Buying Camera lens and accessories on ebay. Is it safe?
- Thread starter Fiatboi
- Start date
sinned79
Senior Member
i have bought a few things from ebay.
a step up ring
a 3rd party shutter cable release with timer
"canon" BGE-6
i dun have a problem with step up ring and the 3rd party shutter cable release with timer.
but i got duped into buying a counterfeit canon BGE-6 battery grip. the price is cheaper by 80-100++ as compared to a grey set... and since the picture displayed on ebay looks very genuine, i go ahead and order. Even when i received the battery grip... everything looks so real, got a canon box, japanese printed manual, everything looks so identical to the real thing so i did not suspect anything till ebay informed me that this seller account was closed that prompts me to check further and finally realised i bought a counterfeit copy, in the end had to fork up $40+ shipping fee to ship back to the seller before i got my refund back. learnt my lesson after this and got a second hand genuine grip from B&S here. For more details of this story, u can read this thread here:
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786932
so just becareful what u buy from ebay, good thing is, there is buyer protection policy.
a step up ring
a 3rd party shutter cable release with timer
"canon" BGE-6
i dun have a problem with step up ring and the 3rd party shutter cable release with timer.
but i got duped into buying a counterfeit canon BGE-6 battery grip. the price is cheaper by 80-100++ as compared to a grey set... and since the picture displayed on ebay looks very genuine, i go ahead and order. Even when i received the battery grip... everything looks so real, got a canon box, japanese printed manual, everything looks so identical to the real thing so i did not suspect anything till ebay informed me that this seller account was closed that prompts me to check further and finally realised i bought a counterfeit copy, in the end had to fork up $40+ shipping fee to ship back to the seller before i got my refund back. learnt my lesson after this and got a second hand genuine grip from B&S here. For more details of this story, u can read this thread here:
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=786932
so just becareful what u buy from ebay, good thing is, there is buyer protection policy.
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Override2Zion
Senior Member
I think its best to avoid certain "HIGH RISK" items such as those with delicate electronics and optics. When buying 2nd hand lenses, we often want to physically inspect the item for defects before deciding. We can live with some cosmetic defects but functionality cannot be hampered.For example, you might want to check lenses for fungus/cracks/VR,OS,VC,IS functionality/SWM,HSM,USM functionality.
Items such as filters, adaptor rings, reflectors, umbrellas, tripods, etc are much straight forward. Make an assessment before deciding to purchase
Ebay is just the platform, nothing else. You need to check carefully the offered items and the feedback / reputation ranking of the seller. Do also consider that the seller is maybe located in different time zones, in different countries and cultures with different interpretations of certain descriptions. Only when the package arrives you will be able to examine the article and compare with description and expectation.
It has worked well for me in many cases but I also had a few disappointments.
papajanggo33
Senior Member
i've bought and sold lenses,hoods and other photography accessories locally. if you were to buy from overseas, the risk of getting worst-than-auctioned condition is higher. compared to buying locally, there's always the window frame for you to ask,meet up and/or check. the worst thing you can get is a negative feedback should you back out from the deal after winning the bid.
so,it's your call. the courtesy of asking for a no obligation view could sometimes save you from regretting later after the lens exchanging lens. price? it ain't difficult to compare between those in Nikon site, CS B&S and eBay.
but for accessories,not all are bad stuffs just because they are cheap. quality comes with a price.
HTH
so,it's your call. the courtesy of asking for a no obligation view could sometimes save you from regretting later after the lens exchanging lens. price? it ain't difficult to compare between those in Nikon site, CS B&S and eBay.
but for accessories,not all are bad stuffs just because they are cheap. quality comes with a price.
HTH
Numnumball
Senior Member
It's ur call
Whether u trust the source or not
I bought my 135DC used frm EBay Korea n all is good
Whether u trust the source or not
I bought my 135DC used frm EBay Korea n all is good
I unfortunately .. do a lot of my buying on Ebay and mostly camera and lenses.. and depends on what you term as high value items .. :think:
Generally the seller are trustworthy .. but you do need to check the feedbacks (this is only indicative but it should provide a fairly good gauge)
This does not means that there is no fraud .. far from that .. I have been cheated twice .. lucky the cost of both is less than 200 sing..
Do not be greedy or stupid to buy an item that is price so low that you just cannot believe .. recently there is a joker that keep posting on Ebay .. USD2K for a highly valued Leica Lens .. like the Chinese/Cantonese saying "Where got such a big Bullfrog jumping all over the street"
Next to check is make sure that the Seller accepts Paypal as payment .. I never trust TT or other forms of payment .. Paypal will be your best buddy when you have a conflict with the seller.. most of the time .. you will get refunded .. I did but only one occasion as I normally have very pleasant dealing on Ebay (but note there is a USD 2K cap)
Conflict in this case like the items never arrived, DOA (dead on arrive) or not as described
It is always nice that you contact the seller first if you have a problem with your purchase .. and from the response of the seller .. work things out.
Only raise it to Ebay if the seller does not response to your PM.. there is a 45days to raise a issues .. so plenty of time
The problem normally is the shipping (as I am typing you this.. 3 packages came in .. States, Greece and Hongkong).. it can sometime take a long long time to reach you.. during this time you should ask the seller nicely to help check on the item.. but nowadays most seller will send with Tracking number (this to me is a charm) .. it let's you know the progress of your item ..
For Hongkong Sellers .. 90% of them are reliable .. but again please check their feedback.. I have deal with quite a few from Hongkong and the best part about buying from Hongkong is the delivery is fast normally 3 days after you make payment
The downside of Hongkong sellers .. price normally much higher then the rest of the world
Giving a choice I prefer to buy from Hongkong.. cause if there is any real Big problem .. fly to Hongkong lor ... hahaha (quite a few of them have actual shops)
Also I do not like the idea that my purchase is on the road for so long .. image .. a lens shipped from US normally takes 7 to 14 days (5 to 7 if by priority mailing, but this normal you have to request and pay more) .. all that rocking and shaking .. by the time it reaches me got focus shift how ... hahaha
A word of advise ... I would advise against buying electronic stuff over Ebay .. no warranty.. got to shipped back to claim money .. not really worth the saving if you asked me .. but since you are asking on a Photography forum I trust that it is lens and cameras that you are hunting for
But do consider this .. warranty .. say if you buy a DSLR and it KO after 2 months .. then you need to bring to service center .. also problem reselling
What I shopped on Ebay are hard to find items..things that can not find or SUPER hard to come by in Singapore.. ie Vintage Lenses
Otherwise buying locally is the safest .. our BS is a very good hunting platform
There is one serious down side if you ask me .. 100% of the time you have to take the seller's words about the condition of the item .. something that I am still very skeptical of .. which if you look at it from another angle .. it stops impulsive buying ... hahaha
Disclaimer : Please do not take this reply has a 100% safe endorsement to buy from Ebay.. on Ebay always shop smart or you can kiss your $ goodbye
O.. I do not work for Ebay .. hahaha
Good Luck and enjoy the late night vigil to make sure that you out bid the world :thumbsup:
digisheep
Member
For me, since I'm a more cautious person, I generally will only buy those cheap item from ebay e.g. lens hood, accessories etc... As for lens, I try to resist the temptation of low cost since I'm not sure if the good deliver will be of good condition or not. I don't want to end up having a lens with fungus etc. And more importantly, ease of warranty claim is of top priority to me so expensive item like lens is definitely out again...
sinned79
Senior Member
This is not accurate anymore... the seller who sold me counterfeit battery grip had 2000+ pts worth of positive rating...
i only buy from established ebayers who
-are predominantly sellers (some crafty sellers start off by getting loads of Positive Buyer comments by buying low end crap to load up on their reputation before embarking on a career of an ebay seller )
-are 'niche specialist ' sellers eg they specialize in selling only certain type/genre of equipment ... I AVOID buying from 'Karang Guni' sellers who sell anything under the sun from rubber diucks to ironing boards
- have 5 or less negative feedback per 1000 sales .... and I investigate these negative feedbacks to decide if the seller acted honorably and fairly ...... and to see if the buyer gave negative feedback fairly or unfairly
- put down personalized, very detailed and educated descriptions of their wares including flaws, defects if any eg. stating even if the thing is OEM/copy
-are predominantly sellers (some crafty sellers start off by getting loads of Positive Buyer comments by buying low end crap to load up on their reputation before embarking on a career of an ebay seller )
-are 'niche specialist ' sellers eg they specialize in selling only certain type/genre of equipment ... I AVOID buying from 'Karang Guni' sellers who sell anything under the sun from rubber diucks to ironing boards
- have 5 or less negative feedback per 1000 sales .... and I investigate these negative feedbacks to decide if the seller acted honorably and fairly ...... and to see if the buyer gave negative feedback fairly or unfairly
- put down personalized, very detailed and educated descriptions of their wares including flaws, defects if any eg. stating even if the thing is OEM/copy
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framemylife
New Member
Should be safe to get from highly rated sellers. I've purchased a couple of accessories via ebay myself. High value items like lens and bodies...not that it isn't safe, but personally I prefer to be able to personally hold or try out these big ticket items before coughing up the cash!
nottipiglet
New Member
You should operate under the assumption that Ebay is not safe. So, if you buy a low value item like lens cap, 'cheong' lens hood, etc... then it's fine to take the risk if the seller's rating is high.
However, if you by a higher valued item like lens/cameras, that it would be good to send a couple of emails (through Ebay) to the seller and find out what kind of person he/she is.
I bought my EF 35mm f/2 many years ago from a guy in the US through Ebay. Through the emails, I found out that he is a photographer (www.papas.com) who needed a better lens. So, I concluded that all was good and the lens was fantastic. I sold it for a profit a few years later, after I upgraded to a better lens.
However, if you by a higher valued item like lens/cameras, that it would be good to send a couple of emails (through Ebay) to the seller and find out what kind of person he/she is.
I bought my EF 35mm f/2 many years ago from a guy in the US through Ebay. Through the emails, I found out that he is a photographer (www.papas.com) who needed a better lens. So, I concluded that all was good and the lens was fantastic. I sold it for a profit a few years later, after I upgraded to a better lens.
PrimePhotog
Deregistered
Most importantly, remember to check ratings of the user you are buying from. Be wary of anyone with <98-99% positive feedback and check the individual comments on why people have chosen to give him poor ratings.
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