 Alicia McMahill |
buying not so local I have been talking to a guy online that is about two hours away about a lens that he has that I would like to get. it is a sigma 70- 300 and after about two weeks of talking (email) he called me last night and told me that since we were both on the go and couldn't get together to do the sale in person he would be willing to mail it to me.... at first I was thrild! I could get the glass without having to drive two hours one way to get it...so then as I was going about the wedding that I was hoping to use it for last night I started to think...what if there is something wrong with the glass.... the guy asked that I just send him my home address with a line in the email that I agreed to pay him for the item.... I don't have anyreason to second guess this guy but I am just wondering .... what are your thoughts? Thanks A
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Irene Troy |
Alicia – You Have Got To Be Kidding – Right? Now, I don’t want to be rude; however, let me see if I have this correct: you met someone online, someone you do not know. This person is selling a lens that you would like to buy. You do not know the condition of the lens. You did not mention price, but assuming that it is more or less than what it sells for elsewhere, you still do not know this guy or the condition of the glass. Is this what you are saying? Again, please do not think I am being rude, but this is a recipe for disaster! It has scam written all over it in large letters! If you cannot drive the two hours to go see the glass and do not know the seller – give it a miss. I can easily appreciate the difficulty in getting together with someone who does not live close – I used to live in a very rural area of the west – but, you are simply asking for trouble – IMO. Either go see the lens or shop elsewhere – even Ebay will provide you with some protection. I urge you to take steps to protect yourself should you decide to go through with this deal. Good luck Irene
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Todd Bennett |
Good job Irene!!!!!!!!!!
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Alicia McMahill |
Irene, See that is what I was thinking too. I am just wondering if I am being over the top. I have bought things from B&H and I think after I heard someone else say yea this is strange I have made up my mind. I guess it does sound pretty bad when I reread it as a post =] Thanks again
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Irene Troy |
Alicia – I think that you are making the right decision. Personally, I buy a lot of my gear from B&H; however, they are a “real” store with a brick and mortar foundation and they back everything that they sell – a clearly legitimate company that, at least in my experience, gives good price and great service. I have bought books and other things from Amazon and even from E-Bay. However, I tend to shy away from private party sellers who I do not know and companies that cannot provide some evidence that they are legit. Hopefully, you will find a good source for the lens that you want. Irene
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Bob Cammarata |
Someone I know was recently burned in a similar situation on the purchase of a digital camera. It turned out to be a scam and he was out almost $2K. E-bay and B&H have been reliable sources for used lenses and other equipment (at least for me).
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Oliver Anderson |
Alicia....I have bought Many things off EBay including a 1Ds MarkII and my Dell XPS 4gb laptop. but you can get burned. I drove 1 hour to meet the guy for the camera after talking to my friends at Canon in Irvine (checked serial #) and flew to LAX from SF to pick up the laptop for $1900 instead of $6000 Dell wanted....but I'm still waiting for my Russian Bride and sent them $5,000. She was supposed to be here 2 months ago and I can't get a hold of her????JK...she's Swedish Make the drive and hand over the cash if its a deal or go to B&H.
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Bernard |
Alicia, he may let you try before you buy, it can't hurt to ask. Bernard
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