me the weather is getting hotter nowadays. Will it get even hotter later?

Don't know about there. Pretty cool over here (literally), about 12 degrees now.

 

[Kho King]

Originally posted by Kit


Ahhh yes..........how can I forget. Unlike many people, you still have to worry about resale value down the road.........

I think you are trying to move the original discussion to some other point.

We are not talking about resale value or reselling a lens after buying. If I were to buy and sell, I won't buy new. You must be really "stupid" buying new stuff and hoping to resale later at a higher price, unless it is a collectible, but that's not what we are discussing here, and there are many other way of many money than reselling collectible photographic equipment. I will only buy new stuff if I am confident that I will keep it, and no thought of reselling it during the time I bought.

Let me guide you back what we are dicussing here. We are talking about buying some photographic and to avoid being cheat by the shop (selling mint but used stuff as new). My way of preventing this is to make sure the thing that I am going to buy is fresh from box, and the box is fresh too (and also the other points I stated previously).