What level of damage for a vinyl warrants an Amazon return?

Do they? But do you have to be in or can you leave in the porch? Etc?

 

Interesting question. For new items they need to be unblemished. If there is a manufacturing error or poor pressing (scratches, pops loud ticks) I send it back. Same goes for the cover if it’s creased or damaged it goes back. Usually a cover is damaged in shipping and if you are paying for shipping they should figure out how to pack and ship items to minimize or eliminate any damage.

I’m a bit more flexible with used or collectible Lp’s which may seem odd after reading the comments about new Lp’s. If the Lp is hard to find and the damage is not too bad I keep it. However if the seller has described the item very favourable VG+ or NM and upon arrival it is nowhere near that grading I return it. I also return Lp’s that arrive damaged because the seller shipped it loose in a padded envelope. I also return every item received damaged as a result of eBays Global Shipping Program . I’ve had particularly bad luck with these shippers opening the parcel with a box knife that slices into the Lp cover.

 

The reality is, it may well have left Amazon in perfect condition. Who knows? Amazon is a bulk-mailer, it all goes into the pot. If you're driven simply by price, then yeah, I personally believe it's unrealistic to demand everything is perfect each time. You know what often comes with cheap services, so what's the issue? If they used bubble raps for every CD, prices would rise accordingly.

I'm curious, what CD cost you £16.99?

 

I usually buy from a record store, though I understand not everyone lives in a place that's close to one. If I had to order a vinyl from Amazon, and I got one with a bent corner, I would ask myself that had this been in a store, would I have bought this anyway or would I have chosen another copy that didn't have a bent corner?

 

If I can hear the problem, or if I can see it on the record.

I haven't yet returned a record for a bent cover. It's not out of the question, I've just never bothered.

 

Anything wrong is a reason to return - do NOT let them get away with anything, it's not a gift.

 

My experience with Amazon packaging has been good. Obviously, anything from Amazon Japan shipped within Japan will be perfect. From the US and EU distribution centers, it’s less consistent, but still pretty good. Individual LP’s are almost always packed in an LP mailer and then placed in an oversized box, so they usually come through undamaged.

The real inconsistency is with oversized items, like box sets. Sometimes they’re double boxed, but sometimes, they are placed unprotected in the larger box with a few sheets of paper padding. I’ve had two damaged box sets packaged that way. Packaging seems to get worse during holiday shopping periods - some speculate that it’s because they hire tons of temps who have no idea what they’re doing. Once A few years ago, I received a Jesus & Mary Chain Vinyl Collection box set wrapped in bubble wrap with an Amazon sticker placed on the bubble wrap (no box!). Amazingly no damage.

As far as vinyl itself, 90% of my issues were with warped records, and i would often keep them because of the hassle of returning them. I have a Vinyl Flat now, so warps are no long an issue. The remaining issues - non fill, scratches - I will return. For “noisy” pressings, I check online to see if it is a widespread problem - if so, I either keep it or return it for a refund. I work full time and don’t have the time to return an item multiple times in the hopes of getting the one good pressing in an otherwise noisy/defective release.

 

McCartney Wild Life £16.99
Most CDs I buy cost between £10 and £150, I never buy used. So if I'm paying the going rate for a CD why should I not expect a jiffy bag? Practically every independent and Ebay seller post CDs out in Jiffy bags so why can't Amazon? With their spending power they could bulk buy jiffies for peanuts. Pass the cost onto me, I don't mind spending 75p extra per transaction in order to dramatically increase my odds of getting mint condition new goods.

 

I try not to return unless its really bad.

But when you get a warp so bad the headshell looks like it is jumping off the record, amazon must eat it.

If they want to sell vinyl and kill off all the little stores, then you take what comes with the territory.

 

The last CDs I've bought:

McCartney Red Rose Speedway £159.99
McCartney Wild Life £16.99
Harrison Extra Texture £14.99
Harrison All Things Must Pass £27.95
Morrissey World Peace Is None Of Your Business deluxe £14.84

All were brand new, sealed, and none were cheap. I'm not sure why you think they didn't deserve a jiffy bag...

 

I think you're missing the point, imo. They could use jiffy bags. They'd likely charge more, but they could. However, they're not a boutique seller, they're a bulk seller. The main point is - they don't use jiffy bags. It's that simple. They could, but they don't. How is that their fault, when you know they don't?

Look, I'm not trying to make excuses for the behemoth that is Amazon, I just think some have unrealistic expectations. Eventually, it seems, they ban people from ordering - which seems reasonable to me. ANyone have any idea of what volume of returns causes them to issue a ban?

 

If I see much as a slight dent in one of the corners of the album cover (or box of the "box set"), back it goes. I don't even bother looking at the vinyl. If the packaging is perfect and the vinyl has "uncleanable" surface noise throughout (more than a pop or tick here and there), I will also return it.

 

I like your style!

 

I couldn't agree more. Stores that have way less of a turnover than Amazon pack things much better.
Amazon packaging in the last 3-4 years has gone down drastically.
I remember records I got from them 10 years ago that were sent in perfect condition.

 

Does your local Amazon require you to return the bad one first? If not, hang onto both and keep the best of the jacket and the LP. I have done this in the past, cobbling together my own good set from two bad ones.

Ours does the same, always a separate LP box inside a larger box as I try to order multiple items at a time.

 

Dont know if you can leave it anywhere.
I pick a time when I'm in get a receipt and watch them scan the collection.

 

Not if it's packaged properly.

I really couldn't disagree with you more. I've ordered plenty of vinyl and CDs online, from all sorts of retailers. The vast majority has arrived at my door in great shape. Most of the time, pretty much in perfect condition. If not then the wear is minimal, the kind that you often see even in store. Items are handled and sometimes a corner is dinged, or a CD case is cracked, etc. No biggie.

The odds of damage go up significantly if an item is not packed properly. I'm not sure at what point Amazon graduated from regular mailing company to bulk-mailing company. Evidently graduating to the class of bulk-mailer means you don't need to take any responsibility in packaging items properly, and your customer base automatically changes from people who care about what they get to people who just want to save a buck.

Amazon would be wrong to assume that their customers only care about price. First off, it's not like shopping at the dollar store, where everything is under $5. Often times CDs are priced $12 and up. It's actually pretty rare now that I find a CD I want for less than $10. And people who buy these things, especially if they are buying box sets or vinyl, are often collectors who want their items to be in good shape. If they are buying new then frankly Amazon are idiots if they assume these customers don't care about the condition their "new" items arrive in.

If Amazon wants to be reckless about the condition their good arrive in, they should clearly advertise the fact that people may be buying damaged items, or they should simply offer two shipping rates and give their customers the option of choosing how much protection their items get in transit.

I've never looked at Amazon like they were Wal-Mart. I've looked at them as a bit of a discount retailer, but only on account of the fact that they were online only and dealt with large volume. The products they sell are often not discount products. For example, I can buy a Vitamix blender on Amazon, or massive vinyl box sets. I wouldn't expect to find these items at Wal-Mart.

I have not had too many issues personally, but I have just recently had one (going to return a CD box set) and I have noticed that their packaging overall is going downhill. So more and more I will be shopping elsewhere when I can as the convenience of buying from Amazon completely disappears when I receive something in bad condition and have to return it.

 

I agree, the packaging for me worrisome, as its like they just **** it in a box with some crappy brown paper and that's it.

 

Yup. I think that's exactly what happens.