Mark Schuster
Posts: 676
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 13:00 GMT
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Looking at Canon DSLRs on Ebay yesterday afternoon I came across a bevy of new Canon 400D bodies, all new and all closing at the same time some hour or two hence. Out of curiosity, or mischief, or whatever, I bid £200 (maximum) for one of them, and confident that there was no chance of success at this price, got on with other things. Imagine my surprise when a bit later I received an e-mail to say I had won the camera kit at £155 plus £25 P&P. £180 from Hong Kong, that is. Now exactly the same kit from Amazon costs around £360; twice as much. Even if I have to pay tax then my purchase will still be considerably, no ridiculously, cheaper. And that worries me. Are there any major snags? Anyone made similar Ebay purchases? Any problems? The suppliers name is Easyshop.
Hopefully everything goes smoothly, in which case it will have to be goodbye to my trusty old 300D workhorse.
Mark
P.S. Mentioned was that there is no guarantee that the operating manual would be in English. Might be in Japanese, it said. But I can live without since it is repeated in many languages on the supplied CDs, I suppose.
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Mauro Contrafatto
Posts: 28
Location: Messina, Italy
Registered: 20 Apr 2007
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 13:40 GMT
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Can't find the seller you mention on eBay. Maybe you can specify the username or the item number for the auction..
Good luck anyway 
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Smooth
Posts: 1455
Location: Australia
Registered: 21 Jul 2004
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 14:24 GMT
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After a little search I found the seller "easishop"
There feedback is a little worrying tinyurl.com/3a5og9 but not quite terminal.
Expect the pay VAT and if this comes in OK you should have a good little pick up.
Regards, Smooth 
www.smooth360.com
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Nick Fan
[NodalNinja]
Posts: 227
Location: Hong Kong
Registered: 26 May 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 14:25 GMT
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Mark Schuster said: Looking at Canon DSLRs on Ebay yesterday afternoon I came across a bevy of new Canon 400D bodies, all new and all closing at the same time some hour or two hence. Out of curiosity, or mischief, or whatever, I bid £200 (maximum) for one of them, and confident that there was no chance of success at this price, got on with other things. Imagine my surprise when a bit later I received an e-mail to say I had won the camera kit at £155 plus £25 P&P. £180 from Hong Kong, that is. Now exactly the same kit from Amazon costs around £360; twice as much. Even if I have to pay tax then my purchase will still be considerably, no ridiculously, cheaper. And that worries me. Are there any major snags? Anyone made similar Ebay purchases? Any problems? The suppliers name is Easyshop.
Hopefully everything goes smoothly, in which case it will have to be goodbye to my trusty old 300D workhorse.
Mark
P.S. Mentioned was that there is no guarantee that the operating manual would be in English. Might be in Japanese, it said. But I can live without since it is repeated in many languages on the supplied CDs, I suppose.
what is the rating of the seller? It doesn't make sense at this price. Even the second hand used price in Hong Kong is higher.
Nick
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Peter Patricelli
Posts: 111
Location: Eugene, OR, United States
Registered: 20 Dec 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 15:01 GMT
updated: 5 Jan 2008 at 15:06 GMT
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I once lost $1500 on an eBay camera "deal" that was too good to be true. Do NOT pay with anything but your Visa or other credit card that has fraud protection. eBay and Paypal do not have adequate coverage for a deal this size, IMO. Do NOT pay with Cashiers check or money order. And, believe it or not, feedback means NOTHING. Account names get hijacked and re-directed.
A "deal" that is way, way under the usual price is very highly suspect. At best you will get a "grey market" product. With Nikon, that means you get NO guarantee and no service from Nikon. Not sure about Canon and in the UK.
Beware.
Oh, and if you decide this is a stinky deal, eBay will NOT ding you for backing out of a deal that does NOT conform to eBay policies. For example, eBay never recommends any deal involving sending Cashiers Check or Money Order or personal check. BUT THEY LIST THESE DEALS ALL THE TIME. Last I checked, they will not ding you if you pull out of such a deal.
Peter Patricelli
www.flyfishingfotography.com
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DorinDXN
Posts: 1608
Location: Timisoara, Romania
Registered: 14 Nov 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 15:22 GMT
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I don't have experience with eBay..but biding in 4-5 jan when people are kind of short of funds after some holiday shoping or, better say less commited to buy new cameras..
Maybe is just luck I hope/whish that is a good luck for you Mark
Dorin
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Peter Patricelli
Posts: 111
Location: Eugene, OR, United States
Registered: 20 Dec 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 15:59 GMT
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I just checked their "shop" and there is a "new Eos 40D" going for .99 pound in seven hours.
What a deal! (Tongue in cheek)
Back up a ways they were selling the new 40D for over 300 pounds, then suddenly a kit is offered for 117 pounds, and now a new body for chickenfeed
There is something very weird going on here.
Peter Patricelli
www.flyfishingfotography.com
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Mark Schuster
Posts: 676
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 18:10 GMT
updated: 5 Jan 2008 at 18:24 GMT
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Mauro, Smooth figured it out. Either I or the seller are dyslexic. For Easyshop read Easishop.
Nick, Yes I checked the three negative feedbacks going back a year. Two concerned short-shipping the case for iPods. I can’t judge how serious this is or if they were subsequently supplied. The most serious (one would guess) was from ex-Student in Dept who said Was a birthday gift. 4 weeks receive card telling me to pay £60 customs. BAD BAD. Ex-Student must have been rather naive: If it was HM customs and Excise who demanded the £60 pounds, as Smooth hints, that’s their entitlement.
Now Peter had me worried, but Dorin may have the answer to low prices. Peoples pockets are depleted this time of the year. I suppose if they had wanted a camera they would have got it for Christmas. And this is the time of New Year sales, and I suppose this is reflected in Ebay prices too.
I should point out that in all there were five or six identical 400D kits offered by the seller and all ending at the same time. I got mine for the least. The most expensive was about £260 – still cheap, but not extraordinarily so.
Yes Peter, weird indeed.
Finally, I paid through PayPal, but don’t know how much protection that offers.
I’m unclear about the warranty, if any. I once bought a notebook in Dubai with a 12 month warranty. But in order to use the warranty I would need to send the computer to the United States at my own expense. So if there is a warranty I don’t know if it is worldwide: A bit of a risk.
Finally (again?) as I pointed out on opening the thread, I bid low just out of curiosity and without any expectation of winning. Well I did win. I’ll let you know the outcome. Wish me luck.
Mark
P.S. In all the chatter, all of us have overlooked that this was an auction without a reserve price, which means the heighest bidder wins even if the sellers expectations aren't reallized. That's the rule! Some of the other bidders for identical kits paid considerably more.
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John Houghton
Posts: 2095
Location: Hitchin, United Kingdom
Registered: 17 Jan 2005
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 19:29 GMT
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Mark Schuster said: Finally, I paid through PayPal, but don’t know how much protection that offers.
Mark, If you check the item page, you will see the PayPal logo and "Choose PayPal for up to £150 buyer protection". You'll have to read the terms and conditions though.
It does seem weird to put so many new cameras up for auction without a reserve (there are more due to finish in the next couple of days). I would have thought people would be less inclined to bid high when there were more coming along. Anyway, let's hope everything goes smoothly and you have a new 400D by this time next week.
John
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Mark Schuster
Posts: 676
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 20:45 GMT
updated: 5 Jan 2008 at 20:59 GMT
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Thanks John,
Yes I know about PayPal conditions but heard of complaints about not receiving compensation. That aside - I agree, it's hard to believe. A 40D body just went for £401 including P&P from Easishop in Hong Kong. Where the heck do they get all those cameras from? Certainly they must have expected to get considerably more for them. I only hope they don't go bankrupt before delivering mine!
Incidentally, congratulation for your new one. Wrong thread, but it was nice seeing your New Year contribution.
Mark
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bigwade
Posts: 246
Location: Netherlands
Registered: 19 Oct 2005
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 22:11 GMT
updated: 5 Jan 2008 at 22:13 GMT
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tinyurl.com/3dhmjp
strange but the page is refreshing every time.....
5D ended @ 22.00 700 GBP or 940 Euro.........
05-jan-08
???????????
Mark, let us know what you get......
Have Fun !
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Mark Schuster
Posts: 676
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 22:54 GMT
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Bigwade
I'm getting even more confused. Your link took me to a 5D body from Easishop on Ebay which went for £725 including P&P. Even after possible VAT is added it will still be cheap. A body from Amazon UK varies in price from £1,400 to over £2,000. And for me that's another mystery. Why the enormous price differences?
Mark
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bigwade
Posts: 246
Location: Netherlands
Registered: 19 Oct 2005
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 23:08 GMT
updated: 5 Jan 2008 at 23:10 GMT
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tinyurl.com/2jgjay
5 jan 08 23.00 GMT
40D ended @ 437 GBP or 586 Euro.....
Strange prices........
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Mark Schuster
Posts: 676
Location: Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Registered: 25 Jan 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 23:33 GMT
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Curiouser and curiouser.
Santa is alive and well in the former British territory of Hong Kong. 
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Peter Patricelli
Posts: 111
Location: Eugene, OR, United States
Registered: 20 Dec 2006
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Re: Ordered a half price 400D, but...
Posted: 5 Jan 2008 at 23:46 GMT
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"Santa is alive and well in the former British territory of Hong Kong."
Either that or someone is auctioning off a huge number of items all at once, taking ANY monetary payment they can get, intending to deliver on NONE of them....and disappear. They are stating that it will take 3 days or so for Paypal payment to clear. Never heard of that.
Anyway, "Le Jeux Son Fait". We'll see how it plays out.
Peter Patricelli
www.flyfishingfotography.com
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