Haggling with MPB Photographic

Amp34

Amp34

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There is a lens on MPB i'm interested in but I think it's a little to expensive for what I want to pay. Has anyone tried haggling with them to reduce the price a little or are their prices set in stone. (Talking their used equipment here).

EDIT: Actually, same with mifsuds.
 
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Amp34 said:
There is a lens on MPB i'm interested in but I think it's a little to expensive for what I want to pay. Has anyone tried haggling with them to reduce the price a little or are their prices set in stone. (Talking their used equipment here).

EDIT: Actually, same with mifsuds.
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It cannot hurt to ask but be prepared for a no ;) I'm sure if you were going in for XY and Z plus a few little bits they'd be up for a deal :thumbs:
 
I`m always up for a haggle, and usually get somewhere - my big surprise was when Curry`s failed to give even a penny for an order for 13 TV's! Quidco saved me some dosh though!

I say go for it!
 
philthejuggler said:
I`m always up for a haggle, and usually get somewhere - my big surprise was when Curry`s failed to give even a penny for an order for 13 TV's! Quidco saved me some dosh though!

I say go for it!
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That's cos Curry's are in league with Satan!
 
The23rdman said:
That's cos Curry's are in league with Satan!
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Now Comet have gone under they have been promoted to Voldemort!
 
Amp34 said:
There is a lens on MPB i'm interested in but I think it's a little to expensive for what I want to pay. Has anyone tried haggling with them to reduce the price a little or are their prices set in stone. (Talking their used equipment here).

EDIT: Actually, same with mifsuds.
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Yeah.... me too, I want to pay what I think things are worth not what some shop with overheads etc deems as acceptable, just because others are mad enough to pay full price for things why should I have to?
Better still I wont actually ask them directly but try to guage others opinions first, you know, so I can moan later when I dont get my way.
/sarcasm.
;)

We all here know both mifsuds and mpb are v good and deserve our business as is, could understand if they were rip off merchants but yet to see any posts apart from how fair they have been dealing with members here.
I just fail to understand why this gets asked here or at all, why not ask them, noone here can answer for them anyway, even if someone historically got a better deal it wont alter whatever profit may be in the lens you want?
If 2 shops both have the same at the sameprice maybe that is the market value?...
 
B1ts said:
Yeah.... me too, I want to pay what I think things are worth not what some shop with overheads etc deems as acceptable, just because others are mad enough to pay full price for things why should I have to?
Better still I wont actually ask them directly but try to guage others opinions first, you know, so I can moan later when I dont get my way.
/sarcasm.
;)

We all here know both mifsuds and mpb are v good and deserve our business as is, could understand if they were rip off merchants but yet to see any posts apart from how fair they have been dealing with members here.
I just fail to understand why this gets asked here or at all, why not ask them, noone here can answer for them anyway, even if someone historically got a better deal it wont alter whatever profit may be in the lens you want?
If 2 shops both have the same at the sameprice maybe that is the market value?...
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They all make a hefty cut, no reason whatsoever not to ask if anyone else has successfully had a reduction.
 
gramps said:
They all make a hefty cut, no reason whatsoever not to ask if anyone else has successfully had a reduction.
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Do they?
Ok then tell me how much profit is in the lens the op is interested in and what discount from the listed price mbp and or mifsuds will give?

Do you give discounts on your photography when asked? After all your "cut" is even heftier in comparison to purchasing stock and reselling...
 
B1ts said:
Do they?
Ok then tell me how much profit is in the lens the op is interested in and what discount from the listed price mbp and or mifsuds will give?

Do you give discounts on your photography when asked? After all your "cut" is even heftier in comparison to purchasing stock and reselling...
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Facts are facts ... if unsure just try selling your equipment to either of them, then compare the selling price.
 
gramps said:
Facts are facts ... if unsure just try selling your equipment to either of them, then compare the selling price.
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Facts are facts, are they? Yes they are if you get them straight. Otherwise they're just nonsense.

Any retailer that buys used equipment to sell on has a number of things to cover with the difference between what they buy for and what they sell for before they can take any profit. Making sure the items are in saleable condition, especially if the retailer provides any form of warranty on used equipment is one, and the fact that they have to add a further 20% for VAT is another, not to mention allowances for their business running costs. I've had a few quotes for trade-ins with the above-mentioned merchants, and, with their overheads in mind, I had no reason to think they were taking a 'hefty chunk' at all, more a case that their profit margins were tight and that they were in fact very competitive, especially when compared to the private sales market.

They're running a business, not a service. And I agree that the OP should just give haggling a try instead of asking here.
 
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Fine keep selling your kit at knock-down prices and buying at top of range :shrug:
You might also want to note that if the dealer operates under the "margin scheme" for VAT (like MPB) they can only add VAT on the profit, not the full price.
 
gramps said:
Facts are facts ... if unsure just try selling your equipment to either of them, then compare the selling price.
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Bang on. The difference is pure profit.

MPB are really lucky that their landlord provides them with rent-free accommodation, fitted out to their requirements at no cost. And props to Brighton council for waiving the business rates.

And it's jolly nice of those people at the gas, electricity and water suppliers to provide their wares for free, especially as the insurance boys provided the premises, business, credit and public indemnity insurances for nix too.

And let's not forget a big shout-out for those fine delivery companies who can always be relied upon to work for free. Speaking of working for free, what about all those volunteer staff they have? Well done.

And a big last hurrah for the wonderful people at Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs for generously refusing all offers of Employer's NIC, VAT and, on the HUGE profits MPB rack up, Corporation Tax too.
 
Llamaman said:
Bang on. The difference is pure profit.

MPB are really lucky that their landlord provides them with rent-free accommodation, fitted out to their requirements at no cost. And props to Brighton council for waiving the business rates.

And it's jolly nice of those people at the gas, electricity and water suppliers to provide their wares for free, especially as the insurance boys provided the premises, business, credit and public indemnity insurances for nix too.

And let's not forget a big shout-out for those fine delivery companies who can always be relied upon to work for free. Speaking of working for free, what about all those volunteer staff they have? Well done.

And a big last hurrah for the wonderful people at Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs for generously refusing all offers of Employer's NIC, VAT and, on the HUGE profits MPB rack up, Corporation Tax too.
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Do I detect just a modicum of sarcasm in this response?
 
Llamaman said:
Bang on. The difference is pure profit.
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Seems a trifle naive and certainly not what I was suggesting ... but glad to see everyone here is in favour of selling their kit cheaply ... dealers will rejoice.
 
Llamaman said:
And let's not forget a big shout-out for those fine delivery companies who can always be relied upon to work for free.
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Your sarcasm happened to exceed some parts of reality.

MPB charge extra for delivery, payable by the customer, so how are the delivery companies working for free?

Standard delivery charges are between £2.95 and £8.95 depending on the order value.
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Just to be clear, I am a customer of both mentioned companies and have spent several £k with them, sold to one and offered several times to both ... none of this changes my opinion and my opinion is not specific to these two companies.
 
Dont forget they also offer a warranty. I had a lens from them that went faulty at the end of their warranty period and got a full refund.
This is the service I dont mind paying for. No hassle, no arguments, just a quick offer of a refund.
I have used them a lot ( and Ffordes and Mifsuds) and always had great service.
Compare that to some other High St shops.....

I used to run a business and my prices were as low as I could afford. I still had people ring up and ask for a discount because they were a school or a charity, or just didnt want to pay full price. I always said no.
Allan
 
gramps said:
Fine keep selling your kit at knock-down prices and buying at top of range :shrug:
You might also want to note that if the dealer operates under the "margin scheme" for VAT (like MPB) they can only add VAT on the profit, not the full price.
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Haha Gramps, now where did I say that I'd actually accepted the quotes I was given? I never have, simply because I prefer to maximise what I can get for my old equipment (as is my right) by taking the time and effort to sell privately, like through the classifieds on this site, for instance. However, for many others, trading in their old kit to a retailer in exchange for money off an item may be a sensible and less complicated option.

This idea that companies like MPB or Mifsuds are coining it in to a disproportionate degree at our expense is a load of cobblers. As Llamaman has just pointed out, there is a lot to be accounted for in running a business (margin scheme or not, VAT and many other overheads still have to be covered) and no one is forcing anyone to accept their trade-in quotes.

And are you suggesting that companies like MPB are selling their used gear at 'top of the range' prices? Really? Well I'd like you to tell me where else I can find used equipment whose condition is as fully and accurately disclosed and includes a 6-month warranty for the very competitive prices they offer; I'm all ears to that.
 
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gramps said:
Just to be clear, I am a customer of both mentioned companies and have spent several £k with them, sold to one and offered several times to both ... none of this changes my opinion and my opinion is not specific to these two companies.
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Yet you're still complaining that they take a 'hefty chunk' and are charging 'top of the range'? Why, didn't you try haggling with them? :lol:
 
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gramps said:
Fine keep selling your kit at knock-down prices and buying at top of range :shrug:
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When I've been buying and selling kit, MPB have always equalled or bettered the quotes I got elsewhere. So they are operating on lower margins than other dealers.

If you won't take my word for it, just compare their prices to other dealers - they are usually very competitive.

So much so, in fact, that when I was selling my SLR kit, MPBs offer was pretty close (about 10%) to what I achieved selling here, after deducting my postage costs.
 
Dave1 said:
Your sarcasm happened to exceed some parts of reality.

MPB charge extra for delivery, payable by the customer, so how are the delivery companies working for free?
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They don't charge for collection of traded-in items.
 
I have had a quote for a lens to sell to them and asked if it was their best offer as I thought it was low, they came back with a quote of £20 extra
 
downs523 said:
I have had a quote for a lens to sell to them and asked if it was their best offer as I thought it was low, they came back with a quote of £20 extra
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Excellent Chris! The first response to conclusively answer the OP's query!!! :bonk::lol:
 
I tried haggling with them today (me buying lens only) but they will not play. Prices are as per site.
 
I have previously suggested to them that a camera body I was interested in was too expensive. They did subsequently reduce it, but not sufficiently so I ended up buying new/grey import instead!
 
Lol
 
I got a discount on a lens from MPB.....but it was because they sent me the wrong lens....I decided to keep the lens they sent me and they knocked 10 quid off the 40 quid asking price; meanwhile they had sold the lens I originally ordered to someone else.
 
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