I guess I should’ve gone round all the social media hangouts like facebook, instagram, twitter, etc when I first started to use the vinylseeker name back in 2011 – a name which still strikes me as being a bit corny – but it’s too late now. Who knew all these imposters would shoot up everywhere?
From October 1st 2020, Discogs plan to switch to an automatic payment system a la Amazon. As far as I can tell, their aim is to alter the way records or CDs are purchased on discogs.com. The buyer will select something and pay for it immediatelty through Paypal (and only Paypal — no other payment option is permitted), the entire transaction completed in a few easy clicks without any need for contact between the buyer and seller. Buyer remorse? A thing of the past, they hope. Except EU law requires a buyers right to cancel an order after payment, right? Bad luck for the seller then, because PayPal changed their policy on refunds some time back, i.e. they no longer refund their fee. All PayPal fees are non-refundable.
Discogs went about this change in a rather underhand way. Because they knew it would not be popular (though their PR was full of bullshit about these changes coming about as a result of listening to customers). There was no big announcement. It began as an aside in a blog post about all sellers being required to have an Automatic Shipping Policy (ASP) in place by October 1st. What’s that, you ask?
An ASP simply means a buyer can see exactly how much shipping he or she will be charged on an order without having to contact the seller. Having an ASP in place speeds up the order process, this is certainly true, but an ASP on it’s own is not enough to help guarantee a speedy sale. You also need the ability to pay immediately. Which is where PayPal comes in. PayPal is the only payment option allowed in this new system. Discogs have handed PayPal a monopoly on payments. Can this be legal? Doesn’t this contravene EU regulations?
There is uproar on the discogs forum as a result of these impending changes (see here , here and here — in fact, just go to the discogs forum and check the latest topics). Small to medium sized sellers are very unhappy. A big problem with the ASP editor is that it’s not fit for purpose. I live in The Netherlands and I simply cannot get the ASP to encapsulate the relatively simple details of PostNL’s shipping rates. Not to mention the possibilities offered by DHL, GLS, DPD, etc, which apparently I cannot include. There can only be one. Just like there can only be one method of payment. Whatever happened to consumer choice?
It’s a dreadful one-size-fits-all system. I know they are working feverishly to improve the ASP, but it’s a bit late with October 1st looming. It was profoundly stupid of discogs to announce such fundamental changes before having the tools in place necessary to carry those changes out. Why the rush? Why not develop a system that works and then introduce the change? Or did they really think there wouldn’t be a problem trying to squeeze hundreds of different national post offices systems into their crappy ASP editor?
The rumour is discogs want to sell, and since eBay extricted itself from PayPal, the latter has been on the lookout for a new revenue stream. Who knows. Discogs nauseating, craven PR blurbs about how these changes are customer driven are laughable. Some gullible souls may have believed them but most of us are too aware of spin and fake news these days. Discogs have also been deleting negative comments from users on their blog posts, not just a few post but hundreds. Because it doesn’t fit the story in their PR of satisfied customers being given what they requested.
In my opinion, the ASP is not really the problem. I believe it can be made to work in the long run. As long as discogs keeps its ears open to customer problems, and keeps developing the ASP until it is genuinely fit for purpose, I can put up with a rocky inbetween period. I’d probably just close my store for 6 months until the ASP was completed properly. I’m a private seller, and I do not rely on discogs for income, so it would be no great hardship for me.
What I am most concerned about is the PayPal monopoly. Discogs seems to be entirely unaware of the many other payment systems used around the world. In particular, the use of IBAN payment within the Benelux and Germany, both domestically and cross border. IBAN (or SEPA) payment is free within the euro zone, and as most people have online banking, it’s very easy to use. From October 1st, if someone with The Netherlands orders something from me, I am compelled to accept payment by Paypal, even though a bank transfer would be the norm here. I object to this strongly.
Which is why I will close my discogs store on October 1st.
Don’t get me wrong, I love discogs, I’ve contributed hundreds of releases to the database, and I still find it an invaluable information resource. But when it comes to buying and selling, their new restrictive practices are a complete turn off for me. There are other options: marktplaats.nl and the like, facebook marketplace, sites like craigslist, musicstack, cdandlp.com — even eBay doesn’t look as bad as it once did. Or, Conora permitting, selling the old fashioned way, face to face, at record fairs.
I found this photo of myself online. I’m standing in the queue for a sale of work at a school in the small nearby town of St.Oedenrode. It’s from 2 or 3 years ago, I think. I arrived on time, just as doors were about to open, meaning I was dead late, at the end of the very long queue of people waiting to get into the school:
That’s me fifth from extreme right, navy wolly hat, brown jacket, jeans.
Most of the people in the queue have come for the secondhand books. A small but pushy minority have come for the vinyl.
I’m also in one of the interior shots which gives you a flavour of the event:
Yes, it’s the exciting world of ageing, balding men in search of rare records in over-exhausted settings! Are you a young vinyl hipster who just got into vinyl within the past 5 years? Well look closely. This is your future.
That’s me to the right of the guy in the light blue top. A well known local collector/dealer Harry is also in one of the online photos. As you can see, the LPs are in banana boxes, which is fitting somehow.
Pickings are usually slim and competition is fierce. I’ll post my meagre haul from last time so you can see what I mean. It’s real bottom feeder stuff. So please don’t allow this post to encourage you to come next year — it’s a waste of time.
No really, don’t come.
38 Special – Hold On Loosely EP – 12in – A&M – AMS 12-9160 – NL – 1981
Peter Allen – Continental American – LP – A&M – SP 3643 – USA – 1974
Beggars Opera – Pathfinder – LP – Karussell – 2872 102 – D – 1970-73/1978
Burning Sensations – s/t – LP – Capitol – 1C 064-712 3001 – D – 1983
Chris de Burgh – Best Moves – LP – A&M – AMLH 68532 – NL – 1981
Chris de Burgh – Spanish Train And Other Stories – LP – A&M – AMLH 68343 – NL – 1975/19??
Howard Devoto – Rainy Season – 12in – Virgin – VS 598-12 – UK – 1983
Dreams – s/t – LP – Columbia – C 30225 – USA – 1970
The Few – Danger – LP – Monopole – MLP 0399/1035 – B – 1987
Foreign Exchange – The First Album – LP – MPS – 68.271 – D – 1981
Les Haricots Rouges – s/t – LP – Milan – SLP 87 – France – 1980
Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – LP – ATCO – 40 022 (ATCO-3019) – France – 1968/1971-73
Carl Orff – Carmina Burana – LP – Deutsche Grammophon – 139 362 SLPM – D – 1968/197?
Gordon Lightfoot – Don Quixote – LP – Reprise – K 44166 – UK – 1972
Mighty Force – Thrashing A Dead House EP – 12in – Vinyl Drip International – SUK 003 – UK – 1990
Motels – Careful – LP – Capitol – ST-12070 – USA – 1980
Geoff Muldaur – Blues Boy – LP – Flying Fish – FF 201 – USA – 1979
Bill Nelson – Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam – LP – Mercury – 6359 055 – NL – 1981
Nena – s/t – LP – CBS – CBS 25 264 – EU – 1983
Jerry Overstreet Orchestra And Singers – 16 Favourite Film Tunes – LP – Black Tulip – BT 5018 – NL – 197?
Poco – s/t – LP – Epic – BN 26522 – USA – 1970/1973
Pussy Galore – Historia De La Musica Rock – LP – Rough Trade – ROUGH 149 – UK – 1990
Rare Earth – Get Ready – LP – Rare Earth – 5C 054-91006 – NL – 1969
Renaissance – Ashes Are Burning – LP – Sovereign – SVNA 7261 (0C 064 94663) – UK – 1973
Ritchie Family – I’ll Do My Best – LP – VIP – VIP 20309 – Italy – 1982
Schon & Hammer – Here To Stay – LP – CBS – 25229 – NL – 1982
Al Stewart – Past Present & Future – LP – CBS – S 65726 – UK – 1973
Taxi – Take It Or Leave It – LP – Minos – MSM 382 – Greece – 1980
R. Dean Taylor – I Think Therefore I Am – LP – Rare Earth – RS 522 – USA – 1970
Ten Years After – The Classic Performances Of – LP – Chrysalis – 51.1134 – NL – 1971-74/1976
Top Dogs? (NL) – Funny Farm Residents – LP – Funny Farm – 00011ff – NL – 1981
Jr. Walker And The All Stars – Greatest Hits – LP – Tamla Motown – STML 11120 (1E 062?04242) – UK – 1969
Sadao Watanabe – Autumn Blow – LP – Flying Disk – VIJ-6006 – Japan – 1977
Young Caucasians – The Shroud Of Elvis – LP – Top Records – TR-004 – USA – 1987
v/a – Buddah’s Hit Explosion – LP – Buddah – 203 004 – D – 1968
v/a – Greatest Hits Vol.3 – LP – Polydor – 2484 048 – NL – 1972
v/a – Motown Chartbusters Vol.5 – LP – Tamla Motown – STML 11181 (E 062-92265) – UK – 1967-71/1971
v/a – The World Of Hits Vol. 7 – LP – Decca – SPA 360 – UK – 1973
38 Special – Hold On Loosely EP – 12in – A&M – AMS 12-9160 – NL – 1981
Peter Allen – Continental American – LP – A&M – SP 3643 – USA – 1974
Beggars Opera – Pathfinder – LP – Karussell – 2872 102 – D – 1970-73/1978
Burning Sensations – s/t – LP – Capitol – 1C 064-712 3001 – D – 1983
Chris de Burgh – Spanish Train And Other Stories – LP – A&M – AMLH 68343 – NL – 1975/19??
Chris de Burgh – Best Moves – LP – A&M – AMLH 68532 – NL – 1981
Howard Devoto – Rainy Season – 12in – Virgin – VS 598-12 – UK – 1983
Dreams – s/t – LP – Columbia – C 30225 – USA – 1970
The Few – Danger – LP – Monopole – MLP 0399/1035 – B – 1987
Foreign Exchange – The First Album – LP – MPS – 68.271 – D – 1981
Les Haricots Rouges – s/t – LP – Milan – SLP 87 – France – 1980
Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – LP – ATCO – 40 022 (ATCO-3019) – France – 1968/1971-73
Carl Orff – Carmina Burana – LP – Deutsche Grammophon – 139 362 SLPM – D – 1968/197?
Gordon Lightfoot – Don Quixote – LP – Reprise – K 44166 – UK – 1972
Mighty Force – Thrashing A Dead House EP – 12in – Vinyl Drip International – SUK 003 – UK – 1990
Motels – Careful – LP – Capitol – ST-12070 – USA – 1980
Geoff Muldaur – Blues Boy – LP – Flying Fish – FF 201 – USA – 1979
Bill Nelson – Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam – LP – Mercury – 6359 055 – NL – 1981
Nena – s/t – LP – CBS – CBS 25 264 – EU – 1983
Jerry Overstreet Orchestra And Singers – 16 Favourite Film Tunes – LP – Black Tulip – BT 5018 – NL – 197?
Poco – s/t – LP – Epic – BN 26522 – USA – 1970/1973
Pussy Galore – Historia De La Musica Rock – LP – Rough Trade – ROUGH 149 – UK – 1990
Rare Earth – Get Ready – LP – Rare Earth – 5C 054-91006 – NL – 1969
Renaissance – Ashes Are Burning – LP – Sovereign – SVNA 7261 (0C 064 94663) – UK – 1973
Ritchie Family – I’ll Do My Best – LP – VIP – VIP 20309 – Italy – 1982
Schon & Hammer – Here To Stay – LP – CBS – 25229 – NL – 1982
Al Stewart – Past Present & Future – LP – CBS – S 65726 – UK – 1973
Taxi – Take It Or Leave It – LP – Minos – MSM 382 – Greece – 1980
R. Dean Taylor – I Think Therefore I Am – LP – Rare Earth – RS 522 – USA – 1970
Ten Years After – The Classic Performances Of – LP – Chrysalis – 51.1134 – NL – 1971-74/1976
Top Dogs? (NL) – Funny Farm Residents – LP – Funny Farm – 00011ff – NL – 1981
Jr. Walker And The All Stars – Greatest Hits – LP – Tamla Motown – STML 11120 (1E 062?04242) – UK – 1969
Sadao Watanabe – Autumn Blow – LP – Flying Disk – VIJ-6006 – Japan – 1977
Young Caucasians – The Shroud Of Elvis – LP – Top Records – TR-004 – USA – 1987
v/a – Buddah’s Hit Explosion – LP – Buddah – 203 004 – D – 1968
v/a – Greatest Hits Vol.3 – LP – Polydor – 2484 048 – NL – 1972
v/a – Motown Chartbusters Vol.5 – LP – Tamla Motown – STML 11181 (E 062-92265) – UK – 1967-71/1971
v/a – The World Of Hits Vol. 7 – LP – Decca – SPA 360 – UK – 1973
vinylseeker 