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Archive 2016 · Should I service a lens before selling?

  
 
eleff
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Should I service a lens before selling?


I have a 300 2.8 IS V1 and just bought a V2. The V1 works great and I had it listed for sale. I had it looked at yesterday at phototech in new york and they said that the lens works perfectly EXCEPT the focus ring is loose because it is missing a collar. That is, the focus is perfect and stays put, but you can move the ring up and down . AF, MF, IS etc all check out.
They want $413 to replace the focus ring and collars and throw in a free cleaning.

Is it worth bringing a used perfectly functioning lens to factory specs before selling, or just give a better price?



Apr 12, 2016 at 09:12 AM
hotdog12
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Should I service a lens before selling?


No. Do a surface clean to make it look white as possible, make sure the external and base screws are snug, verify the optics are clean, and sell as is.

There is no way you could recoup your investment by doing a repair. If the buyer wants to tighten it up, let him/her do it.



Apr 12, 2016 at 09:27 AM
dhphoto
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Should I service a lens before selling?


Describe the lens' condition honestly and sell it as is.


Apr 12, 2016 at 09:28 AM
M. Best
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Should I service a lens before selling?


I'd just price it accordingly and state it up front.


Apr 12, 2016 at 09:30 AM
chez
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Should I service a lens before selling?


I guess depends on how much of a price hit you'll take for having the defect in the lens. I know right when there is just a slight scratch on the lens it drastically lowers the price even though it does not affect the images.

Also it might take you much longer to find a buyer of a lens with a defect. A defect might imply heavy use of the lens which can also affect the sales price.

Edited on Apr 12, 2016 at 09:38 AM · View previous versions



Apr 12, 2016 at 09:37 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Should I service a lens before selling?


Unless it's in otherwise Mint condition, I agree you should sell it without paying for the repair, with a complete description. Also, I expect it would cost less for that repair through Canon, if you're a CPS member.


Apr 12, 2016 at 09:38 AM
Zenon Char
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Should I service a lens before selling?


Nothing better than an honest seller.


Apr 12, 2016 at 09:42 AM
eleff
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Should I service a lens before selling?


I had the lens listed on Fred Miranda for $2,300 4 months ago, but did not know about the defect until I asked phototech to look over the lens for cleaning. The glass etc is flawless even by their exam. I guess I will drop the price by several hundred and split the difference. I already have my V2 and (thankfully) do not need to sell the lens for cash flow reasons.


Apr 12, 2016 at 10:26 AM
mdude85
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Should I service a lens before selling?


First off I would probably take it to another shop before mentioning anything about the so-called "defect". Unless the tech pointed out the location of the missing collar, you're just going on his word.

Without a second opinion, I probably would not mention that there is a missing collar. I would say that the focus ring has a bit of vertical "play" that doesn't affect the operation or quality of the focus mechanism. I would NOT lower the price. You can always negotiate down if you have to.

The cost of the repair seems a bit high if the problem is just a missing collar. Maybe someone can correct me but if the tech knows exactly what's wrong with the lens without even disassembling it or anything then most likely it is a simple repair.

I've replaced collars on focus rings before and in some cases you don't even have to take apart the lens, you just have to remove the rubber focus ring (with a flathead screw driver or a kitchen knife) and a new collar (which you can find online) can be inserted into the focus barrel. I'm not saying that's precisely how the 300 f2.8 works, but I would probably go back to the tech and ask him to show you the location of the missing collar. If you can't get up to NYC then go to another shop and get a 2nd opinion.




Edited on Apr 12, 2016 at 11:04 AM · View previous versions



Apr 12, 2016 at 10:50 AM
chez
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Should I service a lens before selling?


Never try to hide a know problem...that's just asking for problems.


Apr 12, 2016 at 11:04 AM
dgdg
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Should I service a lens before selling?


eleff wrote:
I had the lens listed on Fred Miranda for $2,300 4 months ago, but did not know about the defect until I asked phototech to look over the lens for cleaning. The glass etc is flawless even by their exam. I guess I will drop the price by several hundred and split the difference.


Sometimes things are noticed by the buyer that the seller honestly did not detect.
At that point you can offer to give a partial refund (for repair or not) or return ship to you.
Once your buyer knows you are willing to help them with a satisfactory transaction, any anxiety or tension typcialy melts away.




Apr 12, 2016 at 11:58 AM
tntcorp
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Should I service a lens before selling?


1) get a second opinion of the required repair
2) provide completely disclosure on the lens condition along with a copy of the repair estimate.
3) then let the buyer determine whether or not the risk is worth the price, i.e. buy as is, or have the repair done.
4) if sale occurred, mutually agreed on a set return time frame for refund (worked out on how the return shipping cost will be absorbed).

don't ship out the lens and put the onus on the buyer to spot the problem and return the lens for refund. it a lose-lose situation for both parties.

glws



Apr 12, 2016 at 04:16 PM
RobertLynn
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Should I service a lens before selling?


1: Describe the problem. Include photos and or videos. Technology is there for this, don't make it difficult.
2: Price the item accordingly. Does that mean lower the price by 413? No. Perhaps the person who buys it is a Platinum or Gold CPS member that is offered a discount in exchange for their membership in the program. To them, the value may only be affected $100 or $200.
3: Some members have offered a return period. I personally would only accept a return on the item if it was for something not as described. I am not for leaving people up the creek without a paddle, but I am of the mind that if I shipped you a perfectly good item, disclosed all their is to it, there's no 2 week trial period. You don't get to potentially damage it before you decide if you want it or not. If it arrived DOA, then I'd ask for it back, refund their money, and file an insurance claim. If they had it, worked fine, focus was good- but they just "had second thoughts." No, that's not your problem, it's theirs. They knew they were buying a potentially compromised item.

Disclose, disclose, disclose.

One other item of discussion- $2400 is a great price for the lens. I paid 3000 from mine (maybe 2900) from Japan.



Apr 12, 2016 at 08:17 PM
Shutterbug2006
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Should I service a lens before selling?


If you're selling an item on FM, honesty won't hurt your reputation. Adjust your price as you see fit, and accept or decline offers per your own protocol.
The very fact you made this thread shows you want to do the right thing.

I think I could buy with confidence from you.



Apr 12, 2016 at 10:43 PM
scalesusa
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Should I service a lens before selling?


There are certainly some posters who have marked themselves as ones to avoid buying from. If a lens has a 400 dollar problem, it needs to be mentioned. Letting a buyer find it out is not a good idea.

That's why I allow for a trip to service and for minor repairs like this when I negotiate price for a used lens. Missing collars may not be easy to detect, but they affect AF speed and can cause intermittent missed AF.



Apr 12, 2016 at 11:03 PM
mdude85
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Should I service a lens before selling?


scalesusa wrote:
There are certainly some posters who have marked themselves as ones to avoid buying from. If a lens has a 400 dollar problem, it needs to be mentioned. Letting a buyer find it out is not a good idea.



Well that's putting a lot of stock into the word of one tech who stands to benefit substantially from pointing out the alleged defect and then charging a significant premium to repair it. The tech knows more about the lens than the owner, and he knows that he knows, and he is using that knowledge gap to his advantage.

As someone else mentioned, maybe the lens does not have a $400 problem. Maybe it was a $100-200 problem, or maybe it has a problem that can be fixed with a $5 part.

That's why I suggested getting a second opinion before listing the lens. No one here has advocated for hiding a known defect from the buyer.

I dropped a lens once and it got a bunch of sand in the focus ring and so I stopped using it immediately (for fear that the sand would ruin the AF) and sent it into Canon for repair. They sent it back without even a quote for service, saying that lens was irreparably damaged. Having nothing to lose I turned on the lens and wouldn't you know, the AF worked fine, all the lens needed was a cleaning. So yeah you always have to take what a tech says with a grain of salt (or sand in my case, ha ha) and get all the info you can so that you are an informed consumer.



Apr 13, 2016 at 08:22 AM
eleff
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Should I service a lens before selling?


Thank you everyone. I actually just sold the lens here on FM and took 75% of the repair estimate off of the price with full disclosure. Brian got a great lens at a great price. I remain a ridiculously honest and happy man and sold the lens quickly and now have my 300 V2.



May 04, 2016 at 10:11 AM
Zenon Char
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Should I service a lens before selling?


I wouldn't unless it needed it for specific reason. I would never sell something I suspected was not working correctly. Then I would have it looked at. As stated be just be honest.


May 04, 2016 at 12:56 PM





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