How good is Amazon shipping vinyl?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by fungomatto, May 8, 2018.

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  1. whisper3978

    whisper3978 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Apex, NC
    I just ordered a 7" and it shipped in a regular shipping envelope, as if it was a CD or something. Big mistake.
     
  2. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    In recent years have had little in issues with Amazon packaging. Last horror was the first Springsteen box being shipped with just a label stuck to the shrinkwrap 3 or 4 years ago. I did get a damaged lid on a replacement Kinks set which I just swapped. 2 incidents in 5 years or more and both box sets that the label did not ship in specialist padded boxes.
     
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  3. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    But was it actually damaged?
     
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  4. whisper3978

    whisper3978 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Apex, NC
    Yes! All four corners were dinged and it was bent. Maybe the bend happened when the mailman wedged into the mailbox upon delivery, but either way....

    The vinyl itself was fine, but the cardboard sleeve is a mess.
     
    joshm2286 likes this.
  5. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    You don't have to chat with them- just go through the online returns procedure stating reason for replacement. If you are Prime it's usually next day you get another copy.
     
  6. Dr. Funk

    Dr. Funk Vintage Dust

    Location:
    Fort Worth TX
    I've yet to have a problem with Amazon shipping...........I'm knocking on wood.
     
  7. Brian Barker

    Brian Barker "No matter where you go, there you are"

    I've never had a problem with albums, but I ordered a 7" last year and they sent it in the same box as a 12". At some point it fell out of the box.
     
  8. Im not always an Amazon first guy however even if something does arrived damaged, they have the easiest replacement policy. They actually ship a replacement immediately and you have 30 days to return the defective or damaged item. All other retailers wait until they receive the bad one back and then ship to you a replacement so you end up waiting 2-3 three weeks. Plus in the case of a box set, you can have both boxes in front of you and pick and choose the very best discs between the two sets and then ship back the bad one..
     
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  9. Mok

    Mok Has Potential

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    LOL - Amazon warehouse shipping LPs with any care is a total crapshoot. I once ordered an LP in its own order with no other items: it arrived as the LP itself, not in a box, with shipping address label affixed to the LP's outer plastic. Never again.
     
  10. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    That's the real issue with Amazon - if you order a buncha stuff, it'll come in one box which may have been packed by an idiot. Every month we order a couple flats of Red Bull and some pens, and they always ship them in one big box and although the pens miraculously survive, their boxes get crushed to a pulp.

    I've yet to have a problem with vinyl from Amazon, but you do want to keep fragile stuff separate from other stuff if possible.
     
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  11. englishbob

    englishbob has left the SH Forums...19/05/2023

    Location:
    Kent, England
    I have being using Amazon on and off for years. Like a prior poster mentioned I used to think I got a lot of warped vinyl from them, but actually turns out it was my prior crappy Rega RP3 glass platter that must of been wonky. Hardly any of those I've tried on my Technics SL1200 platter are now warped. There where some that ended up going back though

    A couple of tips

    1) Don't order anything else with your records, especially something heavy. They end up coming in the same box
    2) Actual use of a proper vinyl mailer is hit-and-miss. When you get one they are generally among the best around. When you don't, well....



    I got off lightly with that one.

    I tend to find new releases and pre-orders seem to come in this way, whereas albums from a few weeks/months back come in a proper mailer
     
    DaverJ likes this.
  12. nickg

    nickg Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire
    I recommend this mostly because I ordered some vinyl at Christmas with some other gifts. It came in one big box and the record was in it's own cardboard box (which was nice of them) and I almost threw out the box not realizing they had packed it altogether.

    Shipping info sheet on the inside be damned.
     
  13. Lemon Curry

    Lemon Curry (A) Face In The Crowd

    Location:
    Mahwah, NJ
    Totally agree. I do most of my vinyl shopping via Amazon. With so many defects in new vinyl today, they are very convenient to work with to exchange things. Very often that purchase will get you the digital version as well on Amazon music.
    Total endorsement from me, at least for US Amazon.
     
    Chemguy likes this.
  14. fungomatto

    fungomatto Forum Resident Thread Starter

    What means "conceal" sorry but I'm italian and don't know what it means. Here in Italy we have only the 'gift option' that cost a bit much... don't know if it's what you mean
     
  15. DaverJ

    DaverJ Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    Conceal = "hide" or "cover up".

    I'm glad @The Zodiac mentioned this option - I don't think it's available for everything, and I've never noticed it before, but I just put a vinyl album in my Amazon cart and went to checkout - low and behold, there was a small button at the bottom of order description (under gift option) to conceal item. Cool.
     
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  16. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    Years ago, they were pretty bad, to be honest but over time they've improved big time. Far as no one doing it better, for me that has to go to Sounds Stage Direct. Their delivery time has slowed down lately but in terms of packaging, thy've been on top of the game for long as I've been ordering albums (going on 10 years now).
     
    Chemguy likes this.
  17. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    The first album I ordered from them was a band On The Run re-issue along with the deluxe CD. They cramped the CD in with the album and were both VERY tightly wrapped in cellophane. But that was many years ago. They've gotten considerably more careful.
     
  18. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    I buy a lot from Amazon. Usually the packaging is excellent. The mailers they use are better than what most eBay sellers use. Normally the mailer are sent inside an additional box. That being said, this isn't always the case. I've seen records just sent in boxes without the mailers. It's rare, but it happens. The best part of Amazon is that they will take it back and sent a replacement before you even ship yours back. With amount of packages Amazon sells I can accept that I will on a rare occasion get bad packaging as long as they maintain their return policy.
     
  19. LitHum05

    LitHum05 El Disco es Cultura

    Location:
    Virginia
    I’ve recently ordered some expensive used LPs from Amazon. Third party sellers. I’m assuming I can expect the same type of packaging I get from discogs. But I’m holding my breath until they get here. Anyone have experience with used Amazon?
     
  20. englishbob

    englishbob has left the SH Forums...19/05/2023

    Location:
    Kent, England
    Not entirely sure what you mean, but buying from a 3rd party seller on Amazon is no different than buying from eBay or Discorgs with regards to packing, unless it states fulfilled by Amazon, then you can expect the Amazon packaging lottery
     
    LitHum05 likes this.
  21. LitHum05

    LitHum05 El Disco es Cultura

    Location:
    Virginia
    I’m thinking there is less accountability since these are not sellers on discogs. But I guess there is a way to rate these 3rd party sellers on Amazon, too.
     
  22. fungomatto

    fungomatto Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Ah, ok "nascondi" in italian. But unfortunately also if in the description Amazon say to use this option to hide the items in the parcel I haven't see it... strange
     
  23. Mo0g

    Mo0g Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I didn't want to use the online form for two reasons; the first is I would have accepted a discount on the order rather than replacement, second they state a maximum of 7EUR for return shipping, whereas mine was going to cost about 15EUR.

    I did try their english help email address, but had no response for a few days then tried again, and still no response.

    After the second packaging debacle I asked for a discount and got the record for free (minus the 8EUR difference between their 7EUR automatic shipping refund and my actual 15EUR cost).
     
  24. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Confused. If you are in London Amazon UK returns are free. So either you are in Europe or buying from a European Amazon site since you quote Euros ?
     
  25. norliss

    norliss Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cardiff, Wales
    Amazon's inconsistent standard of packing can be very frustrating... a bit like people filming things vertically on a phone :laugh:
     
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