600/4 IS with Gitzo Tripod and Cobra Head for sale

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

12/16/2005 03:37:28 PM · #1

I found this add on eBay today. Canon 600mm f/4L IS USM Telephoto Lens

The starting bid is $.99. The guy has a 0 rating but put the following message up in his add:

"HELLO EBAY MEMBERS ! I HAVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL YOUR BID, IF YOU DON'T EMAIL ME FIRST ! IN THIS WAY I WILL AVOID ALL THE NONPAYING BIDDERS THAT I OCCURE EVERYDAY !"

How do you OCCURE something everyday is you have never sold on ebay before?

There are 2 other lenses like this for sale starting at around $500 - 800. They both all ask you not to contact them through ebay, but to email them direct.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

12/16/2005 03:45:29 PM · #2

On really high-dollar items it's not uncommon for the seller to "qualify" bidders through e-mail, however any time I see someone trying to route things outside the ebay system, it raises a huge red flag with me. In this case, the zero feedback, the request for communication outside ebay, and the incongruency of information in the ad all lead me to believe this is a scammer.

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/16/2005 03:46:48 PM · #3

LOL for some reason the 600mm f/4L IS seems to be a favourite for scammers...I've reported a few of these listings to eBay and had quite a few of them removed.

Message edited by author 2005-12-16 15:47:36.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

12/16/2005 03:46:57 PM · #4

Bet he asks for payment via Western Union.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/16/2005 03:54:08 PM · #5

Doesn't look like a scam to me. It's normal for sellers of high-end items to ask potential buyers to email them in order to qualify them. The lens is located in Canada, the seller accepts paypal (which will protect your purchase).

He has a buy-it-now price of $3,200 btw :-)

Robt.

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

12/16/2005 03:57:27 PM · #6

Originally posted by bear_music:

...and I have a bridge I'd like to sell you... ;)

12/16/2005 03:59:41 PM · #7

Originally posted by doctornick:

Yah, you're probably right... I just looked up the retail price of the lens. I thought it was like 4K. Something's not right here. BUT the "prequalifying buyers" part is a legitimate way of doing business on e-bay, we use it all the time.

R.

12/16/2005 04:03:02 PM · #8

Originally posted by bear_music:

No, there is no Buy It Now, in case you didn't notice. He just said there is. And how much will you bet that when push comes to shove there is no Paypal option. The guy registers with eBay yesterday and is selling $8000 worth of photo gear for $3200 and a $2200 bike for $2900.

12/16/2005 04:09:27 PM · #9

Originally posted by nsbca7:

Originally posted by bear_music:
Doesn't look like a scam to me. It's normal for sellers of high-end items to ask potential buyers to email them in order to qualify them. The lens is located in Canada, the seller accepts paypal (which will protect your purchase).

He has a buy-it-now price of $3,200 btw :-)

Robt.

No, there is no Buy It Now, in case you didn't notice. He just said there is. And how much will you bet that when push comes to shove there is no Paypal option. The guy registers with eBay yesterday and is selling $8000 worth of photo gear for $3200 and a $2200 bike for $2900.

Yes, you're right. I was just reacting to the fact that people were saying the "prequalification" is a giveaway that it's not kosher, and a quick glance at the auction didn't show the more obvious evidence of nefarious intent. For comparison, there's another 600mm for sale on e-bay where it's obvious at a glance that it is a scam.

"I cannot get in touch with you if you use the " ask seller a question" option, so please e-mail me directly.My eBay contact is currently unavailable because i have recived to many SPAMS."

Robt.

12/16/2005 04:36:40 PM · #10

Originally posted by bear_music:

... there's another 600mm for sale on e-bay where it's obvious at a glance that it is a scam.

"I cannot get in touch with you if you use the " ask seller a question" option, so please e-mail me directly.My eBay contact is currently unavailable because i have recived to many SPAMS."

Robt.

Yes, that is sooo bogus. I don't want spams so here is my email address. Right.

The fact that the first guy knew what tripod and head match up with this lens stumps you for a minute, but he could have just copied and pasted that from somewhere else.

12/16/2005 04:40:00 PM · #11

Originally posted by nsbca7:

Originally posted by bear_music:
... there's another 600mm for sale on e-bay where it's obvious at a glance that it is a scam.

"I cannot get in touch with you if you use the " ask seller a question" option, so please e-mail me directly.My eBay contact is currently unavailable because i have recived to many SPAMS."

Robt.

Yes, that is sooo bogus. I don't want spams so here is my email address. Right.

The fact that the first guy knew what tripod and head match up with this lens stumps you for a minute, but he could have just copied and pasted that from somewhere else.

Yeah... At first glance it all seems very "sincere"...

R.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/16/2005 05:40:41 PM · #12

I just PM'd him this message:

I will be in Calgary tommorow morning. Is there any way we can arrange a meeting so I can see the lens. And what would be an acceptable form of payment? Certainly I can not carry that kind of money on me through an airport. Will a personal check or Paypal work?

Brent_Ward

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L USM

12/16/2005 05:50:39 PM · #13

He might just be weird since he's Canadian. ;o)

DrAchoo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

12/16/2005 06:06:53 PM · #14

They could be stolen, which would explain why he would know the tripod went with the lens...

Falc

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

12/16/2005 06:36:19 PM · #15

Ask him if you can pay using a nigerian cheque for $2,000,000, all he needs to do is send you the lens and the balance after cashing the cheque for you.

Canon PowerShot Pro 90 IS

12/16/2005 07:32:45 PM · #16

Originally posted by nsbca7:

Should I hold my breath to see if he emails me back?

coolhar

12/16/2005 07:42:48 PM · #17

"I cannot get in touch with you if you use the " ask seller a question" option, so please e-mail me directly.My eBay contact is currently unavailable because i have recived to many SPAMS."

So set up a new e-mail addy at some place like hotmail or gmail and change the e-mail address you have on file at ebay. Takes a minute or two.

I really don't think ebay does as much as they should be doing to protect buyers from scammers. If anybody was paying attention this listing would have been tossed immediately.

doctornick

Apple iPhone 13 Pro

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/16/2005 07:46:31 PM · #18

Originally posted by coolhar:

...I really don't think ebay does as much as they should be doing to protect buyers from scammers. If anybody was paying attention this listing would have been tossed immediately.

You're right!!! Listings like that pop up almost every week...