Vinyl manufacturers don't stand behind product?

My experience earlier last week was wonderful! I purchased a 180 gm audiophile double album and there were roughly 10 seconds of ear splitting pops on one side. I contacted Red Trumpet, where I purchased it, and received an email back form the President, Richard Flynn. He apologized for the inconvenience, indicated that there hadn't been similar problems with these albums (a response to a question I had asked), and said he was sending another one out to me immediately and to not bother sending back the defective ones.

I'm not implying that he would do this every time for me or with every customer's request to return, but that's service and I appreciate it!

I'd have to suggest to Mitchchavis that he might consider doing his record buying business elsewhere.

Mitch, they may not take the darned things back, but your musical taste is just impeccable.

I don't think its the manufacturers, guys, but the distributors. The local vinyl dealer and I are very good friends and he has told me that absolutely, positively, the vinyl distributors do not take anything back under any circumstances. In fact, everytime he places an order he has to verbally acknowledge over the phone that he understands the "no returns on vinyl" policy. There is also a written clause on whatever form or P.O. that he has to sign, too.

With that said, this retailer WILL take back vinyl for any reason except for "surface noise". Pops, scratches, warps, etc he will take it back no problem. I agree with him that "surface noise" can be a matter of opinion and it is a risk we take by listening to vinyl. He won't allow some knucklehead to rip open 6 copies just to find the best pressing.

Bear in mind that retailers like this guy eat the entire cost of the LP when it is returned. He either marks it way down and tries to sell it as damaged or (I think) he simply adds it to his own collection and tries to listen past the imperfections.

I just gotta say that a lot of this talk makes me DOUBLY appreciative of my dealer and his distributor, by extension. I am also wondering if this situation varies at least by geographic location or individual distributor. I went and bought several LP's yesterday and pointedly asked my guy his scoop. He said that it is about a break-even propostition for him to take a defective LP back, sometimes losing a buck or two. He does not hesitate at all for good customers becasue he wants to keep them as good customers. He went on the say that HIS distributor does an even credit exchange and DOES stand behind defectives, for which he can subsequently seek credit from all but a very few foreign manufacturers.

He went on to say that if a distributor would NOT stand behind product, within reason of course, he would not last long in the business because LP buyers would not stand for such practices. He did comment, however, that he knew things were different with some distributors "back east", but would not further elaborate. Seems this may, in part, be a "what the market will bear" issue.

I've stopped shopping there because I've had trouble returning defects and mis-marked condition albums. They've got a great selection of basics, but they couldn't care less about keeping customers.

Try Jackpot, 2nd Avenue, or Recordsbymail.com (you can pick up there). You'll have much better luck, and they actually seem to appreciate their customers...

Rmacdo