Sadly, I've once again been burned by a seller with lots of positive ratings on Discogs. Marked as shipped and hasn't even been boxed for over a week. And about half the purchases I receive are not the pressing as advertised. It's really not that hard to read a runout/matrix number. Someone who has sold thousands of items should know better. Since that's the case, what are my other options (in addition to here) for buying used CD's and Vinyl and being at least slightly more confident the seller is actually selling the pressing they advertise? Related - has anyone else noticed sellers are more and more flakey and unreliable on Discogs than they had been in the past?
I got burned by a seller that had a fantastic rating and it was a Box Set that cost me $35... I still use Discogs and haven't lost faith... if you've been burned multiple times I'd be pissed too!!
I know what you mean. Recently I thought I had snagged a rare pressing for a great price and the seller had good reviews. Of course, when it arrived, it was the pressing that you would find at any flea market for $1. The seller sent a full refund, but it was really disappointing to think I was getting something I had waited for for years. The seller had to have known that what he was selling was not what he was listing it under, but I didn't get irate (even though I wanted to).
Save yourself some money and hastle and don't bother. I haven't bought anything for years after I purchased a near mint all round Band on the Run LP, which when it arrived was VG all round at a push. Got my money back. Apparently they sent the wrong copy.... I think you always need to see photos.
I've noticed the same. I use discogs only as a last resort. CDs only. My favorite is 'you haven't reach the minimum purchase for this seller, buy more'. I used to buy a lot of cds from ebay, but there sellers are getting just as bad. Grading over exaggerated or cds sent in mylar bags that arrive cracked. I refuse to buy from amazon.The price of online shopping
photos is key at this point. just not even optional. I had been trying to give people the benefit of the doubt but no more.
Im sorry you have had bad experiences. I make a note of the sellers I buy from that give accurate descriptions, and regularly check their lists. But from buying off Discogs for 5 years, thats still only a dozen or so. If I look at a seller I haven't used before, I go for AT LEAST 98% positive reviews. On your second point, I suspect a lot more people have 'got into' selling vinyl in the last couple of years, spotting the vinyl boom and wanting to make some easy money. They use VERY cheap flimsy pre-made packaging to maximise profits. But its still the largest, most comprehensive place online to buy from.
I always ask specific questions about the item before I buy on Discogs, if I am in doubt. Almost always, the seller is polite, checks the item and answers me. I can then make a purchase decision. If you then receive an item that doesn’t match up with the sellers response, you are completely justified in returning. I have made quite a few purchases on Discogs over the years, and have had to return relatively few. This system has really worked well for me. Give it a try and good luck!
I always try to find sellers with free shipping option (Europe) when buying used 12" singles in big quantities and relatively cheap. Thankfully, there is enough choice for my needs..... The other option, when buying new items (rarely) (vinyl) is only go for sealed ones.
Me too! I was only buying on there for a real short while and it didn't take me long to realize that the grifters have taken over that site, at least in the marketplace section. I mean out and out deceit. I will stick with eBay even if they may be a little more expensive. To bad, because it could have been a great alternative place to buy music.
I have had problems once or twice on Discogs, and the only real troublemaker was one I could have stopped, but I was too late. My fault. I have bought close to a thousand items on Discogs, and these are the only two negative experiences I´ve had. I remember the good sellers, and I have been able to buy albums I never thought I would see - because of Discogs. It´s not perfect, but I prefer to buy from them than from... Eh... Comparable entities.
There are a lot of good people over at Audiokarma and you may find some nice vinyl in the Barter Town section as a member. Some members here sell over there as well. However, the vinyl sales volume is significantly less on AK as it is primarily a site for vintage gear enthusiasts.
well, thats unfortunate the thread got moved- I didnt really think this was a marketplace discussion but so be it i guess
It's useful for research. Lots of misinformation, but by now you all know that. At least as a starting point it's fascinating to know who issued what, and when. I like reel to reel tapes myself, and really there's nowhere else to check if something in that format even exists. I've added a few myself.
I've been well satisfied overall with my Discogs purchases, twelve years and counting - so much so that I haven't set foot in a record store since before the pandemic hit. Maybe I'm just really good at this.
perhaps i'm just really bad at it. again i should note this is a more recent phenomenon. historically things have been smooth, purchases were as advertised and such. too many people getting into "flipping" these days. or i'm just a grumpy old man
not just one seller. i only buy from with high sales numbers and rating in the upper 90's. moving forward the answer is just requiring a photo before purchase to verify pressing. that does not address promptness in shipping but that can be dealt with with ratings i guess. the number of "i dont control the USPS" responses I've received when someone didnt even put it in the mail for a week is amusing though.
Wow. I've bought hundreds of titles(at least) on Discogs and can't remember any issues, other then the occasional title which might be debatable condition wise. Stuff always comes in a reasonable amount of time, but then again once I order it I'm not in a rush to get it. Occasionally I'll go back and take a look at my purchases to see if there's anything obvious that I haven't received, but more often then not it's not been an issue. I adore the simplicity of the site, and that I'm able to buy a lot from indy stores all over the country.
I learned long ago the recipe for happiness when buying from Discogs: the seller must have at least 100 sales prior (I hate to be that guy, but if the seller is flaky I don't want to be the one who has to find out) the seller can not have a rating lower than 99.0% - no exceptions record rating must be VG+ or higher - no exceptions the self-control to not buy if the above three rules aren't met The biggest mistake is to buy a record because you really want it, hoping that the 97% seller rating and the VG record rating will be good enough. It won't, and you'll be disappointed and angry about it. I stopped doing this years ago. The reality is you can't always get what you want. Wait. Over twelve years and hundreds of purchases, I can recall a cracked Captain Beefheart LP (seller had a 96% rating), a moldy Roy Orbison LP (new seller with little experience with vinyl), The wrong Bo Diddley pressing (to be fair, Chess Records was notorious for pressing fake stereo and putting the records in leftover mono covers), and a handful of late deliveries (I don't really care about that). I've never had a problem with returning anything.
