re selling kit

Having just sold a piece of camera kit and the person received it, would you consider 6 days long enough for the purchaser to accept or reject and try out that bit of kit before cashing the cheque? if not what would be a reasonable time period.

Bazza

I would make sure I got cleared payment before shipping - not afterwards.

Hi Bazza, yes, that is more than acceptable if they have had it 6 days. To be honest I think that arrangement to send on approval is very generous but open to abuse. They can assess the condition and the working order within a few minutes of receipt. If they haven't acknowledged receipt and acceptance by now, that, in my opinion is bad form. I'd submit the cheque to the bank and send the buyer an email. It may not clear this week as it is.

Bazza you really should have cashed the cheque before sending. If you have sold to a dishonest purchaser, they can easily cancel the cheque on reciept of the item. May i suggest you take payment asap and if the buyer is not stasfied upon reciept, you have the option there to refund..(- shipping costs of course)

...I know the arrangement on one or two website forums is to lend equipment and send things occasionally 'on approval' amongst long-standing and mutually trusted members. I know what my response would be if I didn't get paid...I'd be in the car wherever it was...

I have received the cheque and going to bank it tomorrow, the purchaser is saying he hasn't had time to use it but will soon and let me know. I feel that he has had plenty of time to try it out ( its the 2x Nikon teleconverter), after all its not rocket science or a huge operation to connect it to a camera and lens to test.
I have no doubt that it is acceptable bit of kit and as described, its just that I don't want him feeling cheated and demand money back if and when he decides to use it which may be tomorrow-next week or next month or 6 months time. Maybe I am too trusting and honest but I do worry incase he finds it unacceptable for any reason (its just my nature). I have said I am willing to return the money should he find any fault so I can't see how I can be fairer than that.

I have spoken to a couple of photographic friends of mine who think that a week is long enough to say yes or no.

Blackcloud he has acknowledged receipt and signed for on the 24 Dec 2008 at 7am after I posted it the day before special delivery


Its the same with the Voitlander camera and flashgun I put on sale here, I have tried to be as accurate as I can, again the price is negiotable and I would do the same for members here

Bazza

a tough call Bazza. if its someone you have previously sold to, thus can take on trust, or someone you know is an acknowledged good buyer by way of recommendation, you could harm your standing relationship by being too dogmatic.

That said I admire your faith in the human race and your obvious predisposition towards seeing the good in people.

However, I would consider 6 days ample time to test a bit of kit if that was the mutual agreement and made in good faith.

If I were in your situation I'd simply cash the cheque upon receipt and be prepared to repay it minus your costs, should the kit transpires to be faulty - which I'm sure isn't in this instance.

I would agree with other respondents in saying that when I sell, I will always insist on a secured payment before dispatching the kit; you can always repay it given a legitimate reason.

Unlike with new goods whereby refunds & returns are subject to various aspects of consumer legislation, with 2nd hand kit, the legal maxim 'caveat empor' (buyer beware) removes that right to refund or return. All 2nd hand goods are sold on a caveat empor basis; therefore in law once you have shipped any 2nd hand item, the buyer has no legal right to refund or return - subject of course to an accurate description of the model and condition upon sale.

I hope your situation resolves itself with a mutually positive outcome.

I always wait for cheques to clear before sending out goods/photos... anything!! Good job i do as have had some bounce before!

We too send out the goods on the arrival of the cheque and then bank said cheque as soon as convenient. We have been lucky and never had a bad cheque, we have had a couple of Disks damaged in transit which we replace immediately but that is the only problem we have ever had.

Surprising how trustworthy the general public is and because we are not selling high value equipment but our work it is not such a financial risk, we have been lucky but it is the way we like to work.

Would say to Bazza, bank the cheque, you can replace it's value should you decide in the future it is the fair thing to do.

Thanks all for your comments, The buyer has bought from other members on the site before without any problems.

Bazza