Amazon selling used cd’s as new

I've many times experienced sellers that re-seal used CDs and sold them as new, I've always got a refund.

 

Obviously anything that deliberately sets out to deceive is not good.

That said, the vast majority of items I buy from Amazon are used. It's all about the prices. If something is a bargain - it'll be a bargain for a reason. Most often I buy box sets as new, but even there I don't mind used. CD's are durable, I've had so much good luck with them I'm inclined to suggest my own experiences are the norm.

 

Great summary!

Another thing, that is perhaps improved over earlier years - they seem to note when a DVD is for another than the North American region, and may not play! Perhaps they had to cope with too many returns on that category of merchandise?

 

You know, if you look at some of the biggest web sites, they're really pretty awful. Amazon is an example. Hell, they can't even manage to keep reviews together, often mashing them up into a pile of poo. You can't export your wish lists. You can't sort or filter the "store front" for third-party sellers. You can't sort/filter your wish lists by secondary market prices either.

The catalog of fail on amazon is long. It's a FUNCTIONAL web site. Nothing more. They've been hugely successful, but without having to do much in the way of improvements to their core code. Hell, ever tried getting bar codes from there?

Ebay is no better. It's very very messy, imo. Still, it generates hundreds of millions, so what do I know?

 

I find many sites seem either designed by ADD staff, or designed to kindle ADD.

 

Some problems I see here are that a) it seems in some cases third party stock of new items gets mixed with Amazon stock for fulfillment, and b) Amazon has recently begun making (on occasion) third party offerings the default listing that comes up when searching a product ... So in order to see the actual "sold from/ships from Amazon" listing you have to click the See Other Offers link. I've accidentally ordered third party stock this way before I learned to always double check the seller before ordering.

I would assume larger third party dealers are paying for this privilege, but again, it can be confusing.

 

They try it on sometimes....probably to see what they can get away with.

 

Incidentally, I bought a Pilbugs CD this way off of Amazon and it clearly was created from MP3s complete with loud digital clicks between many tracks, including some that segue. Total garbage. I ended up having to buy a proper one from a Discogs seller later. Never again.

 

I have never had this happen to me when it’s sold and shipped by Amazon ;however, I always have a problem when it’s sold by a third party and shipped by Amazon. Every time I order I make sure it says underneath In Stock “ships from and sold buy Amazon”. In every case if it says it’s sold buy any other company, it’s always wrong.

I have purchased cds listed as new only to discover they were resealed used discs from other sellers on Amazon. Every time I have made a complaint I have been refunded.

 

Neither have I.

 

Just received another CD from a third party seller when I specifically ordered the version sold directly from amazon.com. The digipack was destroyed with all four corners being so worn that the paper was white. The version sold directly from amazon that I expected when placing the order was more expensive than the third party version. I cancelled prime a few days ago and this was the last CD in the last order that I will be placing with them.

 

This picture makes me so angry. There's only a few copies of this product and Amazon decides to callously ruin one (surely more) just to save a few cents on shipping. How is there so little market competition when it comes to online music retailer? Why isn't there at least a dozen alternatives that focus on professional packaging and respect for collectible items?

 

Also, why did Amazon remove the shrink-wrap altogether? Incomprehensible.

 

Amazon opened in Australia, and have an absolutely carp range. Most music is a relist from the US site. And we pay horrendous postage for a CD from the US - much more than it costs us to send one to the US - and that's not even taking into account the poor exchange rate. And even if we could buy from the US we would now need to add 11%GST tax. There are reports of Amazon Aust. not paying/treating their staff well. Even if they magically became perfect overnight, I would prefer not to use them. And a decade ago I thought they were wonderful.

 

Well, I bought a 1st pressing of Invisible Touch on CD a few years ago. Directly from Anszon, described as new. And while it came in a shrinkwrap and all that, the slight scratches on the data side were indicative of this being re-sealed. I didn't do anything, though, because it was a very cheap CD (4 or 5 euros, I think).

 

Ebay started out as a place for people to sell unwanted items. I expect them to be messy.

 

Just sayin' but the record albums I've received from Amazon lately are all double boxed and well packed. Over 5 years ago I did receive an album unboxed with a shipping label stuck to the shrinkwrap. Nothing like that since then.

 

Even when you order, say, 2-3 items, they may arrive from 2-3 different sellers (at least in Europe), so you'll be no better off than if you had just ordered 1 item. I've been there, and it's frustrating when the packaging is less than sturdy, to say the least.

 

Oh, I totally agree. When buying something used, I expect it to be used. Used in this context could mean many things - indentations in the booklet, marks (that don't affect playback) on the playing surface, etc. Still, I only buy music I want to listen to, never as an "investment". So selling something on isn't a consideration. The used market seems to have taken a weird turn where people expect Mint - AKA: As New - for used items. That's unrealistic, imo.

 

Have you guys, especially the Vinyl purchasers, figured out why you're getting these really lousy packed music products yet?

If you were an Amazon employee you would be heavily scrutinized on a daily basis to cut time to make the corporate pig more money. Your scrutiny, and whether or not you have any future employment with them, is based on the amount of time in which you take. Pressure pressure pressure to shave off any amount of time and guess who pays for that? Your music products that's who. Amazon would have to pay me to buy any music products through them. Seriously, you guys are preaching to the choir.

 

I thought you were talking about the organisational aspects of the site, not the actual products. The products can be anything from brand new to well used. User supplied images certainly help in regard to condition.

BTW, I bought a bunch of 35 year old CDs around Christmas time. They looked brand new. Even the smooth sided cases looked new. Some people just look after their belongings.

 

I need some advice. I ordered a CD from a seller on Amazon offering Prime. NOT from Amazon itself. It was sold as "New. Factory Sealed." Well, it was resealed. The CD had scuffs and the liner notes showed signs of use. I haven't heard it yet, so I don't know if it plays without issues. But I would have graded this CD "Good" on Amazon. I gave negative feedback and the seller responded with this:

Thank you for responding. I apologize you received a CD in that condition. Our inventory is commingled with Amazon's so it could be that they used someone else's inventory to fulfill the order. We only sell new and factory sealed (although not all titles have the white strip across the top). There's a few things we could do: 1) Send you new one directly from our store and you keep/giveaway the one you received. Or 2) See if the one you received plays good and we can issue you a refund. We'll make sure you are taken care of. Would you be so kind to remove the negative feedback? We would greatly appreciate it. And, just email us back which option you prefer. Thank you.

Is this possible? How can a seller claim that they only sell new and factory sealed items, only to have Amazon send a used CD? If that's the way it works, a seller can't really make that claim. But does this actually happen or is the seller being dishonest? If the seller is being dishonest, I'll leave the negative feedback. It's important that people know. If the seller is telling the truth, then I think it's a bad system for buyers AND sellers.

 

I had a similar issue with Amazon as well while dealing with a private seller. I went after them and got a full refund. While unfortunate that some sellers operate in this manner, complaint resolution is a breeze. Amazon customer service is top notch, and will either refund and/or replace. If you run into any issues you can ask to speak with a higher tier resolution specialist. Worst case scenario, contact your bank and commence charge back proceedings. Not sure as to the specifics of your particular case though, and I wouldn’t want to make broad generalizations.

 

Whatever happened, they’re trying to fix it. Of course you can keep the negative feedback online, but do you really know what happened? You’ll probably never be sure if they knowingly sent you a used item or not. But if they’re actively trying to correct that error, I would give them the benefit of the doubt.