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[OM] Re: Ebay auction - Zuiko 350mm F2.8

Subject: [OM] Re: Ebay auction - Zuiko 350mm F2.8
From: Doug <dhsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 08:01:11 -0500
On Saturday March 6 2004 3:20 am, you wrote:
> Ebay item # 3801042905 is in auction now for a Zuiko 350 mm F2.8. I have
> some doubt on the safety of this auction. Before bidding I would like to
> know what do you think about.
>
> Giovanni
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When I first read this I thought you were talking about the one on American 
ebay 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3801317103&category=3344

Private auctions are always red flags to me. I figure at a minimum, I'm biding 
against myself. Even at a farm auction if I can't figure out who's bidding 
against me I stop. Before I bought something like this I'd want a whole lot 
more explanation about it. Questions I'd ask the seller would be

Why a private auction?
Do you have any more pictures of the lens.
Does it appear to have been repainted?
Approximately  what is the serial number

These questions are designed to try to get a feel about the honesty of the 
seller. Is he just inexperienced or dishonest. It gives him a chance to come 
clean about the photo not being of the actual lens.


How did come to own this.
How do you like it?
Why are you selling it.

These are designed to try to find out if this guy is a photographer who's 
getting rid of equipment, found it at garage sale, or found it laying beside 
the road.

I may be in Germany on business, where are you located and can I pick it up? 

I use this once and a while just to see if the guy is willing to make face to 
face contact with me. If I buy and can't pick it up I just had a change in 
business plans. 


The more questions you ask the more work the seller has to do to make up lies 
if that's what he is doing. Finally usually the bigger the bargin the bigger 
the risk. If I figure something is worth $500 and  that 1 in 10 of these 
deals will go bad then I can only pay $450 for it. I need the other $50 to 
cover the bad deal. Hope this helps -Doug


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