Feedback - FROWNS

[Krishna]

For the benefit of the Admin and the members of JJMPF:
EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION BEFORE BUY ANY PHOTO/ VIDEO ITEM FROM THIS PERSON.

Seller name on JJMPF: viisshnu1
GPay: Vishnu Vardhan
Truecaller: Weekend Gamer
Phone number: 7702252475

Item purchased: https://forum.jjmehta.com/index.php/topic,68851.0.html

JJMPF has some of the nicest people in the photography community, who are just a pleasure to interact and deal with. Unfortunately, I have now experienced the bitter side too. This person - Vishnu - posted a Nikon 50mm f/1.4D brand new, unused lens for sale on May 21, 2024. I get in touch the same night and made him an offer, to the extent my financial situation allowed me to. We had a chat but it didn't end in a sale. The next day he checked with me, but my offer was still the same. Later, that very day - May 22 - he surprisingly agreed and asked for an extra Rs 100 for packaging material. I first paid him this 100 bucks via GPay and post confirmation of receipt via Whatsapp, I made the full payment for the lens immediately. This was May 22. Next day, as I expect a message with tracking number and the shipping cost, he texts me saying that he's to travel to Bangalore and that his brother will take care of the courier during the weekend.

Weekend passed by. No news. I ask him about it. Said he'll check and let me know. Later I'm informed that the brother can't do the shipping, and that I should positively hear about the shipment that weekend (the 2nd weekend of the saga.)

This weekend too passed. No news. Now he states that he's still out of Hyderabad and would courier it the following weekend. Same blank promise, a third weekend now.

Again, like a sinister pattern, complete silence. I check with him one more time on Monday ie yesterday June 10. I'm now told that he's back in Hyderabad but has a client job for which he'll have to use the lens. So no commitment on when I would get it.

A lens that was touted as brand new and unused, and considered for purchase accordingly - and even paid for - is sought to be used for an indefinite time. All the while - for 21 odd days since I first interacted and 20 days since payment - I have been extremely patient and polite. Sure, people can have personal problems that prevent them discharging their duty or obligation, but this decision to wilfully not send the lens took the cake, and the bakery too. So I asked for my money back. Now I get open-ended replies of one more month for repayment, which after intense argument dropped to "earliest" and "as soon as possible".

Uncertainty loomed large though. I gave him two options, either return my money by Tuesday, June 11, or put the lens in the courier by 11th morning. He can't splurge my money and not send me my lens. I mean, this is outrightly unprofessional and downright unethical. Unilaterally deciding to use a lens which has been paid for - with no commitment on refund of payment made - raises serious red flags about this seller's true intentions. He didn't have the scruples to inform or check with me about his decision to prolong the delivery for an additional month and to use the item for a likely commercial shoot. It's exactly 3 weeks since I made the money transfer. I don't have my money back nor do I get the lens. In what world is this ok?

I had made this payment clearly communicating that I'm stretching my extremely low finances just for this lens' sake. Not here to fund some immoral person's filmmaking activity, by paying interest out of my own pocket on my loan. What an unscruplous low life. Waiting for my money now, since I received no shipping confirmation info by 8pm today (June 11).

[sudhirdamerla]

No I half read your message and asked them to transfer 520. Again my bad. Fair fair, I dint not follow up as I was on a shoot for a month. But I have bought a lot of stuff here and sold a few I think and asking people not to deal with me in the future was a bit uncalled for? I have also brought a few things from you previously too? Anyway I don't think this is worth dragging on forever. And finally the only reason was that I was on this was to see why one item I sold has not been paid for by a member.

[SwanOfUtrecht]

Apologies for the miscommunication with my office regarding the balance payment. I believe there has been a bigger mixup when I asked the 200 to be transferred and 540 got transferred? Strange that what happened later has not been reported?

Miscommunication with your "office" ? ROFLing...

Apparently, your "office" seems to have been guilty of quite a lot 'miscommunication' :-

(1) I'm sure you must have instructed them at the outset (June 05) to make payment of balance but on their own they have decided to wait for a "FROWN" comment to crop up on June 23 before finally deciding to go ahead with the payment on Sep 06, exactly three months after it was supposed to be made ! Now, wasnt that the time when you were listing a few items for sale ? Nah.. surely, there cant be a connection between the two. I must be dreaming.

(2) I'm sure you must have communicated to them regarding the amount being 200/- but again on their own accord they have decided to make payment of 520/- which is incidentally the total extra amount incurred. How they arrived at the figure on their own I have no idea because it was communicated to you over "forum message" only, never to your "office".

(3) Then again I'm sure you must have instructed them to inform me after making the payment but again on their own they have decided NOT to do so !

(4) And I'm sure they must have informed you of having made the payment on Sep 6 yesterday only, which would explain why you are following up on the payment now - 2.5 months after it was made and almost 6 months after it was supposed to be made ! 

Hilarious... some "office" you seem to have got there !

[sudhirdamerla]

This is feedback in respect of Mr Sudhir Damerla (id - sudhirdamerla - https://www.jjmehta.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=51788)

THE TRANSACTION - The buyer purchased the Manfrotto Gimbal MVG220 listed here :- https://www.jjmehta.com/forum/index.php/topic,66495.0.html

THE FACTS - Buyer contacted me on June 05 indicating the requirement for fast shipping so that he could use it for a shoot on June 08. I replied saying I could ship same day via DTDC (if payment is cleared before 4PM) for additional cost with June 7 as tentative delivery date. I told him I was willing to bear the balance cost of DTDC shipping if he could bear 100 bucks extra to which he agreed. These messages were being exchanged around 12 and Buyer finally made payment of 16.25K @ 4PM (after reminder) and wrote back requesting item to be shipped via DTDC blue if possible. He told me he was willing to bear the difference between DTDC Lite and Blue if I could ship via Blue (next day delivery). I said I'll try since it was already getting late for the "blue" cut-off.

The packed item weighed over 2.5 kgs and DTDC quoted a figure of 520 for DTDC Lite shipping and ~1700-1800 for DTDC Blue (using volumetric weight method instead of the actual weight). The Blue prices were downright obnoxious and so I quickly booked via "Lite". I paid the amount of 520/- and informed him of the total cost and tracking details as also requesting him to pay the shipping balance. He replied back saying he'd do so "in a bit". The item was eventually delivered on June 07 to his satisfaction.

THE ISSUE - I have sent him a number of reminders for payment of the balance shipping fee but up till the time of this post, he has neither paid the same nor responded on the topic after the initial message saying he would do so in a bit.

This is NOT the first time I have had hardball played over 50-100 rupees (I reported one such incident here :- https://www.jjmehta.com/forum/index.php/topic,5808.msg488248.html#msg488248 ) and I'm sure it wont be the last. But I do find this rather disturbing and a sign of deep-rooted malaise. If you cant trust someone to keep his word for 100-200 bucks, you cant trust him for anything.

INTERVENTION SOUGHT - NONE. This is just feedback.

I have never cared for $1-$2 "negotiations" and I'm not going to start now. For my part I will NOT be having any transactions with him in future. Readers may want to exercise caution and ensure full payment is received before shipping out any item. In this case and in others.

Thank You !

Apologies for the miscommunication with my office regarding the balance payment. I believe there has been a bigger mixup when I asked the 200 to be transferred and 540 got transferred? Strange that what happened later has not been reported?

[abhijit]

You share your phone call recordings with the moderators. The truth will come out. You told if you can not come with a solution for repairing you will take it back. You stopped communicating. I know what you are. Let the forum members know.

[valayp59]

Who told you that recording a phone call is illegal activity. Not only your phone call, I have all the recordings of my all the incoming phone calls. This feature comes with smart phones now a days. And why would I edit your phone call recordings. I've already told you that I'm not making money out of this. Whatever issues you are talking about, they were not with me when I was handling my camera. Also I had a proper post on JJM Forum which you had gone through obviously. Also note that he received camera and lens many days ago & Now he is saying that lens is also faulty. How one can believe him for this kind of stuff. So it is not my fault at all. You can report to moderator if you want. I don't mind.

[abhijit]

You recorded my phone call  without my consent which is illigal. You also want to share the call with anybody. Now send all the calls in full duration unedited and untrimmed to the moderators with a copy to me. Also show where you told me about the insurance 'before' booking the camera.
All the above does not prove that you already are not aware of the fault. Such faults are intermittent and can not be detected over whatsapp call.
The lens is  having problem as well. I am yet to get it checked at nikon service.
Moderators : please see to this illigal recording business and do the needful.

[valayp59]

Hello Everyone.
I met this guy from JJM Forum. He only called me and showed interest of buying Nikon D850 with Nikon 24-120mm Lens. We had pretty much conversation and a solo whatsapp video call where he did check everything. He asked me to capture 1 photo with camera on video call itself. After that he told me to mail it, which i did. And he said deal is closed and he made the full transfer. My camera was working perfectly when it was with me. Next day i called him that courier guy is asking for insurance of camera as it is expensive stuff. i called him and told him everything about insurance. After his confirmation i courier all the stuff to him. I've all the Phone Call recordings with me. If necessary i can present all of them to anyone who wants clarity regarding this matter.

[abhijit]

Dear Admins and All members,
This is regarding my experience purchasing a Nikon D850 camera with a 24-120 f4 lens from Mr. Valay Patel (valayp59). After discussing over phone and checking the camera over whatsapp video call I paid him on 13th Sept, '23. In the conversation he mentioned that the lens is having some fungus. Apart from that there is no other problem in the functionality of either the camera or the lens. He dispatched the camera next day surprisingly by roadways on the pretext that the courier does not sent by air due to presence of battery. The courier also told him that it is risky so to make insurance but he did not. Collected the camera from DTDC counter on 22nd evening. While checking the functioning of different settings of the camera on 24th night I noticed some exposure inconsistencies. In some of the sequences taken in continuous mode the exposure appears to differ from shot to shot. Actually it is not across the whole frame so is more like a shadow. I tested again next day by resetting the camera to manual and without any auto setting(auto-iso etc). By evening I was sure that there is some problem with the camera so I informed him so. Meanwhile I was planning to get the the camera checked with Nikon service center. He also told me the same. On 26th I gave the camera to Nikon Service. Next day, on 27th Nikon Service gave an estimate of Rs 18917/- where it states 'Shutter' and 'I plate' replacement cost and labour charge. I informed Mr Valay about it. He did not talk in one pretext or other. Switched off phone at times and did not receive calls. I posted a PM in forum and after that able to contact him. On 29th,at about 8:30PM he told me he will give some solution the next day.(He did say a lot of things and am not reproducing here as irrelevant) Till today I have not heard from him.

Abhijit Sarma (forum id abhijit)

[Hankosaurus]

...If I were the seller I'd keep quiet! He has ensured that we will not forget. End of story.

One cannot be too careful in assuring correct representation of the product.  We should go out of our way to guarantee that our buyer is happy with the result.  It is not a good thing to become a person of interest in the FROWNS thread.