Have You Been Scammed On Discogs?

I bought a record through Discogs using my PayPal account, which is connected to my credit card.

It’s only been a few days, but my very communicative, helpful seller has gone silent. About a week ago, she said she’d ship the record on Monday. That apparently didn’t happen.

The seller didn’t have any ratings as a seller but did have a handful of positive reviews as a buyer over the course of the year, so I figured this probably wasn’t a scam. The sudden silence is the odd thing given how responsive she was. Anyway, should I be able to get my money back if this is a scam? Again, I paid through Discogs using PayPal, which is connected to my credit card.

 

If the seller has not replied to your last message within 4 days, the seller not responding button should appear on the order page. If you click on that, the sellers account is suspended until they get back to you. Every time you send a message though, the counter resets.

Some sellers are like that. Had some like the before but I got my record.

Since you paid with PayPal you will be covered.

I generally don't bother going through Discogs for any hassles e.g. using seller not responding. What I would do is send the seller one more message asking for an update and tracking details (if you paid for tracking). If they don't get back to you, I'd just file a claim on PayPal as soon as the claim window opens. That should wake up the seller pretty quickly.

 

That’s helpful, thanks.

 

The scammers are increasing on discogs lately. Always new sellers with no reviews and from many countries but mainly Canada and US and always priced at like 25percebt of the going rate on mostly new releases. Not as much on older releases. Skyrocketing in numbers for RSD titles like the Dead 5 lp at 30 bucks. Seems an easy scam to avoid but they are selling or at least look to be sold sure buyers are disputing. I wonder if anything is shipped or just grab the cash and run?

 

There must be more to that story.

If you purchase an item using PayPal and you don't do something like declaring this is a money transfer to friends/family, or else that you purchased "services", then the seller is required to be able to produce evidence that the item was shipped and arrived. If not, you win immediately.

In fact, this is a common way scammers prey on Craigslist sellers. (I'll meet you to pick up the item, are you OK with PayPal?) If the seller agrees, then the buyer picks up the item, then files with PayPal as "not received". PayPal asks for evidence that the item was delivered and since there isn't any (it was picked up), the buyer wins.

 

All I know is I paid (a scam website as it turns out) for a guitar and the money was immediately given to the seller, but no guitar was ever produced. I informed Yahoo (where the ad first appeared) and PayPal that this was a scam site and (eventually) Yahoo pulled the original ad and PayPal simply told me, twice, that this was not the kind of dispute they considered refundable. No other explanation although I asked for one when I appealed the first unexplained verdict.

I was left unpaid, and unsatisfied with what was a non-answer from PayPal.

Just beware is all. They have ways to screw things up for you and they don't need to explain why.

 

If this is all there is to it, maybe you were not clear enough. Don't mention scam website or ANYTHING else. Just say:

I purchased a guitar using PayPal.
I did not receive anything from the seller.
I would like my money back.

Any additional words you use will obfuscate the problem.

Do not mention scammy website. Do not mention that you got Yahoo involved. Do not mention ANYTHING else.

You have 6 months from the date of PayPal usage to dispute.

From the PayPal website:

My order never arrived​

If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple. Open a dispute in the Resolution Center to get the process started.​

 

I was clear enough.

 

I'm telling you that if you file through their Resolution Center and you say "did not get the item that I paid for with PayPal" they will require the seller to prove otherwise. If the seller can't. you win. No ifs, ands or buts. Only if you add additional text to your email that obfuscates things might they rule otherwise.

The only exception is if you use PayPal to pay for "services" or if you designate the PayPal payment as being a "gift" or transfer to friends and family. But if you designate the PayPal payment as a normal payment for hard goods, and guitar qualifies, the policy is unambiguous and I have never seen PayPal rule against the buyer if the seller can't prove they shipped the item.

 

Lol, not. But its your loss I guess.

 

I recently bought a Beatle's White Album 2012 issue sealed advertised as the EU/ Germany edition. Seller sent me the USA Rainbo edition. I complained back to the seller who just played dumb. This she seller had only 3 feed backs all positive. The Rainbo plays through fine, but not flat and lumpy looking in the right light.

 

I had an issue with a seller that stated shipping was tracked and insured and after placing the order and paying turns out he shipped using a non tracked service.
two month later, no sign of the package, so I opened a Paypal case, and my money was refunded.

 

If the seller has near 100% positive and over 100 transactions, and he says the item is NM, I tend to trust him.

 

If it a small seller like me vs. a high volume retail business, you can always message the seller and request photos. I started taking photos after a buyer scammed me twice, claiming the near mint LPs he bought were scuffed, which was false. But I had no evidence to dispute it.

 

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I've only used Discogs a few times because of this. I want to see photos. Half of the sellers I contacted for photos never responded.

 

Popular topic, off and on, on the official forums. Buyers complain of no responses, sellers complain that when they respond, buyers never get back to them one way or another.

Since I tend to sell higher value lps, I usually have photos at the ready and often just provide a link in my listing. Easier for everyone. But I'm a low volume seller so it's not onerous.

I recon a lot of higher volume sellers don't have photos ready and don't want to spend the time taking photos so they just ignore the requests regardless of whether the buyer would buy or not.

 

Bought a rare early 90s metal CD for a price that was too good to be true. Ended up being a sealed overseas pirated copy. Filed a PayPal claim and got all my $$$ back.

Usually I ask for pictures.

 

Apparently AI has hacked Discogs . Can anyone offer any color? I get a want list email daily, now there are 20-30 new listings for ridiculous priced classics in my want list. All with computer generated user names. No credible feedback is the key. Plus you get what you pay for.