Buying from MPB vs privately

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Nebular89

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I’m looking at getting the Fuji 18mm f2. On eBay they seem to be about £200-£220 in excellent condition, for the same condition on MPB it’s about £250-£270.
Is the extra 25% or so worth it for the warranty and the safety that comes from getting it from a shop vs a person?
 
Nebular89 said:
I’m looking at getting the Fuji 18mm f2. On eBay they seem to be about £200-£220 in excellent condition, for the same condition on MPB it’s about £250-£270.
Is the extra 25% or so worth it for the warranty and the safety that comes from getting it from a shop vs a person?
Click to expand...
It's all a question of the level of risk you are comfortable with.
Some people will always choose the cheap option, others always pay more for the warranty.
In the end it comes down to your preferences.
 
Faldrax said:
It's all a question of the level of risk you are comfortable with.
Some people will always choose the cheap option, others always pay more for the warranty.
In the end it comes down to your preferences.
Click to expand...
I suppose it’s probably worth it. It’s easier to return it if it doesn’t match the description. 25% is just a fair difference. I’m actually a little surprised those lenses still sell for that much. I was expected MPB to be in the £200 range, it’s getting on a bit now. It’s the only downside to Fuji, things seem to hold their value. Good if selling, not if your buying
 
Nebular89 said:
I’m looking at getting the Fuji 18mm f2. On eBay they seem to be about £200-£220 in excellent condition, for the same condition on MPB it’s about £250-£270.
Is the extra 25% or so worth it for the warranty and the safety that comes from getting it from a shop vs a person?
Click to expand...
As @Faldrax says, it's a matter of risk.

And as you say, with MPB you know who you are buying from, and you get a 12 month warranty.

I tend to be risk-averse and favour buying from a shop rather than an individual, mainly because I can't be bothered with the potential hassle of something going wrong and needing to deal with a person rather than a company.

My dealing with MPB (and other companies), has always been good, even when things have gone a bit wrong. When I got s/h Nikon 24-120 from MPB that wasn't giving the image quality I expected from it, I sent some sample pictures to MPB, and they arranged to pick up the faulty lens, and sent out a replacement as soon as they had the faulty one returned.
 
myotis said:
As @Faldrax says, it's a matter of risk.

And as you say, with MPB you know who you are buying from, and you get a 12 month warranty.

I tend to be risk-averse and favour buying from a shop rather than an individual, mainly because I can't be bothered with the potential hassle of something going wrong and needing to deal with a person rather than a company.

My dealing with MPB (and other companies), has always been good, even when things have gone a bit wrong. When I got s/h Nikon 24-120 from MPB that wasn't giving the image quality I expected from it, I sent some sample pictures to MPB, and they arranged to pick up the faulty lens, and sent out a replacement as soon as they had the faulty one returned.
Click to expand...

:agree:
 
I would never buy from a reseller unless there was absolutely no choice.
1. It is considerably more expensive for same level of gear
2. Many people offload absolute junk there they are not comfortable selling direct. Reseller descriptions are very generous, where good = destroyed
 
LongLensPhotography said:
I would never buy from a reseller unless there was absolutely no choice.
1. It is considerably more expensive for same level of gear
2. Many people offload absolute junk there they are not comfortable selling direct. Reseller descriptions are very generous, where good = destroyed
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Really? I’ve only bought from MPB twice but never had an issue. I got my 23mm f2 from them and my 15-60 and they’re both good.
Which companies have you bought from?
 
Ebay is okay as a buyer but ensure the description is well worded and contains all the relevant information.

ie. When I've bought film era lenses or the (several) Yashica Mat's I bought & returned, I would only buy if the description stated things along the lines of "Great condition, fully working, shutter fires perfectly, no signs of fungus" etc etc - then if it turns up and doesn't work or there's an issue you've got an easier return, item not as described.

I've never bought anything that simply says "Canon 50mm f/1.8 FD for sale" with no actual description of the item.
 
Nebular89 said:
Really? I’ve only bought from MPB twice but never had an issue. I got my 23mm f2 from them and my 15-60 and they’re both good.
Which companies have you bought from?
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One of the big high street names. 24 tse ii. A wreck. Lost some money on returns.
 
Only bought from MPB a couple of times ,both not that good an experience, there after sales contact is a nightmare . Much prefer Wex who have a properly staffed helpline ..
And that goes for selling as well as buying .
With e.bay you have to sort out actual private sellers from dealers. But feedback is your friend here
 
the black fox said:
Only bought from MPB a couple of times ,both not that good an experience, there after sales contact is a nightmare . Much prefer Wex who have a properly staffed helpline ..
And that goes for selling as well as buying .
With e.bay you have to sort out actual private sellers from dealers. But feedback is your friend here
Click to expand...
Oh really, I thought MPB was fairly good. I’ll have a look around. I don’t think I’ve ever used wex
 
Had no problems with MPB, WEX, Park, Ffordes. But Camera World? That's another story which I'm not prepared to discuss publicly.
 
MPB have always been fine for me, selling and buying. Most recent purchase was a 50 - 140 that was supposed to have fungus ( I couldn’t see any) and was £500. The lens is great.. I’ve also brought lenses off Ebay and not had any issues with quality or delivery. But I do spend too much time researching before purchasing.
 
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