Should I buy it?

[Koshua]

A guy is selling a Nikon D5200 with an 18-55 near me. He says the battery is dead and he doesn't have the charger, but he's selling it for $150. Should I take the chance?

 

[DarkShadow]

If it works it's a great deal and if not you have a $150.00 paper weight. IMO with out a least a power up test I wouldn't touch it.You wouldn't even cover that selling the lens on the used market.

 

[cgw118 144]

Fishy. Who has a DSLR with no charger? Walk on.

 

[DarkShadow]

Could be stolen to and why its missing stuff.

 

[Koshua]

Could be stolen to and why its missing stuff.

I checked the guy's Facebook...looks like a thug holding up a marijuana bud. Definitely going to stay away from that one. Thanks for the wise advice guys.

 

[unpopular]

Though if he had dreadlocks, he probably just misplaced the charger in a pile of dorito bags.

 

[Koshua]

Though if he had dreadlocks, he probably just misplaced the charger in a pile of dorito bags.

Haha. I'm asking him to send me a photo he's taken with it, and then reverse image-searching it. If it's not his, I'm going to post an ad on the local garage sale Facebook group asking if anyone had a D5300 stolen. If not, I'm might pick up an EN-EL14 and test it out.

 

[astroNikon]

sounds totally stolen to me especially in regards to his FB profile you mentioned.

 

[Designer]

Sometimes saving a couple hundred dollars just isn't worth the hassle.

 

[Designer]

sounds totally stolen to me especially in regards to his FB profile you mentioned.

Right.

When asked to explain how the seller has a camera but not the charger, he says the following:

"It was some other guy who stole it. Honestly! I traded a bag of weed for it."

 

[nerwin]

Sounds a little fishy to me as well. Especially when that camera is selling for around $450-500 on ebay.

If you have to pick up the charger and battery that's another $100. So you'll only be saving $250ish. Is it really worth the risk?

At the end of the day, it's your money and your decision.

 

[astroNikon]

could always ask a police officer about it first too.

If s/he raises an eyebrow and looks at you funny without saying anything I think you'll have your answer. That's what I did just reading this.

 

[nerwin]

Tell them to meet you in a police station. My cousin did that when she bought a brand new 18-70 off craigslist for $100. The guy had no problems with it, in fact..he suggested it.

If he don't agree to meet in a police station, then you'll know something is up haha.

 

[waday]

Yeah, because all people holding something (that may or may not be marijuana) are thugs with dreadlocks who apparently steal cameras that you have to prove aren't stolen by involving police.

 

[SquarePeg37]

If he admits it's stolen, then I wouldn't even consider buying it. He's scum and you'd just be condoning what happened to the original owner.