Watch out for grizzly33bear aka Zhanna on ebay

M

MikeLeFevre

Guest
Hello all, just thought I'd post a warning (on all the camera forums I'm a member on) re: a guy/gal named Zhanna with an ebay name of grizzly33bear who mostly sells Russian lenses/cameras.
Basically I got ripped off. I paid about US$60 for a 50/1.5 Jupiter 3 lens which turned up with some problems so I sent it back to Russia, and did get a replacement which again had problems so I sent that back again too, and waited for a refund which had been mutually agreed. Finally I got confirmation that the 2nd lens had arrived back safely, and then I waited around again for a refund. After a while and way after the 90 days feedback period had expired (though if you do leave negative feedback it's common to get a retaliation negative anyway) I started to wonder if this guy/gal would follow through on the refund- because basically they can get away without not doing it. And surprise, surprise my emails are not answered anymore and no refund has eventuated.
So that's my story.
Mike.
 
Mike,
My friend from work told me you could still post feedback after the expiration time if you save the url. You can go to the original ebay page and leave feedback. Have not tried it myself. Worth a shot.
Keith
 
Grizzly33bear has been selling for a long time and is pretty well thought of. Anytime you get a Jupiter 3 you are rolling the die. I've had two LTM models--both beautiful cosmeticly and stinkers for sharpness. There are some decent ones but even the seller isn't going to know for sure without a film test and they aren't going to do that on every lens.
 
I'm currently waiting on a lens from grizzlybear. It's going on 4 weeks since he's received my money. He responds to my e-mails, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm being ripped off.
 
I've bought about 100 cameras and lenses from FSU sellers. The one thing you have to develop is patience. I've been ripped off by a few but, for the most part, I've found most of them try very hard to please the customer -- their reputation is their living. As far as delivery time is concerned you have to remember that just like us, they have other things going on in their lives besides cameras -- they usually wait until they get confirmation the money is really there before shipping --sometimes it's a few days before they go to the post office -- they get sick --maybe even take a holiday now and then. Then when it does get it the mail you are at the mercy of customs and a lot of other factors both in their country and at the destination. I've always figured any time I received a package in less than a month it made very good time. It's taken as long as six or seven weeks and once, 8 days! I've never personally dealt with Grizzly33bear but I know people who have who have nothing but praise for her. Especially in the case of a seller with a long track record, I wouldn't be to quick to judge.
 
Hello Kiev4a- I know he/she has generally good feedback but I think it's cases like this where you get a real feeling for a seller's character i.e. when Zhanna has had the chance to get away with ripping someone off, he/she has taken it.
Re the lenses- one time it was the aperture not working properly which is something that a visual inspection should pick up especially since this was the replacement one- you'd think you'd spend extra care on sending a replacement.
Anyways- he/she got both lenses back (to sell again), I paid my money and got nothing- I'm not sure a positive spin can be put on that.

Keith- thanks for the suggestion, however it was so long ago now (he/she managed to draw it out for a very long time) I don't have that recorded.

Bcplouffe- sometimes it takes 5 weeks for a lens to arrive from the former USSR. Though my record is actually 2 months for airmail from the US to Australia.
M.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Keith- I found a backdoor to leaving feedback and just left a negative (to which I'll probably get a retaliatory, human nature being the way it is).
If you have any other outstanding feedbacks you can click on one of them, then when it goes to the next page you can change the seller/buyer id, and change the item number (which I found a record of written down) and leave feedback there. Beating the 90 days- as I couldn't find that particular item page anymore because ebay had removed it from their system.
 
Bad USA Sellers on Ebabe

Bad USA Sellers on Ebabe

I've had more bad luck and lost more money with US sellers than former FSU sellers. Ebabe ALWAYS favors the seller, that's their customer. :bang:
 
I'm sorry to hear of your bad experience.....

However, Grizzly33bear,...AKA Zhanna and her brothers have about as good a reputation as ANY of the regular dealers on the 'bay.

I have had several dealings with them and although they are not usually the very cheapest prices they have always sent good stuff with excellent efficiency.

I do suspect that in this case there has been some kind of error......
 
Have to concur; I've bought a few bits and pieces from Zhanna, including my utterly wonderful Pentacon mount Sonnar 200/2.8 that lives (via adaptor) on my EOS. A little more pricey than most, but certainly no attempt to be a rip-off merchant.

Doesn't mean she's not trying to this time, of course...

Jamie
 
For the record, I bought my Kiev 60 (which is now for sale because I no longer need it) from Zhanna in October 2004. Shortly after she sent it off, and before it arrived, she e-mailed me to say that she'd accidentally sent me a version without MLU (mirror lockup). She sent me a second body (with MLU) as soon as she noticed her error, trusting me to return the wrong body to her when it arrived. I did, and she refunded my return shipping costs. Apart from this (harmless) hassle, I have been very satisfied with this seller, as the camera has proven quite reliable.
 
I dealt in the past with Zhanna as well, never had a problem and indeed she was always helpful and quickly answered all my emails.

That was more than a year ago, not sure if something has changed since then, hope not !
 
I to have purchased from Grizzly Bear and have nothing but praise for the transaction and the camera
Lets hope it will get sorted out to your satisfaction
Patience as someone else said is the watchword with any FSU transaction
 
My only serious problem on Ebay was with Airwatches (I paid, they never sent item nor responded to me at all), so I used Ebay's conflict resolution procedure and that got me results. Basically you file a complaint and Ebay contacts the seller. I think it's free. Part of the settlement is that neither party leaves any feedback on the other. Try it, you never know.
 
I've had a positive response from Zhanna's American contact (thanks Walker for the email address), so we'll see what happens.

Sooner- I think Airwatches is actually Cambridge Cameras operating under a different name- CC being very notorious for ripping people off/giving inflated descriptions of items conditions. RE the conflict resolution- that is only applicable for 60 days after the transaction finished- I think I'm getting up to half a year now from the original purchase- it's been a very long drawn out process.

Regards
M
 
Brians- it's different between receiving a lens, and dealing with a refund situation. People behave differently (and can justify their actions differently) in different situations. Plus if you check out the few other negatives and neutrals she's received there's a common theme of non-responsiveness to emails. I've experienced the same, and tried to deal with it by sending 3 emails by different means i.e. replying to an email she sent, through ebay's contact seller, and through asking a question for another item she'd listed. All to the same email address, but generally she'd claim only 1 got through. Where did the other 2 go? I don't know, but again if you're running a business and you're a professional you'd get it fixed/changed I'd think- which has not been the case.

Again I'll repeat myself- she's got both lenses back, I've paid my money and got nothing. There's no positive spin that can be put on that.
She doesn't respond to my emails and/or has not made any effort to contact me from her end- it's been going on for a while, I don't think her memory is that bad.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom