Should I buy a canon slr camera online?

I plan to buy an EOS canon 30D and i never bought any electonics from ebay; only bags, books, ect. Is it safe to buy a digital camera online? becasue the offer is sounds too good to be true

If you are buying on ebay, not only should you check the sellers rating, you should check to see what they were selling to get that rating. There are some sellers who pump up their ratings by giving good service on inexpensive items. Then they offer high-priced items such as digital cameras or laptops and never deliver.

Before you buy from an individual on-line, check the major camera retailers. If you are getting a much lower price on ebay, it's probably fishy.

Start with B&H Camera in NYC. They are reputable.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/category/9...

Yes I buy all kinds of junk online. But dont use paypal.

If you use ebay, look at the seller's ratings to and comments by buyers.

Also, many sell refurbished equipment, which is not a bad thing, but you should know this up front. Sometimes it is hidden in the detailed descriptions or left out completely.

Other things to look at are shipping costs. Sometimes those are ridiculous
I have purchased much stuff on-line and as long as I check out the seller, things work out.

I do feel more comfortable buying from known shops such as Beach Camera, Buydig, Hunt Camera.

Like the other user said, try and avoid paypal, they are just a hassle and make online purchasing a choir.

buddy, anyone offering a 30D for under $800 is full of crap. Even for $850 to 900 be suspicious. And if it comes with a lens, under a grand is lookin sketch

Ebay I would be a little leary of unless it is coming from a reputable store.

I always check out every online store at Reseller Ratings website. If they don't score an 8 or above and have the price I want I move on. there are a lot of scammers out there so buyer beware.

more than likely it is, especially watch the place out of NYC, they're know for bait and switch, they'll try and sell you over priced accessories. if you don't bite on the overpriced add-ons, they'll tell you the item is on backorder. alot of the items are "grey market", market for int'l sells, so you don't have a USA warranty on the items, and will cost more inable to get fixed. the only reputable internet places in NYC online are adorama and B&H photo

I would not buy any expensive camera like that on e-bay unless they have good ratings and a return policy. On the other side of the coin I buy ALL my equipment from one source because I have been dealing with them for over 25 years (even before Internet) they are reliable, have gotten everything I asked for usually with-in a week.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

Hope this also helps,
Kevin

Not a good idea. Buying a camera online, even from a store (as opposed to an auction site) is risky at best. You don't really know what you're getting, and cameras, even digital ones, vary widely.

I suggest you go to an electronics store and take a look at the camera model in-store. See if you like the camera itself, and see what the price is. If the seller's asking price is much cheaper, the camera is likely damaged.

Buy cameras new, or at least in person. Even slight or unnoticable damage can have a big effect on your pictures. Better safe than sorry.