Quote:
Originally Posted by Seajay  I agree with Eeyore. I have bought and sold hundreds of items on e-bay and it CAN BE a matter of caveat emptor. As for photographic items I have been lucky but have heard stories of those who haven,t. Think about it. Expensive items that can be sold five times over - a nice scam. As Eeyore says watch the price and the goods could be damaged
or damaged or lost in transit, so insure against loss should you go down this avenue. If the seller will not allow you to collect the item - run a mile! Always check the seller's feedback espescially with an expensive item. Remember items from abroad can be charged duty and can work out dearer than you would pay in this country should H M Customs collar you plus should you be lucky and evade the duty there could be problems when you go on holiday when the item has a serial no. where duty has not been paid. Finally when you buy from a recognised retailer or someone you know you are getting a bona fide item not a copy. |
It's not all doom and gloom on ebay, or buying from abroad. I bought my Bigma from Digital Rev, based in Hong Kong. They supplied a vaild invoices, and there was no attempt to evade customs, in fact I paid the customs due, which they promptly reimbursed. The lens had a fault from new, I was able to get it quickly repaird by Sigma on producing the invoice and the customs certificate, with no problems at all.
By buying from Digital Rev I saved a total of £120 from the best UK price I could find. So by all means be wary, but there can be bargins out there, if your selective where you go.