buying from ebay?

so im going to purchase a new camera. I see lots of package deals with flashy neon advertising on ebay. Has anyone ever bought from these people? Even used gear is it recomended to buy or should I go new and in person or from a lagit store online?

Nothing wrong at all with buying off of Ebay. I bought a used D50 on Ebay and had a smooth transaction. Loved the camera and shot the hell out of it, then resold it on Ebay when I swapped to film. Just remember though, "all that glitters is not gold". This is definitely the case with a lot of the new packages/kits available. If it seems too good to be true, it is. If buying new on Ebay, I would recommend checking out Cameta Camera. If buying used, two reputable stores that sell on Ebay are KEH and Adorama. Buying used from an individual can definitely lead to some good deals. Just make sure to cover your bases. ALWAYS check feedback. I usually will send a seller an email asking any sort of random question. A lot of times you can tell a lot about a person by the response you get. Also, I pay with a credit card via Paypal. This gives me 2 methods of disputing for a refund should there be any problems. One important thing to keep in mind is that buying used from an individual, you get NO warranty. Most manufacturer warranties are NOT transferable. Keeping all these things in mind, you should be fine though there is no 100%.

And don't forget to come back and post pics when you get your camera :thumbsup:

Happy Holidays,
Aaron

Wow, thank you very much. That sums it up nice for me.

I bought my first DSLR as one of the ebay packages. It was a smooth transaction, but I will never do that again. Almost all of the "extras" that come with the kit are JUNK!!! You would be better off researching the gear you want, and then buy it from a reputable dealer like B&H or Adorama. You will spend a bit more, but you will get what you want. Everything except the camera body, batteries and memory card that came with my "kit" has been replaced. Had I bought the right gear the first time, I probably would have saved some $ in the long run.

I bought my d80 on ebay from Cameta camera and would recommend them anytime.
There are also other good dealers and some to avoid. I would always look to make sure the dealer is an "authoized dealer" for that make/ product.
That is why I would not buy from J&K even though they have good ratings there, you will get a grey market product without manufacturer warranty.

As for the package deals, I would also avoid them, as Mike said. The package products are not quality items even from the reputable dealers. The word professional can be put on anything. The bags, tripods, flashes, memory cards, etc. etc. are all low quality and you can get quality items for as much as your adding to your main purchase,(the camera),
Just buy the body and a lens if you are sure its a good lens and the one you really want.

Good luck!

Know I'm late responding to this thread, but I'd never buy electronics off e-bay again. I bought an IBM laptop from a dealer that "checked out", And it turned out to be stolen!
After I received it I registered the serial number at IBM, and all seemed good for about a month, then suddenly I had a Chicago detective calling me up to find out how I had gotten the laptop...

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Originally Posted by ole

Know I'm late responding to this thread, but I'd never buy electronics off e-bay again. I bought an IBM laptop from a dealer that "checked out", And it turned out to be stolen!
After I received it I registered the serial number at IBM, and all seemed good for about a month, then suddenly I had a Chicago detective calling me up to find out how I had gotten the laptop...

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Well, that could also happen if you buy from a store across the street.
You still would not know if the item was stolen or not.
So buying from ebay is just like buying from another place without facing the seller in person.
I've made good deals by buying on ebay.