MPB Europe: My personal experience so far (Mostly Selling)
Dear colleagues,
I have sold gear recently using MPB Europe after seing a lot of videos on how good they are in the US and I have had some Canon Gear I did not wanted anymore so I thought quoting it there.
Please take in consideration this is only my personal experience and vision of it in Europe.
So back to the Canon gear:
There was my friend Stig's Canon 7D mark I in it's original packaging, the original Canon Grip with the package, my Canon M10 with use, a Canon EF 28mm f2.8 lens and some other gear.
I kow a 7D is not an expensive camera in 2022 but that was mint, and I got it for a value (it was a trade) of 160€ so I thought I can sell it for like 220€ second hand with the original grip and batteries, charger, caps and original packaging.
Then I just went all in with MPB. And here is where I feel there's something wrong with them.
They give you a price that often they re-calculate once they get your gear there. You can't do much, it's away from you.
First of all I sent everything in ONE parcel and they requested me if it was sent in Two as they were missing gear (how can you miss My gear?) and were not able to find it (did they lost it? I don't know but most likely).
Later on as I was moving from appartment to appartment I missed to send the battery charger for the 7D and they were taking away from me I think it was 30€. I told them I was willing to send it and then their currier just lost the package. And they payed me 15€ instead.
They lost an EF to M mount adapter but later on they sent it back to me. I have requested several times to the operator on the chat to send me pictures of WHAT they got from me, that never ever happened.
It was a big mess and they offered like 60% of the original price between lowering me prices and refusing some objects. That was very frustrating.
I just sold them the 7D + grip + M10 and batteries and so on and the 28mm lens for 375€ which is quite low (the lens value is 150 alone, cthe 7d can be sold at 220 and the M10 was 170 for me when I bought it), and it took LOTS of time and speaking. When you decide it's long enough then you give up.
Later on I just quoted my Sigma 100-300mm f4 APO EX DG Pentax that costed me 600€ 2nd hand, and those rare lenses in the Pentax World when they come out are rated around 600 to 900€, they were offering me 170€. AND when I was telling the guy I won't accept it and he requested images from it he was willing to pay even less because the paint was faint in some parts as it happens in those old Sigma lenses!!! For a 600 to 900€ lens !!!!
Now, I have decided my Tamron 70-200mm f2.8 Pentax is not what I need and they had a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 lens (Pentax) for sale in just "good condition" for around 320€. I thought I like Sigma's and will trade in no problem.
When I bought my Tamron I was very lucky the seller wanted 300€ for it. (usually here they are at 500€ 2nd hand) and so I bought it. The "calculator" of MPB Europe was giving me back 260€ and I thought "okay I can handle the deal adding 60€".
Once it arrived there, it's true the focusing sometimes can freeze and needs to be moved manually, they offer me 126€ for it. And after a long chat they were willing to add extra 5€. (131).
I think this is quite a rip-off. For the 2nd time and I am still chatting with them. Yes I do want the Sigma. But not at any cost, I mean the Tamron is a functional lens.
I see their business, they buy cheap and they do consider any scratches as important as malfunctions which is stupid to me, and then they resell at least with a margin of 30-35% profit they told me.
Now some "Excellent" not so Excellent condition Tamron 70-200mm f.28 they have in the European page they are selling them at 400€, but I can only have around 130.
Probably the US platform works better, and is more seller friendly.
Here I must say the chats I have are good, the people on the other side are nice, but the prices are a complete joke to me,
So if you are in Europe maybe this will interest you. I'm Not saying don't try it, do so. And see how it works for you. But i wanted to share my personal experience which is not as pleaseant as I was willing and thought would be.
All the best,
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
My experiences with MPB Germany are not that unpleasant - both as buyer and as seller.
If I want to sell something effortless, fast and without arguing with ... people, then MPB is an option, if I'm willing to get roughly 2/3 of their selling price. Obviously they have a list what they buy (they sent back my Pentax-FA 100mm 2.8 Macro with a sticker on the rear lens cap "unlisted model") and they scrutinise the equipment very seriously. As a seller you pay for that.
As a buyer there you can get some bargains - a Pentax-DA 40mm XS for 94€ or a DA 50/1.8 for 64€ in very good condition were very good offers.
On the other hand they offered a grip for an Olympus PEN-F with remarkable blemishes and a remarkable amount of dirt in the recesses as "excellent". But they took it back and handled that process in a professional manner.
Would I recomment MPB? For buyers: surely. For sellers: it depends.
E.
Quote from EckyH on November 3, 2022, 7:57 pmThank you for sharing your experiences.
My experiences with MPB Germany are not that unpleasant - both as buyer and as seller.
If I want to sell something effortless, fast and without arguing with ... people, then MPB is an option, if I'm willing to get roughly 2/3 of their selling price. Obviously they have a list what they buy (they sent back my Pentax-FA 100mm 2.8 Macro with a sticker on the rear lens cap "unlisted model") and they scrutinise the equipment very seriously. As a seller you pay for that.
As a buyer there you can get some bargains - a Pentax-DA 40mm XS for 94€ or a DA 50/1.8 for 64€ in very good condition were very good offers.
On the other hand they offered a grip for an Olympus PEN-F with remarkable blemishes and a remarkable amount of dirt in the recesses as "excellent". But they took it back and handled that process in a professional manner.
Would I recomment MPB? For buyers: surely. For sellers: it depends.
E.
Thanks for sharing,
Yes I'd also recomend it as you say: as a buyer.
i have not sold to them. but as a buyer the experience is good. never had any issues other than a package taking a couple days to get shipped.
So today I had my lens with me. The joy of it is incredible.
I've bought a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 II APO DG MACRO HSM.
The packaging is fine, the pouch that the lens comes with is what I expected it to come with but once out of it I see that the back cap is a plastic (cheap plastic) non original one. Well, for them being so picky with my items, that frustrates me.
Now I check the lens and it's quite clean on the outside but the contacts ring is un-clean, or dirty. I proceed to clean it up.
When I think "alright that's gonna be a blast of a lens", I pair it on my K3-II and the machine doesn't get what's going on. It constantly switches between AFC mode and MF mode with the lens on AF mode. That never ever happened to me. It does it every second it's on the camera.
When I pair it on my K3 Silver there's no problem with the modes. But the AF is SO SO SO SO SO SLOW that looks alike this motor is frozen or broken.
My Sigma 100-300mm f4 focuses quite quick, this one I don't know why is the slowest AF I've ever had.
I have recorded videos of all this and my cameras working with the Sigma 100-300mm f4 in order to show that the cameras usually work fine, and I have contacted them. I expect them to send someone to pick it up and return it as, for me, that's an unusable lens and a broken or for parts lens.
Hopefully this will end up well,
It's a shame, I really wanted a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 but this copy is not the one.
Quote from red5isalive on November 8, 2022, 6:22 pmHopefully this will end up well,
Sorry to read that.
Fingers crossed that they handle it professionally without fussing.
E.
Quote from EckyH on November 8, 2022, 7:03 pmQuote from red5isalive on November 8, 2022, 6:22 pmHopefully this will end up well,
Sorry to read that.
Fingers crossed that they handle it professionally without fussing.
E.
Thanks 🙂
I hope so, it's a professional service
What a headache! I haven't sold anything to MPB before, but some other forum members here have (at least in the US) and have had good experiences. That's really bothersome that some of your items were somehow missing, which makes no sense if it was all in one box... Very odd. I always hope for online transactions to go smoothly, and it's such a pain when they don't. Hopefully you can get this other lens returned without an issue.
I personally haven't sold, only bought, and I've bought many pricey items - so far so good! And almost always the best prices around. So I'm a very happy buyer 🙂
Yes James, I thought it would be simple and quick.
And usually it looks like this. Something went wrong in my case, it's a shame because I was willing for this to go smooth.
I'm pretty sure returning the lens will work fine, this is a company at the end of the day and they know how to behave.
At the moment MPB accepted to take the lens back so that is great from them.
Hopefully will end up well 🙂
All the best,
