Have You Been Scammed On Discogs?

I got an email today that states (in part):

"Discogs has recently detected an increase in scammers in the Marketplace, and we’re taking action to address the issue. New sellers on Discogs will undergo a waiting period to reduce fraud attempts."

I (thankfully) have never had a problem purchasing from Discogs but this recent increase in crime has me concerned. Have you been scammed? Maybe your story can let others know what to look out for.

Thanks!

 

Yes. If a price looks too good to be true (indeed, this ESPECIALLY applies to international shipping rates), then... it probably is

NEVER agree to pay additional shipping fees outside of the official Discogs invoice process. You're never going to see that money (or your order) ever again. If there is a genuine mistake in the officially quoted shipping price, ask them to cancel the order, correct the mistake, and start a new transaction

 

Paypal. Always use PayPal. No exceptions.

 

I do. Only once have I not and fortunately that transaction went ok.

 

Buying only from well-established sellers with overwhelmingly positive ratings and a track record of amiable resolution of problems is the way to go.

 

This probably has a lot to do with RSD being last weekend and a highly desirable record coming out. I’ve seen a lot of people talking about brand new sellers unloading copies for suspiciously low prices

 

I've noticed some 2023 RSD releases Taylor Swift, Grateful Dead, and others well below cost with new sellers. That's a Red Flag not to buy.

 

Why is this? To charge back in case it was a scam?

 

Discogs stinks for buying records. No pics of the real item for sale and the sellers mostly call a VG- condition LP and cover an EX.

I only use it for inventorying my collection so when I croak my kids (who also collect records/music) know what it's worth so some scumfuc doesn't rip them off.

 

Yes, PayPal's resolution system is swift and easy.

 

I don't do much there anymore, but I still read the message boards every day. There is a big scamming problem going on right now. People have been complaining about this for months, and they finally look like they are doing something.
Bad actors are hacking into existing accounts in good standing. They then proceed to list rare and tasty records for a price that's too good to be true. When you go to pay, there will be an issue with their regular paypal account and they'll ask for a bank transfer or for a friends and family payment.

If you buy there, be wary. If it looks too good to be true, it is. If the seller says use paypal friends & family or tries to avoid paypal totally, that's your big red flag that says to cancel that transaction.

 

why does life feel more scammy lately

 

I’ve had a few items come up on my wantlist with a crazy price.Seller with no rating. I reported them to Discogs and all those accounts have been banned. If you suspect a scam, report it to Discogs & have them investigate. It helps!

 

Gig economy, recessions, crypto, late stage capitalism. Dystopian stuff, really.

 

Discogs has become a joke as far as buying or selling. They offer zero protection for buyer or seller. Any disputes are left to the users to straighten out on their own. If you must use it always use PayPal as others have said.

 

Not always - I had a buyer who put a claim in to PayPal and PayPal refunded them the purchase price plus shipping. I never received the item that was to be returned. Don’t use PayPal anymore !!’

 

I’ve had great success on Discogs and purchased some really nice records that didn’t break the bank. It’s easy, I only deal with sellers that agree to send detailed pics and always use PayPal. Only once did a record not live up to the rating and the seller refunded me in full and told me to keep the LP. Everything else showed up in better shape than expected actually.

I’ll keep using Discogs. The trick is patience and being proactive.

 

It sounds like Discogs sellers should be checking their listings daily to check for hacker listings.

 

Wait a second, I know on the couple of occasions I've had to return a CD or two my claim wasn't allowed by Paypal without an actual postal tracking number. Yes the return shipping was on my dime, but these were high $ purchases so the recovery was worth it. Were you able to see ans actual tracking number in the return on Paypal? If so couldn't you have claimed on Paypal that you never received the item?

 

It was a very odd situation. PayPal gave the refund to the buyer before the item was shipped back.

 

I paid with Paypal for a guitar that never arrived, I complained to Paypal twice and got the same answer: 'we don't deal with this type of dispute', whatever THAT means. I got no help from Paypal whatsoever and I was simply out the money. And I'd always assumed Paypal was the safest way to go. I still use it when I have to but am far more wary of having to deal with them.

 

Was the PayPal payment debited from a bank account or your credit card? If you used a credit card, you could have contacted your issuer to file a claim after PayPal rejected it. Something as expensive as a guitar should have been shipped by UPS or FedEx by the seller.

Most credit card companies are quick to resolve a complaint like yours within a few days.

If the guitar was purchased through eBay or a similar platform the seller should have been reported for nondelivery as well.

 

I’ve never had an issue but I’m very picky about sellers I deal with. They have to have close to 100% feedback and no neutral or negative feedback in the past six months. What I don’t like about Discogs is that, unlike eBay, you can’t see photos of the actual item.

 

Many sellers (myself included) provide photos on request. I sometimes list dozens of items at a time and I don't have time to photograph each side of record, the printed inner sleeves, inside gatefold, etc. etc.

 

It seems like every time I get a request for additional photos for a Discogs listing, I get a prompt offer or purchase of the item. I don’t blame buyers for asking on higher price items, I do that myself if unsure.

Stores and high volume sellers may not have the time to reply to each request for photos, but if it is a large purchase, they may be prompted to respond.