Anton Browne wrote: > > I recently sold a lens on eBay, when the buyer received it he said >there was a tiny bit of fungus on the front element which could only >be seen at the right angle and that if he sold the lens he wouldn't >get what he paid for it (a strange thing to say in my opinion). I >checked had the lens thoroughly when I first bought it and before >listing it on eBay and didn't notice anything at all... it is >possible I missed it of course. I immediately offered a full refund >including postage costs for the return of the lens. I got a reply >saying that he'd taken the lens to a camera shop and they said it >wasn't fungus but a slight parting of the elements and that it >wouldn't affect pictures. The buyer then said if he sold it he would >still get less that the bid price, clearly indicating that he wanted >me to give him a rebate of �20 or so.
This, unfortunately, is becoming more common on eBay: Pay more than you really want to for something, then discover "problems" with it and complain to the seller, demanding a partial refund. These people count on the fact that many sellers will give a partial refund rather than risk negative feedback. It's an effective way of winning an auction and then paying less than you bid. I've had this happen in the past with items I *knew* were in perfect condition. I offer a full refund or nothing at all. In every case the complainer was never heard from again. Wait until the very end on the 90-day window before giving feedback. Just to be safe. -- Mark Roberts Photography and writing www.robertstech.com
