Are de-kitted lenses more prone to sample variation?

Impulses wrote:

Ron Outdoors wrote:

I got a Panasonic 14-140 the other week as part of a kit, with the G7 and 25mm. Already had a 14-140, so I planned to resell it. I compared the old and new, and my old one was sharper at every focal length. Not what I was expecting to see.

I didn't feel comfortable passing it on to someone else, so I returned the kit to Adorama. Had to pay shipping back. Then I saw today they also deducted the "free" shipping from my refund. I guess they didn't believe me about the lens. I imagine it will be resold to someone else now.

BTW, the first (sharper) lens was bought on eBay. Gray market I think. I doubt that there is any rule about what packaging gives you better copies of lenses.

That sucks, I would've tried arguing the point with them, tho I dunno if they have a policy of ever paying for return shipping. I don't think I paid for return shipping on bad 12-35 I got from B&H (zoom rubbed and squeaked more than any cheap zoom I've ever handled, and I tried breaking it in a bit); but I dunno what their stance on decentered lenses is either...

Amazon would probably accept whatever story you give, but they would definitely try reselling it if it looks good (sometimes as a Warehouse deal, but often as new, gotten a few opened packages from them myself). I would hope B&H/Adorama would be better about that kinda thing and would return it to Panasonic or sell it "refurb", but I really dunno.

Odds are Panasonic themselves would return it without much of a test anyway, at least to a customer... Everything is always "within spec" when it comes to that kinda flaw. I guess our acceptable margin for being within spec and theirs or Wasabi's differs a good deal.

I just emailed Adorama to complain about it. I've bought a several things in the past from them. Maybe they will make an adjustment. You're probably right that the lens would be found to be within spec, if it was checked.

I've returned things to B&H when they were not what I expected, rather then a defect. I paid the return shipping, but they didn't bill me the free shipping. And like you said, Amazon is very liberal with free returns. But I don't usually order more expensive items from them, as I'm in a state where they collect the sales tax.