Subject: Re: [Leica] Dealers / KEH

["Andrew Churak" <achurak@mindspring.com>]

Hello all LUGnuts,

In reading about the experience with sellers on e-bay and other
auction sites, I wanted to give my .02 cents.

Did anyone suggest / actually use a escrow service to
protect themselves from a unscrupulous seller ?
These services charge a fixed percent of the total sale of the
item for there service to the buyer of the item.
By using there services - then the seller would not get paid
if the merchandise was not as advertised.
The buyer would have the opportunity to examine the merchandise
and return it .
I have read too many e-bay and other auction fraud stories
about honest buyers getting cheated out of there money.

Marc - any comments on the above as a practicing attorney ?

Andrew ...

> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Sat, 04 Mar 2000 19:02:42 +0000
> From: D Khong <dkhong@pacific.net.sg>
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Dealers / KEH
>
> Mike Johnston wrote:
> >>>>I have seen things on eBay
> >go for more than KEH, which, in my book, IS ridiculous.  Why pay more
> >for
> >the same item from some guy you don't know.  KEH offers a NQA (no
> >questions
> >asked) return policy, and gives a warranty.  As true in most of life, if
> >
> >you don't do your homework, you get what you deserve.<<<
> >
> >
> >
> >Which would be what...detention??
> >
> >True enough, though, that it's a disadvantage to buy from a stranger. I
> >recently helped a friend buy a Nikkor 75-150 E lens. When the thing
> >came, it looked new, very clean--but it had obvious fungus. Just to be
> >totally justified, I took it to a Nikon repair shop, which confirmed my
> >"diagnosis."
> >
> >The eBay seller basically told my friend, "I don't warrantee against
> >hidden defects," then proceeded to ignore multiple e-mails, phone calls,
> >and registered letters.
> >
> >We each left him negative feedback. That's about all that it's really
> >practical to do.
> >
> >People forget that buying gear sight unseen from strangers is
> >considerably more dangerous than buying from dealers. I've never known a
> >dealer to refuse a return unless it was stated up front to be "as is."
> >You do take less risk with dealers, and that's worth something.
> >
> >--Mike
>
> Thanks for your honest account. The bottom line is very simple. A dealer
> wants to be in business for a long time and he has a reputation to upkeep.
> An individual can't care two hoods if he passed you a lemon. Yeah,
complain
> all you want but he merely switches email account and it's sayonara!  I
> only hear of good buys on Ebay and I cannot believe that there are hardly
> any ripoffs!
> I am of the opinion that the suckers are all keeping quiet and licking
> their wounds.
>
> Dan K.
>
> - ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>               One does not have to be blind in order to see.
>
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