MW Classic Cameras Reviews 

Unfortunately MW Classic has slipped from being pretty good (about three plus years ago) to now being utterly unreliable. The website entries are slapdash, often with the wrong photo for at least one item and poor descriptions which are often rather optimistic about conditions compared to the photos.

The worst aspect is the slapdash nature of their back office. It's not unusual for sold items to remain on the website for days and for emails about them to be ignored. They don't reply to emails promptly and it's extremely difficult to get through by telephone.

Their policy of taking payment immediately upon receiving the order is wrong. In a wholly manual system like theirs, payment should only be collected when the goods are dispatched (although that approach is ubiquitous nowadays, and is how automated payment systems tend to work).

I understand that Mahendra may have retired leaving David Woodford alone to do the buying and selling as well as all the back-office work. There appears to be a part-timer (maybe a relative) who helps out. But this is clearly too much work for one person, especially when there's the eBay shop too. I have dealt with MW Classic for many years and I am sure that there is no deliberate attempt to mislead customers, but 'they' just needs to 'shape up', otherwise hitherto loyal customers will desert them and more bad reviews will cripple the business.

I didn't read the TrustPilot reviews before purchasing. Big mistake.

I ordered a vintage camera from them for more than £100.

I rang a couple of days after the purchase, asking when I could expect to receive it, the guy on the phone said it was sitting on his desk, waiting to be packaged up and he would have it in the post that evening, will be with me the next day.

It didn't arrive. I rang again, he said he was snowed under, but he would definitely get it out that evening, I had his word.

It didn't arrive. I rang again, this time that guy wasn't in, the guy on the phone was part time and didn't know anything about it.

I then got caught up doing my job and the next time I rang was a week later, by which time the owner of the store had gone to Hong Kong on a buying trip. The same part time guy said he didn't know anything, looked around for the model that I had purchased, but couldn't see it. He let slip that he hadn't seen one of those models in their shop for a long time...

I chased again a week later, the owner still away. The part time guy agreed to message him to ask him about the camera. I called again the next day, and apparently the owner had said he didn't know what happened, but told the part time guy to give me a refund.

They didn't do the refund. Blah blah, we're now two months later, I've rung them another 4 or 5 times, still no refund and no camera. Have now started a claim through PayPal, but I don't hold out much hope of getting this money back.

I've emailed Islington trading standards, but their website essentially says that they don't care about this stuff.

So I am now heading off to set up a spoof website selling diamonds, and when no one receives their diamonds but I keep all their money, apparently no one will challenge me. I'm going to be rich!

Avoid this company. They are either criminals or horrifically incompetent.

DONT USE , NOT WORTH THE RISK, I DONT EVEN KNOW IF THEY ACTUALLY EXIST!!!
I should have known better after I had to get Paypal to get my money back on my first order.
Then a few months later , after reading some good reviews I thought I'd try them again.
So I placed a second £100 order a couple of weeks ago.
Guess what, no response, no replies to emails etc, so once again I'm having to use Paypal to get my money returned!
Now nearly a month later and still no response from MW let alone goods or a refund!!
ABSOLUTELY APALLING

A small order, Hasselblad filter for 23 quid including postage. Never arrived. I found it difficult to contact this company as they ignore the online contact form and the answer phone works overtime. When someone did pick up this person claimed no knowledge of the order and promised to inform David Woodford. I've never been contacted so went off to PayPal for a refund. Resolved today in my favor as PayPal stated they had not received any contact from MW. You have been warned. Read the other bad reviews. This is not a one off case. I only wish I had checked trust pilot first.

My experience of dealing with this company has so far been a positive one. I placed an order on the Monday and received it by midday on the Wednesday. The quality of the items was of a good standard. David comes across as professional and as a result I have now placed a larger order. I'll update my review once this order has been received.

Totally unprofessional firm - avoid!
13 December 2018. Placed order online. Received confirmation of order from the seller immediately.
19 December 2018. Saw very bad reviews on TrustPilot so I asked
seller by e-mail to confirm that the item is on its way and its tracking number. No reply. Ominous?
3 January 2019. Telephoned seller, saying I would give them one more chance to redeem themselves. Either send the item by special delivery to arrive next day or else I would initiate a claim through PayPal. Seller said he would phone me back before 5pm. No call back was received (I did not leave the house, so not a missed call).
4 January. Nothing received by post, so I have asked PayPal to recover my payment.
This sort of grief would not happen with a professional, trustworthy seller. I wish I had checked out their reviews on TrustPilot before I tried to do business with them.

I ordered a lens and paid £10 delivery, not only did I not receive the lens but no reply to my emails including the ones via PayPal. For £10 delivery I would expect an in stock item to be shipped within 48 hours. This has now been escalated with PayPal as a dispute. 16 days after ordering I am still without my lens or any communication from this company.

Three times now I have tried to use this company. Three times it has failed miserably. Time 1 - "bought" Mamiya 6 from their website; waited; waited. Nothing. Emails. Phone. Nothing. Started paypal refund process - then they got in touch saying it was sold to someone else. Vowed never to use them again.
Couple of years Later - time 2, gave them another chance, Small Werra camera. Actually sent a camera this time. But wrong one. The other one was gone.
This year. Third time lucky? Fujinon lens - basically, same as the the Mamiya. "Bought" off website. Nothing. Nothing. Eventually - "Despite searching several times for the lens regrettably I have to tell you we no longer have it in stock".

Three times is enough for me. Take heed. If you do want to risk it (I wouldn't) make sure you use paypal or credit card to cover refund.

Better still - shop elsewhere - there are at least four other vintage camera shops that I have used a lot, never a problem (and one other notorious one that, yes, you should avoid).

Paid for camera bag. Never received it... Emailed, phoned them, no contact at all. Stay away from these guys!

No delivery, no replies to e-mails. Luckily got my money back from Paypal, but this is really not the way to do business online.

I doubt before purchasing from mwclassic due to the reviews here. I gave it a try. Yes they didnt replay my email for requesting more photos, but they did update the photos on its own site. It just take 2 days and I got the camera from UK to Hong Kong. And the camera was great. No problem with their website in my case.

Placed an order with this company and didn't receive it. They don't answer their phone or respond to e-mails, very rude! I now have the hassle of getting my money back from Paypal, which luckily was only a very small amount. I'll never buy from this company, how do they stay in business???.

I quite like these guys, I've shopped with them a few times and picked stuff up from their premises. Having done that I can see why they might generate a few complaints because it is a bit chaotic, but they do seem like decent people.

Ordered in december 17, payed via credit card. Never delivered purchased camera, no reülies on email, called twice, never received my order...

Orders a Leica R5 with 28 to 70 vario Elmar and a motor winder on 16th May.
Got a call from the shop saying the winder did not have a grip with it (one was show in the listing pic)
O k I said I can live with that... and they knocked £20 off the bill.
Anyway camera came on the 21st so unboxed it and check it... no focusing screen!!!! how in Hell am I supposed to use it without a screen.
Called the up moments after unboxing it and got through. 'So sorry...dont know how it happens. We'll send it straight out..
Got nothing after a week...
Sent e-mail...no reply and no screen...
So after three weeks I went on eBay and bought one myself instead of waiting for something they don't appear to have any intention in sending .
The winder was no better. It had six of the oldest Duracells I have seen, so old in fact that they had burst in the drive and leaked all over the contacts.
As a camera shop goes it's one I will NEVER ever use again. The equipment is not checked, even the most basic glance would have shown up a missing focusing screen and the rotten batteries.
Awful....

I purchased the camera through the website by debit card transaction and sent an email to them regarding the order and post date but never heard from them. I tried to call them but no one pick up the phone, terrible service and worst online purchase ever in my life.

I would not buy from MW Classic Cameras again. I have been buying photography equipment for two decades now and have never had such an experience with a camera shop before. The three weeks waiting for my camera to arrive felt more like three months!

I had found a camera on their website that I had been searching for for months, it was apparently in excellent condition and was available at a great price. Unfortunately my excitement got the better of me and I bought the camera straight away. I remember seeing their shop being advertised in Amateur Photographer magazine but I had never been a customer of MW Classic Cameras before and had I researched into the shop's reputation beforehand, as I should have done, then I would not have trusted them with my money. However, I have bought from many different camera shops over the years and I have never had any problems and did not expect any problems in this case.

I sent emails requesting for an update on the status of my order, but the replies I received were excuses as to why they had not yet posted the camera. If I had not emailed then I would never have known what was going on. MW Classic Cameras had '100% guaranteed' the package would turn up on a specific day, a day which was over two weeks after I had bought the camera from their website (I had first enquired a week previously about when it was supposed to turn up), but it did not arrive. Then on the second occasion when the package was supposed to arrive it once again did not arrive.

Luckily, I had paid via PayPal, so I was able to open a dispute as a last resort, but after three days I had no response and was considering when I was supposed to escalate the dispute to a claim, when I got an email from PayPal regarding the tracking number of the package, the camera then arrived the next day. I suspect that if I had not paid via PayPal and did not make a fuss then I would be waiting even longer. I was also told my postage would be refunded as compensation for the three week wait, this refund was never received, but I was not surprised, I was just relieved to finally receive the camera. It's not acceptable for a customer to have such an experience, it was obvious that MW Classic Cameras did not value my custom in the slightest.

Put in an order via their website on 27th November, including a camera I intended to give as a Christmas present. After 10 days no goods, so emailed, no response. Then I chased by phone on the 11th December, nothing heard back from them. No sign of order so have cancelled and raised a case with PayPal. Honestly the worst service I've received in decades.

I wouldn't recommend buying from here.

First item (£50) - ordered and confirmation email but no despatch notification and not delivered after 1 week so emailed but no answer.

Phoned and did get through pretty quick - they said they were just about to send it. It did come next day - I was slightly disappointed with the condition.

OK so I thought just a bit of a hiccup.

A couple of weeks later second item (£400) - ordered and gave it a day or two - order confirmation but no despatch notification email - nothing turned up.

No response to email...

Got through on the phone and the bloke said he was just about to contact me...

Apparently the lens had been sold - they hadn't taken the listing down off the website. - he said he needed to update the stock listing.

I had deliberated long and hard for at least 10 days over several lenses for sale on MW Classics website trying to decide between 35, 40 & 50 so I was pretty familiar with all the listings. So I asked him right there about 2 other lenses that were listed as possible alternatives but apparently they'd been sold as well.

So I asked for a refund to Paypal but still wanted 1 item on the order. Got the refund after 2 days but no notification email - the other item duly arrived but was incomplete not as described - so now I've raised a claim with Paypal.

Been watching the new items listed every Friday night - some great bargains - if they exist and are as described. Probably not.

Bad website and useless customer service - I won't be buying from them again

Purchased a Leica lens and went to pick it up. The lens was described as 'Excellent 90%' in terms of condition, with light marks and a small amount of fungus and haze, to be expected from an old lens really. But what I was handed was in appalling optical condition - lots of fungus not only on the front element, but on internal elements too. Was in an unacceptable condition and produced very soft images when I tried it out.

Needless to say I went home empty handed. No apology for them wasting my time, I don't think that lens was 'Excellent' by any stretch of the imagination. So if you do decide that you want to buy something from MW Classic Cameras, make sure you go in person, and don't be surprised if you're disappointed!