Are E-Bay/demo bins really a risk? (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

With the strengthening of the dollar against the Euro, us yanks have seen top-end bin prices shoot towards the moon. It makes searching for a good deal even more important.

That being said, there are typically several Leica Ultravid and Zeiss FL products on E-Bay at ~1/3 off. These are always listed as "reconditioned" or "demo" glasses and come with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty.

I just wonder if anyone has experience buying this type of bin? The Swaro/Zeiss/Leica products that I own (or have owned) have never needed warranty work as they are of top quality. Is the reduced price worth the risk of the shorter warranty period? I keep seeing stories of folks that have sent bins back to the manufacturer for some out-of-warranty problem and they come back good as new and often at no charge.

I would really like a pair of 7x42 FLs, but the $1600 price is currently too high. What do you all think? Do I wait for the Euro to come charging back?

Thanks again for all of your knowledge and wisdom!

Rgds,

Steffan

My local Leica dealer says that he can get re-conditioed Leicas from Leica at a discount but doesn't - he offered to get me a pair if i wanted - so they do exist.

If buying from Ebay check out the sellers feedback - if it is good, and the items sold are similar to what you are buying you should be OK.

Make sure that you buy through Ebay, preferably with Paypal - Paypal are very good at resolving disputes.

Offers too good to be true probably are!!

Steffan,

Basically, a true demo, with the one year manufacturer's warranty, is a good deal. Most binocular problems show up quickly. I own a 8x32 BN Demo and I am now happy that I purchased it.

I was unaware that Zeiss limited the warranty on their Demos. I thought any Zeiss USA import was covered. I have seen Zeiss Demos advertised with the full guarantee, but not on ebay.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

Pinewood said:

Steffan,

Basically, a true demo, with the one year manufacturer's warranty, is a good deal. Most binocular problems show up quickly. I own a 8x32 BN Demo and I am now happy that I purchased it.

I was unaware that Zeiss limited the warranty on their Demos. I thought any Zeiss USA import was covered. I have seen Zeiss Demos advertised with the full guarantee, but not on ebay.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood

Click to expand...

Arthur, I'm about 99.9% sure you're correct. I've personally never seen a Zeiss demo for sale, but their warranty has always been fully transferable. I have seen several Leica demos with a one year warranty.

Steffan, If you decide to buy, I'd suggest you contact Doug @ Camera Land New York directly ([email protected]). He's one of the retailers who sells the demo Leica's on Ebay, but he can usually offer a better price over the phone because he would avoid Ebay's fees.

Best of luck in your decision.