buyers remorse or a ligit concern

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

A tale of 2 ebay transactions.

1)
Lens purchase from an ebay supplier. Lens was listed as a new lens. I paid 90% of the price I could get it at a "proper" online shop.
Received the lens and it's sure as new condition. However there's a trace of dust/grit in the focus ring etc that tells me it's been used. There's lint from a lens cloth on the glass and the box has been all carved up to remove stickers presumably identifying the past owner.

Question Should I stand up and ask for a discount, return it on principle or am I just being a prat?

2)
I sell my lens on ebay as used. I get like 70% of the price in a "proper shop". My lens is cleaner and less used than the one above! My box is pristine. A trader bought it not a photographer since he's got thousands of transactions on his feedback.
So I figure the guy who bought my lens is sure going to resell my lens as new and pocket the difference between what I sold it for and what the next mug buys it for.

Question How morally corrupt is it to make the step from "as new" to "new"?

[DonSchap]

I guess I'd be a bit "put out" if my lens took a "sand bath" before I got it, too. I certainly would NOT stand for it if it was touted as "new."

"New" means it has never enjoyed being mounted for any amount of time on a camera AND has not been to the beach!

"Used" means it has more than just a slight few shutter clicks behind it.

By the sound of it (-grind- ... -grind-) ... I suspect 'someone' is buying a "new" lens with the proceeds you sent them ... to get rid of "ol' grainy!" No matter what lens I have bought, in the past ... I certainly don't remember them including a little pile of dirt as part of the bargain. Was that in the description, "DPR"?

"I can't find the lens!"

[Rooz]

the box may have been carved up cos its US stock and the boxes have a 5 year warranty tag on it. when i bought my 70-200 from O/S, they put big white stickers over the 5 year US warranty parts of the box. the lens may have been inspected prior to shipping and the front element cleaned to ensure that its scratch free. there are some plausible answers.

if its a power seller that has hundreds or even thousands of feedback points, then i highly doubt that its a used lens. what do you think he does, buy 500 16-85VR's new, use them once and then sells them ??are you being a twat ? no. i dont think so. you;re just being particular. nothing wrong with that. the box being cut up would piss me off to be honest cos i keep all my boxes etc in mint condition for resale purposes.

RE: the moral question. it is absoluetly diabolical to say new when it is "as new". but the definition can be grey. (pun intended).

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Thanks fellas, sounds like I'm on a reasonable path.

Re 1
I'll push for a slight discount on the lens I bought to compensate for box damage. I'll live with his swearing it's new since I can't prove it's otherwise.

The seller does not have multiple lens' - he's trading in all sorts of gear. I should have seen that as a warning sign. Cheap enough life lesson since it's certainly "as new" and possibly (but doubtfully) actually new.

Re 2
I'll survive without the extra couple hundred dollars I could have made by selling it as "new" instead of used like I did. I think my conscience is worth about that.

After all, I don't go around ripping up peoples houshold pipes or electricity substations for scrap copper and IMHO thats not much further down the slippery moral slope from lying for profit.

[TenD]

A lot of sellers on eBay are selling returned(open box)merchandize they purchased at big box retailers. That's probably where the stickers were from. That seems to be a trend lately, I've recently purchased merchandize that way(although it was listed as such). It's an easy way to make a quick profit offering merchandize that might not be available to everyone(I don't live anywhere near one of the big box stores).

[jekostas]

I would suspect TenD's idea is probably the closest to reality - while it's a "new" lens per se, someone may have taken it for a test, figured the didn't want/need it and returned it to a store. The eBay seller probably bought it at open box/clearance price and re-sold the lens as new.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

That has the ring of truth. Good theory. I'll leave it there psychologically as ancient history and move on to enjoying it.

On the positive it's a lovelly sharp lens with good colours. At least after a very short photo shoot whilst I was still fuming.

[mugsisme]

DPR-- I bought a lens from B&H last year, a 55-200. I was less than thrilled with it. I tried it out once, and sent it back. I wonder if they sell that type of lens as new or used? Maybe your lens is that? Someone bought it and returned it? It isn't really used in the sense that someone owned it for a while, and then tried to sell it as a new lens.

2--Only you can answer that. I think you already know though. The way I look at selling on Ebay is this ... how would I like the item to be on the receiving end? Meaning, is this item up to the standards I would demand of another seller on Ebay? Maybe you can "pass something off" as something it isn't, but do you want to go down that slope? Isn't there also that whole karma issue? You wouldn't want it to come back and bite you later in your life. (Hate to preach here, but I always tell my kids when they complain about other people is that I am not responsible for them, only myself. In the end, I hope I can always do what is right, since I only have to answer for myself.)

Which lens did ya get? I didn't notice you mentioning it in the Nikon forum.

[SpecialK]

[QUOTE] I bought a lens from B&H last year, a 55-200. I was less than thrilled with it. I tried it out once, and sent it back. I wonder if they sell that type of lens as new or used? Maybe your lens is that? Someone bought it and returned it? It isn't really used in the sense that someone owned it for a while, and then tried to sell it as a new lens.
[QUOTE]


Sometimes products will be sold at a discount or repackaged if the packaging is hammered. This accounts for the restocking fee some sellers charge. If it looks unused, it is sold as new.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Transaction 1 was buying my 16-85 Nikkor.
Transaction 2 was selling my 18-200 Nikkor.