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A Rant/Warning About KEH

  
 
smphotographer
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p.1 #1 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


So I know KEH is supposed to be a reputable used gear reseller, and I've bought from and sold to them in the past without issue, but man I've had such an absurd ordeal over the last ~3 weeks that I absolutely cannot recommend them and I feel like I need to rant/warn people about dealing with them, especially when selling gear.

Backstory: I liquidated a bunch of gear to them about 3 weeks ago, and their total qoute amount was mostly fair market value for each piece of equipment comparable to what I paid originally, and factoring in the time saved in trying to sell privately whether here, or on eBay or Facebook Marketplace and dealing with scammers on the latter. So I wrapped my gear in bubble wrap and boxed it up all nice and neat, took pictures of everything to cover my own ass in the unlikely event something went sideways and KEH tried to tell me I packed my gear improperly and it therefore wasn't covered under their "self-insurance" when using their provided shipping label, and I drop it off on November 8th. They receive it on the 12th and I get an automated email that they got my gear and it would be about 2 business days before they inspect it, check it all in, and send me a final quote. Great, no problem, that's normal.

A full 5 days go by and I hear nothing from them, so I send them an email and just over 24 hours later I get an email from someone named Cheyenne who tells me "there was an issue with your delivery and we're investigating with FedEx". That's it, no details about the "issue" that was supposedly discovered what was now 6 days earlier and nobody bothered to tell me, so I reply asking if my gear had somehow been damaged in shipping - highly unlikely because I know how well I packed it - and she replies telling me that KEH "received an empty box" 6 days prior and nobody thought I needed to know that my gear had been, allegedly, stolen in transit sometime between the Saturday that I dropped it off and the Wednesday they received it.

Naturally I'm furious and I get hot on the phone with these people trying to find out why the hell nobody told me and what happens next, because I certainly am not eating the cost of thousands of dollars worth of gear and my own insurance policy doesn't cover theft in the custody of a courier. A full week goes by and this same Cheyenne tells me FedEx declared the gearr lost in transit and they're going to compensate me to the tune of the original quote amount "within 2 business days". Fine, great, pay me. NOPE!

Two business days go by, no payment, no communication. Finally, I get sick of being jerked around and this morning I email KEH threatening legal action for the full retail replacement value, the amount covered by my insurance for a theft occuring from my possession, and wouldn't you know that I get an email from PayPal within the hour telling me they've paid me the full quote amount. Except they haven't, because they sent the payment Goods and Services and I was hit with a fee of close to $210 after I was specifically told there was no fee for a PayPal payment. So I get Cheyenne on the phone and she tells me she'll get it taken care of, and then I get a second payment for the amount of the fee. Great, I thought, I can be done with this entire disaster. WRONG AGAIN, I got hit with ANOTHER fee because they sent me a G&S payment a second time without adding the extra 3% to account for the fee. Now I'm absolutely furious, and I don't really care that the fee was $6, I feel like I'm getting nickled and dimed by a company that has done nothing but give me excuses for a full three weeks at this point, so I send yet another email this time telling them I'm going to hit the "issue refund" button on both transactions, contact my attorney, the Georgia AG's office, Consumer Affairs, and Division of Licensing.

Then I get a third payment for the remaining fee amount, with the 3% added in, and I'm finally made whole. After three full weeks, three separate payments, and two angry emails threatening to sue KEH into oblivion and have their business license revoked. The entire process, start to finish, being a complete joke of a disaster and absolutely poorly handled by them.

TL;DR: I shipped KEH a bunch of gear that was stolen in transit, nobody told me for a week and only after I inquired about my quote, and I had to threaten to sue them multiple times before they cashed me out even though FedEx paid them a week ago. KEH is great when nothing goes wrong, but absolutely pitiful when something does, and I absolutely cannot stress enough that you should use caution when selling to them because they will not tell you when there's a problem, make excuses, and sit on their hands while you wait for compensation. Sell to MPB instead.

Edited on Dec 11, 2025 at 08:09 PM · View previous versions



Dec 01, 2025 at 03:05 PM
smphotographer
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p.1 #2 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


Bumping this so more people see it


Dec 03, 2025 at 04:20 PM
Danpbphoto
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p.1 #3 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


Better Business Bureau? The States Attorney General for Consumer Affairs? Google Reviews? Any photo eqpt. "review" site?
There is "risk" with EVERY transaction. I don't say that as a nasty remark. It is "thee" price of doing business anywhere on the internet.
Good luck!
Dan



Dec 07, 2025 at 10:28 AM
smphotographer
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p.1 #4 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


Yeah, I'm aware that there's risk involved with very transaction. There shouldn't be any risk when you're selling to a reseller that "self-insures" and "guarantees" that your gear is protected from loss, damage, or theft in transit. They ultimately did pay me, my rant is more about the fact that they supposed received an empty box on delivery and didn't think I needed to know that.

I also find it highly suspect that they emailed me telling me that my gear was received, but then nearly a full week later told me a story about an empty box. I don't believe for one second that the box was empty on arrival, I think someone in receiving saw a bunch of near-mint Sony gear and decided they wanted it for themselves. I think it was stolen after it arrived and KEH spent a week trying to figure out how they were going to cover their own ass before they notified me. I think if FedEx hadn't paid their claim, I'd never have seen my money or my gear.

That's the point of my rant.

Danpbphoto wrote:
Better Business Bureau? The States Attorney General for Consumer Affairs? Google Reviews? Any photo eqpt. "review" site?
There is "risk" with EVERY transaction. I don't say that as a nasty remark. It is "thee" price of doing business anywhere on the internet.
Good luck!
Dan





Dec 11, 2025 at 08:16 PM
Danpbphoto
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p.1 #5 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


smphotographer wrote:
Yeah, I'm aware that there's risk involved with very transaction. There shouldn't be any risk when you're selling to a reseller that "self-insures" and "guarantees" that your gear is protected from loss, damage, or theft in transit. They ultimately did pay me, my rant is more about the fact that they supposed received an empty box on delivery and didn't think I needed to know that.

I also find it highly suspect that they emailed me telling me that my gear was received, but then nearly a full week later told me a story about an empty box. I don't believe
...Show more
Oh I understand that! In today's "sales environment" there is that "gray area" that is never disclosed UNTIL you have an issue.
Thanks!
Dan




Dec 12, 2025 at 01:32 PM
jwpstl
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p.1 #6 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


They get near mint gear all day everyday; there’s nothing special about yours that would make someone at KEH steal it.


Dec 12, 2025 at 02:36 PM
EB-1
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p.1 #7 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


The whole thing is weird, and why is there Paypals involved?
The last time I sold anything I shipped and insured it myself.
I'm not seeing that the KEH did anything illegal, but I'm no attorney.

EBH



Dec 12, 2025 at 08:15 PM
popbysayhi
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p.1 #8 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


What probably happened is a FedEx employee swiped the contents. They know KEH's address and the kind of things in packages destined for it. Lots of stories about people sending stuff to StockX, and other sneaker flippers, only for it to get swiped by FedEx.


Dec 17, 2025 at 11:08 PM
smphotographer
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p.1 #9 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


I'm not very active here, but when you sell to KEH, they will provide you a shipping label that is supposed to be insured for the full value they've quoted you for your gear. I have never shipped to a reseller without a prepaid and insured shipping label provided by said reseller, whether that's KEH, MPB, or similar, and I would not insure my gear at my own risk so that someone else can flip it for a profit.

I'm taking the risk that they'll undervalue my gear upon inspection and I decide I want it returned to me, which leaves me without gear if something happens like what did happen. As far as Paypal, KEH pays out via Paypal or you wait 3 weeks for a check that then has to be deposited and clear your bank. I chose Paypal to get my money immediately and have it in my bank in 3 days.

EB-1 wrote:
The whole thing is weird, and why is there Paypals involved?
The last time I sold anything I shipped and insured it myself.
I'm not seeing that the KEH did anything illegal, but I'm no attorney.

EBH





Jan 17, 2026 at 03:01 PM
 


Search in Used Dept. 

smphotographer
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p.1 #10 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


Even if that is what happened, it's wildly inappropriate to fail to inform me for a full week, especially after telling me you received my gear and leaving me in limbo wondering why I haven't received a final quote or payment.

popbysayhi wrote:
What probably happened is a FedEx employee swiped the contents. They know KEH's address and the kind of things in packages destined for it. Lots of stories about people sending stuff to StockX, and other sneaker flippers, only for it to get swiped by FedEx.





Jan 17, 2026 at 03:02 PM
PixiPhotography
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p.1 #11 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


Never used KEH, and never had an interest to do so. These are the reasons. It’s like that photo of 3 Spider-Man guys pointing to each other on who’s liable (KEH, Fedex or PayPal)


Jan 18, 2026 at 10:07 AM
smphotographer
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p.1 #12 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


I agree with you in principle, but there are times where I just want to get rid of gear without having to deal with eBay fees or scams on Facebook. If I look at the amount they're quoting me and it's at least as much as I would get after paying eBay fees, it just makes sense to me to take the money and avoid the hassle.

I have a lens listed here and on eBay right now - and I just sold a body on eBay the other day - but if it doesn't sell, it'll go to MPB because the difference in their quote and what I'd get after seller fees is only about $200, and tbh my time is worth more than $200. I just sold an A7R IV on eBay and got more after fees than MPB quoted me, but resellers are an option for me when I'm in a hurry to get rid of something.

PixiPhotography wrote:
Never used KEH, and never had an interest to do so. These are the reasons. It’s like that photo of 3 Spider-Man guys pointing to each other on who’s liable (KEH, Fedex or PayPal)





Jan 19, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Danpbphoto
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p.1 #13 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


^^^^^^As stated above, your time in trying to sell is worth money to you.."overhead" if you will.^^^^
You have to decide if it is all worth your time and any issues@frustration the sale is causing you.

I prefer to be done with the sale and move on.

Your frustration is real and understandable. Been there done that. Security in your sale or purchase may require a bit less "realized income" than you wish but for me, comfort is a huge part of any sale.
Good Luck!
Dan


Edited on Jan 19, 2026 at 03:22 PM · View previous versions



Jan 19, 2026 at 11:53 AM
bwcolor
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p.1 #14 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


I’ve sold and purchased from KEH on many occasions. I only had one major issue and they took care of it.
Your pro-active approach worked, but understandably it seems to have been quite the ordeal.

The thief was the real culprit and KEH was at fault for really bad communication standards and surprisingly they were less than experts at navigating PayPal.. Thanks for letting us know.



Jan 19, 2026 at 01:18 PM
tominabox1
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p.1 #15 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


KEH used to be great for getting a deal with low risk but these days there's just much better options out there.


Feb 10, 2026 at 10:53 AM
EB-1
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p.1 #16 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


What are those stores?

EBH



Feb 10, 2026 at 06:13 PM
viablex1
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p.1 #17 · A Rant/Warning About KEH


KEH sells crap gear almost every single lens , viewfinder and camera I have bought had to go back. I just quit using them. Usually you are buying someone elses problems. Sorry to hear about this what a pain in the ass.


Apr 02, 2026 at 02:43 PM







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