 Shellie |
where to buy I am looking into buying a Canon Digital Rebel XT and was wondering if anyone would recommend Ebay. I am looking for the most for my money but want to make sure I get what I pay for. I am not familiar with many companies that sell on Ebay and was wondering if any of you have bought from there.
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Christopher A. Vedros |
Shellie, You can get some good deals from eBay, but you really need to know what to look for, and you need to find a trustworthy seller. Many of the eBay camera dealers (even the ones with very high feedback) make a practice of bundling very cheap accessories, like tabletop tripods and cleaning kits, and inflating the "retail" prices of these to make it look like a great deal. They also tend to bundle low-end Sigma lenses. Outside of eBay, there are a bunch of websites with names like cheapcamerasusa.com (just an example) that seem to have very low prices on cameras. When you actually place an order, you will find that they strip out the items that normally come in the box with the camera, like a battery and a charger, and they force you to buy them separately at inflated prices. In the long run, you will be much better off buying from a trustworthy store like bhphotovideo.com Chris
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Autumn Hernandez |
I second Chris's suggestion. B&H is great and their prices are always (at least that I've seen) the lowest. Plus, they have always given me great customer service too which makes buying a wonderful experience.
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Jon Close |
Check a retailer's rating and buyers' experiences at http://www.resellerratings.com/. A price too good to be true is just that. I would never do business with an oufit rated lower than average (7.09 on a scale from 0-10).
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John Rhodes |
Shellie, I highly recommend you go to Amazon. They will list the camera from more than one reputable dealer, such as Adorama or B&H. The dealers that appear on Amazon are vetted and can be trusted. Avoid places like MP Superstore because of their less than honorable marketing practices. John
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Craig m. Zacarelli |
I would stay off ebay for buying a camera body, there are tons of scammers on e-bay and its a sad thing. Also, a sure way to spot a scam is if the camera's price is too good to be true. I bought mine of Amazon, from Amazon not one of the other listings on it. Craig-
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BetterPhoto Member |
Shellie, FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK! Lots of and good feedback shows that the person you are dealing with is above the table. Also, a tip, watch items until they get within an hour of ending then bid, bidding early unnecessarily ups the amount you'll have to pay. Chris Walrath
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Craig m. Zacarelli |
I read somewhere about different Ebay scams and it said, about obtaining good feed back, that there are "networks" of dealers who buy items soley for the purpose of exchanging "Positive" feedbacks! You buy a 50 cent item from me and we exchange positive feedback, then I;ll buy a 50 cent or dollar item from you (most of wich arent even exchanged, mostly recipies that are e-mailed) and we again exchange positive feedbacks! its not so much a scam but its a tool for scammers to get good feedbacks, fast and on the cheap! be carefull there are way to many unscruples sellers on ebay and dont fall for the " I will send you the item to try out if you send the $$ western union to this "holding" company who will then release the funds to me only if you say so after trying the item out for 10 days." Its a scam where you send the western union money gram to an address of a "Holding company" then you wait to get the camera which never comes and so you send to get your $$ back but guess what? its long gone and you have no recourse.. as western union wont refund you as pay pal is supposed to do ( another big IF!) good luck and be careful. Now is a good time to buy canon gear, rebates and triple rebates are out there, just have to look. Craig-
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Wayne L |
Whatever you buy or try to buy on ebay, beware of user ID "dreammaker" located at 10 Bisbee Drive,So. Salem, NY 10590, (800) 704-0955 email- dreammaker2@att.net He sells a large assortment of different photo and camera equipment on ebay. Look closely at his negetive feedback. He got my money and never sent the item. Ebay will do nothing to help you but send a form email to them. I proved to them with a copy of his invoice to me and a copy of my money order to him that he was paid correctly and they did nothing. So my advise is to stay away from this one.
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Joan Bellinger |
In response to Wayne, I used dreammaker last year to buy two backdrops, light stands and a soft box and had great service! The items are even better than I expected. I would agree with others not to use Ebay for a digital camera body, but would look to ebay for getting accessories. I have also used Ebay for my classic and antique cameras including two working Polaroid Land Cameras.
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Wayne L |
Congratulations J, You are one of the lucky ones. That jerk will not send me the item I won and paid for and refuses to refund my money.
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anonymous |
I bought by Rebel XT from ebay (A canadian company - but they were big)had a great experience, they even called me directly to say they have my order. Sorry, It was a while ago now, I can't remember who it was.
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Irene Troy |
I am not sure how long you have been involved in photography; however, if you are fairly new to serious shooting I offer a suggestion: consider purchasing your camera from a local dealer. B&H is a terrific company and I do a lot of business with them. Their prices and service cannot be beat. However, when it came time for me to upgrade to a pro level camera I went local. The store owner is a great guy who took hours with me talking over the features in the two cameras I was considering. For someone who is fairly new to serious photography this was an amazingly helpful experience. I was able to hold the cameras, to try different lenses and to get a real feel for what it was I wanted and needed. In the end I paid just a little over $25 more than I would have if I had purchased the camera body at B&H. Then when it was time to purchase another lens I went back to the local guy and tried out various macro lenses until I found one I wanted. Again, this gave me the opportunity to actually go outside and shoot a few frames with each lens – a great way to figure out what I needed. A few weeks later I had a horrible experience in which one of my brand new lenses got destroyed in an accident (someone drove over my camera bag that I had next to me in my yard while I was trying to shoot some flowers. The driver lost control of her car and ran off the road). I had agreed to shoot an event the next day and was desperate. I called the camera store and they ordered a replacement lens and kindly offered to loan me a store lens until my order came in. I still buy from B&H, but I also try to support my local shop and feel that it is worth paying a small amount more to get this type service. Anyway, this is just another idea for you to consider. Irene
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Debby A. Tabb |
Shellie, I have used Digicorp on ebay, and find them to be more then honest. how ever they can be just a bit slow in processing but I'd rather that,then..... hope this helps,
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Henry Posner |
We appreciate everyone's kind words. Henry Posner
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michellepetersphotography.com - Michelle M. Peters Contact Michelle M. Peters Michelle M. Peters's Gallery |
I purchased my XT through eBay...specifically 47th St. Photo. I got a FANTASTIC DEAL with terrific service! Camera and all equipment was new in factory boxes with warrenties. I have made further purchases since then... also with the same great service. THere are still a lot of reputable dealers on eBay. READ THE descriptions carefully. Watcht he fine print. Watch their FEEDBACK AND the date they became a member! Some switch names when their feedback rating goes down. Good Luck!
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Shellie |
To all who have responded, thanks. I bought my camera months ago thru B&H and got excellent service. Thanks!
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Irene Troy |
Congratulations, Shellie, on your "not-so-new" purchase! B&H is a terrific company to do business with, as you discovered. Even though I do some business locally (as explained in my post) I do a lot with B&H and have never been disappointed. Great shooting with the Rebel! Irene
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