is it me, or is ebay cr@p?

[stunsworth]

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...with 4 hours to go at this point, it's still a pretty good price

 

Four hours is a lifetime in eBay terms. In fact 4 minutes is too. All the action usually occurs in the last minute or less.

[leicaman94044]

Thanks for that reminder, Hank. Ebay ratings indicated something different, which causes pause for thought:

 

Meet the seller

Seller: willoughbyscamera( 4320

Feedback score is 1000 to 4,999) Member is a PowerSellerAbout Me

Feedback: 98.6% Positive

Member: since Aug-12-02 in United States

 

One would think 98.6% would be the "thumbs up". I'll check resellerratings from now on.

Lawrence

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The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[pleeson]

I've been on ebay for >10 years, with 100% positive feedback in over 600 transactions.

It has revolutionized commerce, but one must be patient. Fewer bargains available as it's become more popular, but still a lot of fun. If in a hurry, buy retail, but expect to pay 25-30% extra. I could give dozens of examples. Paypal protects the seller, and allows faster shipping.

[marknorton]

Mark - unfortunately the seller for that excellent link you gave me was not willing to ship outside of the UK - which is a pity because the camera looks good and, with 4 hours to go at this point, it's still a pretty good price.

 

Mani, pity, because if I had seen your post, they could have sent it to me and I would have forwarded it for you. In the end, would you have paid £1286?

 

Another point if view is not to go for the first example of an item you see. If you have it in your mind the item is rare, the fact that there's one immediately available probably means it isn't.

 

If I saw someone with a feedback rating of 98.6% over 4000+ items, that's still around 60 negatives, so I would want to look and see what they were about.

[marknorton]

Thanks for that reminder, Hank. Ebay ratings indicated something different, which causes pause for thought:

 

Meet the seller

Seller: willoughbyscamera( 4320

Feedback score is 1000 to 4,999) Member is a PowerSellerAbout Me

Feedback: 98.6% Positive

Member: since Aug-12-02 in United States

 

One would think 98.6% would be the "thumbs up". I'll check resellerratings from now on.

Lawrence

 

Quick look shows they're absolutely fine, usual bunch of whingers leaving negative feedback because it wasn't sent marked as "Gift"...

[plasticman]

Thanks Mark! I didn't think of that option!

 

My initial hope was in fact that I could get it for around £1200 - so I'm not really sure if I'd actually decided to go higher if I'd been in the running.

Right now I'm considering if £1700 is a good idea for a mint example from Ffordes. I think on reflection that the camera will have to wait until sometime in the new year, when I can also reconsider if the unconventional format will be worth the extra cost of development. In a way the idea was to give myself some sort of christmas present - probably not a good way to choose a camera...

 

Thanks again!

[marknorton]

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Mani, I bought two M8s from ffordes plus a variety of filters and a secondhand Tri-Elmar which was failrly described though non-Leica rear lens cap and no box, but that's as much a reflection of the previous owner. Lens was absolutely fine though.

[eyedeebee]

Is it me, or is ebay actually great! I've just received a 90/4 Elmar for my M6 which is immaculate, and cost me a grand £56!!

 

A little care and you can get bargains!!

[icemendicant]

Plasticman - while exchanging emails with Luigi Crescenzi at Leicatime about another matter a few weeks ago, he mentioned he has a few brand new Xpan I cameras in stock - I think in kits with the 45mm f/4 lens. The price he mentioned was reasonable so if you don't mind the Xpan I instead of the II you might find what you want there.

 

Like many posters here I've been using eBay for a few years now and have been lucky in most of my 300 or so transactions - I have had more problems dealing with the small traditional photographic retailers, especially with overenthusiastic descriptions of items. There have been a few disappointments with eBay purchases though, but all resolved amicably enough.

 

I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but I'm sure the quality of item descriptions is getting worse over the last year or so. Maybe it's just my luck!

[Shootist]

My story goes like this.

Bought a M6 with 21/2.8 Pre-ASPH from someone on Thursday morning, early EST.

Paid for it almost immediately and got conformation that the payment was made to the seller. Got a email from the seller that a tracking number would follow soon (Soon to me mean within a few hours).

Later Thrusday afternoon I check my EBay account and the seller had left feedback already BUT he left a NEGATIVE feedback with a line Fast Payment.

So I try to contact him and ask why the negative feedback. Thurday ends with NO reply.

All day Friday I email him about 3 times asking Why did he leave a negative feedback and for the tracking number. Late Friday afternoon into the evening I get a email saying he made a mistake and will try to retrack the negative feedback. He does and I have to agree with the retraction which I do. I then email him again thanking him for retrackiing the feedback but in doing so he can not leave any other feedback and I'm not sure if I can leave any for him.

Again I ask for a tracking number in the email thanking him for the retraction and get NO reply.

By this time the cost of the items have already been charged to my Amex card.

Late Saturday night, 10:13 my time, I get a email saying he will ship the items when PayPal clears the payment, DUH. PayPal has already cleared the payment and it is already charged to my CC. So I email him stating those facts and tell him this is totally ridiculous and that the item had better ship on Monday and a tracking number emailed to me or I'll take it up with eBay, PayPal and AE.

Late Monday afternoon I get a email from him with a tracking number but now on Christmas morning UPS does NOT have any record with that tracking number.

The sellers name is Stewart S Robertson out of Scottsdale AR and eBay user name of

altayayo.

Now I'm not sure if I can leave feedback at all but if I can it sure won't be positive.

So anyone looking for Leica gear on eBay stay away from this seller.

[stunsworth]

Ed, I'd give the seller more time. It's a busy family time of year for a lot of people, all that seems to have happened is that he's not been as fast to respond as you'd like. The negative feedback would appear to be finger problems on his part.

 

Not sure that naming and shaming is appropriate at this point.

[Shootist]

Ed, I'd give the seller more time. It's a busy family time of year for a lot of people, all that seems to have happened is that he's not been as fast to respond as you'd like. The negative feedback would appear to be finger problems on his part.

 

Not sure that naming and shaming is appropriate at this point.

 

Steve I would normally but I do believe the negative feed back was NO mistake.

It is my opinion that he left the negative so I would ask him to withdraw it and then I would not be able to leave any feedback for him.

He had all day Thrudays and all day Friday to ship the items as I paid for them, and it was confirmed by PayPal that they were paid for, by 7:00AM his time Thursday.

I have no choice but to wait until tomorrow to check the tracking number to see IF it finally shows up on the UPS site as In the System, right now they have NO record of it (and I know from doing business with UPS for some time that the minute I place a shippinig order and print out the label it is recorded in there system as billing received). But by then 6 full day will of passed from the date of sale and more then likely the seller has already transferred the money out his PP account. At that point I have 2 option 1) Try to contact him again for the right tracking number and ask him IF he actually shipped it and when (But I doubt I would get a reply). 2) File a complaint with PP/eBay and contact my CC company to take action.

 

I must say this has been the worst experience I have ever had dealing on eBay.

I have what I think is the seller home address and phone number so if things don't go well I will file a report with the Scottsdale police fraud department.

If this is indicative of how the seller works I expect the items to show up poorly packed and not as described on the listing.

 

I'm not sure how most people do things on eBay but with most I have dealt with they ship ASAP once payment has been made and if for some reason they can't they notify the buyer of the delay. At least that is what I do.

We'll see what happens over the next few days.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL.

[plasticman]

Thanks for all the input from everyone, and the differing views on ebay - I've been away in Bilbao over the holidays, and therefore only saw the latest posts today (now I'm back at work)

 

Thanks also for the heads-up on Leicatime - I may get in touch about the Xpan, but today I'm wondering whether it's possibly better to simply extend my growing collection of leica lenses instead... even though that panoramic format keep nagging away at me...

 

[jlancasterd]

Ffordes (https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm) have 2 X-Pans and 5 X-Pan II's in stock at the moment

[plasticman]

Thanks John - I've looked at those before and was sorely tempted, they look great.

 

PS: you're the kind of influence my girlfriend wishes I'd keep away from...