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found a really good deal for a used bcd online, its in good working condition, just its 10 years old..?
found a really good deal for a used bcd online, its in good working condition, just its 10 years old..
apparently he's done diving and wants to get rid of it..wondering what the repercussions might be, and if u know anyone who uses a really old bcd that still works well
You're always taking a risk when you buy stuff online, especially second hand divegear from private individuals. The repercussions are:
The manufacturer warranty will likely no longer be valid, since you are not the original purchaser. That means that IF you were to buy it and IF it were to fail while you're using it, and IF that led to an accident, and IF you have no insurance cover, you would have little option to recover any accident-associated costs (e.g. evacuation, medical treatment, legal fees) but to sue the seller, with no guarantee of success (e.g. even if you won in court, the seller might be unable to reimburse you).
Assuming that the bladder itself is intact, I would recommend that you ask the seller to provide proof, such as an itemised receipt, that the BCD (inflator and dump valves) have been recently checked and serviced (i.e. in the past year) by a qualified technician or the original manufacturer: that way, the usability of the BCD becomes the technician/manufacturer's responsibility, at least for a year from the date of service (your mileage may vary, subject to local legislation).
If the seller can't or won't provide proof of servicing, then the question becomes, how much would the BCD plus servicing charges cost you, and is that still a significantly better deal than buying new? If not, I probably wouldn't buy it, if I were in your position. The only exception I might make is if it's an AP Valves BC, because those things are pretty solidly built in the first place, and AP Valves offer a reconditioning service (http://www.apvalves.com/uk/aftersales/servicing/) that doesn't seem to be restricted to the initial purchaser (although it does appear to be limited to UK residents).
I dived a Buddy Pioneer TD as a working instructor from 2002 to 2005, put about 2500 dives on it, and it was still working well at the end of that time. Didn't look so great, admittedly--colour faded, trim frayed, and both pocket zips busted (due to abuse, not poor quality)--but the important bits (valves, bladder, straps, buckles) were still intact and functioning. I've been toying with the idea of getting it reconditioned, but not done anything about it yet. (If I did, would you be interested...?) 
All the best.
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