Be careful of the courier who deliver for MPB

freecom2 said:
Comparisons only make sense on companies of an equivalent scale. Comparing MPB to Amazon is never going to be entirely logical.

(and, the word "tax" is another thing...)
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I'm comparing arguably the biggest and best mail order firms procedure not pricing, I even made the distinction that while Amazon can charge £7.49 for a camera kit, that MPB could offer a similar service at £11.95. Even on economies of sale it cannot be £4.50 more for MPB? Even my local 2 branch photography shop only charges £6.99 for mail order on a camera kit.

It all boils down to a desire to offer excellent service (oppose to just good or even mediocre service), or poor service by their agent at a premium price.
 
specialman said:
That'll be Royal Mail that lost the 17-40mm I sent to fixation....
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Sent Special Delivery? You are the unlucky 0.7% then, RMSD runs at 99.3% success at guaranteed delivery, and hasn't been under 99% in the last 5 years.

I send and receive between 5 and 10 parcels a week through RMSD, I can only remember one failure when it took an additional day to be delivered in the heavy snow late last year. Even though it was only a day late we had a full refund on the postage without any argument from RM.

The SD part of RM is light years ahead of any courier.
 
Dave1 said:
Agreed, it's why I made the comment of having Special Delivery as an option.

I think the problem is that MPB are making a profit on the delivery charge (Their delivery charge of £8.95 for a camera body on a large contract via courier is probably £3-£5 more than their actual cost).
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£8.95 for a camera body, with insurance? Just what do you think the cost is, and when did you last send a camera body?
Royal mail special delivery costs us £6.50 just to send a small lightweight box to customers. Last 4 bay disk unit I sent out ( similar size and weight to my 5d mk3 box) cost over £15.

I think £8.95 is a very reasonable cost for delivery.
 
I think the offer of RMSD (at an additional cost) would be great. As good as DPD are (ignore reviews, who bothers to post positive courier reviews?!), and as accurate as their text system is, if you're at work a time slot is probably useless to you anyway. The problem is compounded locally because we must be on the fringe of two depots, meaning collecting it is at least a 60 mile round trip.

For all of RMs faults, they at least have a collection depot in pretty much every town in the country, the convenience of that is hard to understate.
 
Byker28i said:
£8.95 for a camera body, with insurance? Just what do you think the cost is, and when did you last send a camera body?
Royal mail special delivery costs us £6.50 just to send a small lightweight box to customers. Last 4 bay disk unit I sent out ( similar size and weight to my 5d mk3 box) cost over £15.

I think £8.95 is a very reasonable cost for delivery.
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Let me give you the other end of the stick, you appear to have misread the thread and grabbed the wrong end ;).

MPB charge £8.95 to deliver by DPD.

I doubt you paid £15 on RMSD, as there isn't a price point of £15.

RMSD rates go:
500g £6.95
1kg £8.25
2kg. £11.00
10kg £25.80
 
I've had about a half dozen items disappear through normal RM post/parcel post.
I've had an item delivered in a box that appeared to have been left out in the rain by hdnl, that went back to the supplier. They also delivered to a neighbours recycling bin and when questioned claimed it was in my shed, which I don't have. My neighbour found it along with the card that should have went through his letterbox telling him about it being there. Got an apology from the driver next time he saw me.
I've had an item delivered to a house on the next street that has a totally different name, by dpd. The house was empty and their neighbour took it in. That one took a little time for me to track down (amazon were going enough to give me the surname from the signature and then I found the street by checking the surname and house number in the phone book). Obviously down to a dodgy driver, the normal guy has never missed a delivery time slot.
I once had a city link driver try to only deliver part of a delivery and had to request he check the van for the rest. I've also had several deliveries from them that have not arrived on their Saturday delivery service.

Those are the only blips over many years of receiving a lot of items from the UK and overseas. From my personal experience I've had over a 99% success rate when city link are discounted. I've never had an issue with tnt, ups or rmsd.
 
Well Sunday still no camera,just a big hole in my bank acc hopefully come Tuesday i will know one way or another what going to happen :(
 
simonblue said:
Well Sunday still no camera,just a big hole in my bank acc hopefully come Tuesday i will know one way or another what going to happen :(
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Well surely no surprise if the neighbours are away and the "box" is locked/secured one that even the DPD driver would have no more success than you getting from the neighbours property???

As for the delay.........recycle the above. FWIW someone posted above along the lines of "what is it that you actually want MPB to do" both them as the supplier & you as the purchaser are in the hands of the delivery company. In other words other than being patience and in the absence of a specific remedy (only you know what would make you happy ~ agreed in private with MPB? i.e. not really required on a public forum) arranged with MPB you are stuck with waiting! Yes, I agree the situation is annoying & irritating but c'est la vie when it comes to the few deliveries that go pear shaped. :(
 
Dave1 said:
Sent Special Delivery? You are the unlucky 0.7% then, RMSD runs at 99.3% success at guaranteed delivery, and hasn't been under 99% in the last 5 years...
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Yes, very unlucky.

It got delivered apparently - logged onto the 'track and trace' part of the RM website and there was a scrawled signature and printed name but the recipient (Fixation) had no-one working there by the name on the signature. This whole debacle lead to my trust in Fixation being shook heavily because the parcel had apparently reached its target, I was sure Fixation had lost my lens.

When RM did its enquiry it looked like Fixation weren't to blame - they (RM) admitted that non-delivery did take place but stopped short of blaming a member of staff for what had to be either faking a signature or just getting the first they saw to sign for the parcel. Fixation were adamant that being a small operation they knew every piece of kit that they received, which I have to believe after many successful jobs being done by them in the past. The fact that the lens (a 17-40mm) had lost its serial number compounded things.

Eventually, RM took responsibility for non-delivery by its staff but because it had dragged on for so long I think we got something like £60 back off RM instead of the insured amount. Not happy.

For me, that is one blip in my many years of using RM but it's a blip nonetheless and a blip that showed them to be frankly useless on that occasion. But I still use them.

In my experience, DPD and other couriers like City Link on the other hand have never delivered to the wrong address, lost my parcel or faked a recipient's signature.


Dave1 said:
....I'm pretty sure the OP didn't ask for his parcel to be sent with DPD...
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I'd say this means the OP (and other customers) accept the service being provided by DPD - taken from MPB website:

"...All orders placed are shipped using DPD for next working day delivery where requested.
Next day delivery is only available for mainland UK addresses, for Northern Ireland and more remote UK addresses please allow an extra day for delivery.
We use DPD to deliver all of our items and collect all of our part-exchange and cash purchases..."
 
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If we judged companies purely on the bad experiences, which are minimal but receive most press, we wouldn't use anyone.

Much better to concentrate on the good thing companies (and people) do.


Steve.
 
Dave1 said:
Let me give you the other end of the stick, you appear to have misread the thread and grabbed the wrong end ;).

MPB charge £8.95 to deliver by DPD.

I doubt you paid £15 on RMSD, as there isn't a price point of £15.

RMSD rates go:
500g £6.95
1kg £8.25
2kg. £11.00
10kg £25.80
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Really - seen the prices?
http://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/RoyalMail_OurPrices_April2013b.pdf

Express 24, up to 2Kg £15.96 or Saturday delivery, there's plenty of price points around the £15-16 ;) :D

As mentioned I don't see £8.95 to deliver a camera body as ripping anyone off on postage costs.

Oh and parcel goes missing with Royal Mail, it's two weeks before you can claim to give them time for it to show up. Honestly it's not always as infallible as you suggest.
 
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Pass that shovel over and stop digging ;)


Byker28i said:
Really - seen the prices?
http://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/RoyalMail_OurPrices_April2013b.pdf
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Um, yes, I actually posted the prices for RMSD from a similar .pdf. The posted RMSD prices are identical to the link you have just posted.

Byker28i said:
Express 24, up to 2Kg £15.96 or Saturday delivery, there's plenty of price points around the £15-16 ;) :D
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What does a Parcelforce rate for a Parcelforce delivery method have to do with Royal Mail Special Delivery? and the additional Saturday Guarantee, is just that, an additional charge to guarantee Saturday morning delivery (and again, no £15 charge there either)..

Byker28i said:
As mentioned I don't see £8.95 to deliver a camera body as ripping anyone off on postage costs.
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No one said it was a rip off, I have said an additional more expensive alternative by offering RMSD, any good company should be flexible and allow their customers to have a choice in the matter (as Amazon does).

Byker28i said:
Oh and parcel goes missing with Royal Mail, it's two weeks before you can claim to give them time for it to show up. Honestly it's not always as infallible as you suggest.
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It's actually 10 days for RMSD, 15 days for normal RM.
 
Dave1 said:
any good company should be flexible and allow their customers to have a choice in the matter (as Amazon does).
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Amazon are flexible on time scale, but to my knowledge you have no option of who it's delivered by. Next day delivery can mean anything from RMSD to any number of courier companies.

Are there any photography stores that offer the explicit option of RMSD? I believe WEX use RM or Parcelforce where possible, which is good enough for me as it means it goes back to a depot a mile away when I'm inevitably not in, rather than all the way back to Bristol.
 
ukaskew said:
Amazon are flexible on time scale, but to my knowledge you have no option of who it's delivered by. Next day delivery can mean anything from RMSD to any number of courier companies.
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The Amazon "next day by 1pm" option has always arrived RMSD (in my experience), I'm not aware of any other carrier that actually offers that exact option either.
 
ukaskew said:
Are there any photography stores that offer the explicit option of RMSD? I believe WEX use RM or Parcelforce where possible, which is good enough for me as it means it goes back to a depot a mile away when I'm inevitably not in, rather than all the way back to Bristol.
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Usually you are stuck with whoever the company normally uses. However, I did once get a company to use Royal Mail instead of their preferred City Link.

If City Link try to deliver and no one is in, they leave a card inviting you to pick it up from their depot.

This is normally quite reasonable except for me, it would mean involving a boat, a train and probably a taxi (twice).


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
Usually you are stuck with whoever the company normally uses. However, I did once get a company to use Royal Mail instead of their preferred City Link.

If City Link try to deliver and no one is in, they leave a card inviting you to pick it up from their depot.

This is normally quite reasonable except for me, it would mean involving a boat, a train and probably a taxi (twice).


Steve.
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City Link isn't quite so bad for me, but to be perverse if they drop a card to pick up they send the item about 20 miles away to their Durham depot for pick up as opposed to the one about 2 miles away "because the system says that's the Home depot for my postcode" (even though the closer one was the pick up depot for years).

You can't argue with them either :bang:.
 
They do actually have a depot on the Isle of Wight but it isn't really for the public to pick things up from. It's out of the way at the back of a building on an industrial estate.

If you know where it is and judge the timing right, you can go and get your item if you don't mind being moaned at by a miserable git who tells you that you shouldn't be there. I have only had to do this once.

Dave1 said:
You can't argue with them either
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They usually won't even talk to you as the contract is with the seller.


Steve.
 
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So has the OP got his camera yet or is the neighbour still away.
Did we ever find out what body it was?
 
Byker28i said:
So has the OP got his camera yet or is the neighbour still away.
Did we ever find out what body it was?
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No, he hasn't.

Model was the the third word of the thread! (excluding title)
 
Byker28i said:
Actually you did, or certainly implied it.
Post 116.
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I said they were making a profit, since when is making a profit "a rip off"

My, you are an argumentative little poster, aren't you?

Byker28i said:
But I'll stop now - you're obviously right about everything. :D
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Good idea, you are coming over as just being argumentative for the sake of it, a bit like the cartoon of yourself you have posted.


duty_calls.png

Byker28i in his element
 
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Dave1 said:
The Amazon "next day by 1pm" option has always arrived RMSD (in my experience), I'm not aware of any other carrier that actually offers that exact option either.
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I've had some come by dpd and some by rmsd when paying extra for the "next day by 1pm" service lately. Previously it had always been rmsd, but seems to have changed where I live. The delivery label did state 1pm and unlike normal dpd deliveries it was here around noon.
 
stu.artd said:
I've had some come by dpd and some by rmsd when paying extra for the "next day by 1pm" service lately. Previously it had always been rmsd, but seems to have changed where I live. The delivery label did state 1pm and unlike normal dpd deliveries it was here around noon.
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That would be a shame if they are going to move the 1pm deliveries to DPD, I'll reevaluate using the service the first time it's DPD, and rather use the 1 day locker option.
 
Well quick update DPD are going to try and retrieve my parcel again today,if not successful MPB will give me a refund.
So hopefully by tomorrow it will all be sorted
 
Not yet,hopefully nearly their still no camera but MPB agree to refund me today,said they would e.mail to confirm this and the money should back in my account,but it could take up to 24hrs.

So should know where i stand tomorrow morning,here hoping they are a company of their word.
 
mpbphotographic said:
We would like to confirm that we have spoken with Simon and DPD several times this afternoon regarding the issue with this delivery.

As has been said already the courier company that we use is DPD. Generally speaking they are extremely good, and certainly much better than the alternative companies - all of whom we have tried in the past. Unfortunately, we cannot control or predict the individual actions of every single driver across the country and today the driver delivering Simon's parcel has made a clear and obvious error.

Simon - we are extremely sorry for the inconvenience that this has has caused you today. As you are aware we spent a long time on the phone to DPD trying to get the driver to return but it was too late in the day for this to happen today.

It is priority number one to get this sorted for you first thing tomorrow. If in the meantime you are able to make contact with your neighbour where it has been incorrectly delivered and left this may assist.

Whatever the outcome you will not be out of pocket and I can assure you that this will be resolved to your satisfaction tomorrow. You can expect a swift update in the morning.

Thank you.

MPB
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Excellent, first rate! Response :-)
 
simonblue said:
I have tried no one at home,and i am not 100% sure thats where it is all i know is that it was left in an outside cupboard thats what the tracking says.
As i have said before i do not blame MPB 100%,and what wrong with complaining from one or two post on this thread people have had problem with delivery,did they complain or just accept it if so thats maybe why theses delivery company get away with it time after time.

And just say its in my neighbour cupboard i only put that forward because we have the same number mine court his is lane,and as i told MPB theses people can go away for weeks at a time,plus i am not going to be around much tomorrow,MPB will be closed from Saturday till next Tuesday so if they cant retrieved tomorrow what then.

I also said MPB did try but at the end of the day,but theses company do rely on these company to make their delivery and maybe they should start giving theses company hell and to pick their act up.
Maybe i was brought up in a different times in all the jobs i have had, i have got hell when i make a balls up,try the army for a few years 7 days in the glasshouse and on firewatch for getting back to camp an hour late.
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Simon,
Next time ask me, to take it for you. I am only few 100 yds away, and open 6 days aweek.

Regards Steve.
 
cookyboy said:
Simon,
Next time ask me, to take it for you. I am only few 100 yds away, and open 6 days aweek.

Regards Steve.
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Thanks Steve was in all day to take delivery,but they deliver to the wrong address :(.
Money should be on the way to my account :)
 
Simon, did you eventually receive your camera, or at least a satisfactory conclusion?
 
i once bought a canon 300 f2.8 from mbp and the courier left the parcel unsigned for in my shed.he was bloody lucky i`m honest.
 
Why bother starting a thread, pursuing it to four pages, then just leave it despite being asked for an update !!
 
Galaxy66 said:
What a pointless reply to the point I was making.
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Or maybe you didnt understand my comment.

The OP had been nothing but negative about everything and everyone involved with the issue, so my guess was that if there was indeed a positive outcome, the OP felt less inclined to tell us.
 
Nikon_Nick said:
Or maybe you didnt understand my comment.

The OP had been nothing but negative about everything and everyone involved with the issue, so my guess was that if there was indeed a positive outcome, the OP felt less inclined to tell us.
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My apologies Nick for not having a mind reading capability and misunderstanding your first reply to mean the above :p
 
Galaxy66 said:
My apologies Nick for not having a mind reading capability and misunderstanding your first reply to mean the above :p
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No worries, im sure your mind reading ability will develop over time ;0)
 
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