Buying new camera body from local Craigslist seller?

Hello,
How would you check a "brand spanking new body still in the box" if you buy from a local Craigslist seller? I don't have a battery that would fit the body in question and I hesitate to ask the seller to open the box and charge up the battery before showing.
What would you do?
Thanks.

I wouldn't buy a body that I couldnt power up and put a lens on. So if you cant demo it, walk away or find another means of making it work.

if the price is great but you can't test it, like gonzo suggested just walk away or insist on trying it out. even if it's "new in box" the battery should be charged even just to power up and take 5-10 shots with. Bring a lens with you instead, and a memory card. Try it out, look at the mirror, view finder etc for any dust that can hint as a "used" instead of "new" item.

Personally if it never been charged up and was still in the box,I would be asking why? Is it stolen? or is there anything in the box?
There should be enough power in the battery to at least turn it on,when I have tried cameras in shops there is invariably enough power in the battery to make them work.
Caveat emptor!

I hope you are getting a great deal on it or are getting the receipt with it for warranty purposes. There are such good deals online for new equipment, I would just be sure it was a great deal and that you are not paying new prices for something that may not really be new.

I agree that the battery should allow you to take a few shots. Certainly bring a lens and memory card, that was very good advice.

Yes, the seller indicates that the original sales receipt would be provided (along with all accessories that came in the box). I do plan on bringing my own lens and a memory card. Thanks for confirming that the battery should have enough power for a few test shots.

There should be plenty of power to test the camera with, also just pay attention to the packaging. No one can repack like the factory does. Good luck, oh and just meet in a public place like a Starbucks or something.

7D_Sniper wrote in post #11697854
There should be plenty of power to test the camera with, also just pay attention to the packaging. No one can repack like the factory does. Good luck, oh and just meet in a public place like a Starbucks or something.

Ya this too. Funny everyone was giving tips on testing the camera, but a safety is alway nice too.

OP please come back and let us know how it turned out.

Happy ending. In fact, very happy ending.

It is a 7D. The box was previously opened; however, that was only to separate the kit lens (EF-S 18-135 IS). Everything else was in its original wrapping, etc ... There was zero shutter click. I took 2 test shots with my Tamron 17-50/2.8 and my Canon Speedlite 430 EX. Those were shots #1 and #2 registered by the camera.

The original receipt was included. It was from a Canon Authorized dealer. The kit was purchased 2 weeks ago!

And I paid only $1280.00 for this!

Thank you, everyone, for your responses and advices. Now I have to go play with my new camera

congrats

congratulations

Glad it worked out well for you.

ldn323 wrote in post #11699842
Happy ending. In fact, very happy ending.

It is a 7D. The box was previously opened; however, that was only to separate the kit lens (EF-S 18-135 IS). Everything else was in its original wrapping, etc ... There was zero shutter click. I took 2 test shots with my Tamron 17-50/2.8 and my Canon Speedlite 430 EX. Those were shots #1 and #2 registered by the camera.

The original receipt was included. It was from a Canon Authorized dealer. The kit was purchased 2 weeks ago!

And I paid only $1280.00 for this!

Thank you, everyone, for your responses and advices. Now I have to go play with my new camera

It sounds like it was a brand new camera, but for future reference you can reset the photo file numbering on the 7D with a couple clicks in the menu, so even though they are "shot 1 and 2" they could be shot 4023 and 4024 and you wouldn't know, so it's not an infallible way of checking shutter count.

I've sold a couple of NIB bodies on CL...none of the buyers had any problem taking my word on it actually being new, but if they had brought a lens/card I wouldn't have had a problem with them taking some test shots as long as we had reached an agreement on a price and they had said cash in hand.

ldn323 wrote in post #11699842
Happy ending. In fact, very happy ending.

It is a 7D. The box was previously opened; however, that was only to separate the kit lens (EF-S 18-135 IS). Everything else was in its original wrapping, etc ... There was zero shutter click. I took 2 test shots with my Tamron 17-50/2.8 and my Canon Speedlite 430 EX. Those were shots #1 and #2 registered by the camera.

The original receipt was included. It was from a Canon Authorized dealer. The kit was purchased 2 weeks ago!

And I paid only $1280.00 for this!

Thank you, everyone, for your responses and advices. Now I have to go play with my new camera

Is the warranty still rock solid in this case - you have receipt but you are not original purchaser? I still think I'd be buying from CLP rather than CL.