How safe is it to purchase camera equipment from the ebay Japan Sellers? I was looking at the Pentax 645 FA 45-85 f4.5 zoom.
-- Well, actually I just bought that exact lens from a Japan seller. I had read several positive reports here about these sellers, which "emboldened" me to take the plunge. The bad news is that when I received it, it was obviously defective - focus locked up at closest focus end. Such a shame, since it came with nice lens hood, pouch, even the original boxes, all in very nice condition.
The good news is (I hope!), the seller responded immediately, is very apologetic, and promises a full refund. So all in all, I don't feel burned & will buy from eBay Japan sellers again.
(Maybe not this particular seller, tho - the lens was probably defective before he shipped it, and my return postage is $80 - ouch! An expensive exercise…)
John