Talk Me Out Of This Purchase

[salvatore]

Aside from the ancillary sub-par products included with this eBay auction, is there a reason not to go for something like this? I seem to get the D80 body and what I understand to be a good VR lens (the 55-200) along with a lot of other stuff that's not too bad for the beginner, which I am.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-D80-Digit...yZ147174QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What am I missing?

.salvatore

 

[juanster]

I am a beginner as well and i have been looking to getting my first SLR but i think i am going for a D40 or rebel xt... still looking for a good deal... if i had that money i would get a Rebel XTi, then again like i said, i am only a beginner as well and i do understand it's also about which brand you want to go tnikon or canon, it is preference... it still looks like a good deal to me, i'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come thru with a better answer...

 

[harcosparky]

Be careful with them ...

They auction off items they do not have at times. Look into their feedback.

People complain of incomplete packages arriving and after they check with seller are told the items are BACKORDERED ....

They have had .....

25 Negatives in the last month

60 Negatives in the last 6 months

93 Negatives in the last 12 months


One other way to look at it is this ...

They have been on Ebay since Feb. 1, 2001

In that time they have had 444 NEGATIVES ..... of those 444 Negatives, 96 were in the last year.

Their average is 74 per year, so this has been a bad year for them.

Backorders seems to be a common complaint.


Here is their NEUTRAL RECORD ..

Neutral Last Month =57 Last 6 months = 256 Last year = 454


I am a big advocate for using Ebay, but research your seller!!!!!!

 

[salvatore]

Well done harcosparky. That's 1120$ I just didnt spend.
Thanks for the kick towards reality. I'll stick with more reputable dealers.

 

[alecmcmahon]

Well done harcosparky. That's 1120$ I just didnt spend.
Thanks for the kick towards reality. I'll stick with more reputable dealers.

The two lenses that are included there are both AF-S lenses, meaning they have an internal motor for auto focusing.

Unless you Need the d80 for whatever particual factor, i'd say go for the d40 instead and save some cash.

It's a excellent camera.

I started with the d40 and worked my way up to the d80, i was interested in using older lenses, and CLS ( wireless flash ).. as well as the extra AF points.

 

[Aperture]

I purchased my D50 from the same seller and my transaction was flawless. I'd buy from them again.

 

[Grimace]

Doing that kind of volume, you are bound to get a few negatives and backorders. Quarter million transactions with 99.8% positive overall? That's pretty good.

If the price is right and you don't need it tomorrow, I'd give it a go.

 

[Westside guy]

The two lenses that are included there are both AF-S lenses, meaning they have an internal motor for auto focusing.

Unless you Need the d80 for whatever particual factor, i'd say go for the d40 instead and save some cash.

There's a flaw in your logic here; although there's nothing wrong with the D40.

It's true that a camera like the D40 requires an in-lens motor for autofocus; but that's not the whole story. In-lens motors are superior to in-body motors. Focussing is significantly faster, and usually significantly quieter as well - especially as you move up to the larger lenses. It's not just a matter of "well, my camera has an in-body motor so an in-lens motor doesn't make any difference". An AF-S lens is still advantageous on a D80 or a D300.

Additionally, most AF-S lenses (excluding the cheapies, which the 18-55 and 55-200 are) allow for full-time manual override of autofocus without switching your camera into manual mode. Most of the time you probably don't need this; but it is very convenient when you DO need it.

 

[taylorwilsdon]

The seller is fine. I've used Cameta before and it went as expected. When you have 200,000 feedback, a few negatives are expected.

The price seems about right too. With a D80 body at $800, the 18-55 at $100 and the 55-200 VR at $230, thats $1130. Add the 4gb card, and you're right on the money.

I say go for it if this is what you want.

 

[juanster]

did you end up goign for it?

 

[salvatore]

No, but I have until next weekend for this particular auction. If I go this route I'll post my experiences here.

 

[onomatopoeia]

Where are you located? I'm in Dallas, TX and have a D80 for sale. One year old, 3172 total shutter releases.

 

[Westside guy]

Doing that kind of volume, you are bound to get a few negatives and backorders. Quarter million transactions with 99.8% positive overall? That's pretty good.

No kidding. I've never bought from them - I'm not big on eBay - but 444 negatives alongside 215,000+ positives?

The variance mentioned by harcosparky (96 against an annual average of 74) is insignificant. Given the sample size we're talking about - I think you're well within the range of counting error, statistically speaking. Now if they'd jumped to, say, 700 from their average of 74, I might be a bit more concerned.

 

[salvatore]

I understand negative experiences are bound to happen, resulting in negative feedback.
The backorders did it for me. Im much too anal and impatient to run the risk of having something potentially take weeks to arrive.

 

[pdxflint]

I understand negative experiences are bound to happen, resulting in negative feedback.
The backorders did it for me. Im much too anal and impatient to run the risk of having something potentially take weeks to arrive.

I don't have any idea how much you could save going this route, and my own inclination would be to just go to a decent, local photo store - the price differential shouldn't be that significant, plus you get the hands-on experience, and the after-the-sale direct, personal access.

But, as far as the ebay seller mentioned - I doubt they're backordered on products that have been out for quite some time (D80, 18-55, 55-200VR) unless we're talking about the 18-55VR, which is a new lens. Their feedback looks good to me, since you'll always find 1% of folks who will give negative feedback no matter what.

 

[creative78]

I've just received my D300 from Cameta Camera (the company who is doing the ebay auction) and have had an excellent experience. I bought my camera through Amazon so I cannot comment on the ebay route, but as a merchant they have been great. Placed my order on Friday afternoon and just received the camera today via UPS.

 

[harcosparky]

Hey,

I gave you the Feedback info and also noted that his problems were due to not having in stock what he sold and it was backordered.

Best way to go for it and have a happy transaction would be to ....

Contact the seller and have him assure that all components are in stock.

If they are, then pull the trigger. If they aren't then you have a choice ... don't pull the trigger -OR- pull the trigger knowing there is a backorder involved.

I just didn't want you to pull the trigger, have something on backorder and come here ranting over it.

I have been an Ebay seller for over 6 years now, and I see a lot of Ebay RANTS on various forums that could have been avoided had the buyers contacted the sellers ahead of time.

If you ask a seller a question and get no response in 24 hours, or on Monday following a Fri/Sat/Sun inquiry than what makes you think a seller would respond after a sale?

I do a lot of buying as well as selling and before I bid on anything, I always " Ask The Seller A Question " just to test their response time.