Buying new off of ebay?

F

filmguy123

Veteran
Is it a bad idea to purchase the HVX200 off of ebay, even if it is "100% brand new" or "sealed box"? From a user or store?

Why or why not?
 
Those two terms make me very nervous because they are frequently used by Crooklyn scammers. Have a look at the "Where to buy" sticky at the top of the forum.
 
You can. I got my FX1 brand new off of an ebay dealer. They will try to make a buck off of you with a hard sell when you call to confirm your order so you may not ended up saving much (I ended up paying $200 more than the advertised price, the total was roughly what an authorized dealer charges). Be aware that the "accessories" that they're offering are really just junks. The tripod that came with my camera broke after a week the wide angle and telephoto lenses are unusable. With the HVX I would definitely go authorized dealer since the rebate is so considerable.

Essentially, the ebay stores are a step up from the Brooklyn scammers that we're heard about, but definitely not as reliable or honest as an authorized dealer.
 
BE VERY CAREFUL. many [if not most] of the ebay stores are selling "grey market" products that may or may not qualify for full us warranty or any dealer offers. and keep in mind that any deal that sounds TOO GOOD, likely is TOO GOOD and you may very well end up getting burned. ive found most ebay dealer prices arent much more than a few hundred bucks below a reputable dealer and if you are hinging on that savings to buy the camera - you probably shouldnt buy it in the first place...
 
Buying on Ebay is no different than buying elsewhere. Legit dealers and scammers are both around, you just have to do the research first. I bought an
HVX in Nov. from Studio Exchange, on Ebay, for $4995. I checked them out and found out they were authorized so I would get the rebate. I did not have to "call and confirm" the order, that is just an excuse to upsell. Just paid by Paypal and had my camera in a couple of days, no muss no fuss. So it can be done, just check them out before bidding.

From other dealers, I got great prices on a Tiffin pro mist, Hoya polarizer, etc.
Always scan the dealers feedback, buy only if they have 100 plus feedbacks with 98% or better positive, make sure those 100 feedbacks are not from BUYING comic books (then they suddenly decide to sell an HVX), etc. If theirfeedback gives you any kind of bad vibe, retreat. I've bought hundreds of items on Ebay, been burned maybe twice. But you gotta be careful.
 
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