In reply to johncook:
> Why do people buy safety gear of Ebay or second hand from unverifiable sources. I don't even let people belay me if they are in a harness they have bought of one of these iffy sites!
Because it's cheaper. Also because it is hard to damage a harness to the point where it is in dangerous condition without it being obvious to a visual inspection (the OP is a case in point).
Of course you wouldn't have a detailed knowledge of its history, but the same is true (to a lesser extent) of a harness that you have owned from new. Overall, it is a risk that I would be comfortable with.
People buy 2nd hand cars all the time, and there are hundreds of components in these that are safety critical and
could have non visible damage. Would you ride in a car that had been bought from gumtree? I'm sure that there are people who would say no, but objectively speaking it probably isn't the sort of risk that should really bother you.
