Would you buy from a Japan based eBay seller?

[John Ricard]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I often see good Leica deals from Leica sellers based in Japan. Listings such as this:

eBay listing

Would you buy from a seller like this or would you think it's a scam?

[Martin B]

Short answer: no - for the following reasons:

- No easy return if something isn't right
- Additional taxation and custom charges when importing the purchased item - including possible delays at customs. IMO only worthwhile if the item is extremely well priced for the quality offered. 
- Be cautious regarding scam on ebay since Japanese sellers dominate photo gear there.  

Rather buy directly from a reputable Japanese photo store or simply wait for a similar deal offered domestically.

[Anbaric]

Personally, I wouldn't buy anything for $5000 on ebay, especially from abroad, especially from a small trader rather than an established dealer. This one doesn't have a very large volume of feedback, and one negative review that suggests the condition of an item was worse than described gets a dismissive response. For lower value items I have ordered from Japan to the UK and would be happy to do so again.

Edited October 23, 2023 by Anbaric

[maxpower]

I've done it with an M body, but with an established dealer (not this one). It was a great experience, they reminded me of the likely import duties and confirmed I was ok with accepting those. Then it arrived within a few days and it was all in excellent condition, as expected. But I'm sure that for my great experience there are multiple bad ones for other people too. The thing that surprised me most was that Paypal let me buy something so expensive, I kind of assumed there would have been a limit.

So I do agree be careful and take care, read reviews (maybe find them outside of eBay too), when looking at prices make sure to remember that conversion, taxes, duties make it hard to see the actual price you'd end up paying and it isn't always as good a deal than any domestic options might be in the end. If you get a bad feeling, don't do it. If you have the time and resources to pick it up in person, good excuse to fly to Japan! 

[darlesch]

Agreed with above that it can be smooth with certain dealers. I like HK based dealerships as there quite a few reputable ones there. Not sure about Japan.

Import fees and custom/duty fees can be mitigated if the dealer is willing to declare less than actual amount. This is often the case with HK-based people. With Japan vendors, I'm not so sure they are willing to do that. 

HK-based dealers usually ship via FedEx 3-day speed and it can be surprising how fast it can be, often faster than ordering from BH Photo & Video.

[High_n_Dry]

I have used the HK dealers a lot (RangefinderHK) and have been super happy. Bought my M11 and various lenses from them and it arrives within 2 days.

Obviously if something is not quite right, it's going to be more of a hassle...

[John Ricard]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Thank you to everyone for their answers. This is helpful. Won't make an eBay purchase of this sort.

[algrove]

OP

Just tried your link and the item was withdrawn or stopped a few days ago. 

I have bought used from Japan and have been pleased, but never new. Have bought new and used from known HK dealers and been pleasantly surprised like others on speed of delivery and willingness to declare new item at a low value.

 

 

[setuporg]

I’m going to Japan in December, any stores to check specifically?

[Lonescapes]

  

50 minutes ago, setuporg said:

I’m going to Japan in December, any stores to check specifically?

Nakano has the back-alley used camera stores (you can Google the neighborhood). Map Camera is the largest used shop (it's in Shinjuku). Beyond that, the flagship locations of the big chains (Yodobashi, Bic) always have lots of stuff to handle/check out.

Edited November 8, 2023 by Lonescapes

[BillCB]

On 10/23/2023 at 2:57 PM, High_n_Dry said:

I have used the HK dealers a lot (RangefinderHK) and have been super happy. Bought my M11 and various lenses from them and it arrives within 2 days.

Obviously if something is not quite right, it's going to be more of a hassle...

Me too, I have bought most of my Leica gear from RangefinderHK and have nothing but praise for them.

[mosh1]

14 hours ago, setuporg said:

I’m going to Japan in December, any stores to check specifically?

Kitamura Camera Shinjuku. 

 

[Leica Filmmatic]

Rangefinder HK are good guys and I would recommend 

[LocalHero1953]

I have bought used large format lenses from Japan (Fuji, Nikkor) in the £500-£1000 range without problems. Import duties and taxes are unpredictable, but that's not the seller's fault.

[MarkP]

I have never had a problem buying used from Japanese sellers on eBay. Just need to do due diligence.  A lot of them are well established online stores. I never buy unless there is>99% positive feedback and a track record of a reasonable number of sales.

Most importantly don’t but anything described as ‘Minty’. That takes out about 75% of Japanese sellers 😂.

Edited November 10, 2023 by MarkP