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Natural Science Forum / Physics / Optics / August 2006How do I not get ripped off?
I found this PLAPON 60XO on EBAY at this website, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&item=280022221620&rd=1&sspa gename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1 . I want to buy it since I am starting out in the field, but I don't want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this is a good buy or not? The seller has good feedback which is good. This seller handles general merchandise. The seller does not specialize in microscope or optical parts. This is the basic risk. This seller can try to describe the condition of the objective but without experience with microscope parts and the scopes to mount the part to test it, the seller would not recognize defects. You must be sure to obtain the right to return the object9ive if the optics are not in the condition you expect.. The external cosmetic condition couold be perfect and the optics can be junk. Unless the seller is willing to give you the optorunity to test the objective and return it, you run a big risk of getting a non functioning part. Aaron >I found this PLAPON 60XO on EBAY at this website, >http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&item=280022221620&rd=1&sspa gename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1 > >. I want to buy it since I am starting out in the field, but I don't >want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this >is a good buy or not? > The seller has good feedback which is good. This seller handles > general merchandise. The seller does not specialize in microscope or [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Aaron Aaron makes good points. Let me point out that this is a relatively new objective used for TIRF (total internal fluorescence, evanescent wave), a quite unusual piece. Originally this was quite expensive, as in very expensive. First of all you have to have an infinity corrected microscope like the BX-40 Olympus or better (41, 50, 51, etc) and fluorescence. Secondly you should need TIRF capability. Last, you need a bunch of money if this is real and undamaged. If your enjoying microscopy as a hobby, this isn't for you even if it's real. I've gotta be blunt, I doubt that the objective you get will resemble the objective in the ad. Kevin Cunningham SMS >>I found this PLAPON 60XO on EBAY at this website, >>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&item=280022221620&rd=1&sspa gename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1 >> >>. I want to buy it since I am starting out in the field, but I don't >>want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this >>is a good buy or not? Kevin: I bought a Leitz APO 40x lens from a "good" dealer (great rating, sells a lot of microscopy parts and books). The lens sucks. Did I complain to the sucker? Yes. He kept my rating hostage. If I were interested to get a negative rating, I would go ahead and put one for him into the box. I contacted eBay. eBay sucks, too. It does not protect the buyer but caters to the seller, especially those with the red star. The seller sells microscopy books in the US. He is very much known in our community. Do I post his name? No. I don't want to sued for a $250 lens. Cheating is key in the US, it seems. The trick is not to be cheated. I took the loss and moved on (although, I can still bitch about it!). There are really good deals on eBay but they are not in APOs or DIC accessories. I collected some really good experiences with University professors cleaning out their lab stock. Just my two cents regarding this kind of shopping and "honesty". BTW, are you interested in a flawed Leitz APO 40x lens for $100? - Maybe I should list it on eBay as mint. The front lens is very clean and the lens looks great from the outside. Even the correction collar works. But one of the triplets aged significantly and causes a very hazy picture. It's now a letter weight. Gregor >> The seller has good feedback which is good. This seller handles >> general merchandise. The seller does not specialize in microscope or [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] >>>want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this >>>is a good buy or not? > Kevin: > [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Gregor Gregor, Since I do repair work profesionally and I'm a pack rat I've got soooo many letter weights. One day I'll put all of my stuff on E-Bay under the title "Crap for Sale". Kevin Cunningham SMS >>> The seller has good feedback which is good. This seller handles >>> general merchandise. The seller does not specialize in microscope or [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] >>>>want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this >>>>is a good buy or not? > Kevin: > [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > >>>want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this > >>>is a good buy or not? GTO: On Ebay, you only pay by credit card via PayPal. Get a bad item, and you call your credit card company, clearly explain to them it wasn't as represented when you examined it on receipt and you file a SNAD (significantly not as described) complaint with PayPal and Ebay as your second and third moves. Return the item via some delivery-confirmed and insured shipping method. When you get your money back, you probably won't care about feedback. If the seller balks and PayPal goes with you (in all likelihood given a calm, factually-reasoned complaint), PayPal will take the money from the seller's listed account. Do things always work this way? It's not that kind of world. I'm not a gambling man but I would take the probabilities in this situation. Regards, Edward Hennessey A timely discussion.... I am now looking into outfitting my bench with DIC...either by equipping an existing Zeiss frame with DIC or buying into a new frame/manufacturer. So is Ebay the place to buy the equipment? If not, what dealers would anyone recommend? Apparently not the one that cheated GTO. TMT > Kevin: > [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > >>>want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this > >>>is a good buy or not? >A timely discussion.... > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > TMT I have my doubts about e-bay. I recently recomended a dealer to a customer, e-bay just wouldn't work. Mostly I would recommend a local dealer to you all. If you have a problem then go over to the dealers place of business and talk to the dealer directly. Usually this approach works out better, usually. However sometime e-bay just plain works but I have heard to many screwed stories. E-bay tends to work for relatively rare, inexpensive stuff. Thanks, Kevin Cunningham SMS >> Kevin: >> [quoted text clipped - 71 lines] >> >>>want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this >> >>>is a good buy or not? The dealer who gave me this APO lens usually sells older parts for Leitz (Ortholux series) and books about microscopy. If your Zeiss DIC components are not too old, there is a good chance you will not have to deal with him. Anyway, be careful with used DIC prisms. I don't know what high powered lamps for fluorescence microscopy are doing over the years to these prisms. Why fluorescence microscopy? - Quite often the use of DIC is combined with fluorescence, just like phase. - I have heard numerous reports that this intense light source accelerate the aging process of expensive lenses (e.g. APOs) significantly. Gregor >A timely discussion.... > [quoted text clipped - 84 lines] >> >>>want to get ripped off. Is anyone willing to offer advice on if this >> >>>is a good buy or not? |
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