A cautionary tale about buying on Ebay from Japan

[boojum]

Some good points here, if somewhat bluntly stated.

Being me, I can't resist adding a few thoughts entirely of my own.

First para. That line was used in a movie I saw again (for the 5th or 50th or even 500th time, I've lost count) last week. By a character who happened to be one of the biggest crooks in Casablanca. Should we suggest to Ebay that they "arrest the usual suspects"??

Second para. This contradicts the first principle of almost all (excepting maybe one or two) politicians. If you repeat a lie long enough, in time the dumb voters will believe it's true.

Third para. Bottom feeders are fish and fish go about in schools. When food is scarce they feed off each other. Like me, the OP is obviously a fisherman - so he knows. We know.

With Ebay youse pays your money and youse takes youse chances. As someone I used to watch a to on TV in the '70s. That young man made a lot of sense in his own earthy winkly way. Is ho still around? I hope so. (Google here I come...)

Or as a greatly talented and underrated English actor said in 'Pimpernel Smith' (a WW2 movie I cannot recommend enough to anyone who wants to enjoy something enjoyable as well as timely and critical), "Know your enemy!" A little knowledge, to which can be applied an equal amount of basic critical thinking, can be a dangerous thing, but it can also work on our behalf with potential honey traps like Ebay.

All this entirely meant tongue in cheek, of course. Entirely for fun.

Sun Tzu says to know your enemy better than yourself. He also said never fight a battle you can't win. Yeah, you'd think that would be obvious. Sun Tzu is taught in every war college in the world. Claude Rains was "shocked". Casablanca probably has more quotable lines than any other American movie. I watch it now and again as it is almost perfect and the script was made up on the fly. On the Beach ain't too shabby, either. Where was that shot? ;o)

As for eBay, hey, it ain't Nieman-Marcus. I grew up in the NY area and was a felon for years when younger. Those crimes have all expired now. Nothing exciting, all humdrum. But it helped me understand that all those people in business are not your friends. There are people who are good people and it shows. I just sent off my sweet Amotal to a fellow without even asking about returning it because I know he will. He is an honorable man. I am parsimonious with that word. I never would have sent the lens otherwise. I am very lucky, too, as I am not the sharpest knife on the tree. Lots of folks have been very good and very kind to me and I am very grateful for that.

Now get off my goddam lawn. ROTFLMAOAPMP

 

[boojum]

OK, back to the thread. Buying from eBay is a gamble. For the most part you will "win". But not 100%. I am sure if I were still trading on eBay I would come a cropper eventually. Death is 100%, taxes can be evaded and avoided.

 

[peterm1]

OK, back to the thread. Buying from eBay is a gamble. For the most part you will "win". But not 100%. I am sure if I were still trading on eBay I would come a cropper eventually. Death is 100%, taxes can be evaded and avoided.

I agree. I have occasionally had a purchase turn out poorly but always (fortunately) always with something that was cheap to begin with and which I knew to be a gamble. Losing $30-$40 is no great loss and while I kick myself occasionally in such instances I am always reminded that I undertook that purchase knowing it was a gamble and that anyone who gambles will sometimes loose. But when I have followed such matters up with the vendor I have often had them stand by their product and compensate me. For example I recently bought a lens adapter which would not mount on my camera - an obvious case of a quality assurance failure at the factory because the adapter was slightly outside of specifications. I had purchased the same brand before with no issues. I raised it with the vendor who simply sent me a new one without requiring me to return the faulty one. Such things happen in life. One must be philosophical.

 

[DownUnder]

Casablanca probably has more quotable lines than any other American movie. I watch it now and again as it is almost perfect and the script was made up on the fly. On the Beach ain't too shabby, either. Where was that shot?

On The Beach was filmed almost entirely in Victoria (the state in Australia). The city scenes were in Melbourne. Many of the places shown in the film are now still as they were. Notably the State Library, seen in the closing scene of the film. It's a Late Victorian Era building, strikingly splendid in Neoclassical style, and today it's exactly as it was almost 60+ years ago.

Ava Gardner is credited with an immortal line while she was in Melbourne. According to the National Archives of Australia, she was said to have commented, so the Sydney Morning Herald reported, that Melbourne was "the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world". This now-famous quote was entirely fictitious – the satirical invention of a hack journalist of that time. For Americans in 1959, Melbourne and Australia were a long way from home.

For all that the film still holds together well, even though I personally found it thoroughly depressing. In many ways it is a sad commentary on how we humans never really learn anything and inevitably stuff up everything, all the more so in this insane nuclear age.

The book by the English author Neville Shute, is well worth reading, BTW. Even if it's even more depressing than the movie...

 

[underlord]

I recently had a similar experience as with Peter_S. I bought a Fuji GS645 from a Japanese seller on eBay because I 'needed' a 645. Apart from the visual once over on receipt of the camera the first thing was to run a roll through it. Focus was out of whack despite the 'full CLA' and glowing description. I contacted the seller who was adamant the camera was excellent. He even said his technician (a former Fuji employee, no less) had given it a complete overhaul. I begged to differ and produced photographic evidence! On seeing this he rolled over and issued a refund. Bruised by this experience I dug deeper and landed an immaculate Konica Pearl IV from a different seller but still Japan. Best thing I ever did. The Pearl came with me on a recent motorcycle road trip, where other MF cameras were too bulky or heavy (space is crucial on a bike road trip!)
Going forward, I am now reluctant to buy camera gear from Japan. Not just the bad experience but here in UK we pay quite high import duties from Japan, so there is that.

 

[boojum]

On The Beach was filmed in Victoria (the state) in Australia. The city scenes were in Melbourne. Many are now still as they were then. Especially the State Library of Victoria, seen in the very last scene of the film. It's a Late Victorian Era building, strikingly splendid in Neoclassical style, and today it's exactly as it was almost 70 years ago.

Ava Gardner is credited with an immortal line while she was in Melbourne. According to the National Archives of Australia, she was said to have commented something along the lines of, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that, on her arrival, Ava Gardner had described Melbourne as "the perfect place to make a film about the end of the world". This now-famous quote was made-up – the satirical invention of a hack journalist of that time. For Americans in 1959, Melbourne and Australia were a long way from home.

For all that the film still holds together well, even though I personally found it thoroughly depressing. In many ways it is a sad commentary on how we humans never really learn anything and inevitably stuff up everything, all the more so in this insane nuclear age.

The book by the English author Neville Shute, is well worth reading, BTW. Even if it's even more depressing than the movie...

I have read the book. He also wrote one about Australia where people could have more than one vote and the hero was nick-named "Nigger" because of his part Aborginal background. He wore the name proudly and was quite the anti-hero hero IIRC. All very interesting. Australia has always been interesting. I wish I had gone out to see it. Ayres Rock at dawn. Yes, I know it is named differently now but I have forgotten the new name. There is so much to see in Oz.

 

[boojum]

I recently had a similar experience as with Peter_S. I bought a Fuji GS645 from a Japanese seller on eBay because I 'needed' a 645. Apart from the visual once over on receipt of the camera the first thing was to run a roll through it. Focus was out of whack despite the 'full CLA' and glowing description. I contacted the seller who was adamant the camera was excellent. He even said his technician (a former Fuji employee, no less) had given it a complete overhaul. I begged to differ and produced photographic evidence! On seeing this he rolled over and issued a refund. Bruised by this experience I dug deeper and landed an immaculate Konica Pearl IV from a different seller but still Japan. Best thing I ever did. The Pearl came with me on a recent motorcycle road trip, where other MF cameras were too bulky or heavy (space is crucial on a bike road trip!)
Going forward, I am now reluctant to buy camera gear from Japan. Not just the bad experience but here in UK we pay quite high import duties from Japan, so there is that.

I cannot discount your experience. But in it we are looking through a knothole. Many of us can cite bad experiences on eBay. But in the overall shopping experience how many do get burned? As I have said I have had only good experiences. I have bought mostly FSU KMZ Jupiters from Ukraine. But I got two very nice Canon 50mm's, the f/1.4 and the better f/1.8, and a Canon 35mm f/2.0 and a 28mm f/2.8, both LTM's.. All excellent. Four Leicas, all just fine.

My only excuse for this run of good luck is careful, careful shopping. The seller is as important as the goods. And i shop not so much for cheap but quality. I do not know what the rest of you folks shop for. But I am willing to pay a little more up front to be spared all the grief of a sour sale. I also make burnt offerings to Zeus. So far, so good.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

I cannot discount your experience. But in it we are looking through a knothole. Many of us can cite bad experiences on eBay. But in the overall shopping experience how many do get burned. As I have said I have had only good experiences. I have bought mostly FSU KMZ Jupiters from Ukraine. But I got two very nice Canon 50mm's, the f/1.4 and the better f/1.8, and a Canon 35mm f/2.0 and a 28mm f/2.8, both LTM's.. All excellent. Four Leicas, all just fine.

My only excuse for this run of good luck is careful, careful shopping. The seller is as important as the goods. And i shop not so much for cheap but quality. I do not know what the rest of you folks shop for. But I am willing to pay a little more up front to be spared all the grief of a sour sale. I also make burnt offerings to Zeus. So far, so good.

Wrong god. Zeus is for flashguns. Pray to Diana, Goddess of the Hunt! She has a great line of cameras, too...

 

[rhl-oregon]

Re: reliability of film compacts—I’ve had a Klasse S for years, never a problem, until a year ago when the battery cover began came apart (in 3 pieces) during battery replacement.

I tried reassembling it with glue, no luck; tried finding a replacement, no luck; sent everything to Fuji North America who returned it as unrepairable. Then last week I discovered that Coastal Film Lab (Coastal Film Lab | Film Developing Lab) fabricates battery covers for Klasse cameras, and ordered one.

I may sell the Klasse once it’s operational (replacing it with a Contax TVS, having read here about the maintenance options), but it’s heartening to know there’s a small business that knows and cares about fixing the weak link in this system.

 

[rhl-oregon]

As for John’s original question, my favorite film camera never to buy again is the Leica M5 (age-related issues in advancing the film—the camera’s, not mine).

I’ve had no problems with any digital camera, though; I’ve just cycled through systems and now shoot M10M, CL, SL2, RX1R2. My wife Linn is shooting a Fuji XE1 with 35/1.4 and 60/2.8–the kit I used 10 years ago.

 

[Harry the K]

My wife Linn is shooting a Fuji XE1 with 35/1.4 and 60/2.8–the kit I used 10 years ago.

The same as everywhere: Obsolete technology will be handed down the food chain ;-).

 

[rhl-oregon]

Here’s an example of caveat emptor (Japanese spelling). I knew this one was risky at the bargain price ($250) with the dented top plate, but the dealer’s photos were detailed, the rangefinder was clear, and I shot 2 rolls before the film advance / shutter froze—just days after the refund window closed.

I was checking the lens afterward; now it won’t remount properly. The dark slide still works. If eBay doesn’t intervene on the money back guarantee, I’ll sell this one for parts.



Around the same time I bought a Leitz Minolta CL from a different Japanese dealer. Not long afterward the back became loose. I asked to return it; no deal.

However, with a little black tape it functions fine, and I’ll probably sell it here at a bargain price since I bought a CLE (having been unable to locate the CL after moving this summer….)

 

[aw614]

Re: reliability of film compacts—I’ve had a Klasse S for years, never a problem, until a year ago when the battery cover began came apart (in 3 pieces) during battery replacement.

I tried reassembling it with glue, no luck; tried finding a replacement, no luck; sent everything to Fuji North America who returned it as unrepairable. Then last week I discovered that Coastal Film Lab (Coastal Film Lab | Film Developing Lab) fabricates battery covers for Klasse cameras, and ordered one.

I may sell the Klasse once it’s operational (replacing it with a Contax TVS, having read here about the maintenance options), but it’s heartening to know there’s a small business that knows and cares about fixing the weak link in this system.

That's my local lab! They've been doing really cool stuff and I've had them fix a few things on my cameras and lenses with good results.

I have mixed results from Japanese sellers, some of the stuff I knew what I was getting into so it was my fault, others, while the lens was clean, I still had do some work like regrease helicoids on some lenses on near mint items. The one that stings was the Leotax F, it was priced well and worked for 3 rolls of film, but was way out of the return window after the shutter curtain came off the roller or did something I can't recall. I think it was due to overtensioning of the curtains. I really liked it a lot and its been sent out for repair that I need to get an update on...

 

[boojum]

eBay purchasing dealer comparisons are dicey as they are not all selling the same thing. Buying used means it is a crap shoot. It may have arrived at the seller's store functioning fine and looking fine and later sold as fine in good faith. I have bought four Leicas and a scad of lenses for the cameras off eBay without a glitch. Funny thing, I bought a new lens that had problems and the seller made it whole in a flash. In fairness I must add that this lens had been out with reviewers and incurred damage that way. It was fixed perfectly and functions perfectly now. It may well be the best lens that I have.

So you never know. Test your purchase rigorously right away and just hope that the seller is always ethical in case of problems. The trouble with eBay discussions is that the bad sales get reported while the good sales are just accepted and not much mentioned. I'd bet a mortgage payment that if a real survey were done it would be found that most buyers were satisfied.

 

[DownUnder]

As I tell anyone who will listen to my rantings, with Ebay you should set your limit for $$ spending and stay with it.

Mine is now $50. To again repeat myself, as we can all so easily see from several (illustrated) posts here, I for one would never buy an expensive camera from that site. Too many have been burnt by so-called "minty" gear.

 

[Wenge]

have bought several items from ebay Japan from Map Camera over past few years and nothing but excellent deals & service, including a recent Q2, almost mint, their ratings are always conservative, and before also bought clean Zeiss lenses and able to re-sell no issues. It depends on the company but just sharing my exp with this company.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

As I tell anyone who will listen to my rantings, with Ebay you should set your limit for $$ spending and stay with it.

Mine is now $50. To again repeat myself, as we can all so easily see from several (illustrated) posts here, I for one would never buy an expensive camera from that site. Too many have been burnt by so-called "minty" gear.

Setting a cap on spending is a good idea, but in the real world, GAS affects the brain and destroys any capacity for rational thought.

 

[mgafvert]

The light leak I got fixed in Norway for around USD80. That was OK and saved tax hassle. Indeed a fine camera, I prefer it in some ways over the T3 (no auto override of aperature!). Only the lack of filter attachment is a limitation.
The TVS - I have contacted Alexandr from Awayrepairs.

Hi Peter,

I have exactly the same problem with my recently acquired T. Same shape and location in frame. Would be happy to know where in Norway you got this fixed. I live in Sweden so close enough. Do you know precisely weber the leak was?

Thanks,
Magnus

 

[Peter_S]

Hi Peter,

I have exactly the same problem with my recently acquired T. Same shape and location in frame. Would be happy to know where in Norway you got this fixed. I live in Sweden so close enough. Do you know precisely weber the leak was?

Thanks,
Magnus

Hej Magnus,
ta kontakt med Reparasjon — Antonio Stasi Classic Camera - han fiskar det.
Not sure there leak was, but I believe left of the viewfinder.

 

[mgafvert]

Tack Peter!