So I bought a used record for "$3.99" rated "Very Good" off discogs from a record store, and it's visibly pretty deeply scratched and skips multiple times when I play it. I messaged the seller soon after it arrived and explained this and said it shouldn't have been graded "Very Good" since the Goldmine condition grading standards listed on discogs show that even a "Good/Good+" record "will be playable without skipping." I didn't see a way to attach a photo in the discogs messaging system, so I didn't send a photo.
The seller responded after a few days and said "Sorry to hear there's a problem with the Beethoven record. I don't intentionally sell records that skip. Sometimes dust in the grooves can make a record skip that shouldn't--a rinse with water and a wipe with a non-abrasive cloth can fix a lot of problems. And an improperly set up turntable (especially one that isn't level) may also be the culprit. Or we could have made a mistake on the grading. If cleaning doesn't solve the skipping, you're welcome to return the album for a full refund."
Like I said, I paid "$3.99" for the record so I'm not going to waste the money shipping it back for a refund, but I was just kind of surprised that that was the only option offered. I would think they’d let you know their contact info to send them a picture or video, if not just an outright refund. The record has visible, deep scratch marks, which I think any reasonable person would assume ≠ "Very Good" condition. I totally understand that some sellers don't spin all the used records they put up on discogs for grading purposes, but I feel like if you see deep visible scratches on the disc, you shouldn't be grading it as "Very Good."
Should I have known at $3.99 not to expect a playable record? I'd previously purchased another copy of this record at a sidewalk sale for $1 and it was in much better condition and looked much cleaner but had one single skip when playing it, so I was looking for a replacement copy. And there are definitely cheaper copies of this release on discogs [it's used classical], so I thought I was paying more for a copy that had a higher probability of being in better condition.
Anyway, I left negative feedback for the seller and said "If anyone had glanced at this record before it was packed and shipped, they would have known that it wasn't playable. No amount of cleaning the record is going to fix the scratches. I'm not going to waste my time or money shipping this back to you."
Then, they left me a negative feedback for me as a buyer and said "Customer is not interested in resolving grading disputes."
It just seems really annoying for a record store to treat their customers like this, but I’m just wondering if I'm overreacting or if I should report this seller some other way so other people aren’t dealing with this frustration, too. The record cover wasn’t torn or scratched in a way that would suggest that this damage happened in transit, but it seems like there’s always a grey area where you as a buyer can’t prove that you’re not responsible for the damage to the record, so you’re just stuck with it.
Anyway - here’s the record - let me know what you think:
View attachment 44207
www.discogs.com
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