Need to vent... MPB are a fucking nightmare

[Andrew Reid]

I have done a lot of business with MPB over the years and around 50% of the time something is always going wrong. I find that I simply can't trust them any more. MPB were once a sponsor of EOSHD, we had a really good relationship. So the experiences are all more recent and in my opinion things have gone right down hill.

Sent some stuff to be traded-in in Berlin, and asked if it was ok to drop it off at the door since I live 20 minutes away from them.

First time they said yes, sure. So rather than trust the post, I dropped the box off myself. But at the warehouse, just a metal door and no staff, so you can't make a habit of it. Why they don't have a proper physical drop off point let alone a walk-in store for a shop of their size and trade volume is beyond me. As if they can't be bothered to get an extra 3 or 4 staff.

Then in predictably ironic fashion they lost a delivery via DHL, more on that in a minute.

The condition rating "Excellent" is one of the other problems... they seem to place a lot of quite heavily used and sometimes faulty stuff in that bracket. I know because I have received it!

Once I had a camera with a faulty HDMI port, no mention of it in the description. Another time, a Leica M Typ 240 which you'd think they'd spot the broken dial on. Apparently not.

This was in the UK, but be it Berlin or EU they're all the same company... although you wouldn't know it, because the Europe-wide MPB website staff refuse to talk to you if you ordered from the DE website, even though it's in the same building, same stock, same warehouse, with same people in it, in the same city.

So DHL lost the package they sent out with at least 900 euros worth of gear in it. So after a week of the tracking showing it hadn't moved in Berlin despite going from Berlin to Berlin, I got in touch. They were quite unsympathetic and told me to wait 14 days. So come nearly a month later without my stuff (part of it my OWN GEAR which was sent back as part of a trade-in I didn't use as they quoted far less than promised for it), on 17th Feb I asked them to investigate. This guy, I use the term lightly as he's more a fucking bellend from my perspective, then replies back immediately and says he's opened a Lost in Transit case with his security team, who will presumably now open a case with DHL. So I come back 10 days later for an update and find they never bothered even doing that, they simply forgot.

So it's now over a month without the gear, and I have about 2500 euros worth of open trade with them that they want to send in for a quote via, yes you guessed it, DHL... no drop off possible any more.

They really seemed to have gone downhill and I don't think their hiring philosophy or getting workshy depressed part-time photographers is doing anything much for their operations side... maybe get some staff who are able to communicate and carry out basic procedures on time, that would be a start.

[ita149]

8 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

The condition rating "Excellent" is one of the other problems... they seem to place a lot of quite heavily used and sometimes faulty stuff in that bracket. I know because I have received it!

 

I stopped to sell my gear with MPB two years ago. 
I had a very good experience at first, they were always serious. 
However, my last 2 sales have been disappointing, each time they have lowered my rating. I baby my gear and even when I sold a GX9 brand new (because I bought it with 3 lenses for a very good price), they lowered the condition to "excellent". The camera was new, with box etc ...  And worse, they lowered the price of their "excellent" condition while the camera was in their warehouse.

I saw some people saying MPB bought them some lenses with an "average rating" and later sold them with "excellent" rating. They recognized their lenses on the pics. 
I don't know if it's true but I wouldn't be surprised if it is.

[Andrew Reid]

Depending on the country, I can highly recommend WEX and I've had good experiences with RCE Foto in Berlin, can walk in and exchange gear / buy gear / get paid cash the same day with a proper store and they offer pretty fair prices too, better than Calumet or MPB in most cases.

MPB started off as a really well organized business. Not sure what changed in recent years but when it goes wrong with MPB now it REALLY goes wrong. Their staff just seem to sit on their hands and can't communicate.

With MPB in the UK I had to haggle for ages just to get them to honor a voucher which was promised in exchange for keeping hold of a camera with a fault which wasn't part of the condition rating or as described.

And then other times they have gone above and beyond, they're so unpredictable.

[Andrew Reid]

"Despite our efforts with DHL, we have been unable to track your package. As a result, we have now escalated the matter to an official investigation of the missing package."

Unable to track... no shit! Tracking hadn't moved for 3 weeks when I alerted them to it. 10 days just to tell me what we already know.

"Our internal security team will be in touch with you shortly to request additional information and documentation that will help us resolve this case."

What can I provide them that I haven't already... pathetic redundant procedures.

They sent the fucking parcel anyway, not me.

"Please note that the full investigation and outcome may take up to 30 days."

By which time it will be over 2 months since the delivery was supposed to arrive.

"Your cooperation is essential during the investigation process as we may require additional information. Please provide us with the requested information promptly to ensure an effective investigation. Please note that while we conduct our investigations carefully, the outcome does not guarantee a successful claim if the package is deemed lost."

Ah how very reassuring MPB, thank you very much.

[MrSMW]

2 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

They really seemed to have gone downhill

Same here.

I won't bore you with what or why or when, but I used to get a sense that they cared a few years back.

The last year or two, not so much.

They are also missing a trick by not recognising, never mid rewarding repeat customers.

Just like insurance companies that spend money on attracting new customers which err, costs money and then giving them a new customer discount costing them, err, more money, whilst at the same time saying to potentially renewing customers, "you can fuck off elsewhere".

The complete brainless twats that run these businesses never fails to amaze me.

But then I cannot be bothered to spend any real time raging against the world because it's a fruitless time suck, so a quick rant and then I move on!

[Andrew Reid]

It's a shame isn't it, as their range of gear is incredible. Well designed website, all well photographed, fast shipping (when it doesn't go missing).

I know DHL being shit isn't MPB's fault, but you'd think they would try and at least care. I had several emails simply go unanswered over a period of a whole week and these were the polite ones before I had to start shouting at them, which sadly seems necessary for them to do anything apparently!

8 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

The complete brainless twats that run these businesses never fails to amaze me.

Indeed, I mean for a start having a prime location and warehouse in Berlin but failing to open a proper walk in camera store for the 4 million people on your doorstep is a bit of a red flag when it comes to management.

[Fairkid]

They sent me a nice box of chocolates at Christmas! lol

[Fairkid]

I have only had one bad experience with them when I sent a them a good lens and they told me it had water damage so they offered a paltry amount. I asked them to send it back and the lens came back to me with a lot of new play in the focus mech and they had lost the lens hood! Leica lens so the hood was worth a bit. In their defence they paid for me to have it serviced and paid for the hood. I sold it to a small shop for decent money in the end. 

[MurtlandPhoto]

4 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

The condition rating "Excellent" is one of the other problems... they seem to place a lot of quite heavily used and sometimes faulty stuff in that bracket. I know because I have received it!

I've experienced this both ways with them, too. Once I bought an "Excellent" condition camera only to receive a dust and grime covered beater. That was a quick return. 

[MurtlandPhoto]

1 hour ago, MrSMW said:

They are also missing a trick by not recognising, never mid rewarding repeat customers.

Agreed. I've purchased and sold a bunch of stuff with them and am a model customer on paper. But, there was a time I felt it appropriate for them to extend some good faith my way when I needed something shipped before a trade in was completed. No dice. A smaller shop would definitely have done so with the relationship we had.

[Andrew Reid]

40 minutes ago, Fairkid said:

I have only had one bad experience with them when I sent a them a good lens and they told me it had water damage so they offered a paltry amount. I asked them to send it back and the lens came back to me with a lot of new play in the focus mech and they had lost the lens hood! Leica lens so the hood was worth a bit.

Is this why they sent you the box of chocolates?

[MurtlandPhoto]

1 hour ago, Fairkid said:

I have only had one bad experience with them when I sent a them a good lens and they told me it had water damage so they offered a paltry amount. I asked them to send it back and the lens came back to me with a lot of new play in the focus mech and they had lost the lens hood! Leica lens so the hood was worth a bit. In their defence they paid for me to have it serviced and paid for the hood. I sold it to a small shop for decent money in the end. 

Are you 100% sure they sent you back your lens and not another copy of it??? Either way, that's messed up.

[MrSMW]

They are also muppets.

I had an error message on an S5ii that would not go away so they said send it back for a replacement under warranty.

I said fine, but instead of sending me the replacement, can you please instead simply fund me for the trade in price?

No, we have to send you the replacement unit (at our expense) and then you send it back to us (at our expense).

Eh? So you actively wish to pay twice for a courier?

Why not simply save yourselves the bother of packaging and shipping and just pop the funds in my account?

No, it is not protocol.

The actual answer was, "hey thanks, that's a good idea and we can save the company a bit of hassle and cost".

But no, Jim Henson may be long gone but muppetry exists and thrives in his absence.

[Andrew Reid]

It takes a special kind of Kermitting to wind me up as a love camera shopping more than life itself.

But MPB have managed it, on about 5 separate occasions now in two countries, which is an achievement Gonzo himself would be proud of.

I think posting off thousands of euros of gear to a warehouse 20 mins bike ride away is daft.

Especially if the post is on strike or it's DHHelllll.

Their staff are so bad at communicating or making you feel valued. They let me drop stuff off once, and then dodged the question and refused to answer when I wanted to do it a second time. How about catering for this demand of 20-30 high-value customers per day wanting to do business with you and open a fucking counter!

I don't care if it has Miss Piggy herself behind it, it's better than losing $$$ to the post!

[BTM_Pix]

28 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

I think posting off thousands of euros of gear to a warehouse 20 mins bike ride away is daft.

Especially if the post is on strike or it's DHHelllll.

I've spotted an opportunity for you to be able to drop stuff off and stay within their DHL only policy ..

[BTM_Pix]

You could take it to the nearest DHL drop off point to MPB as it is literally round the corner.

Even DHL would struggle to misplace something during that route.

[Andrew Reid]

1 hour ago, BTM_Pix said:

I've spotted an opportunity for you to be able to drop stuff off and stay within their DHL only policy ..

LOL!!

An ingenious solution isn't it?

[MrSMW]

Don’t get me started on DHL…

 

[eatstoomuchjam]

8 minutes ago, MrSMW said:

Don’t get me started on DHL…

Counterpoint... if ever there were a place to vent...

(my own experience with them has been mostly neutral, but there was the time when I bought a camera from a man in Austria and they asked for the same paperwork at least 10 times)

[Fairkid]

4 hours ago, MurtlandPhoto said:

Are you 100% sure they sent you back your lens and not another copy of it??? Either way, that's messed up.

Yes, it was an oldish lens and I think they may have attempted to take it apart.