Question for those of you who buy used CDs from Amazon

[Dancing Divertimentian]

I just sent the seller this email:
_____________________

My main reason for being honest in my feedback is to help other buyers. However, you seem to be aware of the feedback you get and will therefore hopefully post information on amazon with more care.

I have looked into this. If I remove my feedback and you don't refund my money, I cannot repost my feedback. Since this has happened to a friend of mine, I don't think it's a good idea for me.

However, if you first refund my money, you have my word that I will immediately remove my feedback.

George Perkins

That's probably what I would do, too, George. I've held my tongue lots of times when I've been offered a 100% refund. Equitable, and it makes me happy.

As far as warning other potential buyers, you'd think handing out 100% refunds would prompt any seller to reform their ways. Or at least take a closer look at quality control.

In the end, probably makes for a better seller overall (keeping fingers crossed...).

[anasazi]

It's kind of a tough question.  Having been both a buyer and seller of used cds myself, I have my own way of dealing with sellers who do not exactly describe their cds - I keep a list of sellers that I don't buy from again.  I'm never certain if feedback is enough.  Does anyone really read through the feedback? Most sellers seem to have 95% or above.  But if you have 4000 feedbacks (obviosly a big dealer) can it really be possible to have close to 100%?  As a seller, I currently have 100% feedback, but I still have a couple of negative comments.  Two (at least) were certainly my fault (once I inadvertently mailed the wrong cd).  But in both cases, the buyer left me really negative feedback BEFORE or INSTEAD of sending me an e-mail to complain.  In both cases I could have (and would have) made things right and at my own expense.  Well, I still did that, but neither buyer retracted their negative feedback.  In other words nobody really cares one way or the other it seems.  Yet I continually receive cds listed as 'like new' that turn out to be former library cds, or have scratches, or gummy residue or something.  How can these be like new?  A couple of times I have left negative feedback, usually after not receiving a reply to a direct e-mail to the seller, politely asking for a refund.  For some sellers, neither e-mails nor negative feedback seem to matter.  But I guess if you have 4000 or 10000 feedbacks, how much is one or two going to matter? 

Any more, when I purchase a used cd I try and find a seller who is more like myself, a private collector looking for a new home for a few cds.  So I look for sellers with a feedback count of 100, 200 or 300, in other words, not a dealer.  Of course I also look for 100%, but I know myself, that this is very difficult to achieve. 

[Solitary Wanderer]

Yeah, grading can be a problem 

I usually buy 'new', but on the odd occasion when I want an OOP used title I'm very wary.

I just don't like used cds; they usually stink for some reason. [Same with library books - yuk!]

I replace broken or scratched jewelcases myself - no problem.

The issue with the 'grading' of used goods is that one person 'as new' can be quite different to another persons interpretation.

For me I'm anal about my music software collection and everything is in absolutely mint condition - no scratches, marks, fingerprints, creases etc.

I bought a used OOP cd a few months ago - described 'as new' and I was so dissappointed when I received it due to the poor condition it was in.

I guess buying used is very much a case of...buyer beware 

[George]

I just sent the seller this email:
_____________________

My main reason for being honest in my feedback is to help other buyers. However, you seem to be aware of the feedback you get and will therefore hopefully post information on amazon with more care.

I have looked into this. If I remove my feedback and you don't refund my money, I cannot repost my feedback. Since this has happened to a friend of mine, I don't think it's a good idea for me.

However, if you first refund my money, you have my word that I will immediately remove my feedback.

George Perkins

Just got this email from the seller:

___________


Refund complete.
Thank you for taking the time to resolve this and sorry I didn't examine the CD more thoroughly.

_____________

I checked my amazon account and the money was indeed refunded, so I removed my feedback.

[Lethevich]

Aww, a nice seller

[BorisG]

I am sorry to read about the number of people who have been easily bribed by seller snakes.

I suggest you do not do this anymore. It keeps these snakes in business longer than they should be.

A reminder. Amazon guarantees an honest deal. You do not have to participate in bribery to get your money back. If the seller has not lived up to their claims and refuses to correct their mistakes (or thievery), Amazon will (as long as you are not a snake yourself) make good on your refund.

There have been some good suggestions on this thread. First and foremost, keep notes of both the good and the bad. I suggest once bitten, never deal with that seller again, even if you eventually received a refund from them.

No scratches, like new, new, are key words. And do read the ratings.

[Lethevich]

A reminder. Amazon guarantees an honest deal. You do not have to participate in bribery to get your money back. If the seller has not lived up to their claims and refuses to correct their mistakes (or thievery), Amazon will (as long as you are not a snake yourself) make good on your refund.

As some people have found out, Amazon's "A-Z" thingy (if this is what you mean) is actually only good for three claims, if you get ripped off more than that, you're screwed...

[head-case]

I am sorry to read about the number of people who have been easily bribed by seller snakes.

I suggest you do not do this anymore. It keeps these snakes in business longer than they should be.

I fail to see how a seller who offers a refund when the item arrives in unsatisfactory condition is a "snake" because he or she asks for unfavorable feedback to be removed.  (when in many cases items are damaged in shipment by the postal service).   Buyers as well as sellers can abuse the system.  In fact, a buyer who posts unfavorable feedback without giving the seller a chance to rectify the situation is technically in violation of Amazon marketplace policy and could with more justice be called a "snake."

[Gurn Blanston]

I have had only one bad experience in the couple of hundred CD's and DVD's I have bought from Marketplace. And I gave the guy 1 star and a pretty bad review. He never responded to it (or to any of my emails), so I feel it was justified. Obviously he didn't care.  I don't worry about jewel boxes either. I got a bunch of them. My concerns are the CD first, the booklet and case liner second. As long as they are as advertised, the jewel box doesn't matter to me.



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Now playing:
Franck Violin Sonata - Gil Shaham / Gerhard Oppitz - Franck Sonata in A for Violin & Piano WoO 1st mvmt

[Szykneij]

The issue with the 'grading' of used goods is that one person 'as new' can be quite different to another persons interpretation.

True. At least with vinyl, there are the Goldmine or other accepted standards to go by. The process is still greatly subjective, but at least there is a clear set of terms and descriptions for grading records that CDs don't have. Of course, CDs have far fewer variables of condition to consider.

For me I'm anal about my music software collection and everything is in absolutely mint condition - no scratches, marks, fingerprints, creases etc.

I wish that were true for me. The CDs currently in my listening rotation can be found in the back seat of my car, bouncing around in my briefcase, or under a pile of junk on my desk at work. 

[Solitary Wanderer]

I wish that were true for me. The CDs currently in my listening rotation can be found in the back seat of my car, bouncing around in my briefcase, or under a pile of junk on my desk at work. 

Please stop...I feel a stroke coming on! 

[BorisG]

As some people have found out, Amazon's "A-Z" thingy (if this is what you mean) is actually only good for three claims, if you get ripped off more than that, you're screwed...

US and UK are 5 claims. Canada is 3 claims.

Credit card chargeback is always an option.

[George]

Please stop...I feel a stroke coming on! 

[BorisG]

I fail to see how a seller who offers a refund when the item arrives in unsatisfactory condition is a "snake" because he or she asks for unfavorable feedback to be removed.  (when in many cases items are damaged in shipment by the postal service).   Buyers as well as sellers can abuse the system.  In fact, a buyer who posts unfavorable feedback without giving the seller a chance to rectify the situation is technically in violation of Amazon marketplace policy and could with more justice be called a "snake."

If you read my OP again you will see that I allowed for snakes on either side of a deal.

A buyer could be premature, but I would say the more common incident occurs when a seller does not respond to an unhappy buyer until they see an unfavorable review. Then the snake seller has the audacity to bargain for the review's removal.

To hell with the snake seller. I suggest to the buyer to get the refund through A - Z or credit card chargeback, and let the review stay. The seller's crappy service was what it was.

[George]

If you read my OP again you will see that I allowed for snakes on either side of a deal.

A buyer could be premature, but I would say the more common incident occurs when a seller does not respond to an unhappy buyer until they see an unfavorable review. Then the snake seller has the audacity to bargain for the review's removal.

To hell with the snake seller. I suggest to the buyer to get the refund through A - Z or credit card chargeback, and let the review stay. The seller's crappy service was what it was.

In my case, I got the CD refunded and didn't have to return it. 

[Dancing Divertimentian]

In my case, I got the CD refunded and didn't have to return it. 

Yes, that's generally the way it works with me, too.

My kind of snake!!

[M forever]

When I order form Amazon marketplace, I always save the page with the description as a web archive (.mht file). If the description is not accurate, e.g. a "like new" CD should be like one which has been peeled from the shrinkwrap but there should be next to no usage marks on the booklet and CD. The case may be a little scratched, or as has been said, it happens that they break during shipping even when they are adequately packaged. Anything else, scratches which are asily visible or other signs of wear must be mentioned in the description. If not, I always contact the seller first *before* leaving negative feedback. In most cases, I get a reply and a partial refund. If not, I hit them with max negative feedback. That almost always triggers a reaction. One has to understand that a lot of these sellers aren't necessarily private collectors, many of them are second hand type mail order stores which process a lot of material. It shouldn't, but it can happen that someone overlooks a defect or describes an item too enthustically. But again, my experience has been that most sellers are responsive to complaints and often give a partial refund without much discusion.
Of course, I only bother with that if the CD cost more than just a handful of dollars. If it just cost $3.99, it's not really worth the hassle.