What percentage of new vinyl you buy is defective?

Pretty bad run for me this year. Have had to return several for warping/scratches.

AIC- Dirt, on MOVLP, scratched and still sealed
AIC-Jar Of Flies/Sap on MOVLP, scratched, still sealed.
Rolling Stones-Through The past Darkly, Clearly Classic, warped, returned for exchange. Replacement warped also, but less maybe only 1 or 2 mms, compared to about 4mms warp on the first.

There's others, but that's what I remember off the top of my head.

I've had a bit of bad luck with numbered pressings also. Sellers listing as limited/numbered, but shipping out regular pressings. Have returned about 3 separate titles for that as well.

 

My average just got much better with Beatles and Dylan mono boxes.

 

0%

 

I recently bought the new Leonard Cohen LP in a Seattle store. Side one was unplayable and you could actually see most of the problems. I took it back to the store. I buy lots there and they reordered me a new copy as they were out.

A week later they called me and I got the new copy but I saw my defective one in the used bin for $16. Boy did I hate seeing that. But I didn't say anything. Would anyone here have ?

 

I think one in the last 10 years.

So, way less then 1%.

 

So what do most people think the average record store does with defective records? Do they send back to their supplier for a credit or do they resell them and try to resell??

 

Our local store says the distributor refuses to take back open records, defective or not, the store is stuck with selling it as used. That sucks. I end up buying most new vinyl on Amazon and used vinyl from the local stores. The margins are higher with used vinyl than new anyways.

 

I don't know about the mom & pop type stores, but the larger chains (FYE, Best Buy, etc.) probably have the same kind of deal with record distributors that B. Dalton Booksellers did with book distributors and publishers when I worked for them: defective merchandise can be returned for full credit toward your next order. It makes sense from the distributor's and record company's point of view: happy customers are repeat customers.

 

I don't get that. Why create ill-will for your customers up and down the supply chain? That can only hurt your business in the long run, if I can't return defective merchandise to a store, I'm much less likely to buy from said store.

 

The store takes it back, they said they're stuck with the bad copy.

 

After about 8 years of batting 70% or so for defective vinyl I stopped buying new lp's for a year. I did buy the mono Beatles lp's individually and had NO problems. A friend bought the box and had problems with all of them. I'm about to pull the trigger on 3 other new lp's.

 

Right, and that hurts the store: they pass the higher cost of doing business directly to you. They're not the bad guy here, it's the distributor. The store you shop at is treating you well, they're the one being treated badly. Let me ask you this: Because you know the store gets stuck with defective records, are your more willing to accept a slight defect because you feel badly for returning it? If so, the distributor is hurting you as well. And that's what I don't get.

 

No major issues with warping, but very high noise floors on Queensryche operation: mindcrime, and Mastodon's The Hunter I have to turn the volume up to two o'clock on my oppo ha1 in balanced config to get a decent volume, and the noise is so much more prominent than any other lp's I own; seems to me the gain is extremely low on some records

 

I buy new from Amazon, so neither the store or me gets hurt.
I buy used from the store so they still make money.

 

I've bought a few of the Blue Note 75th anniversary reissues and both had scuffs and were pressed off-center. After finding out they were pressed at United, I decided to take a pass on other titles in the series. I would rather pay the extra money and buy the same title(s) from Music Matters or Analog Productions/Acoustic Sounds.

 

Good for you. Amazon can return defective copies for full credit (they have quite a bit of clout because of their size). The deck is really stacked against the little guy in matters like this. Too bad, really...

 

Can anyone recommend a good record store in the Chicagoland area? Something near Franklin Park or within a 20-30 minute drive of O'hare airport? I am going to visit relatives and Im getting tired of returning warped records to the "Exclusive" company...

 

Amazon for new vinyl. Hassle free and cost free returns. If it's off centre or scratched your replacement may be just as bad or worse though. Only return for shipping damage and warps and non-fill. I haven't been able to afford new vinyl in the last few years but a got a few in the mid 2000's and the quality didn't impress for supposedly premium records.

How come MOFI could get decent product from RTI when AP seemed to always have problems? There is no excuse for scratched, scuffed, dirty vinyl when it would cost very little extra to produce decent product. (especially at the price point)

Vinyl has always been hit or miss. I've been selling some of my 90's disks and it is hard to rate any of it NM even though it is is the same condition as when new. It seemed the quality took a dive when CD's came out. This also seemed to be the time that stores became stuck with defective returns. But with just a bit of care they should be able to produce decent records now. I would pay an extra dollar if I knew I would get a NM record. That should be enough to take a bit of care in production.

 

Only one truly defective, beyond a mild warp. The Verve - Urban Hymns. It had a pressing issue, like a glob in one spot. Returned it to Amazon and the replacement was exactly the same. Returned that one too. The 3rd one was good. This is out of maybe 50, so I suppose it has been 2% for me.

 

I've bought more then a few "defective" returns from local stores. Some people expect 110% perfection. I guess I'm not as bothered about some things as other people as long as the record plays fine. I'll take the price break and enjoy the music.

 

I've had one in the past several years, new or used. It was a new 180G Tea For the Tillerman from QRP. After all of the hype, I was amazed at how freaking noisy it was. Like a static storm, but it wasn't static. I wrote them and got another, but had to pay return shipping. The new one is quieter, but not truly quiet. I wrote again and asked if they'd audition one (play it and then send if it was good) and they declined. I won't buy from them again based on this, even though many of you love their stuff and have had no problems. I feel like there was a quality problem with some of that title and they didn't do the right thing even though I said I'd wait, months if need be, for a better copy. They said they had no plans for a new press run in the foreseeable future at that point. Sad.

I have an original early press from 1970 of this and much prefer it. A&M knew how to squeeze plastic, I have dozens of great examples.

 

25% or so. Now I try and do my homework on what are the good pressings and where they are pressed at before buying....good ones RTI, Pallas, Optimal, QRP (new ones)....

 

Same here about 25% one of the reasons I bought a new CDP and sold my vinyl and turntables recently.

 

Well I had a pressing defect on the new Sarah McLachlan vinyl of Afterglow

Some weird dimples on side 4 that causes pops. Doesn't clean either. Called Soundstage direct and they are sending a new one.

 

Might be quicker to count what the recording industry does right.

The the short answer is the store eats the cost. The longer answer is below.

It's been 10 years since I've been in the music retail business but at that time, returned music was eaten by the store. The major distributers would sell at a built in discount to offset the cost of returns. They did not want the returns.

What can anyone do with a returned defective music item? It should be destroyed so why send it anywhere. Simpler and cheaper to destroy it at the store and save on the shipping and receiving costs. That theory led to "cheaper" (in theory) pricing at the wholesale level.