TaoTeJared said:
I leave all nonessential functions and that are just blemishes to "Normal ware and tear from use" and include a photo that shows it and leave it at that. Any real user won't care - anyone who does is probably not worth doing business with.

Some bite on the words, but realistically the ones that have the most and the best photos, always go for more $.

Thanks for your replies to my question. Sorry only just got a chance to catch up with them (work has been manic). After reading iris chrome's question about "HOW" to put that honesty into your adds without driving buyers away, I was thinking exactly the same as TaoTeJared. I would take photographs that clearly show any and all surfaces of the lens (not especially highlighting problems, but the potential issues visible "in" the shot), and then do as TaoTeJared suggests, and refer them to your very clear, well lit photos with regards to condition. As he says, anyone who wants a lens to use won't care too much, and anyone who wants it to look nice as a paperweight is someone you probably don't want to do business with. Your issue iris chrome about the lens hood I would mention, as pictures won't show this, but I would also mention that this is not uncommon on lenses, and may be rectified by simply exchanging the lens hood. As TaoTeJared says, I would NEVER buy any used item that was listed only with stock photos. Multiple crystal clear shots of the actual item for sale, go a long way to demonstrating your honesty, as does mentioning any potential gripes that aren't shown by them.

Iris,
I have been both a seller and a buyer on eBay and have not been burned by my buyers nor do I have any negative feedback. All in all, really good experiences. I have to say, that as a buyer, the number of feedbacks that a seller has makes a difference. If they're selling a big ticket item, I won't purchase if they haven't been on Ebay that long. If there's another item that is similarly priced from a seasoned seller, I'll buy it from them.
As a seller, I have had no problem whatsoever with Paypal. I just recently sold my D700 when I thought I would get the 800 in a reasonable amount of time...LOL...and it was a flawless transaction. People on here have said to use a lot of pictures, but I didn't, I just used the link that said, "sell one like this" and used the stock picture.
My only gripe with selling the D700 was with using eBay shipping, waaay too expensive. I will not be using that anymore if I sell something.

TaoTeJared said:
...Any real user won't care - anyone who does is probably not worth doing business with.

I think you're right on this one Tao. I suppose I was just worrying too much for my own good.

...on a side note, I was just contacted via email by someone who was interested in picking-up the lens locally. I call the guy within half an hour and the first thing out of his mouth was "I just bought one".....!!!

I didn't know people can be so fickle.

@Beso

No body likes to be misled and your experience with the car seller does blow but you should always look on the bright side. At the very least you're not stuck with that car plus you did get to go on a road trip even if didn't pan out.

I have bought and sold on eBay as well as other similar venues. Having been mislead by a totally misrepresented automobile that resulted in an expensive and unfruitful trip to southern California, I believe absolute disclosure is always the best approach. Disclosing everything you know about the item you are selling related to its condition will always be appreciated by a buyer. I know I appreciate that information and it helps me make an informed decision about what an item is worth to me. I have had numerous people comment favorably on my disclosures as well. And, I have ended up with very happy customers. Treat others as you would like to be treated - simple.

I leave all nonessential functions and that are just blemishes to "Normal ware and tear from use" and include a photo that shows it and leave it at that. Any real user won't care - anyone who does is probably not worth doing business with.

Some bite on the words, but realistically the ones that have the most and the best photos, always go for more $.

I would personally list all details as you have mentioned saying only noticed under very careful examination and send photo if requested.

Regarding hood, I would mention it if it is due to alot of wear or unusual condition of the lens. If you find that hoods popping off is NORMAL for this lens design, I don't think it is necessary to mention.

Again, the question is how different this item is from a like new state of that item. If it has been gently used vs. used well vs. dragged behind a tractor for tilling the earth I would probably be frank about it.

Thanks for all the great responses from everyone here. Honesty seems to be the number one rule in selling used equipment and I also agree on that 100%. That has always been my policy whenever I sold anything online in the past. I figured it was always better to be able to sleep at night knowing I didn't take advantage of anyone than make a few extra bucks with the possibility that I did dupe somebody. However, spraynpray does bring up a good point:

spraynpray said:
Absolute honesty is a must if you are to avoid problems, but don't over-state any problems so as to dissuade buyers.

So my next question is what would you consider to be an overstating of a problem? Rx4Photo mentions that a lens he sold was returned because it had a microscopic scratch on the hood. My 70-200mm (the one I'm selling) has a hairline scratch on the body near the tripod collar (never even noticed it until I inspected the lens to sell it). Would you consider these problems worth mentioning? How about the hood problem I mentioned in my opening post? And if you do think they are definitely worth mentioning, how would you go about describing them without making them seem like a big deal? Please don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to find some excuses as to what to omit from my listing. My current listing for the 70-200mm mentions both the hood issue and the scratch. However, I'm really interested in what other photographers think of small issues like this.

@SkintBrit

Don't know much about selling on Amazon... not yet at the very least but, from the eBay listings I've seen, it seems that including extras in your auction like filters and such almost always garners more bids and buzz. This is especially true when the owner mentions that says something like "I've had a UV filter on this lens since day one and never had it taken off" or something like that. Of course, if this is not the case with you then I wouldn't put that in your listing.

If you don't think you'll ever use those filters again then I'd include them in your lens sale. If you want, you can research on eBay by searching for those filters then clicking on "completed listings" to see how much others were able to sell them for separately and if it's worth it or not.

SkintBrit said:
Also should I sell the lens with the Hoya HD UV filter attached, (and also a HD CIR-PL) or separately? I don't have any other lenses with that filter thread size so there doesn't seem any point in keeping them. Sell them as a job lot or as 2-3 lots?

Up to you - I usually leave A UV filter on - I might keep the Hoya HD one - if you have no use for it, sell it with it. Selling UV filters alone & that are used usually don't pull much in. If you sell it with it, Bold and use the "Hoya HD filter incl." in the listing (if ebay). It will draw more Photographers as we know what the HD filter means. It might pull a few more $$s for it.

The HD CIR-PL will definitely sell well by itself. Start the price at 50% new and you should be good there.

Never have items end past 6pm PST Friday, past noon PST on Saturday and Sunday. Ending items on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (9-5pm PST) go for the highest amounts usually. 1st and 3rd weeks of the month pull more $ in for sellers as well. Yes I did actually track auctions for lenses to come up with that. In between jobs, had a lot of time on my hands, bla bla bla. ;)

I like Amazon because the transaction goes through Amazon and there isn't a need for paypal and stuff. I would have to look at the fees, but you at least don't have to pay to list it on Amazon and can have it up as long as you want...plus you aren't having an auction and can move the price up and down as you see fit. I always feel uncomfortable selling stuff on ebay because it is a bit more complicated. I accidentally sold some headphones to a person in Canada without knowing I was letting anyone outside the US bid on it. It worked out fine in the end, but it was a little worrisome.

I don't think you will really gain anything by adding the filter...it might be worth selling separately.

IMO I prefer Amazon over Ebay, but that might just be because I don't have the experience on ebay.

I know this topic has come up in the forum before, but I'm grateful for the "updated" suggestions as I think I'm going to put my 70-300 on eBay after buying that TC-20E III last week. (Seems to work nicely with the 70-200, is just as fast at the long end, so has kind of made the 70-300 redundant). I agree with all the comments about honesty (always) being the best policy, and the comments about including good clear photos. I would never consider buying a used item from an auction site if it only had a stock photo, or out of focus shots of the actual item for sale. Whenever I read the words "sorry about the photos, my camera is not great" I walk away.

A question for you.......I've bought many times, but never sold on Amazon. Pros and cons over eBay please? Also should I sell the lens with the Hoya HD UV filter attached, (and also a HD CIR-PL) or separately? I don't have any other lenses with that filter thread size so there doesn't seem any point in keeping them. Sell them as a job lot or as 2-3 lots?

I have sold some old equipment to dealers. This is way easy because they will inspect it, they are the experts and assume all responsibility for the condition. Of course you will alway get below the actual value because they are going to resale it but I get to take the cash and walk away without any worries. At the time I got about 80% of what I thought I could sell it for locally, which was pretty good.

Buying : I normally buy private, with cash on delivery. We normally just test out the lens, check for fungus, scratches, or whatever problems and then that's that. If the seller seems reluctant to allow you to test, you know you have a problem.

Selling : If you're selling online, good pictures are a definite must. One thing I find to be the most annoying is having to inspect a grainy, blurry and in general, just poor image of the item to be sold. So, get the best images of your equipment if you can.

Ideally, get all sides of the thing to be sold, and if I'm selling a lens, I include an image of the front and rear elements to show off dust or any scratches with the lens elements. Also, be honest with what problems or caveats the lens has.

I normally sell on forums or via listings in Malaysian sites, so I cannot say much about dealing with ebay. But with regards to warranty, I make a point to avoid having any personal warranty to prevent any unscrupulous people come back to haunt me.

Buying:

I have had great success buying used on eBay/Amazon, buyer protection is more than adequate using either of these on-line merchants. I fact I just returned a poorer than described gadget bag to an Amazon seller and was refunded as soon as I posted it including the return postage.

Selling:

Absolute honesty is a must if you are to avoid problems, but don't over-state any problems so as to dissuade buyers. Clear pictures of nicely composed, cleaned items are necessary as is a full description of your - for instance - cherished camera and include why you regrettably have to sell it. I just sold my D90 - after owning it for a year and putting 6500 more clicks on it - for more than I paid for it. It was all in the description and pictures. That is normal for me as a seller and my feedback is around 1000 @100% positive.

As long as you're honest about what you know the issues are, there shouldn't be a problem, most importantly, the optics, the physical condition of the lens, and the glass. Other than that, I wouldn't worry too much about getting bad apples as customers.

I'd also suggest:
Be courteous in your interactions with buyers even during dispute.
If you are not an expert in assessing lenses be honest about it in your description.

I've used the eBay Buyer Protection when I found fungus on a lens. After a couple of rounds of discussion with the Seller whose responses were paranoid and increasingly bellicose, eBay instructed me to keep the item until instructed by eBay, escalate my claim, and discontinue dialogue with the seller. I ended up getting my money back. The seller wasn't actually a bad person, he just didn't know how to assess the lenses condition, stated "No fungus" when asked and approached the return process with a bad attitude.

I use ebay all the time. The real key is when 5hit hits the fan, something goes wrong, and What Ebay Considers to Resolve the Issue.

The things I have had the most of are:
Buyers
1) Buyers who think it is ok to try a lens for a week and then try to return it.
2) Buyers purchase something that doesn't work on their camera even though it was stated.
3) Buyers who falsely claim the item is broken to try another avenue of #1.
4) Buyers who by multiple items of the same thing and try to choose the lowest priced one.

I fight those all the time and rarely back down. Mainly because shipping + fees eat quickly away if you have to re-post items. Especially if they selling price is under $500.

Easiest way to circumvent most of it is:
A) Sell "as is" (will go for a lower price) & Offer no returns or just "3-day return" - Any more days allowed and the occurrence skyrockets. This is the best defense for free-ride buyers. Ebay will always go with the stated return.
B) List what systems work with the item (i.e. AFD with no AF on a D3100,5100)
C) List any mechanical issues and if there are (i.e. stiffness), offer no returns if any exist.
D) Generalize external blemishes that have no effect on performance but,
E) Detail anything that can effect performance.
F) Spend the few extra quarters for additional photos and make sure they are good.
G) Require immediate payment.

Bad sellers - basically the opposite or skew any of the A-G.

Key is to limit yourself to two messages with the buyer/seller if something comes up and report it immediately to ebay. Everything is based on how many days it is in the system and you can always close the "incident" if you work it out with the other party. If you wait, chances are, things will take 30+ days to resolve.

Oh and the last thing - If it can break, always ship UPS or Fedex and insure it. US mail (even priority) is for items that will not break.

99% of my transactions go perfect with no issues. The one's that go bad can be really frustrating, especially if you run into a buyer who is being dishonest. I would love to offer 14-day return and accept all returns but you can loose a lot of money and the sale becomes a break-even. Those small things I put in A-G, has made everything I do much easier.

As a buyer, I have yet to have a bad purchase that was messy. FexEx drove over a box - easy to see tire tracks and UPS lost one package. Nothing else.

Honesty seems to be the key word here. But you're still at the mercy of the buyer in the end. I've sold 3 lenses on Amazon with no problems with 2 sales. I listed them all as Used - Like New. On the 3rd (and last) sale the buyer complained about a microscopic scratch that was on the lens hood. I didn't even consider mentioning it in the description because I thought it was a part of buying a "pre-owned" lens. Well, he complained to Amazon customer service that I mis-labeled the lens in the description. He basically told customer service that the lens was practically beat up and showed signs of abuse. I was pissed that he tried to make me look bad as a seller. The return process was a hassle after which he kindly thanked me for authorizing the refund.

So, the best thing is to go over the equipment with a magnifying glass and included it in the write-up.

I would point out any imperfections or things such as dust in the lens. It doesn't really hurt. I mean you ask for what you want so it isn't like the person has to buy it if they have reservations about the condition, but I always respond to requests about additional information or pictures. Just be ware of the scammers and like I said be honest and you shouldn't have any problems.

@tcole1983 +1

Being straight up with photo equipment is always the best policy as I see it. I would not want anyone to sell me something and then be disappointed. Also, as I am in a way trying to help someone, I usually offer the goods at about 10-20% less than the equivalent used item from B & H. Everything I have sold is 9 or 9+ condition as I baby my equipment.

Also, my personal preference is face to face. Then the potential buyer and you are looking at the same item at the same time, any questions can be answered, and the deal consummated. I think it is reasonable with used equipment to have a written agreement, and usually a no return policy. This requires the buyer to make certain the item is what they want. And as it is used, you are not in control of how long it may last nor do you offer a guarantee. The only exception might be with someone you know, and you know them well enough to know they would not damage something and try to return it.

I use Craig's List. however, this will get you about a dozen offers for sex and to send it to Nigeria, so one must be wary. Thus, after posting on Craig's List I respond to unknown queries that the item will be displayed at a certain location, i.e., a bank, at a certain time on a certain date. The foreign scammers do not respond further.

Absolutely no PayPal. Somehow the scammers have a way to show a balance in your account, yet it is fraudulent. Certified checks... must be delivered to a bank and the bank can guarantee the check by a phone call.

Well, i guess I have sold some stuff, and mostly it is cash. Even then, I like to do the transaction at a bank. Folks will not try to pass counterfeit bills at a bank. (sales of several thousands)

Hope this helps, or not...

I have bought and sold many lenses via private sales.

Never had any issues.

Be sure to test and play with the lens you are planning to buy, if they are serious sellers, they shouldn't mind.

Bring a laptop or something you can view the images (in large) you took with the lens.

Actually I just sold a 24mm AF D lens yesterday in my camera district in Seoul. I was given a very fair price for it. I have not sold anything on Ebay but I have bought numerous things off there. I agree with tcole1983 honesty is important because it will always come back to you some how. I would get into details about the condition and have photos ready.

I say honesty is the best policy. If you are honest I don't think you will have anyone giving you a hard time about returning it or it not being what you said it was. On the other hand if you know of something wrong and don't mention it then that is where you get in trouble. I have sold a couple things on Amazon and I always tried to best describe what it came with and how it was operating...I had good results with that.

I was wondering how other photographers usually go about selling their used lenses and camera bodies. I never sold any of my used equipment until recently although I have sold other items and different collectibles on eBay. I have also only bought a used lens once before and while I don't think I was really duped, the seller sort of left out a little detail would have been nice to know before I bid. The lens I was buying was a 70-200mm VR and it had a problem with the hood coming off too easily while in the reverse position. The lens itself was in an almost immaculate condition but the hood problem was just a little annoying, for example, when I try to pick up the lens from my bag or if I bump into it with my hand. I probably would have still bid on the lens but it would have been nice if I knew that it had that problem to begin with. At any rate, I had a trip that was coming shortly and I didn't want to be entangled in some lengthy return process so I didn't raise any fuss and let it go.

So what I want to know is this; how much detail do usually go into when you're selling your used equipment? Do you usually point out any and all imperfections when you sell your equipment? And finally, what do you consider to be proper selling etiquette?