Frustration with ebay seller's descriptions for CDs

Just venting...

It would be nice if sellers would scan or take an actual photo of the actual CD they were selling. Even a photo of one example if it were the same version of many for sale. Many times record companies will release a jewel case and a digipak version of the same CD. I always choose jewel case if I have the option. I would like to know EXACTLY what I'm buying. I can't always get my CDs at the local record store. When buying online I would at least appreciate a seller to make an ATTEMPT to replicate my record store experience. At the store I can flip the thing around and look at it closely to aid in my decision. My record store doesn't simply print out stock photos of album covers for me to choose from. Hey, ebay seller, I'm not buying a stock photo of a CD. I'm buying a CD. Please show me what I'm buying. I always buy quickly if the item is well described and an actual quality photo is listed. Sellers need to realize they are hurting their sales by not being descriptive. Amazon is even worse. Their marketplace doesn't even allow photos. If the future of CD buying is reduced to online shopping then the online selling community is going to have to step up their game.

OK I'm done now.

 

Even worse when the advertise a 45rpm record and don't list the "B" side, so you don't know which version they've got.

 

Yes I agree, stock photos should not be allowed, its a form of false advertising. Every phone has a camera nowadays, how hard is it to put up an actual pic of the utem being sold?

 

a lot of the cd sales barely make pennies... not sure how you can expect people to go to great lengths in the listing description.... many are people just like you and me trying to make a little extra cash...

i find listing stuff on ebay to take so much time that its not worth it...precisely cause of buyers like the sort griping here....

its one thing if a cd is going to sell for $20 or $30 but most cds these days are worth so little..

 

They only make pennies because they don't put the time in to make the sale. I rarely get questions about my listings because I post good photos. If it's not worth the time to do it right, take it down to the local pawn shop and sell it there.

 

Not true.. they don't make money because CD prices have nosedived... but believe what you want...

There is nothing like selling a CD for $1 on Amazon (plus shipping) and having the customer complain about something or other...

Like I said.. not worth the time...

 

I see where you are coming from. But the CDs I buy aren't $1. Usually it's something that's collectible or in demand to a dedicated fanbase. Anything I sell on ebay is listed with a VERY acurate desciption and pictures. Granted, I'm only listing something every few months but I feel that for the customer it's worth just a little extra effort so they know exactly what they are getting.

Example: moviemars, importcds, oddbanana, etc. sell TONS of CDs on ebay. I've bought from all of them. But every once in a while I will get one that's a digipak that I thought was only available in a jewel case. Or a 1 disc version that was listed as 2 disc. Or a CD that was supposed to be an SACD. The UPC codes shown don't always line up with what you get. So now I have to go back and forth with them to get a refund/exchange. Quite the headache. If only the description had been fully acurate. Now, they all sell a given CD with 15 or more available. Why not take photos of one example and post that? Then we would know exactly what version we are getting. They could do it one time for all of the times they will relist the item. And don't even get me started about used CDs. Ugh.

 

Exactly how much time should I put in on a $2-3 cd?

 

I would say that even for a CD that cheap you can still be pretty descriptive. Now it is ridiculous to expect something at that price to have multiple pictures. But an accurate description is fair to the buyer. A few extra seconds of effort will make the sale go smoother and the buyer happier. The buyer should have no complaint if the description is accurate. And I mean more accurate than ebay's default "like new" or "excellent" descriptions. One person's "like new" is another person's "good". Sellers who sell a lot of CDs should understand this. Now, mass sellers that are more of the garage sale type will not understand why anyone would care about the condition of a CD as long as it plays.

 

Nah, my sales are just fine at ebay using the "good", "very good" or "excellent" standards. Condition is subjective to begin with and guys who are anal-retentive about it shouldn't be buying online, on eBay, for used CDs to begin with, IMO. Buyers will have complaints regardless of how descriptive you are, because what they perceive as good is different than what you perceive as good. You're just looking for "full service" from an online auction site, when it's basically an online garage sale..

 

I agree with the online garage sale thing. But it could be better than that. Why not just add a few extra words to make it closer to the experience of a garage sale at the very least? At least at a garage sale I can see every scuff and scratch or missing artwork. I agree that most online music sellers have accurate descriptions when it comes to CDs. It's the garage sale types that are trying to sell mass quantities of different kinds of things that I'm more careful with. I do my homework on a seller. If a seller is listing most of their CDs as "like new", I might hesitate to buy a higher priced item. Now, at a lower price I might roll the dice. Example, I bought this lot of 4 CDs listed as like new. $10 shipped. It was a bargain so I bought them. The one CD of the 4 that I was most interested in had hundreds of scuffs on it. The spines of the jewel tray art were torn off. Was I livid? No, it was only $10. Was it disappointing? Yeah. If only the description didn't say like new and had a few more words of description, I may have been OK with it. I may still have even bought the set at the price but at least I wouldn't have the sour feeling about it. I won't buy from that seller again.

 

4 CDs for $10, one was scratched which means all of this is over $2.50? You expect like new condition and scratch-free for $2.50? Spines of the jewel tray broken? Seriously? Get a new one and replace it, drama over. You have incredibly high standards for buying cheap stuff, which doesn't make sense. If you are "rolling the dice", then you have to accept the losses when they come. If you want to avoid this situation, pay top dollar for mint condition copies from sellers who list items as you desire them to be, with incredible detail and specifics.

 

I pretty much disagree. Being disappointed when someone says "like new" then it's not, is normal. Saying it's "like new" when it's not, is lying, no way around it. Price is irrelevant. The buyer should not be "rolling the dice" when there is a condition listing and an extra two sentences would make the condition clear.

 

I agree. An extra two sentences makes a better listing and a happier customer. No extra pictures. No extra money spent in the listing. Literally seconds of your time to please a customer. And frankly more likely to have repeat business. If I remember correctly selling stuff is how one makes money on ebay correct? Repeat business would be a good thing yes?

 

Repeat business is a good thing. I can count on one hand the repeat customers I've had in 17 years of selling on eBay. And I have 100% positive feedback. It's not a retail business strategy environment, it's an auction site that fronts as a place of business for thousands of people. Very few people, when going to eBay to search for an item, search by seller- I'd estimate that 99% search via the item they are looking for. So repeat business, while good in theory, doesn't hold water with eBay- unlike the local supermarket, who wants you to keep coming in for your weekly groceries, where you buy the same items repeatedly. Ebay, you buy one thing you are looking for, if it's available. And there is zero proof that any extra descriptive sentences would increase sales -that's pure speculation on your part. Again, for a $3 CD, as a general rule, that buyer is looking for a CD that plays, at a cheap price, with the cheapest shipping fee possible, with quick delivery. They're not worried about matrix numbers, or countries where the disc was made, or whether the artwork has bumps or not. And that is the VAST majority of my sales. For that little profit, it is not worth spending an extra "few seconds"(which really isn't true because it takes way longer to add more text, images or links)- if you as a buyer have a question, I can answer it within limitations before you bid. But to expect Class A service for a $3 item is unreasonable. And I would argue that a extra sentence or two does not guarantee a "happier" customer, as stated. For the anal-retentive audiophile who has to know every single detail on an item before spending money, it won't make any difference- because those types ALWAYS have more questions. It's impossible to anticipate every question that could be asked, period. And I've gotten some really ridiculous questions over the years. If you want 100% satisfaction in a purchase, guaranteed, don't buy online if you are condition-sensitive or a collector of high-end items. You need to buy in a retail environment where you can examine, demo and/or listen to the CD. otherwise, you might find yourself "disappointed" with sour feelings..

 

I will agree with you. Your points seem valid. I'm not a high quantity seller myself. I do agree that most people that are looking at $3 CDs could give a crap about condition. For me, the guy hoping to find that audiophile rarity that the seller doesn't know what they've got, more description would help. But why would the seller bother since it's only a $3 CD right. Very true. Maybe I will have to ask more questions then. I suppose it's a catch-22 then? If the seller knows about matrix numbers then most likely they won't be selling anything for so cheap. They will more likely know exactly what they've got and will specialize in that.

It's getting harder for me to find the things I want in stores. So I suppose I'm trying to replicate that experience online. Which may not be possible. I guess one cannot force the experience of stumbling upon a rarity. I have had success in the way I do my hunting but I've also had some bummers hoping to get that rarity for $3. Yeah it's only $3 but it's more about the gamble or the thrill of the hunt than the $3.

 

Hey, it's getting tougher to find quality products to sell on eBay! Add in the fact that there are fewer people buying CDs, and you have a really difficult situation to work with. I know the thrill of going out and finding something really, really good, at a ridiculously low price, in great condition. I also know all about going out for hours and hours, looking in dozens of thrift shops, garage sales, resale stores, flea markets, combing ads on Craigslist and continually looking for people who are selling records or CDs, and coming up empty handed, nothing but time lost and less gas in the tank. I know all about spending time putting stuff on eBay that you know is quality, at a really good price and getting not even a watch on it, again, out time and money. It's really easy to look at this from a buyers perspective, bu also consider everything that goes into getting the product out there for you to look at and potentially purchase. I cannot emphasize enough the number of ridiculous questions I get asked on $2 or $3 CDs. I get an average of 3 messages a day from eBay, from the most common "would you take $1 for it?" to the "there's another one listed cheaper, will you price match?" and the always wonderful "if I buy your CD, can you wait two weeks until I get paid for the payment?" I get stuff like "can you tell me the printing on the back artwork at the bottom right and if it is in times-roman font or scribe?" I've been asked to "play it for me over the phone" and "compare it to this other version released." Just last week, I got an email from a ebay member who asked me "tell me what the CD smells like, and if the artwork booklet has staples or is glued, and if glued, what that smells like." Seriously. So while condition is important- I won't argue that at all- consider things from the sellers viewpoint somewhat and ask yourself "hey, this is a $2 CD, am I really going to ask him to smell it?" But I totally get that not everyone on ebay functions like I do- I don't sell crap CDs, and if there is a defect, I try to be as clear about it as I can, exponentially if the CD is something that I know certain people who hang out here would care about and has a price point that makes it worthwhile. But I cannot list hundreds of CDs and spend 10 minutes on each one- I have a life!! lol..

 

Holy crap. Now THOSE are some ridiculous questions. Haha. Seriously for a $3 CD? I can honestly say I'm not that bad. I usually just want to know which one I'm getting for sure and if it's a jewel case or digipak. I can't stand the digipaks. I'm OK with getting a $3 CD and having it all scratched up. Only it sucks if they list that CD at "Like New". It sounds like you are an honest seller. For a $3 CD if the seller lists the default ebay descriptions accurately then no issues for me. It ends up being a bummer if I get that $3 CD and it's not what they described. It's only $3 so it doesn't ruin my day but still a bummer. Now, for a $15 or $30 CD which they describe "Like New" and you get crap, now that sucks. That HAS happened to me. But I have learned from that. I'm more careful now. But for $3 and I don't care what version, I really don't have much to complain about. Surely I won't leave negative feedback. I don't leave negative feedback for anyone. I may send a PM to the person for a higher end item. But for $3 I just keep quiet. That must be a real drag to sell something for $2-$3 and get negative feedback.

 

I hear both of you. I am one willing to pay MORE for a better CD. What gets annoying is people who are selling CDs that 'play' = new. Most are not like this, but there a lot of sellers that are selling $2 CDs for $10-20+.

Which makes it hard for legitimate sellers like the above to sell good stuff reasonably.

I have gotten some CDs that are cat toys, but play and they were moderate to not cheap.

 

I think some of it comes down to ethics. I don't like buying a CD or record online and not getting quality, so why would I do that to someone else? I'm a "karma" type of guy so it'd come back to haunt me, no doubt, lol. But in life, we have individuals in all shapes that have lowered ethics or are motivated by greed who will try to cheat us- whether it be eBay sellers, car dealers, restaurants, retail stores, anything at all. We all get burned now & then, get upset, and hopefully learn from it. I wish that my quality product, good service and honesty would help me sell more on eBay, but as I stated before, that's not what that place is about- it's all about getting what you want at the lowest price possible, even if you have to gamble to do it..wish it wasn't that way, and that I had tons of repeat customers but it just doesn't work that way. There is no brand loyalty when it comes to sellers on eBay for the most part, when there really should be if you got good product and service from someone- but look at how YOU work eBay- do you save sellers and then peruse their stuff, or do you just do a general search? there you go...