Need to vent... MPB are a f-ing nightmare

[Andrew Reid]

Wonder how many of them are still there?

[Tim Sewell]

On 3/8/2025 at 11:16 PM, Andrew Reid said:

Wonder how many of them are still there?

Very few I'd guess. It's a very popular part-time gig for students in the city - of which there are many!

[Andrew Reid]

Nothing against students but you can tell they are part-timers at MPB.

[Andrew Reid]

So March 11th and still not resolved...

In fact Max, the guy at MPB "dealing with it" forget entirely about the other camera in the lost shipment and not only did he forget (it's not on the DHL insurance claims form) but he claims it was delivered in January.

So I had to re-send him the tracking number and order info.

Each time I think I am getting somewhere, it's as if the part-timer goes away for a week and comes back a new man.

Only less and less helpful every time.

Indeed, DHL allow you to start the claim for lost packages just 2 weeks after the tracking freezes with no movement.

However MPB forgot to do this too which is why I only just got the DHL claim form last Friday.

There's no refund for the order of the new item, and of course no compensation for the lost property of my own camera returned from the trade-in (there were 6 or 7 cameras on the trade-in and I sold them all, only taking the one back).

This could have been a 3000 euro camera, or multiple lenses, or worse.

Stuff going wrong with MPB is not that rare.

But I accept that mistakes happen.

It's all the stuff that's happened afterwards that troubles me. Part-time staff that don't seem to give a crap and don't do a good job. The waiting. Sometimes it takes a week or more to even get an email response.

Never had this with the UK team.

[MrSMW]

1 hour ago, Andrew Reid said:

Never had this with the UK team

I think...as you are discovering...and I have also had experience of, this is the issue and that is the UK team seem to be on the ball and the EU team 'less so'.

Hope you get it resolved and soon.

My bigger issue is not so much with MPB, but DHL as their primary courier company.

Maybe it's the same in all rural areas and I appreciate that most of the drivers are sub-contract being paid a pittance so anything that is even slightly off a convenient route, they inconveniently (for me) ignore. Repeatedly. And then pretend they called and I wasn't in...except my office window looks directly onto our 150m long lane, ie, you can't get within 150m of my house and me not see you.

[Andrew Reid]

The UK team respond pretty quickly, when mistakes do happen.

Feeling pretty desperate with the Berlin side, may have to turn to the management for help.

The problem is that the person dealing with me just doesn't really seem to communicate and is happy to let things drag on.

Does he not think...hmm... This has been going on since January now, shall I bring it to a close or continue to sit on my hands for another 2 months whilst I do without my gear and refund? All the impression I get so far is that he is happy to do that. And that's what makes me angry not the non-delivery.

[Andrew Reid]

55 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

My bigger issue is not so much with MPB, but DHL as their primary courier company.

This is why they need a drop off or store like WEX.

I don't mind DHL handling 500 euros worth of kit but when it's many thousands, going two ways potentially, the thought of that just fills me with dread.

Especially since the start of this year they have been on and off with strike action in Germany.

The guy at MPB let me drop off one box and that was it - said no more would be possible even though I live down the road.

So here we are... I knew this would happen!!

[newfoundmass]

Yeah, I'd escalate it to a manager or something. This is nonsense!

[Davide DB]

Escalate it quickly 

[Andrew Reid]

Done. Let's see what happens.

[MrSMW]

1 hour ago, Andrew Reid said:

Done. Let's see what happens.

He handed over to the other intern that works there this week, but is senior to him because he was also there last week.

[Andrew Reid]

He handed over to the intern at DHL who handed the paperwork to the part-time postman who handed it to his dog, who ate it and bit his leg, and now he has to go to hospital and will be off work for 3 months due to rabies concerns, but not to worry if i just send the form again via Adobe sign someone will pick up where DHL left off but in a different building without some key information, and the claim will go ahead but wrongly, which is where management have to step in and take over, but it's not that simple because there are legal steps they must take to avoid any more postmen being bitten by their own dogs, some of whom may indeed have rabies and now the doctors are all on strike, so it might be another 6 months before the DHL claims person is back at work but pregnant, and bitten by a nasty squirrel which invaded her balcony the week before, but she has long ago soft quit anyway so maybe it's best that MPB just refund me first before waiting for DHL, but that might not be possible either as the legal department are on holiday, and the only one in the office at the moment is being deported back to Afghanistan by the Conservatives who have all definitely, without a shadow of a doubt also got rabies but have never been properly tested due to an administration issue at the office for responsible governance.

[MrSMW]

^This^ sounds like trying to get even simple things done in France, but completely misses out having the local mayor having to sign off on it all.