Selling things online can still be a wild frontier of sorts and today’s story probably isn’t going to bring much comfort to many of us.
A photographer on PetaPixel recalled his experience selling his self-described “mint condition” Sony a7R 4 on Amazon – only to be scammed out of his camera in the process according to his account. He bought the camera for short term use after he noticed it would be cheaper to do this and then sell it on Amazon rather than rent it. Oh, he would rue that decision per his own account.
He posted it up for sale and it was quickly snatched by a buyer in Florida who then claimed the package was missing accessories and items. The seller documented everything as well as he could and even took photographic evidence of the package he was sending the buyer. Keep in mind he says this was a brand new camera pretty much so nothing really should be missing or, as he says, he even saved the plastic wrap.
The seller won the initial refund claim by the buyer but the second claim saw the full $USD 2,900 sent back to the buyer. Apparently the buyer claimed he sent the package back but left out the seller’s name, among other things, and it was thus returned to the sender (or, in this case, the buyer). As of press, the seller is still trying to get their camera back but is facing an uphill battle it seems.
He then lists some tips for selling things online but, after this, my personal advice would be to not sell cameras online if the buyer is allowed to keep the merchandise for any arbitrary reason, as is the case here.
What do you think of this story? Do you sell gear on Amazon, eBay, or other online platforms? What have your experiences been like? Let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments section below.
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