Buying 24-105L off eBay... Stolen?

foodpoison said:
Don't you guys fret, FP has entered the building!

We do it at Jessops for a completely unreasonable £1039.
I think the trade on that would be around £980, something like that. At the very minimum we'd be able to get the lens for £880.
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I think you've got your numbers wrong there I'm afraid... £1039 after VAT is £903. No way they can sell for less than that without losing money.

I work as a retail buyer and I'd guess Jessops make around a 15% margin on their lines so that's a £767 cost to them.
Much below 15% and Jessops won't be able to cover their overheads.
Back in 2002 when they were really thriving their final EBIT (profit) for the entire business was only about 3% so although the markup sounds high initially the costs of running a business quickly erode the profits.

Electrical lines are normally low margin - I used to work on an area where we made an average of 63% on my ranges!
 
incapete said:
I think you've got your numbers wrong there I'm afraid... £1039 after VAT is £903. No way they can sell for less than that without losing money.

I work as a retail buyer and I'd guess Jessops make around a 15% margin on their lines so that's a £767 cost to them. Electrical lines are normally low margin - I used to work on an area where we made an average of 63% on my ranges!
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You've lost me.

All I do is type into the stock directory search box CANEF24105.
It comes up with the lens.

I scroll to 'trade', and it shows me 2 values: A 'trade' price excluding VAT and a 'trade' price including VAT.

To get staff discount we just take 10% off that 'trade' price including VAT.

I doubt the staff are told the ACTUAL trade prices, but more an altered version.
 
foodpoison said:
I doubt the staff are told the ACTUAL trade prices, but more an altered version.
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You're right, it's probably a figure that they can't let you go below - I know that in our stores we didn't let our managers have any independent control of prices so it's good that you can!


EDIT - interestingly I know your HR director Jo Steen... used to work with her.
 
Kryptix said:
I've bidded stuff up in fairness and I'm a genuine bloke who has never scammed anyone... It doesn't instantly make you a bad person!
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Must have a different idea of the word "genuine" to me.......... effectively Fraud / Dishonest as forcing someone to pay more than the going auction rate. If you want £50 for something on ebay, put a reserve of £50 on it - or BIN @ £50.

I appreciate it happens all the time in live auctions, and some auctioneers are known to take bids off the wall to increase the hammer price, but just find it amusing that
 
incapete said:
You're right, it's probably a figure that they can't let you go below - I know that in our stores we didn't let our managers have any independent control of prices so it's good that you can!


EDIT - interestingly I know your HR director Jo Steen... used to work with her.
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right...

Reckon you could have a word with her why it took 7 months to have my expenses to be paid to me?

Apparently the guy who was supposed to do it was sacked and so he 'mislaid' my papers.
 
foodpoison said:
I'll tell you what is dishonest, ebay taking £40 of a £300 sale.

I wonder if ebay has thought of becoming a member of the government.

As far as the lens goes Luke, it all looks legit, go for it!

If the receipt is genuine as far as I'm concerned you've got nothing to lose!
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Is there anything on the receipt that'll match up to that actual lens? Is there anyway I can check to make sure?

You know a lot more about this than me!
 
Nope, unless they purchased the extended warranty in which case the serial number would have been taken :p

As far as I'm concerned, if there's a receipt with a purchase of a 24-105 lens, that's good enough evidence for me!
 
fabs said:
Just a thought, but if it is sealed and you open the box to try the lens, what happens if you decide against buying it? He'll no longer be able to advertise it as sealed. Has he agreed to letting you try before you buy?
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Well I don't think that would happen...

The presumption is that he knows what the lens is and he knows that he wants it, and so if it's all in full working condition he'll buy it.

The only case where he wouldn't buy it is if the lens is faulty, but then he wouldn't be able to sell as new anyway!
 
foodpoison said:
Well I don't think that would happen...

The presumption is that he knows what the lens is and he knows that he wants it, and so if it's all in full working condition he'll buy it.

The only case where he wouldn't buy it is if the lens is faulty, but then he wouldn't be able to sell as new anyway!
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Fair point. Was just wandering if the seller will see it that way.
 
One point, even if he does have a receipt it doesn't really mean anything because....

a) it could have been bought fraudulently and if you buy it knowing or suspecting this, ie at less than a "fair market price" then you'll get done too.

b) the old scam the scrapyards used to do was to buy one car legitimately and then get a few stolen ones of the same make and model in, so they always had a receipt to show the police.

(In fact there was a team round here building Q plate RS Turbos many moons ago, they had one full car's worth of receipts for new parts, but sold 17 RS Turbos on the strength of them.)

So all your lens guy needs is one receipt and as someone else said, if he works in a camera shop where he gets great deals, whey is he also paying retail at Jacobs/Jessops?
 
foodpoison said:
I would personally be sceptical, and would personally make sure the buyer was 100% going to purchase it, should there be no faults with the lens.
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Exactly my thinking. He may not be happy for him to open the box iuntill he has parted with at least some of the cash.
 
foodpoison said:
The presumption is that he knows what the lens is and he knows that he wants it, and so if it's all in full working condition he'll buy it.
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Exactly! This baby is mine, I'm just being careful. :)
 
Oh and yes it's all very possible he could have bought a receipt, but that's a lot of effort considered it was advertised without a receipt.

I'm watching something like twenty 24-105L's on eBay, as well as ten 24-70L's and a few 17-40L's -- any of those could be stolen. It's a chance you have to take if you want £200+ knocked off.

I think I'll get the lens in brand new condition, with the receipt and 10 (ish) months warrenty for £600-£620.
 
Picking it up Thursday evening. :)
 
Of course, its not a cheap Chinese copy is it?
Allan
 
I for one can't wait until Thursday. I'm a Fraud officer and will be waiting for you outside with my mates in a dark blue Ford Transit ;)

Hope it works out for you, not sure I would do the same just at the chance of keeping £200 in the bank. :shrug:
 
V8burble said:
I for one can't wait until Thursday. I'm a Fraud officer and will be waiting for you outside with my mates in a dark blue Ford Transit ;)

Hope it works out for you, not sure I would do the same just at the chance of keeping £200 in the bank. :shrug:
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Well, it's a sealed box which I'll open before I give him the money. He's got the receipt from Jacobs too. He's using an account with decent feedback. I have his home address, his full name and so on.

Surely it's safer than most eBay transactions?
 
I don't often read every post in a four page message but I'm ready to hear the outcome now...

So, you turn up, he shows you the Jacobs receipt and a sealed box which he's prepared to let YOU open before handing over - or even showing him - the money thereby wiping out the "advantage" of "still sealed in box"? Yes I suppose if it's a wrong 'un two minutes with the sellotape will see the box restored to "still sealed" condition.

If he has a new 5D for oh about £400, here's my phone number and good luck with the lens.
 
tikkathreebarrel said:
I don't often read every post in a four page message but I'm ready to hear the outcome now...

So, you turn up, he shows you the Jacobs receipt and a sealed box which he's prepared to let YOU open before handing over - or even showing him - the money thereby wiping out the "advantage" of "still sealed in box"? Yes I suppose if it's a wrong 'un two minutes with the sellotape will see the box restored to "still sealed" condition.

If he has a new 5D for oh about £400, here's my phone number and good luck with the lens.
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Well, I'd be a mug not to check inside the box. I'm testing the lens before I hand any cash over.

Quite frankly, if he won't let me then I'm not interested. I'd be understanding if someone was about to hand me £640. That's a lot of money.
 
Kryptix said:
Well, it's a sealed box which I'll open before I give him the money. He's got the receipt from Jacobs too. He's using an account with decent feedback. I have his home address, his full name and so on.

Surely it's safer than most eBay transactions?
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I've missed something here - i thought it was Jessops :thinking:

*Goes back to re-read thread*
 
No, I never mentioned anything to him.

I'm gunna check the date code is matched to the receipt. How far is it possible to be out do you reckon? How picky should I be?
 
Chillimonster said:
Very!

How many people do you know that have equipment that is still sealed in the box after a week never mind a month?
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I know what you're saying bud, but how common is it that Jacobs/Jessops will sell lenses 2 months older than their date code says or whatever? What's the normal?
 
I would say that the lens code should be within the last 6 months or so, especially for a popular lens such as this.
 
Just erring on the side of caution as things can stick inthe supply chain for ages sometimes :shrug:
 
Chillimonster said:
Just erring on the side of caution as things can stick inthe supply chain for ages sometimes :shrug:
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Yes would agree, also from previous threads for sale, people have said bought new from "whereever" in this month, date code on lens says Manufactored this month - they could be a few months apart easily, could also depend on time of year - Christmas period, if stores have bought in a few and then sold last one from that batch in a quieter time ?
 
Kryptix said:
Well, I'd be a mug not to check inside the box. I'm testing the lens before I hand any cash over.

Quite frankly, if he won't let me then I'm not interested. I'd be understanding if someone was about to hand me £640. That's a lot of money.
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In full agreement with you but

what's the score? what happenned?
 
you sure he didnt buy one, get his postie to sign for it, do an insurance claim get his money back and then sell this as extra profit, :p sorry couldnt resist after the ribbing youve been getting in your other thread about missing lens :nuts:
 
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