I might be in the minority, but I still purchase physical media for my music. Typically, these are in the form of CDs. I mostly purchase from Amazon due to their selection, convenience, competitive pricing, and free shipping when meeting the minimum threshold order amount.
I almost always purchase new CDs and will only purchase used (like new or very good condition) when a CD is hard to find, or more expensive than typical prices. Most of my purchases have been without issue.
However, since around the beginning of the year (2025), out of an estimated 30 or so "new" CD purchases from Amazon, six or seven used CDs were received instead. It isn't too difficult to discern they are used. Even with obvious aftermarket (loose) shrink wrapping, I have found substantial wear on the cases (including cracks, which might be from shipping damage), wear on the included literature, and visible scratches on the CDs. Some even had a “NEW” sticker on the packaging as was the case for the one I received just today. One even had a Savers (2nd hand store) price tag on it and was in nowhere near new condition. Though all CDs have thus far played without issue, they were definitely not new! I did not get what I ordered.
In a couple of the initial cases, I did nothing – accepting the CDs as-is. This was due to the condition being acceptable and either the price paid was low enough to be comfortable with the purchase or I was assuming this was a very rare mistake. After having this occur repeatedly, I did not accept this any longer and contacted Amazon each time. I eventually got resolution, but not until spending significant time on the Amazon website, chatting with a “bot,” chatting with a live person, or with someone on the phone. Each time I was promised it would never happen again!
I thought this was occurring because some of the CDs were fulfilled by third-party vendors, but recently this has also occurred with orders fulfilled by Amazon.
This is getting very irritating and is causing me to look for other sources for new or nearly-new CDs. What other reputable sources for new or nearly-new CDs are available that have a good selection, are honest with what they sell, and priced reasonably? There are many more CDs I’d like to buy.
