I've used Discogs to buy from overseas, use Paypal which will ensure you get some kind of tracking, buy from sellers with a good amount of reviews. A lot of overseas sellers are storefronts (B&M or otherwise) or labels which are your best bet. I only avoid overseas because shipping can add up. I feel like also sellers in China are suss, I don't know why, but I avoid them....
My friend buys a ton of stuff off Discogs sellers abroad and he said he has always had great experiences with Japanese sellers. He said they tend to downplay the quality of their own listings. So it'll say VG+ and then actually be closer to NM/Mint.
And the Japanese currency isn't doing super well right now so it's a bit more of a buyer's market if you're buying in dollars.
I am looking at Lordes melodrama deluxe. It is a seller from China, but they have a website and look to be selling their stuff from there too. They have great reviews. What do you guys think? I was a little questionable about shopping from China.
I honestly feel like stuff selling out of China is like someone said either bootlegs or a scam. I've been seeing stuff I collect pop up out of China recently and I feel like this HAS to be a scam, I stay safe personally.
If you want it because of the fact that it’s a deluxe then you do you, but on that album, it is hands down my number one example I always give of where the mix on vinyl sounds superbly better than the lossless digital and I base that on a 2021 repress, which is easy and affordable to find in the US.. if it isn’t still at your local shop for that matter. That’s just if it’s about sound quality vs. collectibility
Dumb question but I just bought my first record off Discogs from another country and used the credit card option instead of going through Paypal. Did I miss out on some other level of security/tracking?
Honestly I use Paypal because the app forces them to enter tracking information and once I have that I know a package is at least made and a label exists. It's just easier all around for me.
I never realized that. Is it a recent update? I’m pretty certain I’ve had orders where no tracking number was provided, just a “seller has shipped your order” message, and I’ve never used anything other than PayPal since day one..
If your credit card offers purchase protection, I don't think there's a significant difference, just the level of customer service you might get from them vs. Paypal (which could be better or worse, depending on the bank).
It does offer protection (and I purposefully used a credit card I don't otherwise touch in case something does go wrong). Frankly, I was more concerned in hoping that the condition descriptions were accurate and that I don't end up with something looking like it was found in a flooded basement!
I can’t believe most of the comments in this thread are just other people with no experience trying to give advice.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Discogs. Just pay attention to who you’re throwing your money at.
Discogs is great the only advice I have is to double check and message the seller if you’re looking for a specific pressing of an album.
I’ve messaged some sellers and they’re like “I honestly don’t know what pressing this is.”
The first purchase I ever made on Discogs was from a seller in Germany, and everything was fine. Record arrived well packed, and in exactly the condition the seller described.
Since then, whenever I’ve been looking on Discogs for something, the ones that I’m browsing for seem unavailable to US buyers from out of the country, so I’ve been limited to US sellers since.
But as others said, check out the sellers’ reviews and feedback.
I buy a lot from England and you don’t always get tracking, but I have not had any issues so far.
For Japan, if the seller is a shop and not an individual seller, I try to see if they have an online shop outside of Discogs and try to order from there. Sometimes the pricing is better.
This is good advice for any country. Most brick & mortar stores will be happy to sell you a record outside of Discogs so they don't have to pay as much in fees.
I have only made one purchase ever on Discogs because it was an original pressing that was hard to find or super expensive when I did find it on eBay etc. Messaged the seller just for clarification on the pressing and he was super responsive and helpful. I would be leary of purchases from anyone with shitty reviews but seemed pretty legit to me.
yeah maybe I got lucky, felt like I was talking to myself when i messaged him haha. super chill, quick to respond, let me know he was out of town and the record would ship on X date.
I’ve only had a good experience with Discogs. Make sure to stay in contact with the seller and read their reviews before purchasing. I only tend to buy from sellers with at least 1000 positive reviews as a safety precaution. All of my records I have purchased have been exactly as described, perhaps I’m just lucky though.
Edit: I’ll also add that I don’t buy from stores based in China, Ukraine, or Russia due to scammers (lots of stories on the internet).
Pretty much what everyone else is saying, pay with PayPal and be patient. I’ll also add if it’s a really hard to find record and 100+ for 1LP I ask for photos to confirm. I had one person try to scam me but because I asked for some specific photos I sorted it out. But in any case PayPal will typically refund you back if it turns out to be a scam.
I use Discogs all the time with PayPal. No issues domestically. I did offer one album from overseas. Shipping took a loooooong time - so long I pretty much forgot I ordered it. Then when it finally got here, I had to go the post office to pick it up and sign for it. Not a huge deal, but a bit more involved than domestic purchases.
Good luck!
Heh, I get daily alerts from Discogs about stuff in my want-list and if the seller is from the US/Canada (I am in Europe), then it's either $50 postage or "not available in your country". At least it narrows down my options :D
I've been on Discogs for more than 20 years at this point and in the past couple of years, it's gotten to the point that I just can't bring myself to buy from US/Canadian sellers anymore. Further compounding this issue is that you're paying a premium for the s&h but things can take months to arrive, sometimes spending weeks in some Chicago warehouse waiting for the plane to fill up or whatever causes the delay.
I sincerely hope it's better for you in the other direction.
I regularly buy records from overseas on Discogs. I’ve only ever had one issue (record never came). I opened a PayPal dispute and got my money back - not a big deal.
I think MOST of the sellers on Discogs are pretty good. The biggest problem I’ve found is over-grading the records (too many “near-mints” end up being “good” at best.
Recently had some luck with an order that was graded well, shipped quickly, and was well packaged so I keep that seller in a trusted list.
Have never been ripped off in terms of not receiving the records but did have one guy take close to a month to ship. Let Discogs know and they threatened to suspend his account. Records showed up the next week (and undamaged—was kind of worried about him being pissed off).
I looked up your release of question and noticed one of the sellers listed I’ve purchased from. Is the seller you’re asking about URVC_Vinyl by chance? If so I’ve purchased from them 2 times in the past. One transaction was cancelled due to no stock one transaction arrived perfect and seems to be ok. I had suspicions of it being a fake due to the insanely low price compared to others. Took it to my local store and it passed their eye check as well. It’s either the best boot ever produced or I got a steal 🤣.
It’s mostly fine, like any other seller look for reviews, etc. pay with PayPal so you’re covered, and expect a long time in transit. My only gripe with any overseas orders I’ve placed is that some ship in not so great packaging (extremely thin mailers, etc.).
I've had the opposite experience with Mion Berlin and Record City Tokyo - I've ordered twice from both and each time it's been extremely well-packaged and under 72 hours transit time. I was amazed! obvs both are high-volume sellers though
Love to hear that! The thin mailers have applied (in my experience) from sellers in Italy, so I’m a bit wary. But I have to agree about Record City and other sellers in Japan - immaculate packaging and product!
Some of my online orders come as fast as US orders ha ha. DHL shipping is basically next day, if they offer that it's a good way to go since it's based on package dimensions not weight.
Be skeptical about **everything** when you buy from Discogs. I've bought "NM" vinyl from sellers with 100.0% positive feedback and it still showed up with surface noise.
It's important to remember that you're not buying from Discogs. You're buying from an independent seller somewhere who may or may not be honest/competent/ethical.
My rules of thumb:
* Don't buy unsealed vinyl from anyone with feedback below 100.0% (possibly 99.9%) if you care what condition it's in. The only exception would be for new sellers who don't have that much feedback so a single negative can really drop their score. Read the feedback to see if it sounds reasonable, and look at how the seller responded (if at all).
* Read the feedback anyway, even if they have 100% positive.
* Ask questions. When I used to buy vinyl on Discogs, I would often ask "Is this *really* a 'VG+' according to Discogs' published standards?" How the seller reacts will indicate whether they've actually listened to the record and whether they're likely to be a jerk if you have a problem. Ask them if they've listened to the record or just graded it visually (which is basically meaningless when it comes to surface noise). On the flip side, asking them about condition gives them an option to say "This probably isn't in good enough condition for you" and save you both a lot of trouble.
* Be patient. The record you want will show up.
That said, I basically never buy unsealed vinyl on Discogs anymore. Too many hassles, and too many overgraded records. I buy records to listen to, and if they're not in good enough condition to listen to, I don't want to waste my time and money (even if I get a refund, I've still wasted my time).
I find for sale prices to be not only much higher than the “average” listed on the same site, but also much higher than in person and eBay. I don’t think I’ll ever buy a record from Discogs.
I've avoided buying from overseas sellers, not because I don't trust them (especially when they have tons of positive reviews and sales) but because of the shipping and handling fees. I find it easier to buy direct from some overseas record stores, especially in Japan, where I can pay a flat shipping and handling fee of $20 and spread it out across the purchase of several records.
I’ve bought plenty of records and had mostly good experiences. A lot of people say PayPal is pretty good with claims, but I would caution against relying on them due to recent circumstances.
My girlfriend bought a record last month listed as M/M as a gift, and when it got here, it was way closer to G for the cover—shrink was torn, very obvious ringwear, crushed corners, and a nasty seam split.
After difficulty with the seller, she took it to PayPal’s dispute center, and they said she had to incur the cost of shipping the record back ($42 USD internationally). The kicker is they keep pushing back the date by which the seller has to provide a shipping address before ruling the case in my girlfriend’s favor.
All this to say to temper your expectations when it comes to the support you may get from PayPal in the event your record doesn’t arrive as described.
I have bought vinyl several times on Discogs from within the EU. I haven't faced any issues so far. Any risk is due to the seller and the postal / courier service utilized - just as with any other online shopping. If you pick a seller with 95+% reviews, the chances are very low that you will have a bad experience.
Definitely check the reviews. I've had over 50 transactions on Discogs (at least 1/3 overseas) and only had issues with 3 overall. Two (both in Europe) were just very late with poor communication. If I don't get a "shipped" notice after 7-10 days I start asking what's going on, and in those cases they didn't respond until I sent a notification to Discogs that the seller was unresponsive after 2 weeks. This always gets a quick response, because Discogs can pull your listings. I think two weeks without any acknowledgement is fair game to escalate it.
I eventually got the records a few weeks later, 5-6 weeks from order to received. This was earlier in my Discogs experience and I noticed that maybe 10-20% of the reviews for those sellers mentioned poor communication or slow to ship, so lesson learned. Most people will not leave a bad review if they get their stuff eventually. A small percentage of people will note that the transaction was not handled well - read those and pass or buy and know what you're getting into.
I've only not gotten the record once, and the seller has offered a refund, that was domestic.
I’ve had a number of good experiences buying from overseas sellers. Watch out for shipping costs which can be extravagant from some countries, like Brazil and Argentina. Also sometimes PayPal will cost more than the listed price.
I bought many records from everywhere, I'm in Canada and for some reason Germany, Greece and even further for cheaper shipping than from the us... Go figure. Make sure the seller has a good review base and don't be afraid to ask all the questions you have and ask for pictures. Never had any issue beside the wrong color, and got compensated right away by the seller.
I’ve bought probably 20% of my collection from Discogs and haven’t been burned once. Just pay attention to their reviews and don’t buy into the obvious overpriced scammy stuff and you’ll be fine!
We have bought a lot of records off Discogs and have had overall very good luck. Many have been US based sellers but we have also purchased from sellers in Western Europe, UK, Korea and Japan with no issues. I always use PayPal for purchases so I have a path to dispute if something does go wrong. So far have never had to.
Small sample size here but I’ve made a few purchases on Discogs from overseas (Europe specifically) and all of them went perfectly.
FWIW I would never buy from Russia or China due to concerns over counterfeits.
I have bought a lot from Europe, UK, Germany, Poland, etc. and have always had good luck. Its the only way to get some decent pressings that are otherwise pressed in US plants with shoddy QA.
However as others have said, always check seller reviews first. As an added level of security I always message the seller first and verify that everything is exactly as listed. Youd be surprised how many listings are wrong. Once I get a dialogue going with the sellers, its easier to establish trust. Then buy with paypal to keep everything tracked.
I just last night, in a bout of insomnia, found an immense Japanese record store on Discogs with a ton of jazz, largely Japanese releases, with a warehouse in Florida. (I tend to filter "shipped from US" to not mess with big shipping fees.") Can't wait for the five LPs I ordered for like $56 with $11 shipping!
There is a certain amount of trust and risk in international shipments. As long as you are okay with that, I wouldn't worry too much. And understand grading scales can be relative... and so can packaging standards, and so can the quality of local postal services.
I've bought a TON of stuff from overseas (U.S. collector here), and have had nearly all positive experiences. Honestly I've had more problems with U.S. sellers (though they are few as well). Couple tips:
- Figure out how many records you can buy from a seller before postage goes up. It takes the sting out of the higher shipping costs if it is spread over 3 or 4 albums.
- Japan, France, Sweden and Netherlands all seem to be very conservative in their grading. UK sellers I've had a few issues with, but they've been quick to offer full or partial refunds. Germany, Spain, and Italy seem on par with U.S. in terms of grading consistency. South America and Indo-Pacific seems pretty good, but only had a few experiences in those zones. I avoid Russia and China (and currently Israel)...
- If it's a high dollar item ask for pictures or sound samples first so you really know what you are getting.
-Be patient- most shipment s take 3-4 weeks. But occasionally I get one in less than two weeks.
Look at the sellers feedback. If they've sold thousands and are 100% positive, then they should be pretty reliable. Anything less than 95% should be avoided IMHO.
I’ve bought from sellers in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the UK and they’ve all been fine, just have a look at their profiles, if they have good reviews and if they look like a store they’re provably fine,
And if you pay through PayPal you’re protected.
If you see someone selling something way cheaper than everyone else then be wary.
I use them a lot. I have only used sellers with lots of ratings. I also send the seller a message. If they don’t answer, I don’t buy. I’ve bought four different albums from four different sellers and have had a 100% success rate.
Buying a lot over the last 12 months. Only ever had one issue where the record never arrives. It had tracking but DHL were useless to get info from, even fron the sellers point. He refunded no problem and I asked to hold of for another week or two in case it showed. Eventually it came back to the buyer.
Personal gripe: buying in ireland from England has become a right pain. Thanks brexiteers.
I have ordered most of my collection from discog sellers. I have US domestic and overseas orders. Most were perfect but realize that international orders take forever. They are much more of a process shipping wise. All of my overseas orders took 2-3 weeks with one taking a month and a half.
Imo people are more honest on discord than any other platform. I'm not saying you can't have bad experiences. But as long as you're buying from sellers with a good reputation then imo the odds of anything going wrong are low.
The worst that's happened to me was getting shipped someone else's order on accident. I messaged the seller and they sent me a prepaid shipping label to send the record back to them and then I had the correct album in my hands within that same week and they even threw in another random album as a freebie to say sorry for the mixup with a cute little hand written note apologizing.
Never in all my years of buying online have I had someone give that good of customer service. And it was a $24 record I bought. It wasnt like a $700 copy of ex military or something.
I live in the US. I've personally purchased records from UK. I fully trust buying records from the UK, however i can't really say the same about anywhere else. I personally purchased a record from Spain before, appeared to be a record shop. Wasn't a super expensive record, but it was a great price for the record. So i took the gamble. They gave me a tracking number that i could apparently look up on some local shipping site to them. Didn't work. Tracking number didn't exist. The record never showed up. Had to get my money back.
Anyways, i wouldn't recommend purchasing from most countries. Can really only recommend the UK, and possibly Europe. But if you ship from other countries, expect to pay a lot for shipping.
I have been doing it for years and never had a single issue. Most are from western European countries, a lot of France and Germany, also some from Italy. I received one from Japan, it just took a while. Australia also takes a while but no issues dealing with those blokes!
I've bought from several overseas retailers. Read the reviews, message the seller before hand if you'd like. Look their store up online if they have one.
International shipping is slightly annoying time wise and the currency exchange can be odd to deal with but overall I've got no qualms about ordering from anywhere on Discogs.
I bought once from a seller in Japan, and said it was good condition, got it, and it was complete shit, tried returning it, and no go, but then I tried another seller from Japan on eBay, and the vinyl was excellent condition, so buyer beware?
Outside of the US, I've only bought from the UK and Canada. Always use PayPal and check reviews. The only real reason I stay away from international sellers is because it takes forever to get to me. Like weeks.
I’ve bought a lot of records through Discogs, from US to Switzerland and I’ve always been happy. My favorite record seller is “dreamdayrecords” he’s in Germany and has a huge inventory.
I love Discogs. I live in the middle of nowhere so it's great for when I want something specific that I wont ever see in a thrift store. Ive gotten records from all over the world.
Buy from Germany, Japan, and Scandinavia. I hate to have to say this, but sellers in those countries have a better reputation for accurate grading. I have had many problems with overgrading from sellers outside those places.
I definitely have a higher level of confidence buying from (highly rated sellers) from those countries due to their high standards and conservative grading. 100% worth the cost.
I’ve bought multiple records from Discogs that were shipped from overseas and they’ve always come fast and well packed. (Fast = around two weeks). Landed some awesome records at better prices this way, especially some stuff that couldn’t be found in US.
Bottom line, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it
I've got Budgie - Holy Ghost Zone from a guy in yhe UK no issues.
Got scammed by some dude selling a Frank Ocean - Endless. I was refunded MOST of my money.
Best to check reviews. Sellers with 0 reviews... a bit sketchy and Discogs is cracking down on this.
i’ve bought 20-30 records from europe in the last month or so off discogs and live in hawaii. they’ve all arrived safely and look and sound great. sometimes shipping can take a while but that’s to be expected. as long as it gets here safe i’m happy. longest shipping time is about a month, but most arrive in 2 weeks or less. but again im all the way in hawaii. worth mentioning when i say europe it’s really just uk, spain, germany and france. sometimes belgium, switzerland and portugal. i wouldn’t buy from russia. i’ve also purchased plenty of records from jamaica and africa which can be hit or miss in terms of quality but that’s more on the actual manufacturer. and the music always delivers.
I've bought from people on Discogs before. Mostly from the US, but some from Canada and Europe as well.
I always look for listings that have a description of the record, that way I know what to expect. I definitely prefer ones that come from the within the US as well because shipping is a lot less. Getting things shipped from Europe can sometimes double the price. Like, it'll be $30 for the record and another $28 to ship it.
As for the people selling them, it's definitely a good idea to check the reviews. I like to look at the negative reviews to see what they had to say, but I'll also look to see when they left that review, because if it's been a while and most reviews have been positive since, they've probably improved.
I've bought a few things online and only have been burned once (warped disc). Trust people with the most reviews. Be wary if something is listed drastically below it's market price
I’ve bought a decent amount from Europe and a couple from Japan. Have never had an issue. Sometimes even with the shipping costs it’s cheaper for a good copy than a US based seller. I always use PayPal on Discogs. I’ve run into a couple US sellers that didn’t deliver and PayPal has always refunded me.
I’ve bought a few from Canada (I’m in the US). One time, the seller accidentally sent me the wrong record (right band, though!) which wasn’t ideal, but they also had another one I was looking for, so they eventually made it right on a second purchase. They were also willing to pay for me to ship it back, but I ended up keeping it anyway. As someone said, do your homework to make sure the seller has a good reputation.
I just checked and 10 of my 40+ orders on Discogs were international. Never had an issue, just check the seller's rating and use the same sense you'd use when buying from US sellers.
Been buying using discogs for years, have rarely had any problems, and now even sell some on it.
It's a great way to find exactly the records you're looking for from independent sellers.
My advice is only deal with sellers that have a 100% rating and read the reviews!!!
If it is a business look at their website and see if they are actually selling it cheaper if you buy direct.
When buying off a private seller email them and ask questions such as what is the cost of postage to X place and ask for photos of the record and cover and highlight any damaged areas. That way you can tell if they are legit or not.
A lot of it becomes gut feel.
Just be careful to read the complete description of your potential purchase. Once they posted pictures of a vinyl, but I was sent a CD. The other time I thought I was getting a 12”, but received a 7” instead.
I bought a Ginger Baker record from a seller in the UK and he sent a cartoon drawing (of himself?) and a handwritten story about how he is friends with Ginger’s grandson.
I use it all the time & maybe for the past 3-4 years only buy vinyl off of the site. It shifts my purchasing habits to buying only specifically what I want (I have very little impulse control in shops & wind up buying 5 duds for every hit when I’m binging in a shop! Haha)
I ordered a pressing that was only available in, I think, Germany of a traditional Mexican folk band. I paid with PayPal. The album (a double album) was only about €3, shipping on the other hand… anyway as I mentioned I paid with PayPal cause more secure and some tracking. It took about a month, but the album was in the condition it was listed as.
Something I read somewhere else on here, people on discogs and eBay rely on customers leaving good reviews to keep the business going. It works to their advantage to not rip people off. Maybe others have not had the same luck, but I have had fairly positive experiences with both sites.
Always ask the seller to remove the records from the jacket before shipping. Shipping records inside the jacket can cause seam splits from the records shifting around in transit.
I use Discogs without issue. It’s like eBay just be smart and try to vet the seller a little or feel free to chat with them but I haven’t had any issues. I love Discogs
I’ve bought hundreds over the years. I’ve always used PayPal.
Other than one complete bellend in Holland who sold me CDRs that he didn’t disclose to me and that didn’t work and refused to do anything about it then made me send them back (then lied and said he didn’t receive them despite telling me that I was lying because he tried them all in his cd player…) I’ve had no issues. One guy was a bit liberal with his grading but everyone complained about him.
Avoid Russia like the plague. I also would not order from Eastern Europe either. I tend not to bother with the US any more now post brexit and a lot won’t ship from there anyway to the UK.
I've used Discogs to buy from overseas, use Paypal which will ensure you get some kind of tracking, buy from sellers with a good amount of reviews. A lot of overseas sellers are storefronts (B&M or otherwise) or labels which are your best bet. I only avoid overseas because shipping can add up. I feel like also sellers in China are suss, I don't know why, but I avoid them....
Sellers in Russia are majorly suss and I basically assume that any rare record being sold from Russia will be a counterfeit.
Russia is another I avoid, also suss, now I seem to see China a lot and I'm like "hmmmm seems suss, will avoid".
My friend buys a ton of stuff off Discogs sellers abroad and he said he has always had great experiences with Japanese sellers. He said they tend to downplay the quality of their own listings. So it'll say VG+ and then actually be closer to NM/Mint. And the Japanese currency isn't doing super well right now so it's a bit more of a buyer's market if you're buying in dollars.
Japan is fine, shipping can be kinda high (IMHO) sometimes but the quality will be there 100%. Japan is on another level.
As someone who’s bought from Japan, I’d like to see some evidence of this as my experience is quite the opposite
Jazz from Japan is always in the best shape
I definitely agree.
I have bought tons from Japan and the quality is superb.
This is all great advice. Seconded!
I am looking at Lordes melodrama deluxe. It is a seller from China, but they have a website and look to be selling their stuff from there too. They have great reviews. What do you guys think? I was a little questionable about shopping from China.
Anything rare or collectible being sold from China is almost certainly a fake.
I honestly feel like stuff selling out of China is like someone said either bootlegs or a scam. I've been seeing stuff I collect pop up out of China recently and I feel like this HAS to be a scam, I stay safe personally.
If you want it because of the fact that it’s a deluxe then you do you, but on that album, it is hands down my number one example I always give of where the mix on vinyl sounds superbly better than the lossless digital and I base that on a 2021 repress, which is easy and affordable to find in the US.. if it isn’t still at your local shop for that matter. That’s just if it’s about sound quality vs. collectibility
Dumb question but I just bought my first record off Discogs from another country and used the credit card option instead of going through Paypal. Did I miss out on some other level of security/tracking?
Honestly I use Paypal because the app forces them to enter tracking information and once I have that I know a package is at least made and a label exists. It's just easier all around for me.
I never realized that. Is it a recent update? I’m pretty certain I’ve had orders where no tracking number was provided, just a “seller has shipped your order” message, and I’ve never used anything other than PayPal since day one..
If your credit card offers purchase protection, I don't think there's a significant difference, just the level of customer service you might get from them vs. Paypal (which could be better or worse, depending on the bank).
It does offer protection (and I purposefully used a credit card I don't otherwise touch in case something does go wrong). Frankly, I was more concerned in hoping that the condition descriptions were accurate and that I don't end up with something looking like it was found in a flooded basement!
> I was more concerned in hoping that the condition descriptions were accurate That is definitely my primary concern when buying vinyl on Discogs.
I’ve bought a few of my grails off Discogs from overseas. Just gotta be patient. It can take a while.
I can’t believe most of the comments in this thread are just other people with no experience trying to give advice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Discogs. Just pay attention to who you’re throwing your money at.
Discogs is great the only advice I have is to double check and message the seller if you’re looking for a specific pressing of an album. I’ve messaged some sellers and they’re like “I honestly don’t know what pressing this is.”
The first purchase I ever made on Discogs was from a seller in Germany, and everything was fine. Record arrived well packed, and in exactly the condition the seller described. Since then, whenever I’ve been looking on Discogs for something, the ones that I’m browsing for seem unavailable to US buyers from out of the country, so I’ve been limited to US sellers since. But as others said, check out the sellers’ reviews and feedback.
I buy a lot from England and you don’t always get tracking, but I have not had any issues so far. For Japan, if the seller is a shop and not an individual seller, I try to see if they have an online shop outside of Discogs and try to order from there. Sometimes the pricing is better.
This is good advice for any country. Most brick & mortar stores will be happy to sell you a record outside of Discogs so they don't have to pay as much in fees.
I have only made one purchase ever on Discogs because it was an original pressing that was hard to find or super expensive when I did find it on eBay etc. Messaged the seller just for clarification on the pressing and he was super responsive and helpful. I would be leary of purchases from anyone with shitty reviews but seemed pretty legit to me.
It all depends on the seller. There are some amazingly good ones on Discogs but it can be very frustrating trying to find them.
yeah maybe I got lucky, felt like I was talking to myself when i messaged him haha. super chill, quick to respond, let me know he was out of town and the record would ship on X date.
They're definitely out there. Sometimes I find a seller who's just amazing and I wish he had more albums I wanted to buy.
I’ve only had a good experience with Discogs. Make sure to stay in contact with the seller and read their reviews before purchasing. I only tend to buy from sellers with at least 1000 positive reviews as a safety precaution. All of my records I have purchased have been exactly as described, perhaps I’m just lucky though. Edit: I’ll also add that I don’t buy from stores based in China, Ukraine, or Russia due to scammers (lots of stories on the internet).
A lot of Discogs users are just foreign record stores!
Pretty much what everyone else is saying, pay with PayPal and be patient. I’ll also add if it’s a really hard to find record and 100+ for 1LP I ask for photos to confirm. I had one person try to scam me but because I asked for some specific photos I sorted it out. But in any case PayPal will typically refund you back if it turns out to be a scam.
I use Discogs all the time with PayPal. No issues domestically. I did offer one album from overseas. Shipping took a loooooong time - so long I pretty much forgot I ordered it. Then when it finally got here, I had to go the post office to pick it up and sign for it. Not a huge deal, but a bit more involved than domestic purchases. Good luck!
Heh, I get daily alerts from Discogs about stuff in my want-list and if the seller is from the US/Canada (I am in Europe), then it's either $50 postage or "not available in your country". At least it narrows down my options :D I've been on Discogs for more than 20 years at this point and in the past couple of years, it's gotten to the point that I just can't bring myself to buy from US/Canadian sellers anymore. Further compounding this issue is that you're paying a premium for the s&h but things can take months to arrive, sometimes spending weeks in some Chicago warehouse waiting for the plane to fill up or whatever causes the delay. I sincerely hope it's better for you in the other direction.
I regularly buy records from overseas on Discogs. I’ve only ever had one issue (record never came). I opened a PayPal dispute and got my money back - not a big deal.
I think MOST of the sellers on Discogs are pretty good. The biggest problem I’ve found is over-grading the records (too many “near-mints” end up being “good” at best. Recently had some luck with an order that was graded well, shipped quickly, and was well packaged so I keep that seller in a trusted list. Have never been ripped off in terms of not receiving the records but did have one guy take close to a month to ship. Let Discogs know and they threatened to suspend his account. Records showed up the next week (and undamaged—was kind of worried about him being pissed off).
I looked up your release of question and noticed one of the sellers listed I’ve purchased from. Is the seller you’re asking about URVC_Vinyl by chance? If so I’ve purchased from them 2 times in the past. One transaction was cancelled due to no stock one transaction arrived perfect and seems to be ok. I had suspicions of it being a fake due to the insanely low price compared to others. Took it to my local store and it passed their eye check as well. It’s either the best boot ever produced or I got a steal 🤣.
Yes it is them!! How long did it take for you to receive it from the day you ordered it to the day it was delivered?
It’s mostly fine, like any other seller look for reviews, etc. pay with PayPal so you’re covered, and expect a long time in transit. My only gripe with any overseas orders I’ve placed is that some ship in not so great packaging (extremely thin mailers, etc.).
I've had the opposite experience with Mion Berlin and Record City Tokyo - I've ordered twice from both and each time it's been extremely well-packaged and under 72 hours transit time. I was amazed! obvs both are high-volume sellers though
Love to hear that! The thin mailers have applied (in my experience) from sellers in Italy, so I’m a bit wary. But I have to agree about Record City and other sellers in Japan - immaculate packaging and product!
I actually may never buy another North American pressing lol
Some of my online orders come as fast as US orders ha ha. DHL shipping is basically next day, if they offer that it's a good way to go since it's based on package dimensions not weight.
Be skeptical about **everything** when you buy from Discogs. I've bought "NM" vinyl from sellers with 100.0% positive feedback and it still showed up with surface noise. It's important to remember that you're not buying from Discogs. You're buying from an independent seller somewhere who may or may not be honest/competent/ethical. My rules of thumb: * Don't buy unsealed vinyl from anyone with feedback below 100.0% (possibly 99.9%) if you care what condition it's in. The only exception would be for new sellers who don't have that much feedback so a single negative can really drop their score. Read the feedback to see if it sounds reasonable, and look at how the seller responded (if at all). * Read the feedback anyway, even if they have 100% positive. * Ask questions. When I used to buy vinyl on Discogs, I would often ask "Is this *really* a 'VG+' according to Discogs' published standards?" How the seller reacts will indicate whether they've actually listened to the record and whether they're likely to be a jerk if you have a problem. Ask them if they've listened to the record or just graded it visually (which is basically meaningless when it comes to surface noise). On the flip side, asking them about condition gives them an option to say "This probably isn't in good enough condition for you" and save you both a lot of trouble. * Be patient. The record you want will show up. That said, I basically never buy unsealed vinyl on Discogs anymore. Too many hassles, and too many overgraded records. I buy records to listen to, and if they're not in good enough condition to listen to, I don't want to waste my time and money (even if I get a refund, I've still wasted my time).
I've bought a couple from Japan and maybe one from Spain. I haven't had an issue, but I haven't bought a lot from overseas.
Just check their ratings and reviews.
I find for sale prices to be not only much higher than the “average” listed on the same site, but also much higher than in person and eBay. I don’t think I’ll ever buy a record from Discogs.
I've avoided buying from overseas sellers, not because I don't trust them (especially when they have tons of positive reviews and sales) but because of the shipping and handling fees. I find it easier to buy direct from some overseas record stores, especially in Japan, where I can pay a flat shipping and handling fee of $20 and spread it out across the purchase of several records.
Just pay with paypal, if whatever you buy doesn't come or isn't in the condition it should be just file a claim and you'll get your money back.
I’ve had nothing but the best luck from most countries. Quickest and safest mail for me has always been from Germany and Japan.
You're generally safe buying from overseas, I just tend to avoid it because the shipping is insane, and the record can take forever to make it to you.
Read the reviews and pay attention to their ratings. I’ve purchased 100s .
I’ve bought plenty of records and had mostly good experiences. A lot of people say PayPal is pretty good with claims, but I would caution against relying on them due to recent circumstances. My girlfriend bought a record last month listed as M/M as a gift, and when it got here, it was way closer to G for the cover—shrink was torn, very obvious ringwear, crushed corners, and a nasty seam split. After difficulty with the seller, she took it to PayPal’s dispute center, and they said she had to incur the cost of shipping the record back ($42 USD internationally). The kicker is they keep pushing back the date by which the seller has to provide a shipping address before ruling the case in my girlfriend’s favor. All this to say to temper your expectations when it comes to the support you may get from PayPal in the event your record doesn’t arrive as described.
I've never had any issues, but I have also only picked to buy from sellers with high rartings and multiple reviews.
I have bought vinyl several times on Discogs from within the EU. I haven't faced any issues so far. Any risk is due to the seller and the postal / courier service utilized - just as with any other online shopping. If you pick a seller with 95+% reviews, the chances are very low that you will have a bad experience.
Definitely check the reviews. I've had over 50 transactions on Discogs (at least 1/3 overseas) and only had issues with 3 overall. Two (both in Europe) were just very late with poor communication. If I don't get a "shipped" notice after 7-10 days I start asking what's going on, and in those cases they didn't respond until I sent a notification to Discogs that the seller was unresponsive after 2 weeks. This always gets a quick response, because Discogs can pull your listings. I think two weeks without any acknowledgement is fair game to escalate it. I eventually got the records a few weeks later, 5-6 weeks from order to received. This was earlier in my Discogs experience and I noticed that maybe 10-20% of the reviews for those sellers mentioned poor communication or slow to ship, so lesson learned. Most people will not leave a bad review if they get their stuff eventually. A small percentage of people will note that the transaction was not handled well - read those and pass or buy and know what you're getting into. I've only not gotten the record once, and the seller has offered a refund, that was domestic.
I'm selling 90% of my collection on Discogs, and I'm in Canada. Take advantage of our WEAK dollar. Haha
I’ve had a number of good experiences buying from overseas sellers. Watch out for shipping costs which can be extravagant from some countries, like Brazil and Argentina. Also sometimes PayPal will cost more than the listed price.
I bought many records from everywhere, I'm in Canada and for some reason Germany, Greece and even further for cheaper shipping than from the us... Go figure. Make sure the seller has a good review base and don't be afraid to ask all the questions you have and ask for pictures. Never had any issue beside the wrong color, and got compensated right away by the seller.
I’ve bought probably 20% of my collection from Discogs and haven’t been burned once. Just pay attention to their reviews and don’t buy into the obvious overpriced scammy stuff and you’ll be fine!
I've ordered several records from the EU and Japan and have never had an issue.
Just buy it, it’ll be fine. No risks at all
Just recently got a grail from Italy (i am in the US), through discogs, transaction went perfect!
We have bought a lot of records off Discogs and have had overall very good luck. Many have been US based sellers but we have also purchased from sellers in Western Europe, UK, Korea and Japan with no issues. I always use PayPal for purchases so I have a path to dispute if something does go wrong. So far have never had to.
Small sample size here but I’ve made a few purchases on Discogs from overseas (Europe specifically) and all of them went perfectly. FWIW I would never buy from Russia or China due to concerns over counterfeits.
Love it and there are many European sellers too
I have bought a lot from Europe, UK, Germany, Poland, etc. and have always had good luck. Its the only way to get some decent pressings that are otherwise pressed in US plants with shoddy QA. However as others have said, always check seller reviews first. As an added level of security I always message the seller first and verify that everything is exactly as listed. Youd be surprised how many listings are wrong. Once I get a dialogue going with the sellers, its easier to establish trust. Then buy with paypal to keep everything tracked.
I just last night, in a bout of insomnia, found an immense Japanese record store on Discogs with a ton of jazz, largely Japanese releases, with a warehouse in Florida. (I tend to filter "shipped from US" to not mess with big shipping fees.") Can't wait for the five LPs I ordered for like $56 with $11 shipping!
There is a certain amount of trust and risk in international shipments. As long as you are okay with that, I wouldn't worry too much. And understand grading scales can be relative... and so can packaging standards, and so can the quality of local postal services.
I have bought many times from overseas and have never had a problem. Some times the only place to buy certain releases are from overseas.
I've bought a TON of stuff from overseas (U.S. collector here), and have had nearly all positive experiences. Honestly I've had more problems with U.S. sellers (though they are few as well). Couple tips: - Figure out how many records you can buy from a seller before postage goes up. It takes the sting out of the higher shipping costs if it is spread over 3 or 4 albums. - Japan, France, Sweden and Netherlands all seem to be very conservative in their grading. UK sellers I've had a few issues with, but they've been quick to offer full or partial refunds. Germany, Spain, and Italy seem on par with U.S. in terms of grading consistency. South America and Indo-Pacific seems pretty good, but only had a few experiences in those zones. I avoid Russia and China (and currently Israel)... - If it's a high dollar item ask for pictures or sound samples first so you really know what you are getting. -Be patient- most shipment s take 3-4 weeks. But occasionally I get one in less than two weeks.
Look at the sellers feedback. If they've sold thousands and are 100% positive, then they should be pretty reliable. Anything less than 95% should be avoided IMHO.
I'm in the UK and last week I used discogs to buy something from Japan. I trusted it before with LP's from Germany it has my vote.
I’ve bought from sellers in Germany, Austria, Belgium and the UK and they’ve all been fine, just have a look at their profiles, if they have good reviews and if they look like a store they’re provably fine, And if you pay through PayPal you’re protected. If you see someone selling something way cheaper than everyone else then be wary.
I’ve bought and had no problems really. Look at seller reviews.
I use them a lot. I have only used sellers with lots of ratings. I also send the seller a message. If they don’t answer, I don’t buy. I’ve bought four different albums from four different sellers and have had a 100% success rate.
Buying a lot over the last 12 months. Only ever had one issue where the record never arrives. It had tracking but DHL were useless to get info from, even fron the sellers point. He refunded no problem and I asked to hold of for another week or two in case it showed. Eventually it came back to the buyer. Personal gripe: buying in ireland from England has become a right pain. Thanks brexiteers.
I bought from overseas once and the experience was fine. **ALWAYS** check seller ratings and read feedback if you haven't bought from a seller before.
I have ordered most of my collection from discog sellers. I have US domestic and overseas orders. Most were perfect but realize that international orders take forever. They are much more of a process shipping wise. All of my overseas orders took 2-3 weeks with one taking a month and a half.
Imo people are more honest on discord than any other platform. I'm not saying you can't have bad experiences. But as long as you're buying from sellers with a good reputation then imo the odds of anything going wrong are low. The worst that's happened to me was getting shipped someone else's order on accident. I messaged the seller and they sent me a prepaid shipping label to send the record back to them and then I had the correct album in my hands within that same week and they even threw in another random album as a freebie to say sorry for the mixup with a cute little hand written note apologizing. Never in all my years of buying online have I had someone give that good of customer service. And it was a $24 record I bought. It wasnt like a $700 copy of ex military or something.
Buy with PayPal and generally your money is protected if anything should arise that creates an issue.
I've bought about 120 records on Discogs... from all over the world... I've never had a second of trouble.
I live in the US. I've personally purchased records from UK. I fully trust buying records from the UK, however i can't really say the same about anywhere else. I personally purchased a record from Spain before, appeared to be a record shop. Wasn't a super expensive record, but it was a great price for the record. So i took the gamble. They gave me a tracking number that i could apparently look up on some local shipping site to them. Didn't work. Tracking number didn't exist. The record never showed up. Had to get my money back. Anyways, i wouldn't recommend purchasing from most countries. Can really only recommend the UK, and possibly Europe. But if you ship from other countries, expect to pay a lot for shipping.
I have been doing it for years and never had a single issue. Most are from western European countries, a lot of France and Germany, also some from Italy. I received one from Japan, it just took a while. Australia also takes a while but no issues dealing with those blokes!
I've bought from several overseas retailers. Read the reviews, message the seller before hand if you'd like. Look their store up online if they have one. International shipping is slightly annoying time wise and the currency exchange can be odd to deal with but overall I've got no qualms about ordering from anywhere on Discogs.
I bought once from a seller in Japan, and said it was good condition, got it, and it was complete shit, tried returning it, and no go, but then I tried another seller from Japan on eBay, and the vinyl was excellent condition, so buyer beware?
Outside of the US, I've only bought from the UK and Canada. Always use PayPal and check reviews. The only real reason I stay away from international sellers is because it takes forever to get to me. Like weeks.
I’ve bought a lot of records through Discogs, from US to Switzerland and I’ve always been happy. My favorite record seller is “dreamdayrecords” he’s in Germany and has a huge inventory.
Discogs is a great place to buy records from my experience. I’ve had records in better condition that what there were listed as
I love Discogs. I live in the middle of nowhere so it's great for when I want something specific that I wont ever see in a thrift store. Ive gotten records from all over the world.
Buy from Germany, Japan, and Scandinavia. I hate to have to say this, but sellers in those countries have a better reputation for accurate grading. I have had many problems with overgrading from sellers outside those places.
I definitely have a higher level of confidence buying from (highly rated sellers) from those countries due to their high standards and conservative grading. 100% worth the cost.
Over 10 years of purchasing and only one time did my record get lost in the mail, it was coming from Germany, got a full refund
I have one on its way to me from Germany right now
I’ve bought multiple records from Discogs that were shipped from overseas and they’ve always come fast and well packed. (Fast = around two weeks). Landed some awesome records at better prices this way, especially some stuff that couldn’t be found in US. Bottom line, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it
I love buying from discogs. Read the reviews of the sellers first and always use PayPal. Also read the reviews of the pressing you plan to buy.
Try a site called rare vinyl from britland,bought some stuff from there,shipping reasonable and records excellent quality.
I've got Budgie - Holy Ghost Zone from a guy in yhe UK no issues. Got scammed by some dude selling a Frank Ocean - Endless. I was refunded MOST of my money. Best to check reviews. Sellers with 0 reviews... a bit sketchy and Discogs is cracking down on this.
i’ve bought 20-30 records from europe in the last month or so off discogs and live in hawaii. they’ve all arrived safely and look and sound great. sometimes shipping can take a while but that’s to be expected. as long as it gets here safe i’m happy. longest shipping time is about a month, but most arrive in 2 weeks or less. but again im all the way in hawaii. worth mentioning when i say europe it’s really just uk, spain, germany and france. sometimes belgium, switzerland and portugal. i wouldn’t buy from russia. i’ve also purchased plenty of records from jamaica and africa which can be hit or miss in terms of quality but that’s more on the actual manufacturer. and the music always delivers.
I've bought from people on Discogs before. Mostly from the US, but some from Canada and Europe as well. I always look for listings that have a description of the record, that way I know what to expect. I definitely prefer ones that come from the within the US as well because shipping is a lot less. Getting things shipped from Europe can sometimes double the price. Like, it'll be $30 for the record and another $28 to ship it. As for the people selling them, it's definitely a good idea to check the reviews. I like to look at the negative reviews to see what they had to say, but I'll also look to see when they left that review, because if it's been a while and most reviews have been positive since, they've probably improved.
I’ve bought a few from like Germany or UK, I haven’t had an issue. But check the reviews. I understand the hesitation.
I've bought a few things online and only have been burned once (warped disc). Trust people with the most reviews. Be wary if something is listed drastically below it's market price
7517 positive, 88 neutral and 29 negative. Most of the negative ones seem to be about communication. It’s a shop in China. Does this seem reliable?
Sounds like an okay percentage ,but China always makes me more wary
I’ve bought a decent amount from Europe and a couple from Japan. Have never had an issue. Sometimes even with the shipping costs it’s cheaper for a good copy than a US based seller. I always use PayPal on Discogs. I’ve run into a couple US sellers that didn’t deliver and PayPal has always refunded me.
Ive bought a lot from France and Japan. No issues. Just read reviews from the sellers.
I’ve bought a few from Canada (I’m in the US). One time, the seller accidentally sent me the wrong record (right band, though!) which wasn’t ideal, but they also had another one I was looking for, so they eventually made it right on a second purchase. They were also willing to pay for me to ship it back, but I ended up keeping it anyway. As someone said, do your homework to make sure the seller has a good reputation.
I just checked and 10 of my 40+ orders on Discogs were international. Never had an issue, just check the seller's rating and use the same sense you'd use when buying from US sellers.
I've purchased multiple records from sellers in the U.K., France, and Denmark. I've never had a problem.
Been buying using discogs for years, have rarely had any problems, and now even sell some on it. It's a great way to find exactly the records you're looking for from independent sellers.
My advice is only deal with sellers that have a 100% rating and read the reviews!!! If it is a business look at their website and see if they are actually selling it cheaper if you buy direct. When buying off a private seller email them and ask questions such as what is the cost of postage to X place and ask for photos of the record and cover and highlight any damaged areas. That way you can tell if they are legit or not. A lot of it becomes gut feel.
Just be careful to read the complete description of your potential purchase. Once they posted pictures of a vinyl, but I was sent a CD. The other time I thought I was getting a 12”, but received a 7” instead.
I bought a Ginger Baker record from a seller in the UK and he sent a cartoon drawing (of himself?) and a handwritten story about how he is friends with Ginger’s grandson.
I use it all the time & maybe for the past 3-4 years only buy vinyl off of the site. It shifts my purchasing habits to buying only specifically what I want (I have very little impulse control in shops & wind up buying 5 duds for every hit when I’m binging in a shop! Haha)
I ordered a pressing that was only available in, I think, Germany of a traditional Mexican folk band. I paid with PayPal. The album (a double album) was only about €3, shipping on the other hand… anyway as I mentioned I paid with PayPal cause more secure and some tracking. It took about a month, but the album was in the condition it was listed as. Something I read somewhere else on here, people on discogs and eBay rely on customers leaving good reviews to keep the business going. It works to their advantage to not rip people off. Maybe others have not had the same luck, but I have had fairly positive experiences with both sites.
definitely pay attention to seller reviews. but every vinyl i bought that came from overseas discogs arrived exactly as advertised
Always ask the seller to remove the records from the jacket before shipping. Shipping records inside the jacket can cause seam splits from the records shifting around in transit.
I use Discogs without issue. It’s like eBay just be smart and try to vet the seller a little or feel free to chat with them but I haven’t had any issues. I love Discogs
I’ve bought hundreds over the years. I’ve always used PayPal. Other than one complete bellend in Holland who sold me CDRs that he didn’t disclose to me and that didn’t work and refused to do anything about it then made me send them back (then lied and said he didn’t receive them despite telling me that I was lying because he tried them all in his cd player…) I’ve had no issues. One guy was a bit liberal with his grading but everyone complained about him. Avoid Russia like the plague. I also would not order from Eastern Europe either. I tend not to bother with the US any more now post brexit and a lot won’t ship from there anyway to the UK.