Listed AS IS

[Ranchu]

Strictly speaking everything you buy is "as is", whether working or not. "As is" really means the buyer can't claim anything more than he receives, and the seller is not going to fix it or take it back because it doesn't meet expectations. The seller only has to take it back if it is not as advertised. The real question is have you received something listed as "needs repair" or "for parts" that actually works.

No, that's not the real question, that's a different question. I asked exactly what I intended to ask.

 

[kxl]

I once bought a perfectly MINT Nikon F3HP that was being sold 'AS-IS' because the seller said he couldn't guarantee I'd still be able to buy film. I think he bought it from an estate sale. In this particular case, it was obviously to my advantage that he didn't have a clue.

 

[colyn]

If an eBay buyer wants his/her money back regardless of how the auction is worded, he'll get it back. That's even if the seller words the auction "as is for parts of repair only. This camera is non-working" with no other description claiming any other condition etc. I know. I've had to refund twice...

I have purchased several cameras that were working fine even though they were listed as is..

 

[AzzA]

Yes I've been lucky enough to purchase several items "as-is" and "not working" to find out they're perfectly functional. For quite some time I was buying Olympus OM camera bodies that had the mirror "stuck" in the up position. It was simply because someone tried to use it with no battery in the camera (or had gone flat). I'd receive the camera, release the "stuck" mirror, then insert batteries to find a perfectly good camera.

 

[Mike Fish]

I've interpreted "As Is" to mean that while the seller has described the item "to the best of their understanding" there may be other issues they're not aware of.

The advice I tend to follow is to put more stock in the seller's rating than on the description. I'd consider an "As Is" item from a seller with 100% positive feedback (ebay example) while I'd probably pass on a "Minty" item from a seller with 96.4% positive feedback.

I bought an "As Is" Rolleiflex from a seller with 100% positive feedback and got a good deal. He had advertised it as having a focusing problem - stuck around 16 feet - and As Is. Turns out he was looking at the aperture adjustment, which is linked to the EV setting and the shutter speed. It focused fine, and makes great images. There was a minor cosmetic condition he hadn't called out, but nothing I couldn't live with considering the savings. I even contacted him afterward and let him know what the situation was. He apologized for the omission regarding the cosmetic thing, and as long as i was happy he was happy.

 

[leica M2 fan]

A few years ago I got a lens in "as is" condition. When I got it it worked fine, the subsequent film showed excellent results and I ended up holding on to it. Down the line a few years someone with a need for a good lens asked if I had any I could let him have, gave it to him and he still has it!