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Beware of mpb.com
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Jun 6, 2023 17:21:38   #
Ichiban365
 
In the past, people here have made favorable comments about mpb.com. I was one of them. I have bought, sold and traded for several lenses and have always been very happy with the equipment and the service. But something has changed at mpb.com.

I recently requested a quote on a Sony HXR-NX70U video camera I wished to sell to them. I cut-and-pasted the model number because it is not easy to remember. But their web site provided a quote for a HXR-NX80. I did not notice their mistake because they used a tiny font in their quote, and I sent in my equipment. Once they realized their mistake, they reneged on the deal and sent the equipment back. However, they did not return the user manual, quick start guide and one of two microphones. When I contacted them, they lied, and said the missing items were not in the box they received. I believe they failed to take everything out of the box. They shipped the camera back in different packaging, yet another mistake. They still have not returned my missing items.

It is going to be a lot harder for me to sell the equipment without the instruction manuals. When I asked them to find the missing items, or else compensate me, they demanded a copy of my driver's license and a copy of the top part of a bank statement - with the account numbers and current balance, of course. Why would they need these? Other than to drain my bank account? When I refused, they said they were "denying my claim" because I refused to provide this personal confidential information. They stole my equipment, or at least lost it, will not accept responsibility, and they lie to me, then accuse me of lying. Do not do business with them, they cannot be trusted.

Check out the recent reviews on TrustPilot: 1.7/5.0 . That's not good.

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Jun 6, 2023 17:37:08   #
joehel2 Loc: Cherry Hill, NJ
 
I’m sorry to hear how you were treated. I also had positive experiences with them in the past. Maybe they have grown beyond their capacity to provide attentive care and service. I never had a problem with KEH.

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Jun 6, 2023 19:07:47   #
Ichiban365
 
Ichiban365 wrote:
Check out the recent reviews on TrustPilot: 1.7/5.0 . That's not good.


Sorry, that was another reviews site. TrustPilot appears to be full of reviews written by MPB. But their Better Business Bureau rating is worse: 1.39/5.0. And 74 complaints closed by the BBB in the past 12 months. I wonder how many open complaints they have.

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Jun 6, 2023 21:00:41   #
jcboy3
 
Ichiban365 wrote:
In the past, people here have made favorable comments about mpb.com. I was one of them. I have bought, sold and traded for several lenses and have always been very happy with the equipment and the service. But something has changed at mpb.com.

I recently requested a quote on a Sony HXR-NX70U video camera I wished to sell to them. I cut-and-pasted the model number because it is not easy to remember. But their web site provided a quote for a HXR-NX80. I did not notice their mistake because they used a tiny font in their quote, and I sent in my equipment. Once they realized their mistake, they reneged on the deal and sent the equipment back. However, they did not return the user manual, quick start guide and one of two microphones. When I contacted them, they lied, and said the missing items were not in the box they received. I believe they failed to take everything out of the box. They shipped the camera back in different packaging, yet another mistake. They still have not returned my missing items.

It is going to be a lot harder for me to sell the equipment without the instruction manuals. When I asked them to find the missing items, or else compensate me, they demanded a copy of my driver's license and a copy of the top part of a bank statement - with the account numbers and current balance, of course. Why would they need these? Other than to drain my bank account? When I refused, they said they were "denying my claim" because I refused to provide this personal confidential information. They stole my equipment, or at least lost it, will not accept responsibility, and they lie to me, then accuse me of lying. Do not do business with them, they cannot be trusted.

Check out the recent reviews on TrustPilot: 1.7/5.0 . That's not good.
In the past, people here have made favorable comme... (show quote)


The lesson here is to photograph the items you are shipping; before packing and before putting them in the box. And include an inventory list in the box, and include the images and inventory when communicating with them. Be sure to photograph any serial numbers on the items you are shipping. For extra security, include prints of all of this in the box.

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Jun 6, 2023 23:50:31   #
MDI Mainer
 
jcboy3 wrote:
The lesson here is to photograph the items you are shipping; before packing and before putting them in the box. And include an inventory list in the box, and include the images and inventory when communicating with them. Be sure to photograph any serial numbers on the items you are shipping. For extra security, include prints of all of this in the box.


I would say the lesson is to pay closer attention to the quote. They are automatically generated, and there is always the possibility for error.

Also, as I recollect, MPB is very clear -- they will not be responsible for accessories and peripherals that are shipped to them but are not specifically included in the quote.

I had an issue-free trade with them about two months ago, probably the sixth or seventh flawless transaction over the past few years. And as far as I'm concerned, suspecting that they would "drain your bank account" borders on paranoia.

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Jun 7, 2023 00:06:49   #
flip1948 Loc: Hamden, CT
 
Ichiban365 wrote:
In the past, people here have made favorable comments about mpb.com. I was one of them. I have bought, sold and traded for several lenses and have always been very happy with the equipment and the service. But something has changed at mpb.com.

I recently requested a quote on a Sony HXR-NX70U video camera I wished to sell to them. I cut-and-pasted the model number because it is not easy to remember. But their web site provided a quote for a HXR-NX80. I did not notice their mistake because they used a tiny font in their quote, and I sent in my equipment. Once they realized their mistake, they reneged on the deal and sent the equipment back. However, they did not return the user manual, quick start guide and one of two microphones. When I contacted them, they lied, and said the missing items were not in the box they received. I believe they failed to take everything out of the box. They shipped the camera back in different packaging, yet another mistake. They still have not returned my missing items.

It is going to be a lot harder for me to sell the equipment without the instruction manuals. When I asked them to find the missing items, or else compensate me, they demanded a copy of my driver's license and a copy of the top part of a bank statement - with the account numbers and current balance, of course. Why would they need these? Other than to drain my bank account? When I refused, they said they were "denying my claim" because I refused to provide this personal confidential information. They stole my equipment, or at least lost it, will not accept responsibility, and they lie to me, then accuse me of lying. Do not do business with them, they cannot be trusted.

Check out the recent reviews on TrustPilot: 1.7/5.0 . That's not good.
In the past, people here have made favorable comme... (show quote)

It appears that the price they quoted was for a camera that is significantly more expensive than the one you were actually offering for sale. You said the text for the model number was very small causing you to miss their mistake.

How was the text for the price they offered? If you were able to read that why didn't you think they might have made a mistake as it was probably a bit more than you probably thought you might get given the disparity in the value of the 2 cameras?

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Jun 7, 2023 00:30:46   #
trapper1 Loc: Southside Virginia
 
I beleive their request for bank account information is standard with them when they are paying out cash for items, it alllows MBP to make a direct deposit to the sellers account. Or so I have been told.

Trapper1

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Jun 7, 2023 02:58:40   #
Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV
 
I'm surprised to see the BBB figures for MPB. I have dealt with them, and all transactions were totally above-board and professional! But I haven't sold them anything!

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Jun 7, 2023 06:39:31   #
coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA
 
The suspicious thing I find is why they would need your “balance”?

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Jun 7, 2023 10:05:56   #
hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska
 
coolhanduke wrote:
The suspicious thing I find is why they would need your “balance”?


They want the bank info for direct deposit to your account, not to drain it. This is how I am set up with them. You may be able to get the check mailed to you option.

I went to the BBB website and verified the bad reviews. Somewhat confused by all the bad reviews and how my experience has been completely different.

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Jun 7, 2023 11:45:28   #
MDI Mainer
 
hpucker99 wrote:
They want the bank info for direct deposit to your account, not to drain it. This is how I am set up with them. You may be able to get the check mailed to you option.

I went to the BBB website and verified the bad reviews. Somewhat confused by all the bad reviews and how my experience has been completely different.


Let's return to the real world. There are only EIGHTEEN customer reviews of MPB on the BBB website! Virtually all are negative. Eighteen is an insignificant sample, and overall the company has a B rating from the BBB.

If you read the customer complaints to the BBB (of which there are only 89) and see the respectful, reasoned responses from the company representative, and the satisfactory resolution of the vast majority of the actual complaints that have been filed, you can readily understand why MPB is so popular on this forum, and is such a successful business.

https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/brooklyn/profile/online-retailer/mpb-us-inc-0121-174100

https://www.bbb.org/us/ny/brooklyn/profile/online-retailer/mpb-us-inc-0121-174100/complaints

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Jun 7, 2023 12:08:16   #
MDI Mainer
 
flip1948 wrote:
It appears that the price they quoted was for a camera that is significantly more expensive than the one you were actually offering for sale. You said the text for the model number was very small causing you to miss their mistake.

How was the text for the price they offered? If you were able to read that why didn't you think they might have made a mistake as it was probably a bit more than you probably thought you might get given the disparity in the value of the 2 cameras?


Greed, most likely.

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Jun 7, 2023 12:15:35   #
Ichiban365
 
I am very surprised at the hostile tone of most of the responses above. I am trying to warn members of this forum about problems at MPB and people turn on me.

It is totally untrue that the quote was higher than reasonable for my camera. MPB quoted $795, the same camera lists for $900-1200 on eBay. I figured that was about right, given eBay's 15% take, shipping, etc. If the Sony HXR-NX80 is a much more expensive camera, as stated above, then their quote was way too low.

Please read my post before posting nasty replies. MPB did not want my bank information in order to compensate me. They demanded a copy of my statement, not just my routing and account numbers, and a copy of my driver's license, before they would even look for the missing items. No honest company would do that and only a fool would send them that information. They have not at any time suggested that they need the information to compensate me for my loss.

I understand the comments about photographing and inventorying everything before sending it. I did photograph everything, and upon receiving the return shipment and realizing that items were missing, I emailed photographs of the manuals and microphone to MPB. Their belated response was to claim that these items were not in the box they received. So the only solution is to have a Fedex employee pack the box, with a second Fedex employee as a witness, and make sure they sign a copy of the inventory for you to keep, preferably notarized. If I have to go to those lengths because I do not trust the company to whom I am shipping, I would not be doing business with them in the first place. I have had good experiences with MPB in the past, so I did trust them. Something has changed, which is the point of my warning.

All of you who leapt to the defense of MPB are welcome to continue doing business with them. I will not be posting any more warnings on this forum.

Reply
Jun 7, 2023 12:24:32   #
larryepage Loc: North Texas area
 
Ichiban365 wrote:
I am very surprised at the hostile tone of most of the responses above. I am trying to warn members of this forum about problems at MPB and people turn on me.

It is totally untrue that the quote was higher than reasonable for my camera. MPB quoted $795, the same camera lists for $900-1200 on eBay. I figured that was about right, given eBay's 15% take, shipping, etc. If the Sony HXR-NX80 is a much more expensive camera, as stated above, then their quote was way too low.

Please read my post before posting nasty replies. MPB did not want my bank information in order to compensate me. They demanded a copy of my statement, not just my routing and account numbers, and a copy of my driver's license, before they would even look for the missing items. No honest company would do that and only a fool would send them that information. They have not at any time suggested that they need the information to compensate me for my loss.

I understand the comments about photographing and inventorying everything before sending it. I did photograph everything, and upon receiving the return shipment and realizing that items were missing, I emailed photographs of the manuals and microphone to MPB. Their belated response was to claim that these items were not in the box they received. So the only solution is to have a Fedex employee pack the box, with a second Fedex employee as a witness, and make sure they sign a copy of the inventory for you to keep, preferably notarized. If I have to go to those lengths because I do not trust the company to whom I am shipping, I would not be doing business with them in the first place. I have had good experiences with MPB in the past, so I did trust them. Something has changed, which is the point of my warning.

All of you who leapt to the defense of MPB are welcome to continue doing business with them. I will not be posting any more warnings on this forum.
I am very surprised at the hostile tone of most of... (show quote)


Inability or unwillingness to learn, or to accept that situations may have changed, is a key characteristic of the masses on this forum. It's why misinformation and error persist. Teaching almost anyone here anything new is generally a lost cause. Persisting in the effort is commendable, but don't expect much in terms of results.

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Jun 7, 2023 12:29:34   #
Ichiban365
 
larryepage wrote:
Inability or unwillingness to learn, or to accept that situations may have changed, is a key characteristic of the masses on this forum. It's why misinformation and error persist. Teaching almost snyone here anything new is generally a lost cause. Persisting in the effort is commendable, but don't expect much in terms of results.


Thanks for the comments, Larry. If my comments hep a few people avoid problems, that is something. MPB seems to have an attitude change, from very helpful and friendly to totally hostile and avoiding any accountability for their mistakes. I wonder if they became so successful that they were bought out. Their corporate culture is so obvioulsy different from what it used to be.

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