Koni Omega Rapid 200 Dilemma

artbyalina · Mar 10, 2010

Dear Forum Friends,

I am trying to resolve a dilemma. I have purchased a Koni Omega Rapid 200 on Ebay in decent condition, good 90mm lens, 120 back with spacing issues, no grip, no lens cap. Good cosmetics. Ultimately it ended up costing $140 (shipping included).

I am strapped for cash and am trying to decide if it is a good idea to keep it (I can still return it), considering that I would need to spend more money on a grip, cap and additional lenses, servicing the back, etc.

Am I better off buying a Bronica or something? Clearly, this is not a debate of SLR v. rangefinder, square v. 6x7. Purely money/ease of repairs/availability of equipment question.

Please help, I have three more days to return it after which I have to keep it.

mikebarger · Mar 10, 2010

You could have got a lot better KO than that for the money you spent. Send it back and watch for a better deal.

Mike

Dennis S · Mar 10, 2010

You should do research on an item and think things through before biding on an it. The only people making money on this deal are the shipping companies. It will be costing the seller as well.

artbyalina · Mar 10, 2010

dances_w_clouds said:
You should do research on an item and think things through before biding on an it. The only people making money on this deal are the shipping companies. It will be costing the seller as well.

Hi Dances,

I wanted this item, I did not realize the back was no good and would need repairs. If the back were ok, I would not care, but it would cost me from 75 to 99 bucks to fix the back, that I did not count on.

Dennis S · Mar 10, 2010

Definitely send it back if the description of the item did not match when you received it. It makes it bad for all sellers when this happens.

artbyalina · Mar 10, 2010

dances_w_clouds said:
You should do research on an item and think things through before biding on an it. The only people making money on this deal are the shipping companies. It will be costing the seller as well.

Ah, and it won't be costing the seller anything: buyer is supposed to pay return shipping.

Dennis S · Mar 10, 2010

artbyalina said:
Ah, and it won't be costing the seller anything: buyer is supposed to pay return shipping.

Yes i guess so but he has to relist the item and that costs him $. eBay has a lot of hidden costs that have to be paid by the seller.

artbyalina · Mar 10, 2010

dances_w_clouds said:
Yes i guess so but he has to relist the item and that costs him $. eBay has a lot of hidden costs that have to be paid by the seller.

Hi Dances,

Seller's pains aside, I have mine in this, too, by the way. The question, however, is whether or not I should keep the camera given all the details. Thoughts?

Dennis S · Mar 10, 2010

Like I said if it is NOT as described then send it post haste.

artbyalina · Mar 10, 2010

dances_w_clouds said:
Like I said if it is NOT as described then send it post haste.

Thanks!

Dennis S · Mar 11, 2010

One of the things that you should do is contact the seller about your concerns. They can usually do something without the total in shipping costs costing more than the item.

BobD · Mar 11, 2010

May we see the eBay listing?

Rol_Lei Nut · Mar 11, 2010

Especially finding a grip for it could be very difficult...

Lens caps are no problem and I adjusted the frame spacing on the one I once had by myself, but no grip makes it practically unusable off a tripod.

Chazzy · Mar 11, 2010

I don't know why you would have bid on a Koni-Omega without the grip. Koni-Omegas are plentiful on eBay. Return this one, and be patient as you wait for a good one. But the need to CLA the back is very common. It's a good investment in a rugged camera, so be prepared for the CLA.

artbyalina · Mar 11, 2010

BobD said:
May we see the eBay listing?

Dead Link Removed

That was the listing. I was willing to buy the grip separately (I found it at a couple of places - used). But after talking to Greg Webber I realized this baby would need its back fixed. I was hoping to get it, get the grip and lens cap and be done, but no. [I shot a roll of film without the grip and did not even feel the need for it - even in low light conditions].

Or am I being a fool who does not see the forest for the trees? Am I making an unnecessarily big deal out of the repair costs and intermittent equipment availability? Maybe I am so weighed down by my money troubles that they cloud my judgement?

mikebarger · Mar 11, 2010

When buying off ebay I always figure my high bid to include money for a CLA. Did that when I bought my KO 100 and sent it straight to Greg Webber to CLA. Happy as a lark since, great rig.

Mike

fotch · Mar 11, 2010

You should check their feedback before deciding you want to do business with the seller. This seller has had 20 Negatives in the last 12 months which seems very high for the amount of total feedback they have. Lots of claims similar to your.

That said, no matter which used camera you choose, be prepared for the added cost of service. If the total is to high, don't buy.

Good luck with your outcome.

sangetsu · Mar 12, 2010

Contact the seller and describe the problem. If it's going to cost $75 to repair the back, then ask him if he's willing to refund you $75 of the purchase price. If he says "no", tell him you want to return the camera. Most likely he'll refund you the $75, he'll lose more than that if he has to resell it as needing repair.

I sell a lot of cameras on eBay, and from time to time a problem that I was unaware of shows up in one of my cameras. I do what I can to keep the buyer happy, as keeping my feedback at 100% insures that I get good prices for my items.

Sellers do have to "eat" a bit of cost whenever an item is returned, typically about 8% of the purchase price, not to mention the time spent packaging and commuting to and from the post office. Between listing fees, and eBay's percentage, it's becoming more and more expensive to sell things.

Dennis S · Mar 12, 2010

Sellers do have to "eat" a bit of cost whenever an item is returned, typically about 8% of the purchase price, not to mention the time spent packaging and commuting to and from the post office. Between listing fees, and eBay's percentage, it's becoming more and more expensive to sell things.

This is what I stated before. Make sure you contact them about the extra fees that it will take and they can make a deal to save them $ and make you happy. And EVERY camera I have bought here has been sent in for CLA within 6 months of purchase.

John Koehrer · Mar 12, 2010

I wouldn't mess with partial credit or refund, just return it for a full refund.
If he gives you Hard time just tell him that god's watching him.

domaz · Mar 12, 2010

Did you know it had spacing issues before you bought it? If you everything was as-described man up to your own bad choice and don't return it. Do your research next time.

artbyalina · Mar 13, 2010

domaz said:
Did you know it had spacing issues before you bought it? If you everything was as-described man up to your own bad choice and don't return it. Do your research next time.

As stated previously (and seen in the item description), there was no word on the state of the back. If there were something mentioned about spacing issues, I would not have bought it. So it was not "my own bad choice". Thanks for the accusation.

jon falth · Mar 13, 2010

Perhaps, a look at the seller's feedback, and the lack of a camera condition explanation, both cosmetic and mechanical, should have tipped you off early on, to contact the seller and ask about these items before bidding on the item?

Especially so, if the seller fails to list cosmetic and mechanical condition of his auction item, as so it seems looking at the ebay auction.

While he got you to buy the item without your knowing the condition of the item, he is per chance guilty of 'error's of omission', if he knows the item is in need of repair and fails to make this fact known.

Needless to say, he offers a refund and you should avail yourself of it at once.

Perhaps, this is why the refund offer was extended?

Next time, ask all the 'right' questions before bidding...

you never know, you might be in line to buy another 'lemon'.

fotch · Mar 13, 2010

Whenever a seller states that they know nothing about --------, it usually means that there is a good chance they know but won't admit it. Best to ask specific questions, you may get answers you need or you may still get the I don't know.

This is where reading the negatives will sometimes give you a better feel for what is likely to happen. After reading the sellers feedback, I would not of purchased anything from them at any price. No matter how cheap it might be, the chances of getting ripped off or having to deal with a claim exceed the risk I would take.

There are truly sellers who don't know. If they have lots of transactions and little or no negatives, it might be worth the risk. By asking questions before you bid you will get a feel for the type of seller they may be.

Other times, the seller knows a lot about their item, gives intelligent answers to any questions, and have good feed back. You may pay more and you may get a really good item. It generally is worth more.

You usually have to pay for an educations and that includes learning to buy and sell used items.

Hope it works out for you.
Good Luck.

Koni Omega Rapid 200 Dilemma

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency