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Best/Worst Customer Service from a Distro/Label?


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  • 2 weeks later...

Lot of people always hating on Merchnow, but they actually helped me out pretty good ,and with fast and clear communication.

 

I preordered a Bearings bundle back in August and it would ship when the new album was released at the end of October. I Did get a shipping notice, but the package never arrived here in Belgium, (really weird cause in the meantime all other MN packages did arrive). After a few weeks of waiting and emailing they send me a new package 2 weeks ago and it arrived today. So positive vibes to MN

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Rise records. 

Ordered the Hot Water Music bundle and a Dave Hause (favorite songwriter in a long time) cassette from their webstore. 

I also bought a couple Dave Hause items from Rise on Ebay around the same time.  I had being trying to win a copy of the Dave Hause- Resolutions Test Press, but they kept going for more than I could afford.  I missed out on it again, and just messaged the seller (who happens to own/run/works for Rise) and asked if they had anymore test presses they were going to put up, as I missed out on the two they had listed ($77 & $100 is what they went for)  I also told him that if he hadn't shipped my Hot Water Music bundle yet, that they could just add these 2 ebay items to my HWM package, to save them on shipping.  I never got a response.

I get the Hot Water Music package today and this is what happened:
1. The record mailers were all wrapped in a plastic shipping bag, which prevented them from getting wet from the snow.
2. They threw in a free LP and 2 7" (Hidden In Plain View & Placebo)
3. Also in the package was a Resolutions TEST PRESS!!!!  I couldn't believe it.  I've bought from them a lot over the years, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get this.

So, Rise Records: You are amazing.  I love you. Thank you.

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11 minutes ago, skidroje said:

 Also in the package was a Resolutions TEST PRESS!!!!  I couldn't believe it.  I've bought from them a lot over the years, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get this.
 

Wow dude, what a score!  That's remarkable, I'm gonna start ordering from Rise more often  :)

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  • 1 month later...

Has anyone had luck with SmartPunk's customer support?

I got a copy of the new Mustard Plug reissue that has multiple skips and SmartPunk ignored my email. I ended up opening a PayPal dispute and District Lines (their parent company?) messaged me right away and said they'd get SmartPunk to help. Within an hour, SmartPunk sent me a brief email ("We're going to forward this to our fulfillment folks!") but it's been radio silence in the 2 weeks since. I'm covered via PayPal but just curious if SmartPunk is normally this unhelpful.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/11/2019 at 6:26 PM, swb said:

Has anyone had luck with SmartPunk's customer support?

I got a copy of the new Mustard Plug reissue that has multiple skips and SmartPunk ignored my email. I ended up opening a PayPal dispute and District Lines (their parent company?) messaged me right away and said they'd get SmartPunk to help. Within an hour, SmartPunk sent me a brief email ("We're going to forward this to our fulfillment folks!") but it's been radio silence in the 2 weeks since. I'm covered via PayPal but just curious if SmartPunk is normally this unhelpful.

no i've been waiting for my mustard plug and 88 fingers preorders for a while before i tried to contact their customer service with no success...after another 4 weeks of trying i filed a PayPal dispute...still waiting for a response

 

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5 minutes ago, mfzbjaan said:

no i've been waiting for my mustard plug and 88 fingers preorders for a while before i tried to contact their customer service with no success...after another 4 weeks of trying i filed a PayPal dispute...still waiting for a response

 

I ended up getting a refund via PayPal due to a lack of response. What's funny is that, a week earlier, I got a 2nd "Hey! Sorry we missed this! We'll get on it!" response from SmartPunk followed by silence once again. No idea if they're understaffed, incompetent, or consciously hands off with helping customers to save on replacements/refunds.

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  • 4 months later...

I consistently receive damaged items when I order from any bands that use MerchTable. The items are packed well, it's damage caused before they are packed that is my biggest issue and they offer some minuscule percentage for a refund or they say to return the item for a refund minus the cost of original shipping as well as return shipping.  I only purchase if I ABSOLUTELY have to.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Does Dead Broke send an email once they ship? Bought a couple bday gifts for the wife last Saturday and haven't heard a peep from them. Not overly concerned, just curious as I have never ordered directly from them. Hey, thanks!

 

Edit: nvm they just sent me shipping notification a week later. 

Edited by kjkenney
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  • 3 weeks later...

Best-Subpop

Two Lps showed up a month late and wrapped in shrink wrap into a cone. Seriously

Contacted Subpop, no questions asked, resent them ASAP and were really cool.

 

Worst-Bandcamp

Well, bandcamp will just refer you to the artist. Good way of taking themselves outta the loop.

The Myrrors used to be one of my favorites until my order never arrived. They could have cared less.

Gave me the run around for months. It was so Bad i cant even list the amount of BS they fed me.

Done with them forever.

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6 hours ago, dkvinyldisplays said:

Worst-Bandcamp

Well, bandcamp will just refer you to the artist. Good way of taking themselves outta the loop.

You know bandcamp has zero to do with actually sending out your order, right? You can thank whatever band you bought it from for being shitty.

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On 10/6/2019 at 10:55 AM, dkvinyldisplays said:

Best-Subpop

Two Lps showed up a month late and wrapped in shrink wrap into a cone. Seriously

Contacted Subpop, no questions asked, resent them ASAP and were really cool.

 

Worst-Bandcamp

Well, bandcamp will just refer you to the artist. Good way of taking themselves outta the loop.

The Myrrors used to be one of my favorites until my order never arrived. They could have cared less.

Gave me the run around for months. It was so Bad i cant even list the amount of BS they fed me.

Done with them forever.

Contrary to popular belief musicians tend to suck at doing basic things most able-bodied humans can do (I.E. - ship packages in a timely manner, get haircuts, abide by the morality they preach, go to the dentist, etc.). If you've already reached out to the band and got no response file a PayPal claim (assuming you used that to pay, always use that to pay) and let them sort it out for you.

 

It certainly does suck when you want to support a indie artist or label directly and they're too incompetent to hold up their end of the bargain. Yeah, you can get busy doing either, but not busy enough to where you can't print a label and tape it to a mailer lol.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Drag City: Their site is primitive, they don't send out order confirmations, and in my experience they never EVER respond to order inquiries. They do ship promptly, though.

Numero Group and Light in the Attic: Both are great at responding to questions from customers.

Bull Moose: Also great at responding to customers in my experience.

Edited by jason202
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  • 3 weeks later...

Big shoutout to Mondo. My first shipment of the Hellraiser 2 and 3 soundtracks got absolutely crushed in transit. First time they used DHL and I don't know for sure it was them but it is an interesting coincidence. I asked if they could send replacements and not use DHL again. They sent the replacements by UPS and packaged them inside an extra box.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Anyone even deal with Merch Cowboy? They’re based out of Germany. 
 

Well. I ordered two Heather Nova records from them as they handle her merch. Order was on 12/17/19. It shipped shortly after by maybe a few days & the DHL tracking has been at a standstill as of 12/28/19. I’ve emailed them multiple times & no response. Their Twitter account is essentially inactive. And messaged on FB and no response. 
 

I gotta check to see if I paid with PayPal and do a dispute then. 
 

Ugh. 
 

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On 1/28/2020 at 3:02 AM, jhulud said:

Anyone even deal with Merch Cowboy? They’re based out of Germany. 
 

Well. I ordered two Heather Nova records from them as they handle her merch. Order was on 12/17/19. It shipped shortly after by maybe a few days & the DHL tracking has been at a standstill as of 12/28/19. I’ve emailed them multiple times & no response. Their Twitter account is essentially inactive. And messaged on FB and no response. 
 

I gotta check to see if I paid with PayPal and do a dispute then. 
 

Ugh. 
 

I think Redfield Records also use merchcowboy and I never have had any issues with them.

But also no transatlantic mailings with them

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  • 3 weeks later...

I don’t ever make a big deal about corner dings or minor seam splits, but when the company is one of the bigger indie mail order labels, the service from Deathwish was pretty poor. I get records get damaged in the mail, but to completely wash your hands of it when you aren’t properly packing the records is disappointing for sure.  Not the end of the world, but I’ll never order another record from them again. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sound of Vinyl are asshats. I bought this version of the record: https://thesoundofvinyl.com/*/Coloured-Vinyl/The-Leftovers-Max-Richter/62J80JVE000.

It has the product code and release date for the red version in addition to specifying colored vinyl but they sent the black. I emailed them but they just keep saying the listing didn't say red vinyl. Fuckers wanted me to pay return shipping. Had to file a claim with Paypal.

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15 hours ago, Rip said:

Was there a red pressing?  I only knew of the black.

Yup: https://www.discogs.com/Max-Richter-The-Leftovers-Music-From-The-HBO-Series-Season-One/release/13314448?ev=item-vc .

They sent the black version with the review on discogs talking about how awful the pressing is and it is entirely accurate. It sounds like dogshit and it was the version I was trying to avoid.

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  • 2 months later...

Had a really cool experience with Fat Possum. I bought two Ellis records from them, one pink and one coke bottle. When they arrived, there was a note in the package saying they were out of the pink so they just sent the white. The other one was wrong as well––they'd sent a plain black instead of the coke bottle. I emailed them about it asking for a refund, but they responded within an hour saying the correct variants were on their way to me and that I could keep the old ones. Sure enough, the replacements were correct (and stunning). It was really refreshing to see a label handle this sort of situation so well, so big big kudos to FP.

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  • jhulud changed the title to Best/Worst Customer Service from a Distro/Label?

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