problems after resale of a CL

[cirke]

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I sold a CL that worked perfectly at the beginning of April, I only did a menu reset before selling it (it is no longer under warranty)
at the beginning of September the buyer calls me and tells me that he has always had problems with it :

- he can only take pictures in P mode (when I was using exclusively M mode)

- any new batteries make only 40 photos (I was making 200 or 250 if i remember well)

He phoned to Wetzlar and was told by Leica that the CL was definitely broken and had to be sent for repair, he asks me to participate in the price of the repair 
He seems very sincere and honest and I don't want to be dishonest either

What would you do in this case?

thank you all

Edited September 5, 2021 by cirke

[jankap]

I would buy it back for the same price. You would possibly get a wrecked camera back, but what is happening after the repair. Beter an end with anger as anger without end.

By the way how much the repair will cost? Leica has probably given an estimate. Do you have a copy?

Edited September 5, 2021 by jankap

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[cirke]

thanks

The man does not know the price actually because he wants to travel  to Italy (with 4 batteries !) and be back only by the end of November to send it to Wetzlar

my idea was to pay 50% of the repair price

Edited September 5, 2021 by cirke

[jaapv]

That is nice of you, as a private seller,  there is no legal obligation for you. Personally I would just buy back the camera for the price I sold it for. With 50% of the repair price you are signing an open cheque. 

[cirke]

thanks Jaap, if I buy back the camera I have to repair it anyway

Edited September 5, 2021 by cirke

[benqui]

Very bad and it is very honest from you to help the buyer to solve the problem.

To be honest, I also would buy back the camera. With a repair you do not know exactly how much it will cost. I you buy it back, you have to repair it, this is true. But I think after the repair you have a guarantee from Leica and this would be a good argument when you resell it again.

[cirke]

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3 for buying back ! ok 🙂

thanks to all 

[jc1]

- Check if Photo mode is selected.
- Go to Main Menu 5 and Reset Camera
- Can it be a battery issue?
 

[cirke]

I did already a reset before selling it

the buyer has the original battery + 3 new batteries ,  its not a battery issue

[jaapv]

30 minutes ago, cirke said:

thanks Jaap, if I buy back the camera I have to repair it anyway

Yes, but you keep control of the situation. You can always sell it again for a higher price, as it will have a Leica guaranty. 

[FrozenInTime]

@cirke It's not been yours for four months plus ... no way of telling what has occurred in that time.

A faulty lens could also drain the battery.

Unless the buyer is a friend , walk away.

Edited September 5, 2021 by FrozenInTime

[Boojay]

So is no-one at all concerned about what the buyer may have been doing with the camera in the last five months... if he's always had problems why has it taken that long to report them?

Being fair to the buyer is all well and good, but I think it's a bit much expecting the seller to refund in full the purchase price at this point.  The reported issues seem really odd to me, and that he also wants to extend the situation to the end of November, that would be almost eight months after purchase from you... come on, many camera dealers only offer a 6 month warranty on used, some in the UK only three.

If sold on ebay via pay pal or whatever, there would have been a 90 day period to report issues... not sure what happens outside that period.  Of course all very different if the buyer is well known to you as a friend or whatever, but not every buyer is completely honest, so take care.

 

Edited September 5, 2021 by Boojay
typo

[danielfrimley]

I think I’m another that wouldn’t refund or buy back the camera - they’ve had it too long, same goes for any contribution to the repair. If you did however (I would understand why, Leica people are unusually kind and helpful in my experience😁), I suggest you do so on your terms and to your timetable.

[MarkP]

If it was sold from a dealer it would probably have only had a three to six month warranty. This is now 5 months after sale and no longer your responsibility.  You only hear about the problem now?  What's he been doing for the last 5 months? He's not saying he'd only ever used it in P so only discovered the problem now he tried it in M - which is not unreasonable.  Same for battery life.  No-one could possibly accept 40 shots per charge to be at all acceptable.

I think this is crap. He's being nice because he has no other recourse.

I usually give people the benefit of the doubt but here I'd politely refuse. However, if you have the guilts because you can't be certain, then only a token contribution and be up front about you have concerns about why it took 5 months to report problems he's noticed since he bought it.

Edited September 5, 2021 by MarkP

[MarkP]

.

Edited September 5, 2021 by MarkP

[rob_w]

I agree with Jayne.  90 days is a fair period and your buyer has gone well beyond this.  You could buy back, to regain control, but you do not know what has happened to the camera in the meantime.  In either case, you do not want to remain 'attached' to this buyer and a situation already beyond your control:  November?  Is he/she serious?

[Dopaco]

If you think the buyer seems to be an honest person and you want to be too.
Supposedly get on the other side, you have been the buyer and now you have the same problem. How would you like the seller to treat you? ... What you feel at that moment, put it into practice, even if it leads you to be harmed, sometimes honesty and the peace of mind of having done it well costs, sometimes work and other times a financial loss.

Greetings

[MarkP]

14 minutes ago, Dopaco said:

If you think the buyer seems to be an honest person and you want to be too.
Supposedly get on the other side, you have been the buyer and now you have the same problem. How would you like the seller to treat you? ... What you feel at that moment, put it into practice, even if it leads you to be harmed, sometimes honesty and the peace of mind of having done it well costs, sometimes work and other times a financial loss.

Greetings

I would normally agree with this and said as much - that I usually give people the benefit of the doubt. But for a buyer to sit on two problems for 5 months before reporting them is ‘unusual’.

 

[LocalHero1953]

April to September - far too long to report a problem. There's no reason for you to get involved. They should have checked it when they received it.

The whole point of trading privately and getting a cheaper deal than you would do buying from a dealer is that there IS no warranty. That's why dealers charge more, to cover the risk involved in a used camera with a 3 or 6 month warranty.

Edited September 5, 2021 by LocalHero1953

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[Dopaco]

I totally agree that so long to present the problems is "unusual".
In this case you have to listen to the buyer and see how long it took Leica to reply to say that the camera needed a repair.
If it is proven that the fault has been due to the buyer's negligence in not reporting the problem, the responsibility lies exclusively with the buyer.