Buy an M3 from KEH?

I bought a Hasselblad 500C/M from them a year-and-a-half ago together with a lens, finder and an extra magazine. It was rated BGN and was very conservatively rated. By most e-Bay standards it would have been rated "Almost Mint" and by Russian/Ukrainian standards "Mint ++" It appeared to have been a Studio Queen and only had scratches around the tripod socket.

-Paul
 
Personally I wouldn't buy anything over $20 on ebay (not that I would ever get the chance being on a dial-up connection most of the time). I bought many items from KEH, including both my M6 bodies (in "Bargain", one had a tiny abraision near the eyepiece but otherwise perfect, including a new meter circuit and body covering, and the other was because some nitiwit had painted the white engravings black, which I restored myself), and my M3 (also "Bargain", which has a few mild surface marks, but had the X-sync replaced with a modern PC, the Quick-load spool which sells for $100 or more on Ebay, and DAG's "92" stamp in the wax seal, which when I called Don he looked up the serial # and told me it'd had a complete overhaul in 2002). I also got a 135 T-E in "Bargain" for $265 which (and I'm picky) looks like mint minus to me. I wouldn't hesitate to use them. If there are issues with the item they'll make it right or give you a refund with no questions asked within 2 weeks. Straight-up ethical dealer.
 
I've had very good luck with KEH and would purchase from them more often if they didn't charge so much for shipping to Canada. I've bought several lenses from them and even a used digital camera (Canon S45). Everything was as good as promised, often nicer.

Gene
 
ywenz said:
I would choose Ebay over KEH any day. I need to see pictures of the actual item I'm getting before throwing cash down for it.. Stock photos is just not my cup of tea..
Click to expand...


I would think again. The risks of dealing with e-bay as a buyer are immense, particularly for something with a lot of moving parts like a camera. A camera can be submerged in water and still look pristine. You have no practical recourse if something goes wrong with the transaction. The autions are sucesptible to shilling. You get the item shown, but there is no warranty unless you are dealing with a bricks and morter shop and there is, as I said, little you can do in the case of fraud. Forget cameras, it boggles the mind that people buy items as large and complex as cars off of that site.

KEH, by comparison, has been in business for decades, they have a great reputation and they work hard to protect it. They have a completely no-hassle return policy, are knowledgeable and responsible sellers, warranty most of their equipment, except as noted, and are in my experience completely trustworthy.

I often see items sell on ebay for their retail value, more or less. This is just irrationality on the part of "winners" - (or perhaps a premium "winners" are willing to pay for the entertainment of "winning"). For repeated transactions, trust the brick and morter seller . . . they are the ones with an incentve to see repeat customers happy.

E-bay is the world's biggest garage sale - you can sometimes find great stuff. But the main difference between it and a garage sale is that with a garage, you know where the garage is located.
 
Its interesting how discussion about the merits of KEH over Ebay never seem to address how KEH service could be improved. OK, my 2 pesos:

1. offer actual photos of items. Heck, my kid sister invested in a lighting kit to take better photos of the crafts she sells on Ebay. Why can't a pro shop like KEH have a permenent setup that takes mug shots- front, sides, back, bottom- of items as they log them in for their website? Why should I have to call back two days later while someone gets it out of the warehouse? What's the big deal?

2. Offer remarks about items on the website: why should a buyer have to wait until they buy and recieve something to find out that a viewfinder is cloudy, framelines stick, or the item is actually pretty nice? To not offer comments implies that they don't really know the condition of their stuff other than how it looks. Shipping costs are still a cost to the buyer.

3. Have a more effective refund policy. Why can I go to any shop in my city and have a return instantly processed? Why can't KEH do this as items are returned and logged back in? Their answer to my phone calls about my refund were on the order of "oh, ya, we'll look into it. Returns are another department".

Whew!
 
Last edited:
ERV said:
The problem with KEH is they only show stock photos and not pictures of the actual items for sale. You never really know what your going to get for your money. I learned my lesson the hard way when I bought a bargain M6 that arrived with a cloudy finder. I returned it and then waited 4 weeks for them to process my refund, which prevented me from buying something else.
On the other hand, I did give them one more chance and was very happy with what I got. So, hit and miss.
I've had much better luck on the Bay. At least you see what your buying and can ask questions easily.
Click to expand...

Actually I have always requested that KEH pull the item from the warehouse and send me digitial pictures of the item. If it is a low graded item have them take pictures highlighting anything that contributes to the grade that they use.

I have been very happy with my purchases from KEH. They might be a bit more expensive but to me it is worth it.

Cheers,

Mark -%)
 
In these kind of threads, you will likely get remarks and experiences all over the map, so take mine for what it is worth.

I'm glad others have great buying experiences, but it only takes one bad experience to make you regret the day. And two bad experiences pretty much does it.

Go with some truly reputable sellers who have great customer service, like Photovillage or Popflash. These two really stand behind their products, used and new. Good luck!
 
Last edited:
Benjamin Marks said:
I would think again. The risks of dealing with e-bay as a buyer are immense, particularly for something with a lot of moving parts like a camera. A camera can be submerged in water and still look pristine. You have no practical recourse if something goes wrong with the transaction. The autions are sucesptible to shilling. You get the item shown, but there is no warranty unless you are dealing with a bricks and morter shop and there is, as I said, little you can do in the case of fraud. Forget cameras, it boggles the mind that people buy items as large and complex as cars off of that site.
Click to expand...

You're forgetting the fact that if you deal with reputtable ebay sellers, who has shown to have a good history of selling like-products, then it is a safe bet to go with them. Besides, many shop owners also sell on Ebay. Around here in Chicago, Helix and Calumet both sell items on ebay... For what it's worth, you can't argue the fact that ebay is a much richer source to purchase camera equipment from than KEH can ever be.
 
As long as you look at an Ebay seller's feedback history very carefully, there is no reason to think that it is any more risky than buying from KEH. There are lots of Ebay sellers that are far more reputable than KEH, and honest in their grading. For one thing, a TRULY reputable seller on Ebay will always provide you with the ACTUAL photo of the item, and describe in detail what maybe amiss with it in the description. KEH merely has a stock photo and usually very unspecific remarks as to condition, if any. You just have to do your due diligence ;-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom