Buying a d3300 on Ebay?

[ameliakgale]

Forgive me if this is a ridiculous question, the d3300 will be my first DSLR. However I've looked on Ebay and noticed that the bundles that come with the camera are often marked down or are under $700 which is a better deal than buying the camera bundle from the actual website, or from a place such as Best Buy. Is buying on Ebay a wise choice? And if anyone has bought on Ebay before has your experience been positive?

 

[robbins.photo]

Forgive me if this is a ridiculous question, the d3300 will be my first DSLR. However I've looked on Ebay and noticed that the bundles that come with the camera are often marked down or are under $700 which is a better deal than buying the camera bundle from the actual website, or from a place such as Best Buy. Is buying on Ebay a wise choice? And if anyone has bought on Ebay before has your experience been positive?

My recommendations for buying from Ebay, avoid the bundle deals. Most of the bundles you see are filled with a lot of garbage that you will very quickly learn you don't need.

The other thing to keep in mind with a lot of the "bundles" you see on Ebay is that if they are significantly cheaper than what you find elsewhere that's a pretty good indicator that the camera they are selling you will not have a US serial number, it's probably grey market. They've avoided paying the proper import tariffs and fees on it by purchasing a model that was meant to be sold in another country and are reselling it here in the US.

My advice, no matter what anyone else might say in response, avoid this like the plague. The warranty will not be worth the paper it's printed on and it's more than possible that any authorized Nikon service centers will refuse to repair the camera even if you wanted them to do so out of warranty. It's a bad option, IMHO - if your buying new then get the advantages of buying new and get a US serial number with a proper warranty.

So, best advice is to purchase from a reputable dealer and avoid all the bundle deals with all of the extra crap like lens wipes and cheap made in china tripods and "wide angle" or "telephoto" lens enhancers that screw onto the end of your existing lens. Look instead for listings that include the camera body and lens only.

 

[fmw]

I think it is fine to buy your camera on Ebay. Just don't buy the bundles. Buy a camera with lens and a couple of memory cards and perhaps a spare battery to get started. You may want other equipment in the future but, by then, you may know what you need.

 

[Designer]

I have not bought on e-bay, but I know the bundles very well. Most of the accessories are cheap fluff that most photographers find to be of generally poor quality and of little use in the long run. The bundles are designed to entice the average beginner, but you can do better.

If you're not afraid to buy a refurbished kit, and save a "bundle" -ha-ha! Check this out:

Nikon D3300

With the money you save, you can buy a real tripod and be way ahead.

 

[SCraig]

B&H Photo Video is well under $700 for the body and lens as well ($546.95 with 18-55 lens) and they are very reliable.

 

[vintagesnaps]

Listen to the big ape. I think you have to be more careful on ebay because seller descriptions may or may not be accurate, and being new to photography you may not know what exactly you're getting.

If you buy from a reputable seller there may be an option to return/exchange or later on trade in/sell if you find the camera you got isn't meeting your needs. I've bought from KEH and Adorama.

 

[goodguy]

Don't buy these bundles, in most cases they sell you cheap crap you don't need and even if you do its made to last minutes and then break.
Buy basic camera with kit lens and then when in time add more accessories as you need.

 

[sw_]

Buy a refurbed model and add on a multiyear warranty for 10-15 dollars.

 

[Big Red Dobie]

I would spend some time on bandh.com and look around to see what they have to offer. I have bought several things from them and talked to them on the phone for more help, never had a problem with anything I have bought that was not my own fault.

 

[ameliakgale]

Thank you all so much for your positive response! I decided I'm definitely not going to buy a bundle off of ebay.

 

[HughGuessWho]

I have purchased 3 camera bodies and 1 kit (not bundle, body and lens only) and had zero issues.
As a person who sells and purchases several thousand dollars worth of items yearly I can tell you this;
1) The key is to ask the seller for specifics that are not crystal clear in their description
2) ebay is great about getting you a full refund if the item purchased is not as described and they will provide the refund if the seller will not cooperate

 

[otherprof]

Forgive me if this is a ridiculous question, the d3300 will be my first DSLR. However I've looked on Ebay and noticed that the bundles that come with the camera are often marked down or are under $700 which is a better deal than buying the camera bundle from the actual website, or from a place such as Best Buy. Is buying on Ebay a wise choice? And if anyone has bought on Ebay before has your experience been positive?

Just opened an email from Adorama. They have the D3300 w/ 18-55 and 55-200 and a case for $697. That looks like a deal to me.

 

[cptn.nemo]

Never buy bundles all that stuff may look good but the tripod will fall over, nothing will fit in the bag, the filters will just be glass and the memory cards will be slower than ever. I just bought a refurbished nikon d5300 from adorama and I'm pleased, I'll really know when I receive the camera. They offer a return policy and nikon 90 day warranty. Plus if you read the fine details, your credit card company will double that warranty for you. American express had the best coverage, but master card is fine. Personally I would never buy something off ebay if the seller does not offer returns. But I'd definitely buy off eBay if you ask the buyer the right questions. Such as are all the buttons and functions working as they should, and if it is an international version (gray market, no warranty) or US

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