An interesting question - What would you do?

Mike.P

Mike.P

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You sell a camera on a forum and nearly 7 weeks later the buyer comes back you you saying the flash does not work. You know full well it was fine when sent but the person is also saying that they have been ill for all the time they have had it and never tried the flash. He then threatens to name and shame you unless you agree to pay half the repair costs.

You had a lot of problems with this person from the very beginning because they didn't realise they would have to wait for clearance if they paid by cheque and were called some rather unsavoury names. It got to the stage where he was told that once it had cleared his money would be refunded .. but in the end he apologised, said he still wanted the camera and so it was sent.

The buyer sent an email saying everything was fine upon receipt.

What are your thoughts?

(not this forum BTW) ;)
 
The buyer sent an email saying everything was fine upon receipt.
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Job done, give it no more thought. :)
 
Tell him to sod off.
 
Actually maybe I should reword that ...

Upon reading it again it actually says:

All received safely


Which then went on to say he couldn't work out how to change from Jpeg to Raw and started getting arsey again. (sorted with a couple of menu alterations).
 
Mike.P said:
He then threatens to name and shame you unless you agree to pay half the repair costs.
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Blackmail only works when the 'victim' is afraid of some knowledge being made known - post the same question on the forum concerned, (not the problems you had at first), it will prove very difficult for the blackmailer to work past that, especially if fellow members share the same views expressed here.
 
Mike.P said:
Which then went on to say he couldn't work out how to change from Jpeg to Raw and started getting arsey again. (sorted with a couple of menu alterations).
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:lol:
 
It makes no odds m8.
The first thing we all do is check the gear we buy. It sounds to me like he has had Buyers Remorse.
Did you take a note of every items serial number? If not how do you know it was the item you sent him.
 
That is rather different but if the buyer has been well enough to go looking through the menus and communicate with you then they could presumably have checked the camera to make sure it worked.

Perhaps it did get broken in transit but 7 weeks is really a bit too long to leave before informing you.
 
I once had a problem with an internet sale and simply told him to either get it repaired himself or send it back to me in the same condition he received it....at his cost.

The "problem" went away.

I can sympathise with illness but 7 weeks is excessive.
 
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It seems that the buyer is contradicting himself - one minute everything is fine on receipt then weeks later the flash isn't working.
I'd tell him to **** off!
 
Sounds like a bully, tell him to take a running jump. 7 weeks is taking the proverbial,
 
Mike.P said:
The buyer sent an email saying everything was fine upon receipt.

What are your thoughts?

(not this forum BTW) ;)
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Have a wee brainstorm of sweary words to forward on to him!
 
Offer to sell him an SB900 or EX580ii (depending on camera type)?
 
If you have no reason to maintain goodwill with that particular person, I wouldn't let this bother you. He is deemed to have accepted the goods and has no recourse to you. He had a reasonable period for inspection of the items and neglected to note the 'faulty' flash unit within that time.

Although he seems somewhat inexperienced with SLRs - it might be worth suggesting to him that he enables a mode on his camera which would use flash before he writes it off as broken!
 
did you state a 2 month warranty in the for sale ad? didn't think so :thumbs:
 
It seems people are generally thinking along the same lines as myself. Just wanted to make sure but personally I wouldn't have the cheek to ask after 7 days never mind 7 weeks.


Cheers.


If the worst comes to the worst I will sell all my gear, buy a Canon or Nikon and come here more :lol:
 
Depending on the camera settings the flash does not always work. Tell him to read the manual. He could always be pointed to the threads about lighting with torchlight.
 
I know the incident to which Mike is referring - and I've bought quite a few things from Mike too .

Everything has been superbly packed - it would have taken a roadroller to damage anything.

I'm on Mike's side - he's dealing with an elderly poster who seemingly takes a looooooong time to adapt to anything new .
 
I've been on the recieving end of this so I can sympathise to some extent with the buyer - if what he says is true.
Some of you may remember the F3 I bought from another member here - after giving it a cursory check in the UK, I complained to the seller that it wasn't in the condition as decribed and that there were a couple of minor faults, including one that would require repair. We disccussed the matter by telephone and i informed hm that I'd delay a final decision until I'd got it checked over by a professional repair centre.
I got it checked-out by the local Nikon Service Centre here in Dortmund, Germany which took four weeks altogether including my travelling back and forth and being able to go and collect it.
They highlighted other faults which were not repairable and I informed the seller that he'd have to take it back.
His take was "you've had it for a month; it's now your problem!"

And so it's still sat on the shelf as a nice ornament, but useless for taking photos.

Your buyer says the item 'arrived safely' - that's not the same as doing a thorough check-over. If he genuinely only now had checked it thoroughly then you'll have to give him the benefit of the doubt - do you believe he's telling the truth?
 
When I sell items on here I tell the buyer I am not going to touch the money until they come back to me and say they are happy ...only then do I spend... otherwise i offer a complete no questions money back deal... i sound like a trader haha but have only sold a few items.. but do insist that they give it a proper check before telling me i can spend the money...

not wanting to be harsh but once someone says they are happy and i spend the money then thats it... deal over and done with...
 
Rob.

While I agree that it can take time to find a fault in a camera I think 7 weeks is too long. From what I have seen of your postings on this forum I somehow doubt that had you read the messages I got from the buyer during both the sale (when he could see no reason as to why he should wait for his cheque to clear) to the current one accusing me of knowingly sending faulty equipment that you would have been as understanding.

From the look of your problem you advised him straight away and then it took 4 weeks for Nikon to let you know the outcome .. fair enough. You didn't have the camera sitting at home all that time before deciding it was faulty?
 
When I buy SH I check it immediately, you'd be daft not to. Not the next day, not the next week and certainly not 7 weeks! Sounds like he's pulling a fast one.
 
Mike.P said:
Rob.

While I agree that it can take time to find a fault in a camera I think 7 weeks is too long. From what I have seen of your postings on this forum I somehow doubt that had you read the messages I got from the buyer during both the sale (when he could see no reason as to why he should wait for his cheque to clear) to the current one accusing me of knowingly sending faulty equipment that you would have been as understanding.

From the look of your problem you advised him straight away and then it took 4 weeks for Nikon to let you know the outcome .. fair enough. You didn't have the camera sitting at home all that time before deciding it was faulty?
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I fully appreciate that there's a lot of info we're not privvy to here.

The cheque-clearance issue would have been a red-flag for me also BTW... and not just from the perspective that anyone without the nous to perform a simple online BT is perhaps not someone I'd want to be selling sophisticated Digital Photographic equipment to...:lol:
 
If I bought 2nd hand I would have checked everything on arrival and been on the phone to discuss the problem with the seller (because we exchange phone numbers as per the guidelines). I would not accept any liability for a fault notified seven weeks down the line. That is just one of the things you have to accept if you buy with no warranty.

Caveat Emptor!
 
Personally I think 7 weeks is taking the mickey. I doubt he was so ill he didnt try the camera. Tell him to forget it and if he wants to name and shame that you will reply to that thread with the emails he sent 7 weeks ago saying it was OK.

Or contact the site admin and ask them to remove the thread. He's just being a prat and trying his luck.
 
Agreed with the rest. 7 weeks is far to long. All second hand items should be checked on day of reciept.
He emailed to say it was recieved fine, if he knew he couldnt check the camera, he should have said, item recieved but not checked,like signing unchecked for a parcel.

I too would imagine its a user fault rather than a camera fault anyway. If he cant figure out how to change the file type, he wont know how to use the flash. He probably hasnt popped it up or something simple like that.

His threats are idle, there is no legal recourse, all he can do is post things on the net, and it looks like you are well known and trusted poster/seller, so I wouldnt worry. Dont be rude to him, just tell him politely you cant help him.
Offer to buy the camera back at half the cost or something too, if you feel you can fix the "fault".
 
In my view this prerson sounds more like a nutter! than a bully and one that dosent know (or cant cope with) the complexities or a standard dslr, youve been more than patient with them, if you sold them the camera here (on this site) then possibly let the moderators know?
 
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had similar experiences when selling stuff on the internet myself (sold plenty and the majority problem free). it's not a nice thing to do, but you have to share your bad experience of the buyer with the forum before they bad mouth you. most people are happy with their purchases, but some seem to think that because they got a bargain there's something dodgy going on and so at the first sign of anything going wrong it's your responsibility. you're doing everyone else on the forum a favour by telling them of this trouble maker. what next, i get to return my tv to argos seven years after buying it because it broke?
 
Caveat venditor - seller beware....... I'd say let him name, but state he sent proof that the item in questioned worked on receipt of goods
 
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