Will I get ripped off by a used CD Web site?

October 20, 2006 6:21 AM

Has anyone used secondspin.com to sell used CDs? Just a little bit

I have about 75 CDs that I inventoried on secondspin.com. They gave me their quote for what they'd pay me, assuming the CDs are all in good condition (which they are), so I was wondering if anyone's used this service before?
I just don't know how to insure myself, if I'm sending them all of these CDs, how do I know that I'll at least get something back?
If anyone's used this service before and can offer me some reassurance, that would be great!
Thanks!

(Also I live in/around Detroit, MI if that makes a difference.)

posted by slyboots421 to media & arts (7 comments total)

I have been using them for years. They are legit. As long as the CD's are in good condition, etc.; i have recieved my checks from them in anywhere from 3-5 weeks .

I don't know if they still do this, but back in the day, they would even send you back the cd's that they didnt buy from you, at thier expense....

I havent used them for a while now. I like www.spun.com, so i can get credit towards buying more music.

Lately I have been using www.lala.com which is where you trade cd's with other people for $1.75 per trade. it's awesome and I have gotten so many hard to find and out of print stuff I have been looking for over the years!
posted by TwilightKid at 6:25 AM on October 20, 2006

No problem when I bought and sold a few CDs with them a few years back. Haven't used them in a few years. They don't pay up the moment they get your CDs, but in my and others experience, they will eventually pay. They've been around quite a while, I doubt they'd have stayed in business that long if they were crooks.
posted by normy at 6:42 AM on October 20, 2006

Used them just recently, despite having read some negative reviews.

Of the ~70 CDs I'd sold they rejected two, one for scratches (it was one of the oldest discs in my collection and, admittedly, it wasn't in too good a shape) and one for missing a disc (whoops! ^_^).

Their prices range from fair to excellent (I got upwards of $6 for a few of my disks, way more than the $2 a local CD shop was offering) and they'd posted payment to my PayPal account within three days of accepting shipment.

As was mentioned above, the scratched CD was returned to me at no cost.

One thing to be aware of, however, is that broken/missing cases are replaced at $0.50/case. This actually appears on their ordering screen, but apparently a lot of people miss it. Their standards for broken seem pretty vague, however. I know quite a few of mine were in pretty sorry shape yet they didn't raise a fuss. You also need to be sure the album artwork, both front booklet and the art behind the jewel case in the back, is present.

Overall, a very positive experience. I'll definitely go through them again if I ever need to unload some more CDs (not that I have many left, now).
posted by owenkun at 7:03 AM on October 20, 2006

This sounds like a really cool program (I have never heard of it before) but I would highly advise considering listing them with half.com first to see if you can sell them off individually directly to a person looking to buy it. I've gotten really good deals from people just wanting to get rid of CDs, but also sold a few others for higher than I paid retail for them. For the ones that are barely worth the effort (you get a $2-3-something reimbursement for shipping allowance apiece) that only sell for under $2 or so, you might consider listing with the site you suggested.
posted by vanoakenfold at 8:00 AM on October 20, 2006

I haven't sold them CDs online, but I have done a ton of business with them online (probably a few thousand dollars over the last six or seven years) and I can vouch for the company's trustworthiness.

I've had two or three occasions when they've accidentally shipped me the wrong CD or DVD (this is out of dozens of orders, and literally hundreds of CDs and DVDs -- so it's probably a 1% error rate overall) and every time I've gotten a swift response and quick correction.

Even better -- they've always said to just keep the wrong CD/DVD and went ahead and shipped the right order. I live near a Second Spin store (they have a few brick and mortar stores, I go to the Denver location about once a month...) and they said don't worry about it.

I'd recommend them very highly.
posted by jzb at 9:45 AM on October 20, 2006

I've bought several CDs/DVDs from their online and B&M (in Costa Mesa, CA) with no issues. Never sold to them, but they have been around for quite some time online, and I generally trust them, fwiw.
posted by tdischino at 2:41 PM on October 20, 2006

I used to shop at their store in Santa Monica. I never used their Web site, but the store was always well-run and customer service was always good. I'd recommend the store to anyone, for what it's worth.
posted by halonine at 8:47 PM on October 20, 2006