have an offer to buy a D3s, brand new, with EVERYTHING except the box and manual for $4k. Seller says he bought it for a class that never happened.
0 shots taken-could it be stolen?
Is there a site to check serial numbers?
My gut is believing the person since everything is there-camera, battery, charger, D3s strap, cords,-everything except box and manual
What happened to the manual? Seems a little strange to buy a camera for D3s $$$ and throw away the manual. Hmmmm. Be very careful if he doesn't have proof of purchase.
If he lost the box he may have lost the receipt. Call your local police with the serial number and inquire if it was reported stolen, if not it's probably OK. The police can check both local and national databases with a description and serial number if the theft was reported. There is also at least one registry of stolen equipment you could check, do a google for more.
Since you are the 2nd owner there is no warranty even with 0 actuations with the exception of factory recalls which will be covered. Take off the battery cover, there should be a NIKON USA sticker inside the compartment attached to the body. Nikon can also tell you the service history, if any, providing the camera was registered. You would need to talk directly with the service department though, sales will not be able to help you. Could be a legit great deal but the guy is taking a real beating at $4K.
I would tread carefully, bit sus to me. 0 actuations? If it was bought under 'normal' circumstances, the new owner would've at least tried it out when they got home, taking a few shots.
donaldy-I feel the same way but was thinking if it is stolen, how would it have 0 actuations and how would he have everything else but the box and manual?
True, but he may have stolen just the camera body itself from a store/warehouse, and sourced all the other parts (charger, strap, battery etc) from online stores/retailers to make the sale seem more legit. The only thing he CAN'T source though, is a box and manual....
If proof of purchase is there though, I say green light
Again he may not have proof of purchase. Any private individual would most certainly file a theft report or an insurance claim for a lost/stolen $5K body. If the body and accessories were stolen from any retail store or warehouse they are going to be listed on the national database. The call to the police is your best bet. Lots of people throw out boxes, crazy but true and that is a fact. Make the call and if everything is OK, buy it before someone else does. The fact that it is not listed on a police stolen property database protects you from you paying your money and then having someone recover it from you.
the only problem there is I am in NYC and there are so many different stations. BUT.. I used to work for the NYPD as a photographer so I am going to try to call some people I know
davenfl what you said is true, alot of people do chuck out the box, and it may be legit. But the bit that is weird to me is the 0 actuation part. Who buys a $5k toy and doesn't test it out, at all
he said he bought it for his girlfriend who was going to take a photo class and then they split and she never took the class. he also said he doesnt have a lens and doesnt know what to do. i asked him to just click off a shot with the cap on and he said he doesnt want to fire it up
could be true, could be bull
Call B&H in the morning and ask for Henry Posner. I think he would help. They would most certainly know if they sold that serial number or more importantly if it was stolen from them. As to the NYPD just call any detective in any station who deals with theft. Things like this do happen. Not long ago I bought a D2H from a guy who bought it for his wife as a gift. Never used it, no box, etc, 2 actuations, perfectly legit. My granddaughter is having a ball with it.
NikonDeb wrote:
no proof-claims "i did not get a warranty card. it was purchased by a friend that worked at b&H but they no longer work there. "
That sounds so pathetically fake that I'd probably laugh at him outright. If true, he's not very smart... he may not have the receipt, but B&H can definitely provide a copy of the invoice to the original purchaser! The fact that the friend no longer works there is completely irrelevant... the friend can still get a copy of his invoice and give it to you.
Under no circumstances would I buy the camera without getting that invoice from B&H. If it ever turns out to have been stolen -- say, he took it out of the box and left the box in the B&H warehouse -- then you're the one whose $4,000 vanish into thin air. Stolen property will be confiscated from you, even if you purchased it innocently. And that alone makes it too big a risk, even without considering the nagging "is this thing stolen?" thought you'd carry around with you if you did buy it without the invoice to prove it.
Someone else already said it: as soon as they open tomorrow, call Henry Posner at B&H and get the story straight. Also, get the seller to give you the name of the person who bought it and check that info with Henry. If everything does match perfectly, then get a copy of that invoice, buy a third-party warranty (from B&H, for example), and love your $4,000 camera that you know is legitimate.
But if in doubt, any doubt at all... I'd stay away from it.
