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

[MrSMW]

5 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

Did the French have any involvement in the early stages?

Yeah, that would do it.

 

[Andrew Reid]

They had the chance to prevent WW2 but wimped out of it.

Similarly MPB have the chance to prevent WW2 with me but continue to perform a cover-up on the a7s III situation.

The order was simply nerfed. It's vanished.

[Geoff_L]

On 4/2/2025 at 10:21 AM, MrSMW said:

Well I just ordered the 3 new used prime lenses I need for this year for my S9, an 18, a 50 and the 85.

I'd rather have gone for the 100 over the 85, but as they are about twice the price...and those 18's aren't exactly cheap!

Let's hope my delivery turns up!

It's DHL rather than MPB from this point forwards and with delivery they are usually 'OK', but absolutely terrible with pickups.

So, how did it turn out? I might order from them (delivery to France also), but not really sure...

[MrSMW]

1 hour ago, Geoff_L said:

So, how did it turn out?

Zero issues.

To be fair, my issues have not so much been with MPB but with DHL regarding pick ups and deliveries.

Because so many drivers are sub-contractors these days and get paid peanuts, in more rural areas, they skip as many of the more distant collections or deliveries with the latter often being dumped at some collection point 10-15km away, or undelivered with claims that the recipient was not in to sign.

But in recent times, it seems these sub-contracts have been taken over by the post office and they simply deliver or collect on their normal rounds.

MPB themselves have downgraded me on a couple of items I have sold to them but have equally, upgraded quite a few.

Prices can be a bit all over the place and based on what I am not sure.

At one point a year or so back, Canon R3's were well over 5k and as a result, I decided against and bought something else...only for the prices to go under 4k within weeks. I pondered that for a while and made a business case for Canon, but all units were sold out by then and when they had new stock (I set up an alert), back over 5k again!

I had same condition S5ii trade price of around 1k one week and below 700 the following week...

My 3 lenses that completed this years kit though, all exactly as expected and will be in use in a few weeks time.

[Geoff_L]

11 hours ago, MrSMW said:

Zero issues.

To be fair, my issues have not so much been with MPB but with DHL regarding pick ups and deliveries.

Because so many drivers are sub-contractors these days and get paid peanuts, in more rural areas, they skip as many of the more distant collections or deliveries with the latter often being dumped at some collection point 10-15km away, or undelivered with claims that the recipient was not in to sign.

But in recent times, it seems these sub-contracts have been taken over by the post office and they simply deliver or collect on their normal rounds.

MPB themselves have downgraded me on a couple of items I have sold to them but have equally, upgraded quite a few.

Prices can be a bit all over the place and based on what I am not sure.

At one point a year or so back, Canon R3's were well over 5k and as a result, I decided against and bought something else...only for the prices to go under 4k within weeks. I pondered that for a while and made a business case for Canon, but all units were sold out by then and when they had new stock (I set up an alert), back over 5k again!

I had same condition S5ii trade price of around 1k one week and below 700 the following week...

My 3 lenses that completed this years kit though, all exactly as expected and will be in use in a few weeks time.

Good to hear thanks 🙂
Concerning deliveries, I can certainly relate as I've lived most of my life in rural areas in the French mountains. I worked at a public administration which was open from 8 to 17, and I remember experiencing the infamous "recipient was not in to sign" ahah. Drove us crazy, especially the reception secretaries who often stayed on expressly during lunch time in order to collect parcels. But back then it was still "La Poste" who was in charge (often relying on temporary workers though).

I've lived abroad for the last 3 years and have just moved back to France, and I kind of discover this wave of "sub-contractor drivers". I can see them jumping from door to door in their Hertz renting van and sometimes using an old "La poste" jacket who has seen more sunsets than Michel Drucker (I hope you picked up our national running jokes 😅). Still, I'm temporary located in a city and they seem to do a great job from what I see and hear (and I've had only nice and "friendly" encounters with them). Just feel annoyed for them when i see them carrying a mountain of Prime boxes for the old timers next door who appeared to have been hooked with the almost hidden check box "click here if you're absolutely sure that, despite the fantastic offer on Prime, you want to say no to such an incredible offer, and at the same time, no, we've changed our minds, if you click here you solemnly declare your willingness not to refuse what we've said and you've probably now forgotten." on the Amazon page prior to pay your order.

Anyway, we'll see. I now only have to decide on what gear to buy !

[MrSMW]

9 hours ago, Geoff_L said:

Anyway, we'll see. I now only have to decide on what gear to buy !

Buy anything that @Andrew Reid hoped to buy, just so he can’t.

[Andrew Reid]

Did you happen to receive an A7S III with faulty bluetooth for just over a grand?

And a Leica Q?

Maybe it will turn up in about 3 months speaking french?!