What are your thoughts on buying from Ebay?

[Bonnie]

I've been searching for a new camera for quite a few weeks now and have settled on the make and model but is not really in my budget. I believe I have found an awesome deal on Ebay but am really unsure as to whether or not Ebay is a good avenue to purchase any photography equipment?

This particular item says it is brand new. The camera was made by CANON in Japan. The lens was made by CANON in Taiwan. It is from CANON at North Ryde in Sydney. It has a one year factory warranty from CANON Australia. Is this all normal and of the same standard I would get if it were purchase in store??

Please help

[PH005]

Check the sellers feedback and number of sales they have made on ebay. That should give some indication . Email them with any questions you have regarding the item. Lots of bargains can be found, but always ckeck. Good luck.

[colinbm]

I am not aware of Canon selling refurbished cameras, but others do.
Nothing wrong with that, if it is the case, actually could be better then new
At least it is in Ausrtalia.
Col

[tarwoona]

Though i cant comment on the particular seller. I have had only a dream run with ebay. As long as you research the seller, feedback especially, and pay with Paypal you 'should' be fine.
Aussie item with Aussie warranty is a huge plus.

[ricktas]

Firstly Canon Australia at North Ryde do not sell new gear, as stated above, it may be refurbished. Canon Australia provide equipment to retailers to sell, not sell them direct to the public.

Maybe give Canon Australia a call and ask them if they are selling gear on E-Bay, cause you might find it is not who it is purporting to be. Then again, as stated above, refurbished gear can be great and like new. In the end you have to make the decision, we cannot decide for you, whether using E-Bay is the way to go, or not. I would suggest, at the least, pay using paypal, cause then you have some recourse to your funds if it all ends up Arts-up!

[Namus]

Check the sellers feedback and number of sales they have made on ebay. That should give some indication . Email them with any questions you have regarding the item. Lots of bargains can be found, but always ckeck. Good luck.

Indeed as above ^^; I've purchased numerous times off Ebay and only been burnt once (for a $6 book which I could have borrowed from the uni library ); if you're sensible and do your homework, you should be fine.....Observe and you'll be fine ----> "Too good to be true - it is."

In response to your thread title question, in relation to photographic gear, the most expensive thing I've bought so far has been a third-party battery grip from the recommendation of a few people; Personally, I would be wary spending anything more than $500 on anything from Ebay; I'd suggest leaving the Bay for cheaper, smallish items (e.g. grips, batteries, hoods, external remotes etc.) and leaving the 'bigger' purchases (e.g. camera body, lenses) for (somewhat) safer avenues of purchase (e.g. Camera Market, in-person).....my $0.02.

[screamer]

Bought most of my stuff through EBay - but looked seriously at their credentials. For my camera (a 40D) decided to buy in Melbourne so i could inspect as I pricked it up. Turns out camera was a second camera for a wedding photographer and I received my first lesson during pickup!! All has been fine.

[ElectricImages]

I've purchased more than half my gear on eBay - and regretted not buying the rest there too. It's wise to check the "reputation" of any vendor, but there are some very reputable companies on eBay, including this site's sponsor, DigitalRev, with very competitive prices. Some items are "grey imported" from Hong-Kong; but all items are covered by at the very least an International Canon Warranty. Some items are also covered by an Australian warranty (check for each item!).

Particularly with the current strong Aussie dollar, and the lack of GST on items coming from overseas, buying from international vendors can really save some cash. If I'd bought the gear I got in Australia off eBay, I might have saved a couple of thousand dollars - enough for at least one more L lens, anyway!

[nexus]

Deals can be had on ebay especially the lower priced items like grips or 3rd party flashes (or stuff like stands and tripods), but buyer beware and research the seller (feedback ratio etc.) As usual, use common sense. If it's too good to be true it probably is.

[matt22]

As the other members have mentioned, do your research on both the product being sold and also the seller. Sellers should have 97% or above feedback, for the ones not 100% take a look through there customers comments, may have been something simple or unavoidable that generated a lowered feedback.

Ebay can be a great resource for buying equipment, many bargains out there to be had! There’s always a few bad story’s going around in relation to dodgy sales, but I think you will get that any ware, where ever you buy from...

I say jump on the Ebay wagon and save your self some cash

[MarkChap]

IF it is from Canon (which I doubt) it WILL NOT be new. As mentioned Canon don't sell on Ebay.

[Royale]

Have purchased all my gear off ebay. Canon 550d (from HK) came quickly as the fedex was included in the price. My lenses (70-200 F4L and a Sigma 30 1.4) were also purchased via ebay although they were local to me in Melbourne so I was able to meet up in person.

The only issue you may encounter is warranty, but as long as you are aware of everything involved and check the sellers feedback you should be fine. I've never had an issue with ebay and buy almost everything from it.

[JM Tran]

Thought I'd share a genuine Canon Australia story with you guys -

A few years ago, employees from Canon can buy their camera products for production prices, which is a lot lower than cost prices, ie. a friend bought a Canon 580EXII from her friend who works at Canon in Aus for only $210 new! Back then employees could buy a number of items per year for themselves. Then another female employee was caught out selling Canon stuff on ebay and making a big profit from them. Naturally, Canon clamped down hard on ebay stuff and the perks to their employees.

[ving]

i have no problem with purchasing on ebay. its liek anywhere, there are good shop and bad shops... you just have to be careful.

[Mason]

As mentioned above if you view EBay as the anonymous online marketplace that it is and view the sellers with an appropriate amount of skepticism then you should be fine. Chances are that if the seller has been active for a large amount of time and has a high percentage (not always 100% as it is near impossible to keep everyone happy) of good feedback then you should be fine.

If not, there are processes to appeal if the item delivered is not what was described.

[piXelatedEmpire]

I regularly buy and sell on eBay, and haven't had any real issues. Never had a problem buying, just some non-payments/fake bidders when selling.

[petercee]

eBay requires commonsense and good communications. Do your research to avoid buying items with ill-matched specifications. eBay is also good for price-checking. The listing in question has prompted other posters to be suspicious of its claims. Buyer beware!

[Melilot34]

saw these older posts and just wanted to hit on a few things with Ebay shopping, and online shopping in general

I have been able to find some insane deals on Ebay and by bargain online shopping, but you have to be smart about and take the time to research.

Ask questions, check the feedback score carefully, check how long they have been selling, read the return & exchange policy, read the guarantees that they have regarding authenticity, and read & understand the protections PayPal or your credit card company affords you against fraud. And if you're spending more than just a few bucks, legitimate honest sellers will generally be anxious to put you at ease regarding authenticity and any other issues you might have to help you make your buying decision.

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. READ DESCRIPTIONS CAREFULLY!!

[tarwoona]

Hi,
I have bought well over a 100 items on ebay from $1 to $20,000 (a car) and have only ever had one hick up when the item was damaged in the mail.
So really if you are areful, do your homework and use PayPal you'll be pretty safe.

Note to self, drive it dont't post it next time.

[DavCal]

I've bought a lot of gear on ebay, much of it from overseas and never had a problem. If you use Paypal which is the most commonly used payment method you are doubly protected by their guarantee.