mike kim
Established
Last week, I bought a German 35mm Summicron (4th version) through the auction site. In the pictures, the lens looked in excellent cosmetic condition and the glass looked good, so I asked him about the condition of the glass, focusing, aperture, etc. just to make sure. He responds saying that the glass is very clean and that there's two faint "cleaning marks" on the front elements. I asked if they could be seen looking through the rear elements; he said that they are not visible, and proceeded to send me pictures showing the scratches. Okay, two small scratches don't worry me too much if the price is good, so I bought the lens.
A few days later, the lens came very well packed (even a packet of silica gel inside the box!). I took the lens out and inspected the lens with a small flashlight. The two scratches were a little bit bigger than in the photos, but that was not the problem: there was one or two more scratches (albeit small), AND there were some scratches in the inside elements, looking from the rear lens. That's when I decided to contact the seller and tell him about these marks that he did not mention to ask for a refund.
The auction specified "No Returns Accepted" and "Please ask any and all questions before bidding as item is sold as is" (how fool of me to buy from this kind of auction). He then responded:
I replied back saying everything I said just now, and I'm now waiting for his response. Is my thinking wrong? These scratches will probably not affect image quality significantly or noticeably at all, but I feel deceived. And resale value worries me more than performance.
If he doesn't offer a refund, I have three options:
-Shoot with the lens and hope I'll never have to sell it.
-Sell in eBay or RFF Classifieds for less than I payed and lose a couple hundred dollars, which is a lot for a college student who's been saving up for this lens by not going out much and eating Ramen instead of proper food for months.
-Take this to the PayPal Resolution Center.
Am I exaggerating or am I in my own right to demand a refund?
Sorry for the long post/rant. I've only been having bad luck with photography gear this year, starting with my M6 and 35mm Summicron being stolen a few months ago and now this. :bang: Please remind me never to buy in eBay again except from reputable stores.
EDIT: Moderators, feel free to move this thread if it belongs in another forum. I often have trouble categorizing some threads...
A few days later, the lens came very well packed (even a packet of silica gel inside the box!). I took the lens out and inspected the lens with a small flashlight. The two scratches were a little bit bigger than in the photos, but that was not the problem: there was one or two more scratches (albeit small), AND there were some scratches in the inside elements, looking from the rear lens. That's when I decided to contact the seller and tell him about these marks that he did not mention to ask for a refund.
The auction specified "No Returns Accepted" and "Please ask any and all questions before bidding as item is sold as is" (how fool of me to buy from this kind of auction). He then responded:
That is certainly not my definition of buyer's remorse. I know that people can make mistakes... I have sold a camera in the RFF classifieds once, and the buyer told me there were things I had not described, and he was right. They were things I hadn't noticed so I offered a refund. I thought that was how it worked. Now... I think these scratches, though only seen with a flashlight, are not "minute imperfections" that can be overlooked in a description, and are an acceptable reason for a refund.
I replied back saying everything I said just now, and I'm now waiting for his response. Is my thinking wrong? These scratches will probably not affect image quality significantly or noticeably at all, but I feel deceived. And resale value worries me more than performance.
If he doesn't offer a refund, I have three options:
-Shoot with the lens and hope I'll never have to sell it.
-Sell in eBay or RFF Classifieds for less than I payed and lose a couple hundred dollars, which is a lot for a college student who's been saving up for this lens by not going out much and eating Ramen instead of proper food for months.
-Take this to the PayPal Resolution Center.
Am I exaggerating or am I in my own right to demand a refund?
Sorry for the long post/rant. I've only been having bad luck with photography gear this year, starting with my M6 and 35mm Summicron being stolen a few months ago and now this. :bang: Please remind me never to buy in eBay again except from reputable stores.
EDIT: Moderators, feel free to move this thread if it belongs in another forum. I often have trouble categorizing some threads...
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