Sigma 10-20 - Dodgy Ebay -

Hello everybody,

I found this lens for sale on ebay, and it looks tremendously dodgy. The picture is not clear, and the lens really doesn't look like the Pentax fit one...
It looks more like a nikon fit - without the small screen with the m/ft ratios.
The story around the auction is also dodgy...
Then the price - I would probably buy it up to £250 if it was a real 10-20mm, even just to resell it later, its a very good lens! So how is it actually possible to have a £0 starting price?

Any ideas anybody?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&...


Cheers,
Nathan

I was watching this originally and it sold for £273! - SRS sell them new for £289 so I lost interest in it well before it ended.

How can you tell it's not a Pentax as it's got a cap on the end?

You can't have a £0.00 start price but can have a £0.01 start price.

The item has been relisted at 99p. A low start price minimises the seller's listing fees and creates interest. There's nothing wrong with that, and there's little risk for the seller when the item is popular. Obviously it will be bid up beyond 99p.

The only thing that makes me suspicious is the story about previous winning bidder being in Poland and there supposedly being "no insured option for dispatch to Poland". I can't see anything on the Royal Mail website that says Poland is excluded from International Signed For - which can include up to £500 compensation cover. And evidence on this page indicates that International Signed For is available for Poland:

www.polishforums.com/posting_uk_poland_not_good-31_22968_0.html

What small screen?

It looks like the Pentax one I have.

Reply from seller in response to being asked why Int Signed For could not be used:

"Because of this clause, We are not liable for loss or damage incurred outside the United Kingdom, where postal and delivery services of other countries are involved."

Some of the insured services from Royal Mail only include loss or damage whilst in the possession of Royal Mail and not after they have moved into the possession of another country.

How this is worked out when something is lost is beyond me...

LIkewise I have just found out that some Signed For services are only trackable after they have been delivered. This confirms my suspicion that the world is a crazy place.

However, all of these strange anomalies would not prevent me from sending a package to Poland or anywhere else. After all it might not get lost and might arrive safely and on time.

Royal Mail's tracking services are something of a joke.

They mislaid a watch that was on route to me. They could track it down to Southampton and then it vanished into thin air.

A replacement was sent by the jewellers and two weeks after being sent out on a 'guaranteed next day delivery', the first one turned up

Anyway it's good that this lens is holding its value so well.

I might want to trade mine for a Tamron 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 one day. What an amazing spec that is.

Lens not released yet. See www.dpreview.com/news/0802/08020102tamron1024.asp

I sent a photographic item to Poland via "International Signed For" only last week.

Despite some trepidation on my part, it arrived safely in 3 or 4 days

R

Hi,

Many 'signed for' services are ONLY signed for on arrival and are therefore not tracked at all, which is why they only show up after being delivered (and signed for). In other words, they are quite literally what they say...signed for, but NOT tracked.

I would also point out that many services, including Royal mail, DO NOT cover any items for damage IF THEY CONTAIN glass. So, lenses and cameras are often not covered aginst damage at all. This is not widely known.

However, if you ask the right person at Royal Mail (who knows the RM terms & conditions properly), they will admit that items that contain glass are covered against damage...as long as they are packed to the standards acceptable to Royal Mail (whatever that is). You must keep (or get back) the original packing and parcel, in the same fashion it left you and Royal Mail will want to inspect it in the event of a claim for damage.

Many Royal Mail staff do not know these facts, so watch out. Even Royal Mail customer services often give out incorrect information about this point.

I would also mention the dreaded so-called paypal protection cover. If you sell using this, you are only covered as a seller IF the buyer has a paypal CONFIRMED address. Also, the buyer must be in the UK, USA or Canada...all other states, including the whole of the EU, are not covered with paypal seller protection.

In addition, if you send an item overseas, the Royal Mail signed for service and the Airsure services are no good for paypal seller protection IF the item is worth over £150. Indeed the airsure service is no good at all, as paypal expects a signature to be taken at the arrival point.

There are many little 'get out' clauses that most ebay and paypal users have no clues about....be very careful.

cheers Steve.M.

cheers Steve.M.