Jump to content

Experiences With Martemodena


DevonReviewer

Recommended Posts

Simple.

 

Their practice is strange because they are the only ones, or nearly the only ones doing it. Thus it is not usual, it is strange

 

It is deceptive because the buyer agrees to X amount for SHIPPING but when the package arrives, the SHIPPING cost was X-Y. The buyer is not paying for X for shipping as agreed, they are paying X for shipping AND A (something else).

 

The amount agreed to by the buyer is for SHIPPING, not shipping PLUS A.

Edited by Tinjapan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 214
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • FriendAmos

    48

  • Bill P

    16

  • welcmhm

    8

  • sketchstack

    8

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Here's where you proposed justification for wildly differing shipping prices:

 

Why can't they be? Is there any reason to believe or expect that their costs for materials and handling will stay constant over time? Or, keeping in mind that they might have "volume-discount" agreements with shippers, that the shipper will always charge the same rates?

 

 

Then later you asked:

 

Or do you, say, believe that "Free" really means that it costs the seller nothing?

 

Using your first explanation as a basis, then yes, free shipping very well might have cost the seller nothing because that day they got a really good "volume-discount" rate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been following this and I've been a satisfied buyer from MM in the past but I never paid the $69 shipping that they seem to slap on to certain items. Having looked at their listings over the last year it seems that what they do is put a pen up for auction with a low starting bid. In order to protect themselves from a loss they make the shipping prices extremely high. I always got my items from MM fairly promptly, but I have heard a few people complain that they seem to wait an age.

 

While I can understand that MM takes a risk in auctions on ebay and want to protect themselves from significant loss, the problem of overcharging on shipping is that it is theft. You could argue it is not technically deceitful because they clearly state what they are going to charge you. However, if you buy something (from anywhere) and you are told it will cost $69 to ship it to you and you pay that price, end up having to wait an inordinate amount of time for it only to discover that it cost them $9 to ship it, then that is theft, plain and simple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are still missing the point. Let me try again and in one sentence: there is a "shipping price" displayed, and anyone who enters an auction agrees to pay that price. That's it.

 

As to your claim of buyer's expectation and how it might be connected to, say, "accepted it on false pretences because he erroneously believed it was the cost of shipping", you might as well be arguing that those who advertise "free shipping" actually have no shipping costs.

 

I am NOT missing the point. You are. You quote: "there is a "shipping price" displayed, and anyone who enters an auction agrees to pay that price. That's it"

 

No that is not it. They only have to agree to pay it at the time, but if it's the seller's fraudulent misrepresentation of an inflated amount that includes shipping, they can complain about it later and that was always the difference between my view and yours. No buyer has to agree to not complain about the high price later, if it turns out that it was an overinflated shipping charge. Buyers can complain about the overcharge, when they receive the item, and they have a legal right to do so. eBay can and does take action against sellers guilty of this practice by putting a warning on their selling accounts.

 

As for sellers who advertise free shipping, everyone knows they have shipping costs. They simply absorb them into their start price as eBay now recommends all sellers to do.

 

This is my last word on this subject. I'm not going to reply to you anymore.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I am NOT missing the point. You are. You quote: "there is a "shipping price" displayed, and anyone who enters an auction agrees to pay that price. That's it"

 

No that is not it. They only have to agree to pay it at the time, but if it's the seller's fraudulent misrepresentation of an inflated amount that includes shipping, they can complain about it later and that was always the difference between my view and yours. No buyer has to agree to not complain about the high price later, if it turns out that it was an overinflated shipping charge. Buyers can complain about the overcharge, when they receive the item, and they have a legal right to do so. eBay can and does take action against sellers guilty of this practice by putting a warning on their selling accounts.

 

As for sellers who advertise free shipping, everyone knows they have shipping costs. They simply absorb them into their start price as eBay now recommends all sellers to do.

 

This is my last word on this subject. I'm not going to reply to you anymore.

+10

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simple.

 

Their practice is strange because they are the only ones, or nearly the only ones doing it. Thus it is not usual, it is strange

 

It is deceptive because the buyer agrees to X amount for SHIPPING but when the package arrives, the SHIPPING cost was X-Y. The buyer is not paying for X for shipping as agreed, they are paying X for shipping AND A (something else).

 

The amount agreed to by the buyer is for SHIPPING, not shipping PLUS A.

 

As I have tried to point out, "shipping" will generally include "materials and handling"; ebay does not have the option for sellers to specify "shipping", or "shipping + handling", or ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been following this and I've been a satisfied buyer from MM in the past but I never paid the $69 shipping that they seem to slap on to certain items. Having looked at their listings over the last year it seems that what they do is However, if you buy something (from anywhere) and you are told it will cost $69 to ship it to you and you pay that price, end up having to wait an inordinate amount of time for it only to discover that it cost them $9 to ship it, then that is theft, plain and simple.

 

Made-up story whose purpose is not clear. At the higher prices, Martemodena will use "expedited services", which are specified and usually involve something like DHL, with the buyer given tracking information. On the contrary, as opposed to the bgus delays, you will even find on these MM threads buyers stating that they paid something like $10 and got 3-day DHL shipment fo a box to the UK, which must mean that Martemodena subsidized them!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Buyers can complain about the overcharge, when they receive the item, and they have a legal right to do so. eBay can and does take action against sellers guilty of this practice by putting a warning on their selling accounts.

 

 

OK. Wake me up when there is a warning on the Martemodena account, or whenever you have any evidence that eBay has taken seriously the bogus complaints that are repeatedly peddled here by the same small number of people, who seem to believe that Martemodena (a commercial enterprise) owes them a good deal on their own terms.

 

I feel for those people who did not get the great deal they dreamed about, like a $15 Homo Sapiens + $5 postage or whatever, but my best advice is to move on and shop where you are happy. Working overtime to malign this particular company accomplishes little, as far as I can tell. Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would seem to be a trifling point now anyway. As of yesterday MM has standardised their postal charges and included a new option for free international shipping shipping on some items, which is good to see.

 

Now I wonder did they see this thread......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I have tried to point out, "shipping" will generally include "materials and handling"; ebay does not have the option for sellers to specify "shipping", or "shipping + handling", or ...

Don't fly. The same is true with every single seller on ebay, yet it is this is outfit only that charges so much for this extra "handling". Is there extra care taken in the packaging, none that I can see nor, given the responses by others, none that they others see either. If I pay $50. 00 for shipping but the postsge upon arrival is only $40.00, yeah, $10.00 for shipping material and time to pack it and take it to the PO. That can not be argued as what is going on with this outfit as there are are other sellers in Italy that do not charge so much for shipping yet ship as quickly and whose packages are at least as well packed.

 

Again, they being the only ones doing this, it is strange.

Edited by Tinjapan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shipping is added to the overal cost and the taxes are based on them, so it doesn't matter either way.

 

This is correct. At least as far as importing into the UK and EU from outside of the EU is concerned.

 

From HMC&E web-site :

 

Valuation of imported goods

The value for VAT of imported goods is their customs value, determined by the rules in Notice 252, as well as:

  • incidental expenses - such as commission, packing, transport and insurance costs incurred up to the goods’ first destination in the UK (including any expenses of this kind you incur on shipping the goods on to somewhere else in the EU, if you know at the time of importation that you’re going to do that)
  • any Customs Duty or levy payable on importation into the UK
  • any Excise Duty or other charges payable on importation into the UK - except the VAT itself
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I bid on a Montblanc 4810 on ebay and paid on 12 July. Contacted them 5 days later, they said it takes up to 15 days to ship, so I waited. 15 days later, I contacted again, they said that the transaction will be done within the week so I waited. Afterwards they said the warehouse is closed until 23 Aug, fine so I waited. And then on 25/8, they did not received the item yet and asked for delay until 27/9. And then I waited and contacted them few days before and got not reply whatsoever. SO I contacted on Facebook, I did got a response said that I have to contact them via their email on their site, however, I was not able to visit their site, seems their site was down. And I got tired of this got a refund from Paypal and file a complain on Ebay, and their Ebay got report as a fraud. How silly I am to wait, should have refund awhile back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

I bought a MontBlanc 146 from Martemodena back in 2017 (paid € 222,00) which they euphorically described as being in 'excellent condition'

Sadly though this pen was anything but, the cap was so clogged with ink it barely screwed on and it took an extensive amount of time to flush with distilled water. The cap clip ring also exhibited brassing and to top it all off, the ink reservoir piston was seized in place (from all the dried ink).

 

I contacted Martemodena, was met with lengthy delays, many instances where they simply didn't bother to respond to my messages & many shoddy excuses, including this one:

Martemodena representative Carerina Calzolari: "I'm sorry we haven't received the notification of your message and we lost the communication."

 

All told, Martemodena just kept adamantly referring to the pen as being in 'excellent condition'

 

 

 

​In the end after approx a dozen attempts to get someone at Martemodena to respond to my questions & concerns I offered to send the pen in question to MontBlanc Canada's authorized repair center for an unbiased assessment, requesting that if some defects/damage was found that they/Martemodena would pay for half & again I was met with an even lengthier delay of silence.

 

​Eventually though someone named Marco Rossi (who, strangely, signed off his messages with the name Giovanni) responded with this:

​I'm Giovanni please let me a few days to investigate & I'll come back to you with a complete answer."

Then finally this:

 

Hello dear Stephen,

sorry for the delay, but your order is very, very old and it's not easy to understand how is fair to do.
Anyway,
go ahead with your local MB in Canada to solve the problem and send us the receipt of the service.
We will send you 50% of this value.
We don't need any other document, only the receipt.
Note: the receipt has to came from MB directly, not by dealers
Sincerely,
Giovanni


 

Well I followed everything 'Giovanni' instructed me to do - to the letter (it took Mont Blanc Canada several months to get in stock a replacement clip ring and piston mechanism for this early 80s 146 fountain pen) - then I forwarded the MontBlanc Canada repair receipt to sales@martemodena.com & once again was greeted by silence.

 

Which is where things stand today. Marco or Giovanni or whoever 'they' want to call themselves hasn't responded, even though I followed their instructions exactly as they requested and was only looking for a fair settlement, exactly as per what Giovanni agreed to & instructed me to do.

 

But no, it seems Martmodena, from my experience, are not to be trusted. Their word, being worth nothing.

 

Never again.

 

post-24393-0-01260800-1540310124_thumb.png

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by wilddogsam
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...