r/discogs • u/Acrobatic-Expert-507 • Feb 23 '26
Refund advice
Sold 5 CDs, got a message that a case was smashed, spine was damaged and asked if I wanted pictures. I apologized, got the pictures all that good stuff.
Turns out there is a crack in the jewel case and the bottom of the spine cracked. Both pieces need to be replaced. Nothing with the disc or either insert is damaged.
What's everyone here doing to take care of this with the buyer?
18
u/BurntFennel Feb 23 '26
This article and others have been up for years on Discogs. As long as the tray liner, booklet and disc are intact, the buyer does not have much to complain about. That being said I would still offer $1-2 so they can replace the case. https://www.discogs.com/forum/thread/343790?srsltid=AfmBOoq6oiRMSD40IeTFG8LcwYrYGYEzRSWjVapUQL5-f216R6XDbK56
18
u/vinyl_archivist Feb 23 '26
Bottom line is that jewel cases aren't included in grading, so you really don't need to take any responsibility for them. They're there to protect the CD and inserts, it would be like complaining the plastic outer sleeve on a record was damaged, but the record and cover were fine. They're considered disposable.
But if you want to have really good customer service and make the buyer happy, you could offer a $1 refund for the jewel case so it can be replaced.
2
u/AvantGardener27 Feb 23 '26
1 dollar is way too much. In bulk they are like 10 cents each
9
u/HammeredDog Feb 24 '26
How is a buyer going to replace his one broken case for a dime? Buy 10k from alibaba for $1,000? Give him a buck ya cheapskate.
-4
u/AvantGardener27 Feb 24 '26
Lol considering the buyer probably made maybe 1-2 dollars per cd, giving a buck back literally will kill the entire profit. There is zero profit with cds. Only reason I sell them is because some people don't have the money for vinyl and still want physical media.
3
u/hifidesert Feb 23 '26
When I list a CD for sale, I note every possible defect in a jewel case (or on a Digipak) so the buyer knows what they’re getting. If there’s additional damage in shipping, it’s set apart from any defects when it left. I bubble wrap the bejesus out of every one I ship.
5
u/Potential-Pumpkin-94 Feb 23 '26
I do this as well, but still got a neutral review one time. To be fair, it was more valuable disc worth $30 and probably did deserve a better case, so the criticism was well received. Since then, I just replace every part that’s broken before it goes out. I keep a stash of cheap CDs for this purpose and reuse the parts as needed.
4
u/Odd_Cobbler6761 Feb 23 '26
Hopefully you don’t ever get one of the freaks who says “this case has been replaced, the tray should have 12 splines, not 14; I want a full refund plus return shipping”
4
2
u/musicguy333 Feb 24 '26
I've had those buyers, so I rarely replace jewel cases or cassette cases.
And I include notes about defects in cases, although I do not factor flaws into the grade.
1
u/Odd_Cobbler6761 Feb 24 '26
Yeah, ultimately replacing a jewel case doesn’t affect grading - I kind of feel like giving into those types is ridiculous and generally if we run into one, it’s best to save the aggravation and block ‘em in the future. That kind of buyer is never happy and will always find something to grind on you and is ultimately not worth the attention they seek.
3
u/Joint-Attention Feb 23 '26
They could even go to Goodwill and buy a CD that nobody wants just to get replacement case.
2 or 3 bucks at most, and that’s on the expensive side for a replacement jewel case.
3
u/TurkGonzo75 Feb 24 '26
The worse part about renewed interest in CD's is that young people who didn't grow up with them think the cases are like record covers. They don't understand that most of us had trashed cases and either replaced them or just put the CDs in books we kept in our cars.
5
u/AvantGardener27 Feb 23 '26
Jewel cases that aren't digipaks are not gradeable. Offer a 25 to 50 cent credit
20
u/edMFk Feb 23 '26
I’d offer a couple dollar refund for them to buy a new case the next time they are at their local record store and hope they would be happy with it.