Selling a camera with a fault in Bangkok: what sells

The one thing we do not buy

A camera that no longer switches on. We say it plainly because it saves everyone a trip: if the body is dead, we cannot price it. What you can still sell is everything around it - the lenses, which often carry most of the value, the batteries, the grip and the flash. Send photos of those on LINE and we price them by hand.

What the condition questions are for

When you pick a model on the site, the price appears after a few questions about its condition. The choices run from flawless through good and average to below average. Pick the one that is true, not the one you hope for. A fault you declare there is already inside the price you see, and the pickup check only re-quotes when the camera does not match what you described. A fault you leave out is the reason re-quotes happen.

Faults you can simply describe

• Cosmetic wear: brassing, scuffs, a worn grip, sticky rubber.
• A scratched or cracked screen that still displays.
• Missing parts: eyecup, hot-shoe cover, body cap, strap, charger.
• A door or port cover that does not stay shut.
• Sensor dust, or a mark on the sensor you can see in a test frame.
• A high shutter count on a body that still works.

Choose the honest tier, mention the detail in the notes when you book, and there is nothing more to do.

Faults that need a look first

• An error code that appears sometimes - Err 70 on a Canon, "Err" on a Nikon, a card error that comes and goes.
• A shutter that sticks, fires slowly or shows a dark band in photos.
• Autofocus that no longer works with any lens.
• A camera that has been dropped and now rattles, or a mount that is bent.
• A body or lens that has been in water, especially the sea.
• Fungus on the sensor or inside a lens; the fungus guide shows what it looks like.

For these, send a short video or photo of the fault on LINE before you book. We will tell you plainly whether we can price it and roughly what tier it falls into, so nobody wastes a trip.

Water damage: say it, even if it dried out

A camera that went into the sea or a swimming pool and "still works" often has corrosion under the boards that shows up weeks later. We check the battery contacts, the card slot and the mount for tide marks and green residue. Tell us; a body that was rinsed in fresh water straight away is a different story from one that dried on the beach, and we would rather hear it from you.

Do not repair it just to sell it

If you were going to keep the camera, a repair might be worth it. If you are selling, ask us first: send the fault on LINE and we will tell you how we would price it as it is. If you already had it repaired, bring the repair receipt; it tells the next owner what was replaced and by whom.

What to send

The four photos from what actually decides a used camera's price - front with the lens off, back with the screen on, a test frame for the sensor, everything laid out - plus a photo or video of the fault itself. With those, the price we give by hand is the same price we confirm at the pickup.

Before the meeting

Charge the battery, take the card out and reset the settings; the steps are in how to reset and wipe your camera before you sell it. Then pick your model and choose the honest tier, or see all camera prices.