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Re: [OM] Oly FS -- FYI

Subject: Re: [OM] Oly FS -- FYI
From: "John Petrush" <petrush@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1998 15:28:39 -0700
Jan Steinman <jans@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


>One way of looking at it is if one deal with an individual in five leaves
>you wanting, you've got to get 25% better price on all of them to break
>even. I'm currently beating those odds, but I just received a Minolta slide
>scanner without the slide carriers, and the seller isn't answering email or
>returning voice mail, so I may have just been bounced back down to breaking
>even over buyfing strictly from dealers.
>
I agree with the calculation here, but I think more than 4 of 5 people are
honest and trustworthy, so its the numbers themselves that are debatable.  I
too have purchased a number of high ticket items over the 'net (ebay, news
groups, mialing lists and web pages to specify a few).  I have never been
burned. I have encountered a few protracted delays - nearly a month on one
case.  I even had to promise to escalate the matter to legal recourse once
(got my stuff *real* quick after that).

I have found the best insurance is an abundance of clear communications, to
the point of being too much.  It helps avoid misunderstanding that can
happen oh so very easily.  Ahhhh, hard lessons won :).  In particular, for
eBay transactions i email the seller and ask specific, direct questions.
Sometimes its little stuff, like the color of the viewfinder LED, or the
white code letters/numbers on a lens.

>Also, I sent a guy a check for an OM-4T last week. He sent me email saying
>it would "go right out." I'm still waiting. Maybe he sent it by camel.
>Maybe he had an accident while driving to the post office. Maybe, maybe,
>maybe... Doubt and uncertainty also has a value, albeit more difficult to
>quantify than risk.
>
>>>Caveat Emptor!
>>
>>A wonderful advice!  However, I like better the following: "Nothing
>>ventured -- nothing gained" :-)
>
>Which is my point exactly: buying used gear is a gamble, and buying it from
>individuals is (on average) more of a gamble than buying it from dealers. I
>don't let that keep me from buying from individuals, but I expect (on
>average) to get a break. I agree with Gary, if something is rare and
>unusual and dealers don't normally have them, that makes the additional
>risk and doubt worthwhile, but just if everything works out, NOT on
>average... :-)
>
Gary also offered a bit of speculation that applies very much to my
situation.  I reside in the rural South.  The nearest authorized Olympus
dealer that actually stocks new Oly stuff is over 100 miles (yes, one
hundred) from me.  It consumes a whole day to drive up there, check out
stuff and drive back.  He only stocks the basics - anything I've been
interested in has to be special ordered.  His prices tend to be 15% (+/-)
over B&H, so why not just mail order?   Individual 'net buys and B&H work
best for me.

John P
______________________________________
My Grandfather taught me to live by two rules.  Rule #1:  Don't tell folks
everything you know.





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