Anyone else having problems with KEH?

[BradS]

KEH sucks! I quit doing business with the a couple of years ago after they kept sending me broken cameras when i ordered one in EX condition. They've also shipped the entirely wrong lens. I just chuckle when people praise them and say how wonderful they are....good luck eventually, you will learn the meaning of hassle.

[Stefan Findel]

Stefan,

Perhaps you could list the details of the actual item so that we (the LF Forum Community) are aware of the specific lens and can decide accordingly.

Glad you ended up getting your coin back.

Lachlan.

This was the lens: 90mm F8 GERONAR-WA

I suppose, when a problem occurs with your very first order, you are especially sensitive.
KEH now returned the money incl. shipping. So I am only out what I paid for the return shipment.

So by now, I might be tempted to give them another try.

Stefan

[onnect17]

About a year ago, after ordering a couple of 58mm filters, they shipped the wrong size 3 TIMES! and I never got the right one. Still I have some unused 52mm and 55mm around from that episode

[SamReeves]

KEH might not be the best, but they have a huge selection of used LF equipment.

Whenever you purchase used, you are taking your chances.

At least KEH has a "no questions asked" return policy.

In the last ten, or twelve years that i have dealt with them, i only needed to return one item for credit. They took care of the transaction very quickly.

Same here. I bought a Canon zoom lens, and the zoom crapped out on me. I was able to return it hassle-free.

[jimmygcreative]

Just purchased a linhof copal one board for kardan for 65.00 perfect like new awesome deal!

[rdenney]

Buying used stuff is always a risk. I once bought a Pentax 645N from Adorama, and the flash synch on the body failed about a month later. I don't hold that against them--how were they going to know that might be a problem?

I bought a 75mm leaf-shutter lens from KEH for the same camera, and the leaf shutter didn't work. I sent it back and they sent a replacement. That lens was obviously damaged in shipping and there was a dent in the barrel that interfered with the shutter cocking ring. I could see how the damage occurred. They agreed to take it back, but it was just as easy for me to push out the dent and the lens worked (and works) perfectly.

I've bought lots of stuff from them over the last few years, and that was as close as I came to being annoyed.

I have bought used stuff from everyone at one time or another, and they have all been less than perfect, but consistent with the risk associated with buying used stuff. I buy in all reported conditions, and have never felt as though the item was over-reported (except for ebay sellers, of course). I do not feel as though I have ever been ripped off.

Rick "expecting pro stuff to be well-used" Denney

[myboysherman]

I've been meaning to make my first post at this forum a review of my recent KEH purchases and some details about the Toyo Robos. Been too busy for the ROBOS review, but I can say that KEH did just fine by me.

I purchased a Robos listed as EX+. It is definitely EX+. I can tell that it isn't brand new but other than some dust, I can't find any marks or scratches that give it away. On the downside, it was assembled wrong and I didn't get the rail endcaps. Now that it's reassembled properly, I couldn't be happier. Well . . . I'd be happier with the rail caps, but they are superfluous when the extension rail is attached, so I'm not too troubled by it. I will be when I get a 90mm. With box, foam packing, and instructions: $400.

I also purchased a "bargain" 210 Symmar-S. Apart from the Schneideritis problem, It looks new. I can see a pair of odd defects almost 180 degrees apart from one another. They appear to be internal to the lens and I just can't figure out what they are. Anyway, they are very small (under 1mm each) and right on the outside edge of the lens. They may be some sort of reflection from that Schneider barrel paint issue (there's plenty of that in this lens.) They seem to float in the glass. It took me a long time with a penlight just to find them and I am not at all worried they will present any problems on the negative. Speeds sound great, but I haven't tested them yet. For $109 . . . no, really, One hundred and nine bucks! I am very, very happy with this lens.

The big downside to my KEH experience was the UPS shipping. 3-day was $40 more than ground and I swear that UPS just sticks your package on a shelf for a week in Indiana in order to encourage you to pony up. Does FedEx do that? I usually opt up for 3-day with FedEx for a small additional charge but I have not used FedEx for larger packages, so maybe they are just as bad.

I'll build a web page with details about the ROBOS since there is almost no info available on it -- I wound up crossing my fingers on a pig in a poke. The upshot: it's kind of an odd camera. I'm not sure that I'm radical enough for it's Radical Bi-axial Operating System. But, it's a well built camera with more than enough features to play with and I love the fresnel and "revolving" back.

[GeoffreyO]

Currently 2/2 with KEH. Just received a replacement front element for a 240mm Symmar-S. Better than expected and at a bargain price There was no photo and no description in their online catalog, so I hassled the salesperson into chasing up some further info, explaining that I was in Australia and could not afford to use their return policy. All in all, a problem free purchase!

[Paul Ewins]

I still get "server error" whenever I try and buy something from the website. Maybe I will have to try a late night International phone call. I've bought a lot of stuff happily there in the past but I really don't want to have to do a phone order each time something catches my eye.

[jasongraaf]

I'm also getting a server error in the last day or so.

Edit: Whoops, spoke too soon. It's now up for me within the last hour.