|
|
06-16-2012, 11:15 AM
I wouldn't do ANY business with him, unless he agreed to go through an escrow agency. It gives him the incentive to actually ship your lenses if he wants his funds released. The hospital thing sounds like a story. I will be surprised if these lenses are ever received by the buyer. In other respects, paying large sums of money to far off countries is always a risk.
06-16-2012, 12:28 PM
I hope Sergy is ok and that all of Robert's lenses arrive safe and sound. The truth is that if you want to buy professional equipment outside of the comfortable western envelope, you have to develop different expectations and recognize risks. Sergy is a good guy. Russia is a nice country. Russians are nice people. But it is not Los Angeles. The big surprise to me is that Robert put that much money out there, but I'm sure he feels a lesson hard learned and I really hope it works out for him in the end. In my life, I have purchased an Arri SR in Iraq during the Saddam years and some very good Zeiss zoom lenses in Iran. I got great deals, but it was not like dealing with B&H Photo. There are many many things that can go wrong, from condition to shipping to basic understanding and common terminology. That's why you can get such good deals--except when you don't. Let's all just hope that Robert gets his lenses and Sergy gets his health back. I'd buy from him again, but I think I would work at a little lower price level than Robert did, or work out an escrow deal (probably not easy in Russia).
06-16-2012, 04:23 PM
Finally I have received a text message from Sergey. He says he was in hospital from a bike crash. That my lenses are in customs.
Truthfully, I reall don't know what to believe anymore. We have received many emails from others who have done business with serg and lots of the same problems crop up, including being in hopsital. It's very hard to be objective now as I would not like to say how is it possible for someone to be in hospital just after every lens deal. Well not every deal, but there is a pattern when you put all the information together.
I don't know if I will receive my lenses, I truly hope so.
Rob, Yes I know I paid over the odds for them, but that was a choice made based on the description of them being in" as new " condition and the work I had for them. i Paid what they are worth to me,no more no less. There were other buyers willing to pay the same.
I sent a large sum of money to him because he has been around on the forum for a good length of time and I had seen plenty of deals work out, many of those deals I have now learned where not quite as clean as It seemed. It was never my intention to harm anyone, it was over 6 weeks before I came onto the forum to see if I could shed light on my problem, and it was certainly an eye opening experience.
I really don't think there is any excuse for what has happened here. Sergey has been doing business for long enough to know how things work, to know what is expected of him as a dealer. The disappearing acts, the lack of contact etc goes beyond the wallet into sleepless nights and worry. If the lenses do appear, will it have been worth the hassle ? The answer to that my friends is a resounding NO.
Personally I would like to thank the many people who have emailed and offered support, suggestions and in one case a very generous forum member who offers me his lenses for a job I am in danger of losing, for FREE. He said I had been generous to him in the past with advice and would hate to see me go out of business. That is truly heart warming and uplifting, so something good has come out of this, as I realise there are some really caring people out there. Thank you.
06-16-2012, 06:19 PM
I really hope this works out for you, Robert. We always take a chance on this kind of deal and the cost of lenses is so high that sometimes this is the only way to really equip yourself. Even if they come through as we all hope, I'm sure it took tens years off your life. As for the hospital story, who knows? What is important is that the lenses or the money get back to you and I'd keep my fingers crossed about that, I think there is still a good chance that this could end well. This guy has done a lot of business with a lot of people.
Good luck
06-16-2012, 06:21 PM
Your in your own. I don't think understanding is an excuse, superfluous either. Never. And the use of the word 'mutual', between parentheses, addresses both sides as much as its meaning shows the way.Originally Posted by Sean Keen
(Real) Life is beyond internet. Not suppositions at the distance of a mouse and keyboard, though. Just facts wherever they may be presented. For some reason the human race invented the trials, with no (adequate) room in a public forum. Not only words spread along a thread of a forum whichever are the reasons behind.
06-16-2012, 06:31 PM
You two had better luck than myself. I am still waiting for his response on the three emails I sent to him. It looks like to publicly express our feelings and thoughts compensates ; ) My parents taught me to only reproduce half part what I heard or figure in my mind.
That said and after this thread, I have no idea how this guy will be able to make business here again without the support of his clientele. This can be a character assassination without even giving him the right to defend himself once his account on reduser is now banned. Even Yamashita before to be executed could show gratitude to the West who gave him a fair defense.
In any case, Bob, I think you know I salute you're seeing a light in the end of tunnel now where I tried to join the task force and add my humble hand. As well, the solidarity shown by members of this community.
06-16-2012, 11:57 PM
Gentlemen,
Lets say you spend $37k on a car and it lets you down and continually goes wrong. Do you just shrug and say, Oh but there are dozens on the street so I wont do anything? Get Real; you go to the seller and put your case and with no satisfaction you get a lawyer. Timescale maybe 7 days.
Now spend the same money across the world. You are reassured buy the seller verbally and by EM that all is OK. You send the money then NOTHING for 8 weeks.
Because of behind the scenes discovery and conversation, the seller arrives back with a limp excuse used many times before. Still no product just excuses that make no sense and can be easily shot down as dissemination. He then goes silent again. What conclusion do you come to? Now be honest, you just think I have been ripped off.
Then you find you are not alone but several others are simultaneously having the same problems, What do you think now?
This is NOT about character assasination because he has done that to himself. What it is about is FAIR TRADING.
This forum is policed by yourselves and thats stronger than any other methods available to you.
We are not at the end of the story yet I can assure you and before one jumps to anybodies defence just think this could be me and is there really any defence for behaviour like this/
I think the answer is NO.
Sincerely
Tony Covell
Dealer based London. & 50 years in the biz this year.
Been there done that, in 48 countries including Russia.
06-17-2012, 01:55 AM
Tony, I won't discuss anything else even because he has money of my own and my partners with him. I just insist he's not here to defend himself, with people judging who cannot even respond because he is banned now. That's the point. Aside the fact when there will be someone saying that NEVER received the product beyond the usual with this seller and wide known among his clientele, then we can properly say it. Until then, we can complain about lack of communication and delays, excuses, whatever. Even lies, but I assure you I would sue anyone who would call me liar without proof if I was him.
E :-)
06-17-2012, 07:33 AM
Thankyou for your information.
We will see, what we see, eventually.
Sincerely
Tony Covell.
06-17-2012, 09:55 AM
Tony makes a very good point and he has the experience from which to speak. But I still hope things work out for Robert and for Sergy too. I know that if there is one experience that has been repeated in my life shooting around the world, it is to leave American expectations behind, and to be as careful as I can, given the realities of the place. I wish I could say that this philosophy has always worked out, and that the basic decency of human beings has protected me always. Sometimes it has not.
| « Previous Thread | Next Thread » |
