question on used camera lens sales transaction
 

I sold one of my Pentax lenses to a guy in Austrailia via the pentaxforums.com bbs. The lens worked fine when I packed it up, and I have a couple hundred shots from a few days previous to show that. I put it in the original packaging, bubble wrapped the crap out of it and sent it off.

New owner gets it, says it is great but it won't auto focus. I suggested he wipe off the contacts as this is a known possible issue. He does so and says it works. I don't think anything else about it until today when I get a PM from the owner - 1 month after he received the lens. He says the auto focus now doesn't work, that he only shot like 10-20 pictures with it, and wants a full refund. He doesn't trust the local Pentax dealer to do a repair.

What is a reasonable resolution?

If you are a camera dealer that can send the lens back to the manufacturer for repair with no loss then do so. If you just sold him a used lens as is on a website, let it go. Not your issue.

I am not a dealer - private party sale. My main issue is that he is contacting me now 25 days after receipt for a refund. I also no longer own any Pentax gear so I'm not interested in getting the lens back. I was going to offer to help cover repair cost but that feels like the most I should do.

"Good as used" ...what type of extended warranty is he expecting from you?

Also, consider that any given buyer may be buying to replacing a f'up product, and wants to return their broken one to you. (cynical, I know)

tell him to pound sand.

As is.

This was the response I got on 21sep. He pm'd me saying the camera didn't AF, and I promptly pm'd him back suggesting he wipe the contacts (known issue with these lenses):

"I've had the chance to play with the lens a bit more today.
Great news. It can AF
I cleaned the contacts, put it on and take it off few times. Now it works flawlessly
I am so happy.

I am used to the F and FA lenses and they make noise when focusing. This one is near silent and I have a feeling it's a tiny bit slower in focusing.

Thanks for this great lens. It feels like I bought it new from the shop.
And thanks for your concern and quick response."

It's his.

Your obligation is done.

Don't know what the normal humidity is down under. I do know that humidity can wreak havoc on sensitive electronic gear.

Wife and I learned that whenever we take camcorders on a cruise ship the transition from A/C to a tropical island can create temporary issues.

We take care to acclimate the cameras as much as possible.

Kinda like my buddy Stanley. Parents were off the boat Polish. Stanley wore your obligatory thick lensed glasses with the big black frames.

Seemed his mom was perpetually in the kitchen cooking something. We'd always enter the house thru the kitchen door and Stanley's glasses would instantly fog up.

He kinda got used to it.

25 days after receiving it and he wants you to pay for repair? Absolutely ridiculous. You have no idea how the buyer has treated the item, if it's been abused, dropped, etc. The only time a seller should be liable is if 1. it's DOA or 2. it was misrepresented. In this case, it was neither.

Totally unreasonable for him to ask for a full refund. He saved money by buying a used lens and it worked when he got it. Who knows how dirty his camera is or how he takes care of his gear. I'd be polite in refusing, but I don't see any obligation on your part. Chipping in towards the repair is a stand-up gesture, but I'd ask to see the bill. Does the lens have any warranty to a second owner?