Discogs experiences-postive and negative*

Discussion in 'Marketplace Discussions' started by ROFLnaked, Oct 17, 2015.

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  1. raye_penber

    raye_penber .

    Location:
    Highlands.
    I always make sure the seller has 100% positive feedback, many sales, and I always message to ask if it's audibly graded. I only ever buy M/NM/EX+.
    The amount of times, after I've gone through all of the above, I've ended up with crackly, skipping, marked records is pretty unbelievable.
    I had one guy tell me that 'it's just part of the format, I've been dealing for 25 years', and another guy who accused me of 'materially altering' the records after his set of 12 LPs (which I paid several hundred dollars for), listed as NM, arrived in less than VG condition. I admitted that I'd used a carbon fiber brush on one record before I put on my turntable to test the quality. The rest were too grimy to touch. I had one guy tell me how a certain iconic intro to a record was 'pristine, loud and clear', and when it turned up that particular part was nothing but hiss and pops. I had another seller (from a small store but also on Discogs, no less), audibly test a 'NM' LP only for it arrive in 'VG' condition (which is useless for my purposes). He replied thus:
    "REFUNDREFUNDREFUNDREFUND!! HAVE A REFUND!!!!"
    So, yeah, there are a lot of time wasters out there, sadly.

    On the plus side - I've had a lot of good transactions, too. It's a shame that the bad ones tend to stick out in the memory.
     
    patient_ot and uzn007 like this.
  2. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    I just received a beautiful Japan 1st pressing CD by an under grader. He graded the Obi, artwork and CD as VG+. What I actually received was perfectly mint artwork and Obi and an absolutely stunning M- CD with one 1/8" very light scratch on the outer edge. He deserves his 100% 241 sales positive feedback.
     
    Mbe and uzn007 like this.
  3. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Yep. Same thing happens on eBay. Has nothing to do with the platform ; just people being people. If they think they can get one over on you, they'll give it a try.
     
    raye_penber likes this.
  4. Yost

    Yost “It’s only impossible until it’s not”

    It seems that buying vinyl is more challenging than buying CDs. And there truly are some positive outliers, like when I ordered a rare CD from Japan, explicitly listed without the OBI and other additional artwork, but for a very nice price. And it arrived including the OBI and all original postcards in mint condition.
     
    Mbe, E.Baba and Dave like this.
  5. InStepWithTheStars

    InStepWithTheStars It's a miracle, let it alter you

    Location:
    North Carolina
    I buy off Discogs weekly-to-biweekly and very rarely do I have an issue. That said, I almost exclusively buy CDs. I've only bought four or five records - mostly singles - with no bad luck so far.

    Of my ~125 CD purchases, there was only one that was truly poor, and it happened a month ago. It was listed with the description: "Some minor shelf wear on cover, disc perfect". I received a CD which looked like it had been through the war. The label side - a plain, silver-to-center Polydor label from the late '80s - was so filthy it almost wasn't reflective anymore. The playing side was so scratched I can't believe I got a clean rip of it. The insert was pretty much fine, except for one of those "half-moon" dents on the bottom. The seller offered a 50% refund which was gracious... but that didn't factor in the international shipping, so on an order I spent $10 on, I got back $1.30. The seller has 99.9% positive feedback and over 10,000 ratings - as they're a huge volume seller, I just decided to chalk it up to a mistake and didn't bother leaving feedback. If I were to order something else and the same thing happened, then we'd have a problem.
     
    Mbe likes this.
  6. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    I find this incredible really. It's happened to me and when it does, I just put the seller on the a-hole list. 100% they didn't even bother.

    Once I asked a seller if a record he was selling was pressed on styrene because most copies of this title were. He said he checked and not it was not.

    What happens? It's styrene. I email the seller and although I was rather annoyed I stayed on the sunny side. Nope I was the ***** and I got the whole, 25yrs in business thing too. So I sent it back. But I give him his due, he wrote back, apologised for not checking properly and for not believing me. Then he sent me $20 in the mail to cover my return shipping (this was pre paypal return shipping program). A seller like this, he just made an error and he learnt a lesson. A seller like the ones you encountered, they're a jack a**. :)
     
  7. hvbias

    hvbias Midrange magic

    Location:
    Northeast
    I love buying from Japanese sellers, more often than not under grading their items. Though very rarely any bargain pricing.

    In my experience buying vinyl from Japan they grade very well here too. I just didn't buy much since I don't like the mastering on most Japanese LP pressings.
     
    JustGotPaid, patient_ot and Dave like this.
  8. G E

    G E Senior Member

    Discogs is hit and miss. Always look for 98%+rating or higher. Ask lots of questions.

    Last order from Uk 99.9% rating from a few thousand customers. Most NM a couple cheapies vg+

    Asked my questions and placed order.

    A couple records graded accurately. Most of the NM had scratches that made repetitive pops on playback. The VG+ Stuff I would throw away.

    Contacted seller and stock answer “99.9% bkah blah blah.

    Wrote back a few days later saying his grading NM would not pass the accepted definition anywhere by anyone and that I was really disappointed with the order.

    He offered to take back any or all records. I have one more to play that actually does look like a true NM.

    But I may say the hell with it and get my $240 refunded. At this point I have lost most of my interest.

    But I will follow up and hold him accountable including notifying PayPal and Discogs and lodging formal complaints if refund not processed promptly.
     
    raye_penber likes this.
  9. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    People are flakes by nature. The ones who aren't are in the minority.

    One seller told me to keep the record he inaccurately graded (small insignificant line VS huge gash) and stated he'd issue a refund. Been 5 days with no refund so I sent him a reminder. If that doesn't work, I'll just create a return. It's nice that he apologized and stated he'd issue a refund while sparing me the hassle of shipping it back but if it wasn't sincere...

    Another seller advertised one NM copy of one of my favorite albums which I've struggled to get a terrific copy of (on my 4th!) along with the line "collector's copy" so I asked him to confirm its state which he replied with "very very good". Unfortunately, that's a bit vague so I asked him if he can be more precise and that I'm looking for a true NM as opposed to an enthusiastic NM grading. Never heard back. Either he thought I'd be trouble (demanding, exaggerated expectations) or he knows his copy isn't as amazing as he's described.

    The search continues.
     
  10. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    Quick update. Got a refund after all from that seller who just thought he had issued it right after sending me that msg. Nice that he followed through. I always favorably judge those who right a wrong. :)
     
    GentleSenator and uzn007 like this.
  11. GentleSenator

    GentleSenator what if

    Location:
    Aloha, OR
    that's what it's all about!
     
    Strat-Mangler likes this.
  12. ukozcd

    ukozcd Jedi

    Location:
    Australia
    Been happening for years on ebay - some sellers are particular/peculiar and refuse to combine posting CD's. Each item has to be posted seperately.
     
  13. eddiel

    eddiel Senior Member

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Bizarrely in Canada, it can actually be cheaper for me to send three cds to the same buyer as 3 separate packages rather than all three in one package. Sending a cd across Canada would cost $3.53 as it can go as letter rate (assuming the package is a certain size). But if I combine all three, then that means it becomes a small parcel. I always put that note in my ads on eBay so buyers know that it might ship that way.

    I think for some high volume sellers, the way they store, pick and ship the cds it doesn't make sense to combine orders, especially when some charge so little for shipping. It's just faster to process I think.
     
    Dave likes this.
  14. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Seller's Terms basically says I should put my choice in the cart, then send him a message saying I want his " Fall Discount," and then he'll figure out what my shipping costs will be, plus an unspecified handling charge to cover the mailer, etc. Also, if he then overcharges me, he'll refund me later, and if he's undercharged me, he'll bill me for that ?

    Wha ? Does it seem like this guy has an odd way of selling a record ? Also, even though he sells vinyl, his shipping terms only address CDs ?

    So I send him a message without putting anything in a cart, so he doesn't respond ?
     
  15. Yost

    Yost “It’s only impossible until it’s not”

    Discogs can be configured to accept an order without direct payment. Only after the seller sends you an invoice, you need to pay.
     
  16. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Thanks, but in this case I think I'm better off passing. He seems like he doesn't know what he's doing.
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  17. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Well I may have been wrong about this guy, seems nice enough. Still a little confusing, but it work$ to my advantage.
    He's knocking $1.00 off the shipping, he's giving me his Fall discount of 20% or $8.00 off, which he'll refund me, after he receives my payment, and handling fees, nor the fact his terms don't include vinyl never came up.
    3 record set for $37.99. If graded accurately, this'll be my 61st successful transaction of 61 undertaken at Discogs.
    Second only to Bull Moose *

    * obligatory @Jack tag
     
  18. zeram1

    zeram1 Forum Resident

    General question about vinyl on discogs. Should one be worried about bootleg copies? No I do not mean the type of live pirated recordings, but rather illegally made copies of commercial albums.
     
  19. AirJordanFan93

    AirJordanFan93 Forum Resident

    It should say if its "Unofficial" on the release page. Happens with CDs as well
     
    tmtomh likes this.
  20. Dave

    Dave Esoteric Audio Research Specialist™

    Location:
    B.C.
    Yes, but I had one case where a CD-R copy was sold as an original CD. The only thing I could do was leave honest negative feedback and collect my purchase price back from Paypal.
     
  21. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    What @AirJordanFan93 wrote is accurate. Having said that, as long as you pay by PayPal, you are protected against any fraudulent transaction as a buyer. Were the situation ever encountered, you can initiate a dispute.
     
  22. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    A seller just responded to the questions I sent 8 days ago. I responded I had already bought, and received a sealed box, 3 days ago.
    A $100.00 box set. Maybe they'll check their messages a little more often from now on.
     
    GentleSenator likes this.
  23. Christian Hill

    Christian Hill It's all in the mind

    Location:
    Boston
    Discogs favors sellers (the larger the better), Ebay favors buyers. Pick your poison.
     
    uzn007 likes this.
  24. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    This knowledge just came in handy.
    He ( the seller ) had not invoiced me, but was going to get an estimate from his post office tomorrow. Why he couldn't just do so online, I don't know.
    I got a bad feeling all around, as I had first sent a message asking for details about his mailers, and his shipping charges, in regards to Priority, as his terms were not clear for a 3 record set, which is what I was after.
    It took him 24 hours to respond, then he said he used "QRP mailers," which when I Googled, I found no examples of such a thing. He said they cost him $5.00 each, and that the cost would be added to the shipping cost. As far as the shipping cost, the $15 in his terms he said, would not cover it, but also, I shouldn't have to pay $45.00 either ?!?!
    So what was my ceiling ?
    $25.00 I told him, knowing that was high in itself. He then said anything over $25 would be sent Media Mail then.
    My total cost was getting much closer to $100.00, when it had started at $70.

    Since he hadn't invoiced me, I PM'd another seller, who also had the set sealed, for a comparable price, and asked him what he'd charge to ship it Priority ?
    He answered within minutes, $12.85 anywhere in the US ! Naturally, I paid the man immediately.
    As for the first seller, I've left him two messages, telling him I wish to cancel, and wishing he'd check his messages before he goes any further ( like a special trip to the PO ), and asking are his alerts turned off ?

    I also read The Rules there, which stated I've done what I'm supposed to.
     
  25. MrEWhite

    MrEWhite Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    I've been trying to order the Black Sabbath Deluxe Editions (with the sleeves), and a bunch of sellers list their versions without sleeves under the ones WITH sleeves. I've just given up at this point. I've only gotten ONE of them with the proper deluxe edition sleeve.
     
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