trapper1 Loc: Southside Virginia

Who owned MPB formely and who owns it now? It was originally a UK outfit, is this no longer the case?

Trapper1

MDI Mainer

Sony HRX-NX80, used, USD 2,400 - 2,999:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-HXR-NX80-4K-NXCAM-Camcorder/dp/B076HX3BX4

Sony HXR-NX70U, used, USD 1,299.00:

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-HXR-NX70U-Professional-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B0055XL8GW

Ichiban365

So what this is saying is that MPB offered $795 for a camera which lists for three times that on Amazon?

MDI Mainer

On eBay:
NX80 from USD 1,100 to 3,082:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2334524.m570.l1313&_nkw=Sony+HXR-NS80&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_odkw=Sony+HXR-NS70&_osacat=0

NX70OU from USD 795 to 1,299:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=sony+hxr-nx70u&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&_sop=15

hpucker99 Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

This a good point, the nature of the responses will be biased to those people who feel wronged by MPB. I suppose if all of us that had good experiences with them could give our 5 stars to MPB and change (skew?) the statistics.

MDI Mainer

What the prices from Amazon and eBay are saying is that an offer to buy of USD 795 from a reseller, for an item which is being marketed at a retail or auction price of USD 700 - 1,200, ought to have been suspect.

Ichiban365

This is what MPB said in the most recent email:

"While we understand the closing of the investigation was not the ideal outcome, we were not able to even begin the investigation into finding your lost accessories due to not receiving the requested documentation. We have no malicious intent in requesting these documents - quite the opposite, we have these protocols in place to protect our customers as well as our business. This was not an attack on your character at all, but rather extra security measures in place to prevent fraud from occurring which unfortunately does happen from time to time.
I understand hesitancy in not wanting to provide personal information, but please understand that as a result, due to our policies, we were not able to move forward with the investigation. It's unfortunate we were not able to take the steps to resolve this for you."

In other words, if you have an issue with any MPB transaction, you can expect to have to provide a copy of your driver's license, the top part of your bank statement (including account numbers and available balance) and receipts for any equipment at issue. Otherwise they will refuse to even address the issue, even something as simple as looking for a missing user manual.

If you are OK with this policy, that is your choice. It is most certainly not something I consider reasonable or without substantial risk.

Beyond that, there seems to be little point in continuing this discussion when there is a difference of opinion and neither side is going to change their opinion.

Ichiban365

What a stupid comment.

MDI Mainer

Not if one has even a rudimentary understanding of the used goods market for photographic equipment, of which your transaction was an infinitesimal component.

So while I can understand that you may feel ill-used by MPB, in the broader scheme of things your experience, and gripe, are irrelevant as a guide for future, reasoned decisions by others.

Ichiban365

What an even stupider comment.

Any decision by others must be based on the policies in place at MPB which include demanding confidential information before addressing an issue. I leave it to the other members here to decide if my warning is relevant to their decisions, and I suggest that you do the same.

Your understanding of the market seems far more questionable than mine. You are saying that it is OK for MPB to offer $800 for a camera worth $2,800 and make $2,000 on the deal? Few people would take an offer like that, and they would be out of business in no time. They make their money by moving equipment quickly, with a reasonable margin. To do so, they have to offer reasonable purchase prices.

I figured that $800 was reasonable for a camera in excellent condition based on eBay pricing, given that not all of the products on eBay are in excellent condition. MPB offers a warranty, so they can sell at or above the higher range of prices on eBay. They could easily make $400 on a $800 investment. They deal only in photographic equipment and know their market, they are not like Pawn Stars where they might end up holding an item for years before a buyer walks in.

What makes your entire discussion pointless is that the issue is not whether or not the price was reasonable. It is that they lost my manuals and microphone, refused to even look for them, accused me of lying, and demanded information which would, if misused, cause me financial harm. And it all started because their web site led me through the process of obtaining a quote on something other than what I had entered as the model number. So stop blaming the victim and put the blame where it belongs, with MPB.

MDI Mainer

So your real complaint is about MPB's policy for processing claims for lost items. If so, then it is not unreasonable for a used-goods merchant who routinely deals in high end items to establish a uniform policy that applies to all claims that the merchant has lost or damaged merchandise sent in for purchase, and requires the claimant to provide some evidence of ownership of the claimed goods and/or of sufficient financial wherewithal to have acquired the goods in the first place. Failing to have such a policy would reflect a lack of business acumen. All of which was forthrightly explained to you by the merchant.

While the value of your particular items may or may not have been de minimis, you elected not to comply with the policy and as a result your claim was not processed. Not a surprising outcome, and a poor reason to demean a merchant with whom many others, here on UHH and elsewhere, have had innumerable satisfactory transactions.