yakim_peled1 Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Dear ones, I am looking to get a second system in addition to my EOS one. The one I selected is the Minolta one with the 7D. As it's going to be an additional system, I am only going to be using it only for special purposes. Therefore, there are only two lenses which I am interested in: Tamron 180/3.5 macro and Minolta 500/8 AF mirror. My first problem is that I don't have a lot of money so I need to buy them used. My second problem is that I do not dare to buy them in E- Bay as I heard quite a few horror stories. I must stress that I only want to buy mint lenses. So, my question is basically drafted in the headline. Where to buy? What to do? Whom to trust? I'd rather trust forum members than an anonymous E-Bay seller. If you know of a trusted E-Bay seller who is selling them, please tell me. BTW, yes, I put an ad in the Classified but I want to actively search for ones. TIA. Happy shooting, Yakim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterlyons Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Yakim, B&H (bhphotovideo.com) sells used equipment, and it's all rated and priced by its condition and appearance. It would be worth at least checking out. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_thorlin Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 I think you are doing yourself a disservice dismissing fleabay on the basis of "a few horror stories" - there are a lot of good deals to be had if you are careful and sensible. I have yet to be stung ( hope this has not put the kiss of death on it ! ) and I suggest you do a bit of research on this site and the web in general to see what is said. Might be worth a google on "how to buy on eBay". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmphoto1 Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 You might want to check out my eBay Buyer's Guide here: http://www.chadmarekphoto.com/ta/buyguide.htm chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmueller Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 www.keh.com would be a great place to check. However, it seems that you are looking for two very sought after lenses in like new condition that a very trustworthy seller wants to give away for peanuts. That could be a little difficult. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josphy Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 KEH. KEH. KEH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakim_peled1 Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 >> www.keh.com would be a great place to check I already looked at B&H, Adorama and KEH but found nothing. These are the only trustworthy online stores I know. Other names will be welcomed. >> there are a lot of good deals to be had if you are careful and sensible. I know. It's just that I lack the skills to spot them in advance. That's why I ask for your assistance, to recommend me of these trustworthy sellers you actually know. BTW, My estimation is ~95% of honest sellers. However, If you multiply these 5% in the total number of sellers you get a huge number. >> it seems that you are looking for two very sought after lenses in like new condition that a very trustworthy seller wants to give away for peanuts. All is true save from the last part. I know that mint lenses would cost more than those that are not. Happy shooting, Yakim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_thorlin Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Yakim - a lot ( maybe the large majority ) of sellers go on fleabay to sell just one or two items that they have so it is difficult to come up with specific names. Go look at their feedback to see their track record - any frequent seller with in excess of say 96% positive has a good record and most of the infrequent sellers should be up around the 100% mark. Check out the returns policy as well to ensure that it is good to obtain more comfort. ( These points are in line with Chad's guide. ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakim_peled1 Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 96% is enough? I was told that nothing under 99% is safe. Happy shooting, Yakim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_thorlin Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Not even the big on-line retailers achieve 99% customer satisfaction ( despite claims to the contrary ). If fleabay frightens you that much it really is best not to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennis_fallon1 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 I've bought quite a bit from eBay w/no problems. As others mention, just find a seller with quite a few sales and a near-100% positive review (if lower than 99% read some of the comments ... if you do enough volume, some grouch is bound to be annoyed by something) ... and do your homework; read the details of the auction several times over; condition of the lens, shipping & payment details; ask questions if there isn't enough info. Also, try dyxum.com ... has forums for buying & selling gear like photo.net classified. You could post a "wanted to buy" ... you can tell if sellers have been there a while by "date joined" and "number of posts" which might lead you to trust them more. Good luck ! - Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakim_peled1 Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 Thank you. I'll try that. Happy shooting, Yakim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton_abe Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 Bill- Why do you continue to call eBay- 'fleabay'? On one hand you recommend them and on the other hand you insult them with your nickname for them. Tell me, what items have you brought at 'fleabay'? I have bought a number of items on 'fleabay', and have been pretty satisfied with what I bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmphoto1 Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 After 6 years on eBay and well over 1000 transactions, here is my take on feedback: 99% of all transactions a seller makes goes well. The question is, what does the seller do with that 1%. If they sell good stuff and treat people fairly, their rating will be in the upper 99% (99.6%+). If they have less than 99%, they might be consistently selling crap. If they have a high withdrawl rate (feedbacks mutually withdrwn) they are probably intimidating buyers. There is a site that lets you look at all of the negs, nuetrals, and withdrawls from a person. I think it is toolhuas.org. Finding a specific eBayer thatgood used lensies is very hard. Stock in used lenses comes and goes and it depends on what they have at the time (I currently have a limited selection in 5 brands, non of which is up at the moment). So, search for what you want then evaluate the seller. Good luck. chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton_abe Posted May 2, 2006 Share Posted May 2, 2006 The feedback process on eBay is not perfect. As it is voluntary, not every seller or buyer leaves feedback on a transaction. I've left positive feedback for a seller, and not gotten one in return. A person who has a negative experience will be more likely, IMHO, to leave feedback. They, eBay, should institute a system where both parties have to leave feedback, before they are added to the parties feedback rating. Also, in talking to a number of eBayers sellers, I've heard cases where the buyer has left negative feedback, because of some small problem, like the item was received a day late, or some other nit-picky problem. A seller I talked to told me that he had problems in collecting the money a buyer owed, and left a negative comment. In retaliation, the buyer left negative feedback where none was warranted. I recently bought a computer cable from a Power Seller (>10,000), there were problems in the transaction, with the seller saying the item was shipped, when I finally took the matter to resolution, the seller agreed that the item was not shipped and refunded my money, and gave me an additional $2. I debated whether I should leave feedback, and of what nature. In the end, I decided not to leave any. If I had left a negative comment, would the seller then leave a negative comment for me? I couldn't in good conscience leave positive feedback. After looking at the situation, where the seller probably sells dozens of items a day, and where much of the transaction is 'automatically' done, such as notification of 'End of Transaction', 'Shipping Notice', etc., I realized that dispite the good intentions of the seller, SHIT happens. Sometimes something goes wrong, and the important thing is whether the other party tries to rectify the situation. In this case, the seller DID stay in contact, although it may have taken longer than I would like, but understandable seeing the volume the seller does. Before placing a bid, I check the feedback of a seller, and if I see a pattern of problems, I won't bid. However, if it is an isolated incident, like 1 out of 50 transaction (98%), or if it was a long time ago, I will not hesitate to bid. So far, knock on wood, I haven't been burned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmphoto1 Posted May 3, 2006 Share Posted May 3, 2006 The feedback system is by far the most hotly debated topic on the eBay PowerSeller discussion board. You name it, and it has been discussed at nauseum. Over, and over, and over. The one consensus is that the system is not perfect. And a near consensus among PowerSellers is that feedback should not be compulsory. In the last year or so, a number of changes have been put in place to counteract some of the issues you mentioned. New eBayers must complete a tutorial before leaving a negative feedback. Non-paying bidders who do not participate in the Unpaid Item Process loose feedback rights. Feedback sniping has been eliminated, also Your suggestion protects the bad seller. If you have shotty customer service and your customers feedback is not visible until they leave feedback, problem solved: Don�t leave feedback and all your sins are hidden. Both parties have a responsibility to the eBay Community to try to resolve issues before leaving feedback. That is part of the integrity of the system. Just like bidding, feedback should not be left emotionally. chad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clinton_abe Posted May 3, 2006 Share Posted May 3, 2006 "Your suggestion protects the bad seller. If you have shotty customer service and your customers feedback is not visible until they leave feedback, problem solved: Don?t leave feedback and all your sins are hidden." Chad- I can see your point about it protecting a bad seller. Perhaps, if they give each party a 72 hour (or whatever time period) window to respond to the negative feedback, and if either party fails to do so within the time period, whatever feedback left is posted. For example, say I have a bad experience with a seller and decide to leave negative feedback. The seller is given a look at the comment, but it is not added to eBay. The seller in order to retaliate, does likewise for me, even if the problem with the transaction wasn't my fault. I, in turn get to see the sellers comment, but it is not posted on eBay. Once each party sees the feedback to be left, a clock starts that gives each party 72 hours to leave a response. In the meantime, both of the initial feedbacks are held in a 'holding pen'. Then both parties are given 72 hrs to respond, but without the opportunity to see what the response will be. Once the time is up, whatever feedback and response that was entered is put into feedback. Normally, either party has 30 days or so to leave feedback, but in the case of negative feedback, the clock starts when a negative comment is entered. And once the time period ends, the other party forfeits their right to leave feedback. If for some reason, the first person to leave feedback leaves a positive or neutral, but for some reason, the othe person leaves a negative comment, the original party is allowed to respond and the other party is not allowed to do likewise. I don't know if I made all that clear. Anyway, I can see the trouble with the feedback process. Even watching some customers in a retail store, I can see that they have unreasonable expectations and get upset at the littlest problem and goes running off looking for a manager. Perhaps they do this to try and get a discount for their 'troubles'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakim_peled1 Posted May 4, 2006 Author Share Posted May 4, 2006 >> The one consensus is that the system is not perfect. Well, as systems are designed by humans and as humans are far from being perfect, a perfect system is - by definition - an oxymoron. Happy shooting, Yakim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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