WARNING - Do not buy from the Best Buy Ebay store!

Not sure if this is the right place for this, but I was trying to save a few bucks so I bought an open box Sony 70-200 f2.8 G-Master lens from the Best Buy Ebay store. It was only a few hundred off, and after sales tax came to just over $2500. The description of the item was,

Condition: New other (see details) :
Seller Notes: “Excellent - Products in Excellent condition look brand new with no physical flaws, scratches or scuffs and include all original parts and accessories. The product will be in its original packaging or a suitable replacement box.”

With that description I was expecting a practically brand new lens. Well I couldn't have been more wrong. The box came today and there was minimal bubble wrap around the lens box. Not a good sign. The lens box was hanging open and as I moved it around I could feel the lens slamming back and forth in the lens box. I opened the lens box and there was the lens, sitting loosely in the box with no protection. The lens was missing the case which was supposed to be provided. The lens hood was hanging off the front of the lens, and had multiple chunks of plastic missing from it. The lens barrel had a plastic thread peeling off of it and for some reason there was a 3rd party UV filter on the lens that had fingerprints and smudges all over it. There was a spring laying loosely in the box. The barcode had been cut from the box, thrown in with the lens, and covered with cardboard with a Best Buy logo on it.

It looks like someone bought this lens, cut the barcode off to send in for some sort of rebate, changed their mind, took the lens back to Best Buy (while deciding to keep the case for themselves), didn't even bother removing their cheap filter, and Best Buy in their stupidity either didn't check the item or didn't care, just threw the lens box into a larger box and sold it off as a New item that was simply an open box.

The Best Buy rep I spoke to tonight said that they don't take returns on items that have the bar codes cut off the boxes, which obviously is a lie since I bought this returned item with the barcode removed. They wouldn't take the lens back in a retail store even though it said online they would. So now I've opened a claim on Ebay, all the while leaving as much negative feedback and reviews as I can.

I didn't stage the pictures below in any way. The first one is how the lens came packed, and the second is the barcode in the box alongside one of the plastic chunks that broke off of the lens hood.

Omg

I would be fighting up and down in the store with whatever manager is there. Return policy clearly states eBay returns can be done in store.

Dang that stinks.

Unfortunately I know people who deliberately buy a camera like the A7RII w/ three lenses just for a week long vacation then return the camera when back home. They think it's within their right but they buy it intentionally knowing they will return it.

carpenter wrote in post #18377146
I would be fighting up and down in the store with whatever manager is there. Return policy clearly states eBay returns can be done in store.

I thought about it. But it was right before the store closed and I just didn't have the energy for it at that point. Already had quite a day at work and I know with a case this cut and dry PayPal will do their due diligence if this doesn't get solved in a timely manner.

Talley wrote in post #18377156
Dang that stinks.

Unfortunately I know people who deliberately buy a camera like the A7RII w/ three lenses just for a week long vacation then return the camera when back home. They think it's within their right but they buy it intentionally knowing they will return it.

That's every small Youtube camera reviewer in a nutshell.

Damn, that is ridiculous! And is exactly why I'll never buy anything used or new open box, I cant put my hands on first.

call it an anomaly. I've bought from them without issue. I've had an order from amazon that came the same way, sony lens as well

I agree it's am anomaly so the real test is what will BB do to resolve the issue.

Here is my theory seeing that the bar code is still there.... BB was a victim of return fraud. Buyer bought the lens to replace the one he has..maybe defective. Took all the paper work out, including accessories, for the new lens and put back the defective one there. Cut out the bar code from the old box and to place it in the new box. This way, he or she can claim the lens was bought from BB. Maybe making some excuses of why all the original paper work and accessories weren't there. Whoever returned this lens would have gone to a great deal of troubles to get it returned to BB.

The cut out bar code is too strange. Usually, you send it to the manufacturers for rebates...

TooManyShots wrote in post #18377361
Here is my theory seeing that the bar code is still there.... BB was a victim of return fraud. Buyer bought the lens to replace the one he has..maybe defective. Took all the paper work out, including accessories, for the new lens and put back the defective one there. Cut out the bar code from the old box and to place it in the new box. This way, he or she can claim the lens was bought from BB. Maybe making some excuses of why all the original paper work and accessories weren't there. Whoever returned this lens would have gone to a great deal of troubles to get it returned to BB.

The cut out bar code is too strange. Usually, you send it to the manufacturers for rebates...

You forgot the last part. Instead of just owning up to being duped, BB then peddled the lens off to me claiming it was basically brand new.

Jarvis Creative Studios wrote in post #18377441
You forgot the last part. Instead of just owning up to being duped, BB then peddled the lens off to me claiming it was basically brand new.

Which is unfortunate.....

Hmmm...I thought you told me two weeks ago that the local Best Buy manager gave you a brand new lens without questions for the same used price??

Buckeye1 wrote in post #18377467
Hmmm...I thought you told me two weeks ago that the local Best Buy manager gave you a brand new lens without questions for the same used price??

You're definitely mistaking me for someone else. I rarely to never shop at best buy. Especially for camera gear. And this has now further enhanced that.

Ok...it must be a coincident as someone PMed me about buying a new Sony 70-200 then told me that he bought from from eBay Best Buy to save a few hundred... then had the same exact experience with the shipping issue.