My Strange Ebay Tale (Or: How I currently have a free Rebel XSi and Sigma 17-70mm)

I had a similar situation happen to me about 6 years ago when I bought a Rebel (300D) + 3 Sigma kit lenses on eBay.

I purchased it through a 'Buy It Now' auction and was promised I'd get it in a few days. After about 10 days I contacted the seller and he told me it was returned because they could not send it to a PO Box. I gave him a physical address and within a few days it was at my doorstep.

When I received the camera. I tried it out, took 5 or 6 pictures with it and all of a sudden the images were coming up as half exposed on the screen until eventually (after the 10th or 12th picture) there was nothing but a colored line running left to right about half way down the photos.

I contacted the seller. He said send just the body back and they will send me a new one.

About 2 days later I had a parcel slip in my PO Box. I went to the main counter and handed the lady the slip and she came back with a large box (about the same size the 300D came in a couple days ago. I opened it up in the car and there staring back at me was a Rebel XT (350D) with 3 kit lenses and everything else that came with the Rebel. I thought well, maybe they sent me a whole kit by accident to replace the defective body. I went to work.

The next day (I worked the afternoon shift so I didn't get home until 10:30 at night), I received a smaller package at my house. It was a Rebel (300D). So now I'm completely baffled at this point. I called the seller and talked to a sales rep/shipping guy. I told him what had happened and he looked on his computer and said "No, we only shipped out one camera not two". I said "well, I have two right here in front of me both with your address on them. Where would you like me to send one"? To which he replied, "Nowhere. We only have one camera sent to your address on record". I said "what about my PO Box"? He said that one came back. All in all, this guy wouldn't take my word for it that they had sent me to cameras. So, I closed up the 350D and put it in my closet figuring they would eventually send me a nasty letter telling me to ship it back to them. I waited a month, 3 months, 6 months, 10 months.... Nothing came. At that point I figured, screw it. They don't want it, I'll keep it. So I had a backup kit for free.

I just love eBay screw-ups when they work in your favor!

This is a great thread!

Two issues: 1) Are you going to get in trouble? and 2) Will you be at peace with your decision?

1) It sounds like you are off the hook and the seller probably won't have any legal recourse. From a practical point of view, you can do whatever you like.

2) Depends on your psyche. It would be extremely easy to rationalize either extreme. Either keep the stuff and don't give it another thought, or come out of pocket to make sure it's returned to its rightful owner. Or, something in between. Since you're dealing with an individual who might need the money, I'd be less inclined to want to profit on his mistake, even if he's being uncommunicative and unreasonable. As I said before, the situation might look quite different through his eyes.

Absolute worst case scenario: the OP has to bay $531... big friggin' deal. The OP is clearly way over thinking this whole 'situation' that is not even a situation anymore. This happened MONTHS ago, get over it.

Rorschach test. Everyone sees the situation differently and the responses provide a glimpse of their character.

and what does it say about my character? lol

My responses have everything to do with my opinions given on a case by case basis. If you want to discern character from that and try to dig deeper into my soul, well then, your an idiot.

ewheeler20 wrote in post #13358513
and what does it say about my character? lol

My responses have everything to do with my opinions given on a case by case basis. If you want to discern character from that and try to dig deeper into my soul, well then, your an idiot.

Wow, okay then, I think that just about says it all. I wonder what the unedited reply looked like?

ewheeler20 wrote in post #13358513
... well then, your an idiot.

haha, you're proving my point. I am an idiot when it comes to situations like this. I find the ethical and legal questions really interesting, which is a completely dysfunctional approach to making a quick decision and getting back to more important things.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #13358564
I wonder what the unedited reply looked like?

lol, actually I added to the unedited reply. Before, all it said was "and what does it say about my character? lol"
So, not quite what you were hoping for, hehe.

cacawcacaw wrote in post #13358585
haha, you're proving my point. I am an idiot when it comes to situations like this. I find the ethical and legal questions really interesting, which is a completely dysfunctional approach to making a quick decision and getting back to more important things.

Wow, you just took a small portion of my reply and used it out of context to try and prove your point. To be clear, I said you are an idiot if you think you can discern a person's character from a relatively anonymous typed opinion given about a months-old "issue" that has obviously been resolved by all parties involved previously.

My overall point to my original reply stating "get over it" amongst other things; was simply to point out that $531 is honestly not that much money to somebody who can afford a $531 dollar camera in the first place, and therefore worrying about such an issue is really blowing things out of proportion.

I would have sent a polaroid of the gear and you in a ski mask holding a hammer above it to his German address by now with the note saying "Pay for shipping and handling or the Camera gets it!".

No money from the Seller means he doesn't want it back that badly and therefore you now have a free camera. Next, you sell the XSi and use the $535 and the $400 from your XSi to buy a 60D!

cacawcacaw wrote in post #13358437
Since you're dealing with an individual who might need the money

i think if he needed the money he would realize that paying $50 to ship something that is worth $500 would be a wise investment....

ewheeler20 wrote in post #13358613
To be clear, I said you are an idiot if you think you can discern a person's character from a relatively anonymous typed opinion given about a months-old "issue" that has obviously been resolved by all parties involved previously.

if the 'issues' had been resolved by all parties involved there wouldn't be a thread about it here...clearly an idiot could see that

it's been a while since the o.p. has posted...i hope there's been some developments...

DreDaze wrote in post #13359013
iif the 'issues' had been resolved by all parties involved there wouldn't be a thread about it here.

I would have to disagree with you. I think the OP posted this simply to have peace of mind. It has been a very long time since the incident happened and if something were to transpire from it, it would have happened already. I don't believe the seller is going to come back from the dead and all of a sudden demand his camera back, especially after ignoring multiple requests by the buyer over months of time. For that reason, I think the issue has been resolved and the OP is making a mountain out of a molehill.

cacawcacaw wrote in post #13358495
Rorschach test. Everyone sees the situation differently and the responses provide a glimpse of their character.

ewheeler20 wrote in post #13358613
...To be clear, I said you are an idiot if you think you can discern a person's character from a relatively anonymous typed opinion..

Ok, I don't think that a glimpse is the same as discerning a person's character, so I'm not an idiot. Whew! That was a close one.

It's always hard to look at a situation through someone else's eyes, particularly if a narrow viewpoint works out to be financially beneficial. It's entirely possible that the money is a huge deal to the seller but he has already resigned himself to being ripped off by a buyer who conjured up a negligible focusing issue in order to get himself a free camera. It's also possible that he was stuck with going to Germany and doesn't have any other way to receive the camera. I don't think Shane is that type of person but it would be reasonable for the buyer to form that opinion based on what happened.

You have every right to dismiss $500 if you're the one who lost it but I don't think anyone should be telling another person not to worry about it because it's only $500. That's two week's take-home pay for some people. Shane has already said that he doesn't feel right keeping the camera - those are good instincts.

I say donate it to charity for your peace of mind. Don't ship it or sell it or do anything that would waste your time.

tkbslc wrote in post #13340517
This was what I was going to suggest. I would send him an email and tell him that you have been more than generous in trying to work with him and you will give him 30 days to send payment for exact shipping + packaging to germany or the camera will be donated to a thrift store.

(you don't have to really donate it, just say something to where he knows it's now or never)

That's a great idea. I may just try that tonight.

ewheeler20 wrote in post #13358450
Absolute worst case scenario: the OP has to bay $531... big friggin' deal. The OP is clearly way over thinking this whole 'situation' that is not even a situation anymore. This happened MONTHS ago, get over it.

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