Optima MKIII: Do Not Buy From Ebay, Unless...

[Mudfoot]

You do not want a warranty.

This is the listing for the Optima MKIII, that Ebay seller: cbidealsales was hawking:

Brand New Optima MK3 10 12 Meter Amateur Radio w Am FM LSB USB 50 Watts | eBay

This MORON distributor is located in Niles, Michigan. He had a number of MKIII's at a great price of $249.00 with free shipping. His listing states that warranty issues require that the radio be sent back to the factory in China. His listing also states, that, if the warranty seals are removed, your warranty is void.

My radio arrived without seals. I messaged the guy and he responded that it must have been a fluke. He said all the others have the seals. I filed an ebay claim and left negative feedback. In my claim, he responded that Key CB in Warren, Indiana is the warranty repair center. BULLSHIT, I just talked to Key CB and he said that ain't true.

This DORK was also selling a new Stryker 955 for way cheaper than anyone else. He has a few other listing for radios that are cheap. If you want to save some money, then buy from him. If you should ever need warranty service on anything, then bend over and take one for the team, cause your S.O.L. on a warranty claim.

Stryker Listing:

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5336136228&icep_item=251208936511

Anyway, I got messages from 2 other ebay sellers that bought the Optima MKIII from him. One seller left neutral and the other left positive, both wrote me that the warranty seals are absent. This helped me win my claim. The guy is a scammer, so beware.

If you want an Optima MKII, or the new MKIII, pay the extra money and order it from Yeticom, so you'll have a warranty.

I'm hoping someone here can post this distributors business name and address (other than his ebay handle) so everyone can make an informed descision before buying anything from him. I know A1 Telecom is in Niles, mmmmmm.

This guy is obviously getting Optima shipments from the factory that arrive in the amateur band jumpered position without seals, or they come in the export mode with seals. He would then have to remove the seal and move the jumper to the ham bands to keep things somewhat legal.

Support Dave at Yeticom...He's the guy responsible for the damned radio in the first place. Don't be a cheap bastard like me and order from the shithead in Michigan.

But, even the Yeticom Optimas have been buggy lately. Plus the display issue is a non warranted defect.

 

[70cst]

Thanks for the info ...

One gets what they pay for ...

 

[Wire Dawg]

Thanks for saving me a headache.

 

[Tucker442]

Duster I am quite surprised at your comment, guess that guy in Michigan really ticked you off. Like you said, buy from him to get a deal but without any warranty what good is that. I did that with the first Alpha radio I bought with the RF Rain control, plain white box, no serial number on the radio, no manufacture name on it, but it worked ok. Version 1 I guess

 

[Mudfoot]

He's just your standard liar.

 

[Turbo T]

I know this is an old thread, but....

I am considering getting one of these. I see there's someone in Niles, Michigan on eBay under the username of "azdrac" who runs a store called "cbradiocomputer". They sell these and have 100% good feedback. They've beem on eBay since 2000, but eBay does not disclose the date of their sales, just if it's been within a year or more than a year ago.

I don't suppose this is the same seller by chance, with a new alias, and eBay in their pocket?

 

[918Oklahoma]

I almost bought one until i found a good deal here on the forum (the seller also got his from ebay). Id take my chance with it, great price. Otherwise if youre ordering from yeticom, you can expect to pay 100$ more with shipping... $340 was the quote they gave me.

 

[binrat]

I know this is an old thread, but....

I am considering getting one of these. I see there's someone in Niles, Michigan on eBay under the username of "azdrac" who runs a store called "cbradiocomputer". They sell these and have 100% good feedback. They've beem on eBay since 2000, but eBay does not disclose the date of their sales, just if it's been within a year or more than a year ago.

I don't suppose this is the same seller by chance, with a new alias, and eBay in their pocket?

I would say it's the same yahoo that MF was talking about. Both users are from Niles Michigan which has the population of 11,430 (2013). I had a Mk II and I got it from Yeticom, no need to tune it up out of the box.

 

[undertaker]

Well it does have to come across the pond you know...

 

[Tucker442]

If I was going to buy a new one again I would go with Yeticom, honest place to deal with and Dave from Yeticom is the original person that got the manufacture to make it to his specs so really it is his design. I still using my MKII and love it

 

[CDX8412]

I got my Optima off eBay back in October 2014, from the seller Cold Front Sales, which has a location listed as Toledo Ohio. The radio did come from Niles MI, according to the tracking info. I would wonder if the Niles MI distributor is fullfilling orders for Cold Front Sales, or if they are one in the same?

Although the original posts in this thread are almost two years old, my radio did arrive with the warranty seals intact and the radio does have full coverage from 12 through 10 meters. I find no reason to remove the covers, although the FM deviation is still a tad on the light side, even though the MKIII is supposed to have increased FM deviation.

The radio comes with the smaller microphone that is similar to the original Magnum 257/ Radio Shack HTX-10 design, and it does provide good audio. It is however, different from the mic pictured on the Yeticom site. I tried several Icom mics on my Optima, but chose to go with an Astatic 575 and an 8 pin (Icom) to 4 pin (Cobra) adaptor cable, which I got from cw-man on eBay.

I like this radio very much, and could only wish that the folks at YeticomNZ had opted to add an RIT/XIT function and CTCSS tone capability. That would have made it a fantastic 12/10m rig.

 

[wheelman918]

I almost bought one until i found a good deal here on the forum (the seller also got his from ebay). Id take my chance with it, great price. Otherwise if youre ordering from yeticom, you can expect to pay 100$ more with shipping... $340 was the quote they gave me.

ive learned my lesson buying radios online, and if i did it would have to be from the factory with a warranty, no more super hacker radios from spock or bones lol

 

[918Oklahoma]

Yeah but these yeticoms selling for cheaper on ebay are just suppliers who are buying them from the factory wholesale, so they get a huge break on shipping costs, thus passing the savings on to the buyer. These arent hacked radios if they are going as New on ebay, they should still be under warranty from the date of purchase. Unless yeticom isn't honoring their own factory warranty.

 

[wheelman918]

Yeah but these yeticoms selling for cheaper on ebay are just suppliers who are buying them from the factory wholesale, so they get a huge break on shipping costs, thus passing the savings on to the buyer. These arent hacked radios if they are going as New on ebay, they should still be under warranty from the date of purchase. Unless yeticom isn't honoring their own factory warranty.

thats why i want an mk3 im sick of the hacked 007 radios, i tested that lescomm dx 959 custom 5304 board and sx 350 power cabinet vs my ultra hacked by a master cobra 148f gtl and a 2 pill 2879 black widow hacked and made in 1993 just give that lescomm a good old fashion whooping so convincingly well it gone, so ordered a texas star dx 667 v to compliment the old beast. i actually talked to a guy Christmas day during my 200 mile drive he was in san diego i was in kansas he was on an mk3 im sold on the mk3 all the way that thing sounded amazing and was rock stable loud clear audio, i like everything about that radio, im going to order direct from yeticom survival systems in nz very stable i high requirement for me that lescomm thing drifted so bad it was horrible. That was stupid i should have ordered the yeticom no doubt

 

[wheelman918]

thats why i want an mk3 im sick of the hacked 007 radios, i tested that lescomm dx 959 custom 5304 board and sx 350 power cabinet vs my ultra hacked by a master cobra 148f gtl and a 2 pill 2879 black widow hacked and made in 1993 just give that lescomm a good old fashion whooping so convincingly well it gone, so ordered a texas star dx 667 v to compliment the old beast. i actually talked to a guy Christmas day during my 200 mile drive he was in san diego i was in kansas he was on an mk3 im sold on the mk3 all the way that thing sounded amazing and was rock stable loud clear audio, i like everything about that radio, im going to order direct from yeticom survival systems in nz very stable i high requirement for me that lescomm thing drifted so bad it was horrible. That was stupid i should have ordered the yeticom no doubt

from what i understand they have a rougher model only from yeticom survival systems just for expedition rigs. wonder if you can run a 667 with it turned down?