What about the absolute lies on ebay?

[meoldnick]

I recently bought a little "sport camera". It claims to have a 140 deg viewing angle. There are 3 zooms: 1X 2X 3X. At 1X I have measured the Viewing Angle to be 40 deg.

It also claims to allow 

"Shooting Mode: Single Shot / Self-timer / Continuous Shooting
Time lapse: 2sec,3sec,5sec,10sec,20sec,30sec,60sec"

There are no menu options for any of those. I asked the seller, who could not provide any instructions on the problem.

The camera also says it is an SJ4000. It isn't. This claikm is made by many sellers.

I checked another similar camera, describing itself as 

"Ultra 4K Full HD 1080P Waterproof DVR Sports Camera WiFi Cam DV Action Camcorder"

It shows a picture that claims a 170 deg viewing angle. Yet the specs claim (yet again) a 140 deg viewing angle. My mind starts to wonder. They are not even bothering to get their (possibly false) claims to line up.

Although it had "4K" in the title, its specs say 1080.

It claims to have a remote control. But the packing list shows no remote control.

It claikms to have WiFi. I have to wonder.

On a more dangerous front, I bought a "2 tonne" ratcheting winch. It claims to have a 2 tonne breaking strain cable. A two tonne winch should not come with a 2 tonne breaking strain cable (if even that claim is true). The break point should be 2-4 times the claimed working limit. The only good thing is that I know these winches and there is no way they can pull 2 tonnes.

These are sold by sellers who post from Australia and I feel should qualify as Australian sellers. We have laws about safety and also false advertising.

I realise these are cheap. But how come all these ridiculous claims are allowed.

[brerrabbit585]

About 13 years ago I took a chance with a seller in the UK who had something listed that was rare as hens teeth (it matched an old dinnerset I had) and even though he had several negs I took a chance and bought. As soon as I paid I realised I wasn't going to get it and I was right.

I later found the same item for sale under another ID (a new one). A friend in the UK asked a question about it for me and it was definitely the same item. I left him feedback exposing his scam and he said it was a mistake and that he gave his daughter a few things to start up her own selling ID. He refunded me but then he gave me a neg, then a couple of days later he offered to do a mutual retraction. That was obviously his normal practice as he'd had a few retractions, but I don't respond to blackmail so I didn't oblige.

[springyzone]

I wouldn't buy this sort of thing from China.

It's as countessa said, you're not going to get a $900 camera for the price of a few coffees.

I was in China earlier this year & as far as I am concerned, the prices there are not dirt cheap, certainly not to westerners. And there are fake items for sale everywhere. I'm not saying it is a bad place, the people are very friendly but it is like here, only more so-you get what you pay for.

In an ideal world, ads for fake stuff wouldn't be on ebay but if the seller is from China you have to know the reality is they can get away with it.

What I'd do if I wanted a good camera is buy from a real store-go in, have a look, decide what suits.

If the price is beyond what you want to pay, maybe consider a good second hand one from a local seller, pick up. Could take a while till the right ad comes up but keep looking. But read & re read the ads to get a feel for a genuine seller.

[meoldnick]

OK. It's all my fault and I am just a greedy Australian and reinforcing China's opinion? Wow, and they are not making the whole world think that their whole sales system is corrupt?

I have cameras that do what I want for a LOT less than $900. Where on earth did that nonsense come from?...and then to keep using this silly number in further discussion.

[meoldnick]

You know, the attitude here, of pecking at me like crows at a piece of meat, the holier than though toldyaso attitude and blaming the _buyer_ for the shoddy **bleep** being done, along with the GROSS.... ad absurdum.... exaggeration and repetition of the required price, in order to show what a fool I must be, has made me far more angry than the camera itself..

[davewil1964]

You were after validation then?

Most of us don't do that. We point out the pitfalls of the questioners' chosen path. What they do with the advice is up to them.