Questions about buying from amazon

[George]

If you buy a CD that is labeled new and it arrives as a cut out, what do you do? I mean, I know you email the seller and tell them what happened, but what then? Send the thing back and get a refund and give a low feedback rating or do you keep the cutout and ask for a partial refund?

I am so sick of having problems buying through amazon. Last week I bought another "new" CD that had huge cracks on both sides of the case and water damage to the rear art.

Maybe I should start buying the used ones and expect that they won't be perfect?

[Bulldog]

If you buy a CD that is labeled new and it arrives as a cut out, what do you do? I mean, I know you email the seller and tell them what happened, but what then? Send the thing back and get a refund and give a low feedback rating or do you keep the cutout and ask for a partial refund?

I am so sick of having problems buying through amazon. Last week I bought another "new" CD that had huge cracks on both sides of the case and water damage to the rear art.

Maybe I should start buying the used ones and expect that they won't be perfect?

Or you could just use Amazon for emergency purchases.  I don't trust that site; never did.

[George]

Or you could just use Amazon for emergency purchases.  I don't trust that site; never did.

For OOP stuff, they can't be beat for availability, IMO.

[Dr. Dread]

A cut-out means there's a notch in the case but the CD's fine? Meh. I wouldn't do anything.

Don, who do you trust for internet purchases?

[George]

A cut-out means there's a notch in the case but the CD's fine?

Yes. These CDs are worth less money than non-cutouts, so IMO I should have paid less for it.

[Dr. Dread]

Yes. These CDs are worth less money than non-cutouts, so IMO I should have paid less for it.

I see what you mean. Cut-outs should automatically be cheaper because of their cut-out status.

[SonicMan46]

George - I understand your pain! 

We've used Amazon for years now and I've nearly always been happy w/ their service, whether from them or the Marketplace, but rarely I have received an obvious CD (sticking to music now) that was stated to be 'new' from the description and was obviously a used disc or possibly a cutout; the latter don't bother me, and if the apparently used CDs look pretty much undamaged and play fine, then I won't make a fuzz (YES, I do a bunch of e-mailing w/ complaints) - and I guess if you're really PO, then send the disc back for a refund - a low rating threat is a BIG help (my brothers do E-bay and really have 'nightmares' over that possibility).

My most recent experience was w/ Amazon UK - I ordered the 4-CD Benda harpsichord set (posted in several places) - arrived quickly and the price was excellent, but the 4-CD set (in a double jewel box) was not wrapped and scratches were on the surface of the outside; the first disc had some smudges that wiped off; the other 3 discs looked pristine - probably the first disc was played once w/ some finger marks) - at any rate, all discs played fine; I sent several e-mails, but never got a response -     

So, I guess you need to just try to resolve each situation to your satisfaction - I've sold a lot of CDs over the years after playing them just a few times (and I am really careful w/ my CDs) - I consider them pretty much 'new' products, but 'misrepresentation' is the issue which I really do hate - Dave 

[Iago]

I have been ordering from Amazon for at least 6 years. Receiving close to 100 cds/DVDs

NEVER, have I received a mailng that was not securely packaged and which contained a recording in less than pristine condition. This applies to the offering of books as well as to cds and DVDs.

[Gurn Blanston]

I have been ordering from Amazon for at least 6 years. Receiving close to 100 cds/DVDs

NEVER, have I received a mailng that was not securely packaged and which contained a recording in less than pristine condition. This applies to the offering of books as well as to cds and DVDs.

Me too, even more so. And as for the Marketplace, only once have I got a disk that wasn't what it was advertised to be. Beyond the stores there, many of the sellers make a significant portion of their income selling in the Marketplace. They don't want to risk your ire.

[haydnguy]

I've never had any problems with Amazon. They've been excellent. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

It can be a crapshoot ordering from the Marketplace. The more you order the greater the risk. Yes it's worth it for the OOP and rare items; no it's not worth it for the headaches. I've even written Amazon proper in the past to complain about the abysmal service from some of their vendors. Don't know if it helped.

Overall though I stick with the Marketplace since I don't know where else to go for the rarities they list. And the service usually is pretty good.

I consider cutouts and record club issues as *new* as long as they're listed as such on the Marketplace listing. At least I know what I'm getting. If an item ISN'T listed as such (even though it's wrapped) I've in the past written to complain to a seller and received recompense (forget what, now). But this doesn't happen often.

For the larger problem of items received NOT in the condition listed (open/used listed as new) I've taken to asking for a compromise: I simply request a partial refund and I keep the item. This has worked every time - and I've even had a seller propose the compromise to me once. I took it.

It seems a good compromise as it saves me the hassle of repackaging the disc, going to the post office, and spending the extra $$ on return shipping. Not to mention it's a huge time-waster doing all this. It makes the seller happy too as they still make the sale and don't have to read angry emails from me demanding they pay for return shipping!    

[Bulldog]

A cut-out means there's a notch in the case but the CD's fine? Meh. I wouldn't do anything.

Don, who do you trust for internet purchases?

Most of the others including ArkivMusic, Russian DVD, Premiere, etc.  With Amazon, I've been very disappointed because "in stock" doesn't mean much.

[knight66]

I have been ordering from Amazon for at least 6 years. Receiving close to 100 cds/DVDs

NEVER, have I received a mailng that was not securely packaged and which contained a recording in less than pristine condition. This applies to the offering of books as well as to cds and DVDs.

This has been my experience also and I have used them a great deal; including the Market Place. Occasionally items take longer to arrive than I think they should. But out of the, by now, hundreds of times I have used them, the only problem I recall was one marketplace opera set, King Roger, where there ought to have been a libretto, but there was not. I wrote to complain and was told that it was especially cheap because of the lack of a libretto and that had been stated on the advert. Of course, the advert had been removed, but I am pretty sure it said no such thing.

I find Amazon reliable. I tend to stick to one company; mainly because I don't like spreading my bank card details right round the Net.

Mike

[George]

I consider cutouts and record club issues as *new* as long as they're listed as such on the Marketplace listing. At least I know what I'm getting. If an item ISN'T listed as such (even though it's wrapped) I've in the past written to complain to a seller and received recompense (forget what, now). But this doesn't happen often.

They offered to refund my money if I return the disc to them, but that costs me money that won't get refunded. That's what upsets me about amazon, they don't have a way for sellers to refund you more than the purchase price so that they have to foot the bill for a return. When, as in this case, it is their fault, I see no reason why I should have to pay for the return shipping. Not to mention the pain of having to go to the post office.

They also offered a partial refund, so I have emailed them back about that option.

It seems a good compromise as it saves me the hassle of repackaging the disc, going to the post office, and spending the extra $$ on return shipping. Not to mention it's a huge time-waster doing all this. It makes the seller happy too as they still make the sale and don't have to read angry emails from me demanding they pay for return shipping!    

Exactly!

[Coopmv]

If you buy a CD that is labeled new and it arrives as a cut out, what do you do? I mean, I know you email the seller and tell them what happened, but what then? Send the thing back and get a refund and give a low feedback rating or do you keep the cutout and ask for a partial refund?

I am so sick of having problems buying through amazon. Last week I bought another "new" CD that had huge cracks on both sides of the case and water damage to the rear art.

Maybe I should start buying the used ones and expect that they won't be perfect?

2 of the 3 CD's I bought direct from Amazon some 2 months ago, not through the MarketPlace, arrived with cracked jewel cases.  This sort of things never used to happen with Amazon.

There is this MarketPlace vendor Moviemar that advertised an Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's CD as new but I received one that was open with noticeable scratches on the data-side and the CD skipped in one of my CDP's.  No doubt I received some used CD.  I did not bother to return the CD since it was only $10.  Moviemar never got any of my new business after this.  MDT has been getting the lion share of my purchases these days.

[Coopmv]

I find Amazon reliable. I tend to stick to one company; mainly because I don't like spreading my bank card details right round the Net.

Mike

I believe all MarketPlace vendors are paid through Amazon, which has your credit card info.  I have no qualms about using multiple MarketPlace vendors.  Why limit yourself to one or two vendors when they do not always have the best prices or the merchandise.  While I use mainly ImportCD and Newbury but have used a few others.

[prémont]

I use Amazon.com very seldom, as I have to pay tax, which almost may equal the cost of the CDs.

On the other hand I use Amazon.uk, Amazon.fr and Amazon.de rather often, and always without problems.

May add, that I use Amazon marketplace rarely and only for OOP releases, always ordering from top rated sellers, and even here without any problems (so far).

[knight66]

That is the point. Amazon have the details, not the Market Place vendors. I don't really therefore restrict myself all that much, as the vendors are aften large concerns, not just people passing on second hand discs.

Mike

[Coopmv]

That is the point. Amazon have the details, not the Market Place vendors. I don't really therefore restrict myself all that much, as the vendors are aften large concerns, not just people passing on second hand discs.

Mike

To be sure, there may occasionally be some fly-by-night outfits.  But they will not last long since only reasonably well-established vendors can be well-stocked.

[Dr. Dread]

I like Amazon, but my experience with their packaging isn't the same as others here.