Effective date: April 18, 2024
Discogs is an international marketplace built on trust and comprised of independent buyers and sellers. Here are some best practices to help ensure safe purchases.
Overview
- Item: Each Marketplace listing includes a description of the item’s condition. Sellers can also provide additional details about the item in the comments section.
- Seller: Review a seller’s profile page for more information about who you are buying from. You can see the seller’s location, inventory, ratings, feedback, and seller terms, which include information on shipping costs, return policies, and refunds.
- Communication: You can contact sellers directly through Discogs before making a purchase, then continue communication through the order page after you have purchased an item. You can ask questions about the item’s condition, request tracking details for shipping, and more.
- Payment: Always pay through Discogs’ accepted payment method, which is facilitated by PayPal. This will offer you protection in case of a dispute. Regardless of the situation, please remember that payments outside of Discogs are not allowed, as outlined in our Buyer Policy.
Tips
Don't assume every item is in mint condition
Discogs uses the Goldmine Standard for grading the condition of items listed for sale, which ranges from Mint (M) to Poor (P). Look for this grading under the condition label in a Marketplace listing. If you have certain expectations with grading, check a seller’s feedback for any comments or ask about their grading practices before you make a purchase. In general, most new releases will be graded in Mint (M) condition. The most common grades for items in decent condition are near mint (NM), Very Good Plus (VG+), or Very Good (VG).
Provide the seller with your correct address
Make sure that your address is up-to-date in your buyer settings. Upon completing a payment, you have the option to select a different address than the one listed on Discogs. This address will be saved in PayPal and shown on the PayPal transaction receipt. Regardless of the difference in address, PayPal protection will still apply.
Communicate via the Discogs order page
Good communication via the order page is the best way to handle most concerns. In the event that there's a problem with an order, Discogs Support will need to reference the communication on the order page to assist.
Request tracking and insurance
We recommend using track and trace to ship your items and, when possible, selecting a shipping method that offers insurance. Be sure to check the tracking number when it's provided.
Be patient with shipping
Sellers are not in control of shipping times. The current shipping timelines are longer than we typically expect, especially for international deliveries. If the seller you're buying from is in another country, the order may take considerably longer to arrive. You can view a seller’s location before making a purchase and use the order page to request tracking information.
Leave appropriate feedback
Feedback allows others in the Marketplace to benefit from your experience, whether it was positive, negative, or neutral. Discogs will ask you to share feedback after completing a purchase. It's recommended that you first communicate with the other party and check our feedback guidelines regarding any negative experience.
Combating Scams
If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is
If you see an item listed for a fraction of what it would normally sell for, exercise caution before making a purchase. Items that are valued $200 aren't typically sold for $20. Discogs publicly provides the median sales price based on the most recent Marketplace transactions, which you can find under the sales history section on a release page in the Database. Use this data to compare listings in the Marketplace.
Be wary of seller accounts with no feedback, negative feedback, or low ratings
Feedback and transparency are important to Discogs, which is why you can see reviews, ratings, and feedback on a seller’s profile page. Brand-new accounts with no feedback, negative feedback, or low ratings can be considered suspicious.
Keep communication inside of Discogs
Discogs offers several places for direct contact between users. You can contact sellers directly through private messages before making a purchase, then continue communication through the order page after you have purchased an item. If you chat outside of the platform, Discogs Support cannot review communication in case of fraud or a dispute.
Do not pay for items outside of Discogs
Only complete transactions through Discogs. Thanks to our PayPal payments solution, you can use PayPal, credit card, debit card, and in selected countries, local payment options such as Mercado Pago and iDEAL. This will offer you protection in case of fraud or a dispute. For more information about PayPal’s protection program, please visit PayPal’s support page.
If you suspect you have been scammed, act immediately
Contact your payment provider as soon as possible to explain the situation and request a refund. Report the fraud to Discogs Support through this form.
Your payment provider is the service you used for the order.
- If you paid with PayPal, contact PayPal support.
- If you paid using a credit card, please contact your credit card company to see what sort of protection or financial guarantees they can offer you.
- If you paid using a local payment method offered by the seller (iDEAL, Mercado Pago), please contact that payment provider directly to see what protection they can offer you.
Report suspicious activity
If you see a suspicious listing or seller in the Marketplace, report it to Discogs Support through this form.
Online Safety
Do not overshare personal information
Discogs will ask you to share credit card details during a transaction via our trusted partner, PayPal. Never send your personal information – bank number, password, address – outside of Discogs. Account information should not be posted on the order page or sent by private message.
Keep your password protected
Use a complex password for your Discogs account and update it regularly. You can update your password at any time through your user settings.
Consider two-factor authentication
Discogs offers two-factor authentication to help protect your account. If you enable two-factor authentication, you will be asked to confirm your login attempts each time you try to access Discogs from a browser or mobile device we don't recognize.