mpb.com! Is it me or are they getting worse as a company?

icemanonline

I have dealt with mpb.com for years.  Sold lots of gear and in general been pretty happy with them.  Lately I have not had a great experience with them.  Few months back was offered a low ball amount for a Panasonic lens... But because I have serious medial issues ongoing I decided to just sell the lens.  As with all my gear the lens was in excellent condition.  Mpb emailed me back few days later saying there was fungas In the lens!  At that point I called them....had a good conversation on the phone and told them to send the lens back.  I would have it looked at a shop in Edinburgh called " Cameraattics" Morningside.  Amazingly, within the hour, Mpb emailed saying they were mistaken and the original price would be paid!  It was, but I find that odd!

Fast forward to now....

My medical situation is getting Grim.... So I have decided to sell my last camera lens e.c.t and asked mpb for a price.  Got an email and the price they offered for the camera and lens was terrible.  I then emailed a guy called Oliver who is just not interested .....   So I decided to look at the actual gear they have for sale and do a little bit of calculated figures and just set how much of a difference they have offered.  After looking at the same camera and lens combo.... I have worked out that mpb are offering between £129 and £159 of a difference!  After taking into account their cost for pickup ( commercial rate agreed with courier) and some in house database work..... They are still dropping between £114 - £146 against what they already have online...... That's terrible.  Add to that from my personal experience... The attitude I have had on calls us just dire.  Lastly mpb Comms are lacking... And that was before the lens problem, I have had to chase them up on more occasions than not to get them to update ongoing transactions.

Anyway ....Rant over.   Anybody else think Mpb.com are not as good as they once were?

Ice

AMc

Don't know if it's just you, there are plenty of others complaining here...
Who’s the best for trade in’s these days
Don't know if it's deliberate low balling or they're actually being more careful as they've been accepting substandard stuff and then having to deal with returns from buyers etc.

My last experience was buying a body cap lens and the price was fine as were the goods. I was a bit irritated that they charged £5 or so and it took a couple of days to deliver.  It did arrive in a massive box when a Jiffy bag and 1st class would have been fine

I've had quotes from them several times but never anything that came close to what I was hoping to get so I haven't followed through.  I've accepted close to their trade in value privately to help a fellow photographer out though.

Buying and part ex. I've used WEX and Camera Jungle.
WEX were very picky about the trade-in gear but that was OK because the price on what they would take was more than I expected to get.
Camera Jungle delivered me a camera body that wasn't to the grade they'd advertised but they were OK with a partial refund to put things right.

I've noticed with all of them but MBP and Camera Jungle particularly the price of goods for sale varies dramatically over weeks by tens of pounds for no reason I can really see.

wysinawyg

Well I was in a hurry so didn't really shop around - but my one instance of selling to them they actually gave me more than the quote.  I'd given condition details without my gear in front of me and rated a nifty fifty as good when it was really excellent or whatever.

No prompting from me but on checking they just came back offering an extra tenner or so on the basis it was really excellent.

A bit slow through the process and I actually had to chase for payment ( a week had gone by after giving my details but I was paid within a couple of hours of querying where the money was) but overall I was pretty satisfied.

icemanonline

Yes.. Chasing for the payment I have always had to do.  Email contact is poor from them to you.  Not good.

Ice

icemanonline

Thx for feedback.  I have only every used wex  when I wanted to trade gear...... And wex are great.  And mbp when selling for cash....

This time I'm Bowing out so needed cash but I think they are being especially tight or just mean with the offer.  

Ice

snerkler

Sorry to hear your health is deteriorating I’ve seen a lot of complaints about MPB lately, but I am wondering if more and more companies are going this way. I don’t find Harrison’s offer as good prices as they did, plus don’t find some of their lenses as good as descibided either.

spannersatcx

I've used Calumet/WEX and found them very good, I have also used Jessops and they were good too!

car-man

I currently have some gear with them, they have had it for a week now!
I rang yesterday to be told that my gear was in the checking process and I would receive an email yesterday afternoon....I haven't yet received that email and this morning they are not answering the phone or the email I sent mid morning.
Very poor service! I'm not impressed!

icemanonline

Yeah.. That's the kind of service of late we have had... And on the phone the other day speaking to Rachel, the attitude was just plain rude!  How dare I question their offer on some stuff!

Anyway...I will not be using them again - ever!

Ice

car-man

Sorry to hear that Ice

I have had the email now and been promised payment within 3 working days...hopefully that is correct!