“I enquired about buying a lens from them and sent them a message, I eventually got a message back 3 days later telling the lens I interested in did not have any dust inside it and was in good condition. I replied to them saying thanks I will purchase the lens, HOWEVER! The price had suddenly gone up by £450! huh? I asked why but still awaiting a reply.
What do i think?
VERY DODGY!
Dear Truspilot before you remove my genuine review I have the evidence and spoke with Jake their Customer Experience Advisor.”
“MPB is the worst company I’ve ever worked with. I bought a lens, but decided to cancel the order so I could with a better one I found afterwards. I worked with one of the customer service representatives to cancel my order. They assured me the order was cancelled, and I bought the other lens. The next day, I received an email saying the lens was being dispatched from my house original order. I reached out to MPB again and they told me it was a soft glitch in the system. So not only did they lie the order was cancelled, they refused to follow up and notify me about it. They refused to give me a refund until the order was received back citing company policies. I’m fairly certain their company policy doesn’t include lying to customers. In addition, the other lens I ordered which was graded as “excellent” is in “good” condition at best. Highly considering returning it. Do not order from this company! Adorama, KEH, and B&H have much better prices and customer service.”
“This was perhaps my worst ever customer service experience and I still haven't even resolved it, I was trying to put off writing a review until it was fully resolved but I don't know if it ever will be, so here we go.
TLDR: Sent me only one of my three items and somehow sent the others to someone else, made me wait 3 full weeks with no updates, refunded me for the missing items and refused to allow me to get another SKU of the same camera with the same accessories for the same price I paid for the lost one, then ghosted me.
Full Story: I ordered a Sigma FP, a lens for it, and a gimbal. I had picked this particular body, only in "good" condition, because it was cheap and had a third party grip and camera cage, which I was specifically interested in getting. This was the largest purchase I've made in years and I trusted MPB since they are supposed to be reputable. I got a package a few days later and I immediately noticed that it was too small and light to have my items in it. I opened it to find that sure enough, it was just the lens and nothing else. I contacted support, and was told that they had a photo of all my items together before they were packed so I should check the box again. As if I wouldn't check... the box. I told them that the box wasn't even big enough to fit the gimbal in it, they told me they would open an investigation into the missing items and would contact me. They didn't. Two days later I contacted them again and was told that the investigation was still ongoing. Same thing again two days later. One full week after my first contact, I called them and was told the same thing. Then a few days later I contacted AGAIN and was told the same thing. Finally about two and a half weeks later they refunded me without asking if that was even what I wanted, and when I said that I didn't want a refund, I wanted a camera, they told me that I could buy a different SKU. Now, the only other SKU on their site that also had the grip and cage accessories that I wanted was in better condition, and as such was about $150 more than the one I had originally tried to buy. I asked if I could get a discount on it to get it for the same price I already paid. I was instead offered a $50 off a purchase of $250 or more coupon. I responded and told them that that coupon was useless to me because I had a student discount coupon that was more of a discount. They told me they couldn't combine the coupons, and they couldn't give me any other discount. I asked to talk to someone higher up, who told me the same thing and suggested that I buy my items separately to get the most use out of the coupon. I explained that that wouldn't help, since the gimbal was less than $250 so I couldn't use their coupon, and the camera body was over $1000 so the 5% off student discount was more than the $50 off coupon. The person responded with a snarky response about how if I was not willing to buy them separately then I should just save the code for the future. I responded and yet again walked step by step through how buying the items separately wouldn't help me, despite having already explained that. I was then told that I should just save the code for next time then. I sent one more follow up email explaining that all I really wanted was the camera I originally ordered, and that as someone who has worked in customer service myself for over 10 years that I thought it was reasonable to expect them to give me the other SKU that I thought would be a valid replacement for the price that I had already paid, since they were the ones that messed up my order and left me confused and frustrated for three weeks as I waited with no information. I explained that I had had to cancel shoots I had planned because I ended up not having a camera. I wasn't trying to get something for free, I just wanted them to allow me to get the other SKU with the accessories that I wanted for the price I paid for the one they lost. I never received a response to that email, and that was two days ago and I can't imagine I'll hear anything else from them either.
I would NOT trust them with my money or my gear after this experience, and I would not expect to hear anything useful from their "customer service" if there is an issue.”
“MPB in Brooklyn New York is the biggest on-line scammer I have ever come across in my years of buying merchandise on-line. I came across them when researching companies that buy used photography equipment. They responded quickly with a prepaid shipping address where to send the equipment and a firm quote on how much they will pay.
After receiving the photo equipment they quote a firm price they will pay you, and promise to send out a check.
Needless to say a check never came, and when you call they now want to directly deposit into your checking account, requiring you to send them your bank checking account information including routing number and account number and name of the person on the account, and a copy of a recent bank account statement so they can deposit the quoted purchase into your account.
Well guess what, they now have everything they need to scam your checking account and withdraw funds!!!
Needless to say I never sent that information, and they wouldn't take my calls to return the equipment.
I'm sorry I didn't investigate this company more thoroughly, because the web is full of posts by folks scammed by mpb.com.”
“I desperately wish I had come to this site before sending a large amount of gear to them recently. I photographed everything before shipping, and they based their quotes accordingly. The first red flag was the number of items that were reduced significantly from the original quote despite them having photos beforehand. But I still was willing to go forward for the (alleged) ease and simplicity of just getting it all done at once. But then several items were reported 'missing' according to their technicians, and they said they wouldn't pay for them as a result. I knew what I sent, and insisted they look again, and after some time they magically reappeared. But what really put me over the top was the notification that one of my Sachtler tripod heads would not be purchased after all because it was 'missing a part'. Indignant, I asked what part was missing and they told me it was the balance slide lock on the head. I had already told them that I removed that for shipment (to avoid possible damage in transit) and taped it to the side of the head. Thinking the tape must have come off, I asked them to look in the box again. Once more, after some time, they 'found it' but said it was stripped so they still didn't want to buy the head. Even more upset now, I questioned how it could be stripped when it wasn't even shipped with it in place. I figured their technician must have forced it or cross-threaded it because it was perfect when I shipped it. They only commented that their technicians are 'highly trained experts' and know what they're doing. At that point, I offered to buy another thumbscrew and send it to them. After another delay in communication, they reported that it was stripped on the head, not the screw. This REALLY upset me since that is a much bigger problem and more expensive repair. And since I knew it was fine when I shipped it, I began to question MPB completely. So at that point, I asked them to just return everything to me. I had not signed off on the transaction yet, so it was all still MY gear. They crammed into 4 boxes what I had shipped in 8 cases and boxes, with everything basically thrown together with simple paper wrapping. Tripod heads were thrown in a jumble right next to servo zoom lenses similarly wrapped in paper only. Thankfully, most of my items were packed in their OEM packaging that I always keep just for this reason. MPB didn't even want the OEM boxes but I shipped my items in them anyway because I knew they'd be more secure that way. When I got everything unpacked, I discovered over $1,000 in camera build components missing. I had shipped them 4 built cameras with baseplates, cages, rails and lens supports. When they came back, ALL of the camera builds had been completely disassembled even though MPB didn't own them yet, we had not signed off on the transaction. When I contacted MPB about this, they replied that they 'couldn't find' the items, and since they weren't 'individually quoted' they wouldn't pay for the missing components either even though all of this was clearly depicted in the photographs sent to them to prepare those quotes. Finally, when I got a look at the tripod head that they said was 'stripped', it was just fine. That model of Sachtler has a little channel in the head with the nut to slide in as the thumbscrew is tightened. When the thumbscrew is removed, the nut can slide out of reach unless you tip the head to allow gravity to make contact with the thumbscrew and connect. A child would be able to figure this out by just looking at it, but their 'highly trained experts' apparently could not figure it out and since the thumbscrew never made contact with the nut, they just assumed it was stripped. I even quizzed their staff about how they ship Sachtler tripod heads in particular, just to get a sense of how highly trained they really are. I have used Sachtler exclusively for 35 years, and anyone who knows anything about Sachtler heads knows you never ship them with any of the drag settings engaged since they are not 'fluid' heads but use a system of cams to create drag. Those cams can become damaged if the head is dropped or heavily impacted when the drag settings are at any setting other than '0'. They didn't even know that. 'Highly trained experts'? Not even close. I would avoid at all costs... it's not worth the hassle and possible damage and theft of your items.”
“They aim to make at least 70% from any item you trade with them. It is to cover shipping, storage and VAT costs - it does sound a lot, though. I am going to stick with Ebay”
“I bought a Canon M100 listed in "Like New" condition. The sensor is very badly scratched and the damage shows up on images, especially when the lens is stopped down to narrow apertures. I waited months for a "Like New" camera in this model to show up on their site and I am very disappointed to receive a camera more accurately rated as "Spares and Repairs."”
“MPB knowingly sells grey market lenses. They have done it to me twice. Once you're grey market lens has any issue, repair shops will not work on them due to the grey market nature. Spend the extra money and buy directly from the manufacturer.”
“I have bought a canon lens and now a lovely canon camera and both described as excellent condition and both came on time and well packaged I will buy from mpb again and recommend to anyone who asks. Well done and happy Xmas”
“I bought a Sigma 500mm from this company for £469.95. When I was checking through the prices and availability on their website, there was one available for cheap but was tatty and, according to the description, had dampness inside the lens. Obviously I avoided this one and spent a bit more on a better one. Why the company was selling a lens with damp in it is beyond me, I guess greed and shoddiness had something to do with it.
When I got my lens, it was really tatty, had no box, the lock button didn’t work and it had a damp patch in it and had an intermittent issue with communicating with my camera. It took me almost two weeks of emails to finally get the company to replace my lens, they really were quite reluctant to be of any help and to send me a replacement. They even charged me an extra £10 for a better lens despite all the issues I had.
Personally, I won’t be using the company again, they’re not particularly good at what they do, the customer service is unbearably shoddy and I’m guessing I got very lucky in getting a replacement.
Avoid at all costs unless you enjoy a very poor customer service experience and poor quality products.”
“Appalling service. Purchased several hundreds of pounds worth of equipment. MPB gave courier service incorrect address - parcel went astray. MPB did not respond for 3 days, then suggested that I go in search of the parcel myself, and if I can’t find it to contact the police and report a theft!”
“Bad bad bad. I have worked with them couple of time. Until i have a very bad experience. I have biught one camera "good" condition. Is came with a small default. I just kept it because i bought it as "good" not "perfect". The camera that i barely used sat in my shelf for a year. I tried to re use it but got ennoying by the default. So decided to sell it to mpb and bought from them a newer model. Now they do not want to buy it because it has this default.... why sell it at first place then?
Ps: i even sent themphoto proof of the camera the day when i received it we can see the camera is in bad shape”
“This is the worst camera company in USA NEVER SELL THEM ANYTHING. They will damage your equipment and then NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT. They conduct a "fake" research and then deny you. When my lens was returned to me it was not working, and then i sent them proof it was fine before but they deny your claim and probably charge Fedex for shipment insurance.”
“Do not trust this company very unprofessional and don't care the slightest bit about their customers,ridiculous offers in trade in in first quote but wait until you get the updated quote saying we had to make some changes so don't get conned with the first quote as it never stays the same,and for customer service they are rude and vindictive with no moral compass totally useless when they don't get their own way which usually means rip you off. Their are far better honest camera stores out their steer clear of them.”
“À Fuir vraiment . Lisez mon expérience !!!!!
À éviter !!!!!
Tant que vous n’avez pas envoyé votre matériel, ils vous répondent avec une estimation qu’ils ne respecteront pas , j’ai envoyé mon appareil photo Leica impeccable avec une poignée jamais utilisée + 3 batteries et un filtre UV ….. bizarrement plus jamais ils ne me répondront . Jamais je ne serai payé pour mes batteries ni mon filtre . Ils appliqueront une décote pour l'estimation de la poignée ( alors que neuve ) ….. j’avais peur de ça ! Je me suis fait avoir ……. Ils ont de la chance que j’habite très loin 🤬🤬🤬🤬
Après et seulement après avoir posté cet avis , ils m’ont enfin répondu en me disant qu’ils allaient renvoyer une partie de mon colis …. Ils me le renvoient sans connaître mon adresse…. Je les ai averti mais ça n’a pas l’air de les déranger…… c’est vous dire le séreux !
Pathétique et vraiment pas digne de confiance.
Après avoir envoyé plusieurs mails , ils m’ont enfin répondu. Mon colis de retour sans mon adresse ( j’avais envoyé depuis un centre DHL) . Il est à retirer à 200 km de chez moi …. Cette entreprise est définitivement une arnaque et devrait être sanctionnée et poursuivie. Je vais faire un signalement à la DGCCRF.”
“MPB is not a company you want to do business with. I purchased a Nikon Lens USED , when it arrived , I was sold a GRAY market lens. I wanted to return it as it was not disclosed to me that the Nikon lens was in fact a gray market product, however I was in a bind and had a full schedule and needed a 24-70 lens. 5 weeks later, The lens was bumped, and the lens just fell apart. They refused to fix it, as it was under their 6 month warranty period. They are not a reputable business .”
“The measure of a company is how they cope when things go wrong. My lens was delivered to the wrong address. The delivery picture shows the lens being thrown over a 2 meter fence. MPB know where the lens is and want me to go on a one kilometre round trip and try find it. MPB seemed surprised that I didn’t want to do this. They refuse to refund until a lengthy investigation has taken place. To compensate me they offered a £25 discount code but only if I spend another £250. Effectively holding my compensation to ransom. I was a loyal customer having spent thousands of pounds with MPB. It costs a lot of money to attract customers and costs nothing to lose them. Never again.”
“Sure, on paper, this seems great: a platform where you can grab old photo gears at a discount, or even trade in your old gear.
The first 2 purchases I made on mpb were great and straightforward. I didn't use the trade in option and purchased old lenses that were as advertised.
Then I tried the trade in option, and everything went bad.
The first trade in, the team pretended my lens had fungus, same lens was estimated as "like new" by the same team 3 weeks before. They also pretended the lens cover was missing, which wasn't the case. Because of that, the purchase value decreased a lot and I had to pay much more than advertised to receive the gear in exchange.
The second trade in was a total scam. DHL came to my home 3 days later than planned, and finally, my lens got lost. It took more than 30 days and tons of long emails for the team to react. A bit of fighting too, the team pretended I didn't send the lens. I finally get reimbursed a part value of the lens that went lost.
So, if you're looking for a serious company, IMO, think again and go somewhere else.
I might have been lucky 2 times, but this clearly seems to me to be a complete scam. Grabbing a bargain is always nice, but fighting with liars or people who don't care to lose your lenses or cameras is clearly not worth it.”
“I spent £1,250 on a Nikon Df body which developed a battery drain fault - three bars to dead within a week. I contacted MPB well within the 6 months warranty period and was advised by a staff member to conduct very tests to identify the cause - no SD card, no lens, other battery, other charger etc. I was even persuaded to buy two further Nikon batteries to test. Each test took a week or so to complete and when it was clear it was a camera fault I contact MPB same staff member again to return camera and I was told that the testing had taken us beyond the 6 months warranty period, and they have refused flat to accept the camera for repair, despite having first been informed of the fault well within the 6 months period. All I was offered an insulting £10 voucher on my next £100 spend, but no warranty repair! I'm now left with a £1,250 doorstop or expensive Nikon repair, plus small claim court, which I intend to pursue. I googled MPB reviews and found I wasn't alone - absolutely hundreds of negative experiences with this company! Wish I'd done this first!!”
