Whom to contact when record store abandons you?

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by Lamus, Dec 29, 2017.

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  1. Kiss73

    Kiss73 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Scotland
    If the shop has a Facebook page, put a comment up regarding their service, and how to date they are not keen to provide you appropriate customer service......write it in such a way as to not close the door on them offering you a replacement....but stern enough to embarrass them into action.
     
  2. Lamus

    Lamus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tempe, Arizona
    You folks are the best.

    I contacted the label through Twitter. Sometimes those posts get read by the right people. On the bright side, the records I did get sound unreal. I've got Tonight's the Night cranking as I type this.
     
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  3. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    I am very sensitive to the indi store plight...I used to own one. But I have to agree with this post....when an item is literally missing they really need to fix this and go through their distributor as in this case they very, very likely would be made whole unlike a defective issue. You need to speak with the store manager. I would never use that store again if they stick you with this.
     
    eddiel, Ethan B and black sheriff like this.
  4. ggergm

    ggergm another spring another baseball season

    Location:
    Minnesota
    In 2014 I had great luck with Warner Bros. customer service over an issue of bad records. The title was on the Friday Music label but it is distributed by Warner Bros and they were very helpful. In the end I never could get a good copy of the record but, to take care of me, Warners exchanged it for a different title. I don't know how they will handle your situation, @Lamus. but I'd give them a try.

    Here's the email addy. Give them a few days, especially with the upcoming holiday, but they responded to my problem multiple times over the course of two months and helped me out of a jam.

    [email protected]
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2017
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  5. Jrr

    Jrr Forum Resident

    I totally agree and very much respect my local store. I don't abuse their kindness about taking returns from me with a smile (I do spend a lot of $$ there). But I only return the really bad stuff. But in this case, he didn't even receive what he paid for. A whole different ball game imo. The store was very foolish in the way this was handled. I have no doubt they can get the correct album shipped to then and resell the item. Stupid move.
     
  6. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Definitely. Stores don't want to be penalized by the credit card company which helps them get paid. Did you purchase said items in the store, or did they mail them? That's another layer of whup-ass right there.
     
    Ethan B likes this.
  7. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
    No easy answer - the store, if it's like my local stores, have to eat the cost. It sucks that it's like that but that's the way this business seems to operate [or maybe not...see below]. So the store had a choice between eating this or putting this on you, and obviously they chose the latter.

    As mentioned, contact the label itself and see if they can do anything...I have had luck with certain labels in the past with defective product. As for the record store, I would keep the experience in mind for future purchases. This is the type of stuff that makes me lean towards using stores like Amazon for new product, only for the exchange/return policy.

    Good point and agree - an option if a CC was used.
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  8. Lamus

    Lamus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tempe, Arizona
    Ordered from their Discogs site.
     
  9. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    Does anybody really check with the BBB before they shop at a record store?

    Yelp makes more sense in that a few people might check Yelp if they've never shopped at that store before, but neither approach is likely to get you a replacement record IMO.

    You should be able to get a replacement from the record label if you find the right person to ask. Look for customer service emails on the label's or Neil's website. Post messages on Twitter and @ the record label.

    As for the record store, you may have some rights depending on the laws in your state, but I'm guessing that AZ law is not very helpful in that respect. You could contact the state's Attorney General office.

    Cancelling the charge on your credit card is a good idea if you have that option.
     
    deredordica likes this.
  10. ggergm

    ggergm another spring another baseball season

    Location:
    Minnesota
    @Lamus, maybe I missed it but I can't see in this thread how you paid for the box. As others have mentioned, if it was by credit card, you are so covered, it's not even a close call. PayPal also will stand up for you. Both take the buyer's side completely. I know about Paypal from dealing with a alcoholic seller on Discogs a few years ago and credit card companies from 30 years in retail. You have excellent recourse through them but I'd try the Dr. Rhino option I suggested first.

    The only question is you have to put the issue in dispute relatively promptly with a credit card company. Most card services insist it be done within 90 days of the purchase or maybe 30 days after the billing cycle. Something like that. PayPal's window is longer although I don't know the exact period.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2017
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  11. uzn007

    uzn007 Watcher of the Skis

    Location:
    Raleigh, N.C.
    I would definitely dispute with Paypal/Credit card in that case.
     
    The Trinity likes this.
  12. yarbles

    yarbles Too sick to pray

    How so?

    Did you pay with a counterfeit $20 bill?
     
  13. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    Yeah, 'cuz if you did, the mob will back you up. :D

    (for "a favor" to be named later, of course...:eek: )
     
  14. Ben Adams

    Ben Adams Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ, USA
    ^^^ THIS.

    That Dr. Rhino email address is the best possible bet. Just be aware that you may not get a reply until after the new year, and maybe not for a couple weeks.
     
  15. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Couldn't the store just order a TIME FADES AWAY LP and swap it out for the duplicate title? Or are the LPs still box set only?
     
  16. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    tell them to shove it and move on...that's another reason I'm not into vinyl as one usually has to see the LP's condition in person (as online vinyl purchases can be a nightmare!) and it's nice for the convenience of a record stores, but when the owners are aholes...move on...now with digital no problems usually ordering online...
     
    Sidewinder43 likes this.
  17. Inner ear

    Inner ear Forum Resident

    Yet another sad example of how Amazon and some of the large speciality online stores win business. I love to support the local record stores. However, I am always a bit more comfortable when I buy new records through Amazon or one of the large online sites because I know they will take back defective items without asking any questions.
     
    The Trinity and ricks like this.
  18. Lamus

    Lamus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tempe, Arizona
    I thought about this but the single versions of these records are 140g and may or may not sound as good as the 180g versions that originally came in the box. I have zero idea if this is actually true, but I would rather just get what was supposed to be in the box so it would retain some value. But, yeah, if all else fails, I will just buy the one-off TFA.

    I have emailed Rhino so we'll see what happens. I also contacted to store again and gave them some of the responses from this forum to see if it would encourage him to contact the distributor and see if he might get a replacement since the product wasn't complete vs. just someone complaining about sound quality.

    Thanks to the board for the great suggestions!
     
  19. Sidewinder43

    Sidewinder43 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lavaca County, TX
    If this set falls under Rhino's jurisdiction, I've had great luck with them. I received replacements for two different releases last year: two discs in the Chicago Quadio Box set that had incorrect mono mixes instead of stereo and a duplicate disc (two disc 3s) in the Van Morrison Moondance box.
     
  20. spridle

    spridle Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland
    No, they're out 20 bucks on the record they exchanged for me, and now they have to add in their time spent dealing with me about that, exchanging it, fixing their database and accounting and finding a way to responsibly dispose of the bad record. They should also add in the time the bad record sat on the shelf, taking up space. That's easily another ten bucks. Record stores that don't think like that are the ones that go out of business. Smaller record stores pay more for their records than chains and often have to cut the chain's prices to get people in the door. If you like the fact that they carry cool things like the Alive Naturalsound catalog or Merge or Goner and you don't have to order every record you want, then dealing directly with the label really isn't a big deal.
     
  21. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

    To the OP: What are you doing on Record Store Day 2018?
    I know what I'd be doing.
     
  22. drbryant

    drbryant Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Your time isn’t worth the hassle. Get a decent trade in value on the extra copy, buy the record you need, and don’t go back to the store that wouldn’t help you.
     
  23. NorthNY Mark

    NorthNY Mark Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canton, NY, USA
    For what it's worth, I had a similar issue with a 2 lp set I got from an independent record store in Montreal (Aux 33 Tours), and when they saw what the problem was, they said it's an obvious defect and gave me the choice of waiting for a new copy to come in, or take a credit toward other purchases. No reason your store shouldn't be able to do the same.
     
    eddiel likes this.
  24. James spencer

    James spencer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ohio
    Discogs has a buyer protection plan, as does PayPal. I would think you are covered, though you would likely be expected to return the defective item to the seller.
    Did the seller refuse an exchange, or did they refuse to send you a copy of the missing LP?
     
  25. Lamus

    Lamus Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tempe, Arizona
    They initially told me there was nothing they could do. They don't have an additional copy of the box set or one of the single TFA copies. I suspect they would have offered that if it had been in stock. After I told them about what the people on the forum were saying (including some former store owners), they emailed the distributor to see if they can get a replacement.
     
    NorthNY Mark, eddiel and zphage like this.
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