BARTECH FOR SALE ON EBAY

[Rich Steel]

Hi Folks,

 

I've just won the following on ebay.

 

Brand new BarTech Remote Follow Focus Device, with Panavision power cable. Used M26P Heden motor with bracket and cable. (Follow Focus and motor may be sold separately.) for a suprisingly low cost ($2500 US). The seller has no ebay history and seems to be based in Canada. I've requested the serial numbers for the units so that I can then talk with Mr Bartell to see if he can shed light on the units (i.e if they are stolen or legitimate) but so far haven't had a reply.

 

Firstly, Mr Bartell, can you provide a history if I can supply serial numbers?

 

Secondly, Is this too good an offer to be true, has someone had any Bartech equipment stolen recently. If so get in touch and I'll let ebay know that one of there members is possibly dealing in stolen goods.

 

 

Rich "no such thing as a free lunch" Steel

[Mitch Gross]

Watch out--there's a flood of scams going on over eBay currently. Either use eBay's escrow service (escrow.com) or find a legitimate intermediary. I would suggest a local equipment dealer to the seller like a major camera rental house in his/her area. Have the seller put the unit there and you can pay them a small inspection fee. They'll also check with PERA to see if it's listed as stolen. If it all checks out as legitimate and functional then you pay to them and the seller autorizes them to send it to you.

[JimBartell]

Firstly, Mr Bartell, can you provide a history if I can supply serial numbers?

 

Secondly, Is this too good an offer to be true, has someone had any BarTech equipment stolen recently.

Firstly, yes I can. Original sales date, software version, etc. all are recorded and I will be happy to share it once you get the serial number.

 

Secondly, I have only been informed of three stolen (or lost) units, S/N 88, 237 and 244, all owned by rental houses.

 

Finally, I hope this unit is still actually for sale. If this is the unit I think it is, it was sold to someone else last week.

 

Jim "keeper of the sacred scrolls" Bartell

[Rich Steel]

Thanks for the heads up Mitch. I've been using PayPal so far with no come backs to date.

 

Jim, when you say "I hope this unit is still actually for sale. If this is the unit I think it is, it was sold to someone else last week" does that mean you know of another purchaser of the equipment or did you mean you actually sold it your self?

 

Thanks

[JimBartell]

Jim, when you say "I hope this unit is still actually for sale. If this is the unit I think it is, it was sold to someone else last week" does that mean you know of another purchaser of the equipment or did you mean you actually sold it your self?

I heard that a former customer of mine was selling a BFD on eBay last week and a guy called asking if I knew of a unit for sale so I gave him the seller's phone number and the guy bought the unit. That's it. I was just wondering if this was perhaps that same unit and it hadn't been taken off eBay once it was sold because the description is so similar (new BFD & used M26P).

 

Jim "shutting up now" Bartell

[Michael Stumpf]

For sure get the serial number and talk with Jim.

 

Secondly, I hate to say it, but $2500 for one BFD unit and an old Heden motor is NOT a "surprisingly low cost."

You state the BFD is brand new. Well, if it was sold to someone else and taken out of the box, it isn't brand new. And, brand new from Jim they cost $1850. I wouldn't pay somebody more than $1,500 for a single channel BFD. I'd much rather just spend the extra $350 and get it from Jim, then it is TRUELY brand new!

 

That means the Heden motor is a grand. Which is too high considering the issues the Heden motors have had.

 

So IMO, $2500 is only a fair price if the single channel BFD was NEVER used and the Heden motor was in perfect condition.

 

Do yourself a favor, find out who this motor was sold to and when. You may be getting one that was used only once or twice, but was dropped in the drink, and then repaired to not quite perfection.

 

Good luck