Vinyl Me Please (store, exclusives, swaps, etc)

[MikeH]

Can't help but wonder if they are thinking about getting out of doing the shipping themselves (member fulfilment) and possibly memberships altogether and just become a reissue label that ships releases to stores or utilize a distributor in the middle?

wouldn't be a terrible move for them aside from having to refund all the people who still have subscriptions hah. that could be a ton of cash...

 

[Nee Lewman]

ah yea--could be the case. they are definitely dumping some stock. just have seen lots of shops with subs selling a handful of VMP stuff in the past for many years.

For sure. This is different.

 

[Nee Lewman]

Can't help but wonder if they are thinking about getting out of doing the shipping themselves (member fulfilment) and possibly memberships altogether and just become a reissue label that ships releases to stores or utilize a distributor in the middle?

That would be the dumbest thing they could possibly do. Then they just become white noise in the reissue world. No one outside of their service is going to pay their prices for GZ pressings in fancy boxes.

 

[Twentytwo]

Well they good news it that I only paid $240 for my last subscription with 8 free records. So $12 for each record. I am probably out next year anyway because country is gone.

 

[spilledleche]

Paulie weighing in

 

[MikeH]

That would be the dumbest thing they could possibly do. Then they just become white noise in the reissue world. No one outside of their service is going to pay their prices for GZ pressings in fancy boxes.

If they move away from subscription model, I’d bet they could cut (their) costs massively and press at better plants.

 

[Hemotep]

Paulie weighing in

Nothing like rolling out the only one with any credibility still to lie to everyone. I heard the flush when I clicked that link.

 

[Biscuit]

Paulie weighing in

Curious, at what point did they disclose they had a wholesale program (was Vinceron part of it? Why was it ignored until now). They pitched memberships to customers and exclusivity, not distro to stores. They should be more concerned why people perceive they are circling the drain, should they believe that's grossly inaccurate.

 

[NewsFedora]

I remember when they dumped a bunch of slow-selling ROTM stock to Bespoke Post back around 2018. Twice.

 

[MikeH]

Nothing like rolling out the only one with any credibility still to lie to everyone. I heard the flush when I clicked that link.

Once again, just don’t get why they do anything the way they do. If they had sent out an email or any kind of communication to talk about the HHV thing prior to it going live, they could have at least fooled some people. They do so much stuff without communication to members and even if they aren't meaning to, it then all seems like they are always hiding something.

 

[MikeH]

Curious, at what point did they disclose they had a wholesale program (was Vinceron part of it? Why was it ignored until now). They pitched memberships to customers and exclusivity, not distro to stores. They should be more concerned why people perceive they are circling the drain, should they believe that's grossly inaccurate.

Bespoke Post was one as @NewsFedora mentioned. They sold/gave stuff to shops in the Denver area to sell and I assume others.

 

[Hemotep]

I remember when they dumped a bunch of slow-selling ROTM stock to Bespoke Post back around 2018. Twice.

I signed up hoping they'd do it again and only ever got a hot sauce making kit that came with a shitty taco holder. And only one! Like who is going to use that and not have one for anyone else eating with you?

 

[Biscuit]

I signed up hoping they'd do it again and only ever got a hot sauce making kit that came with a shitty taco holder. And only one! Like who is going to use that and not have one for anyone else eating with you?

One taco is insufficient, on that we all agree.

 

[serotonein]

wouldn't be a terrible move for them aside from having to refund all the people who still have subscriptions hah. that could be a ton of cash...

If you drive off all your sub customers, problem solved!

 

[MikeH]

I signed up hoping they'd do it again and only ever got a hot sauce making kit that came with a shitty taco holder. And only one! Like who is going to use that and not have one for anyone else eating with you?

I had over $1,000 in referral credit that they wiped out because they said I posted the link on forums. Even though that wasn’t against their T&C, which they changed after the fact. Fuck that company haha nobody fucks with my referral creds!!

 

[max_stacks]

Once again, just don’t get why they do anything the way they do. If they had sent out an email or any kind of communication to talk about the HHV thing prior to it going live, they could have at least fooled some people. They do so much stuff without communication to members and even if they aren't meaning to, it then all seems like they are always hiding something.

Counterpoint, VMP connects with customers way more than say AS, Craft or Rhino. We probably know way more than we deserve, and that creates this level of expectation that we need their every business move communicated and explained. Outside of membership-specific changes, I’m not sure what we are truly owed for communication and explanations.

 

[MikeH]

Counterpoint, VMP connects with customers way more than say AS, Craft or Rhino. We probably know way more than we deserve, and that creates this level of expectation that we need their every business move communicated and explained. Outside of membership-specific changes, I’m not sure what we are truly owed for communication and explanations.

countercounterpoint. don't trot the "new" CEO out, saying he wants to increase transparency, wants to make people excited to be members again, wants to increase member benefits and then do the exact opposite hah.

 

[Biscuit]

Craft and Rhino are record labels. They market products and when purchased, ship them direct or I can purchase them at storefronts that distribute them. If I have a customer service issue, I either call the record store or contact the label directly if my issue is credible and the labels' fault.

VMP via subs asks for money upfront for unidentified, curated product and has to deal with all customer service issues from the fidelity/pressing itself to the shipping/return issues. This requires more commitment from both the subscriber and VMP's customer service.

In my mind, VMP's subscriber program costs puts more skin in the game for the consumer and therefore, more questions get asked and expectations are higher.

 

[MikeH]

Craft and Rhino are record labels. They market products and when purchased, ship them direct or I can purchase them at storefronts that distribute them. If I have a customer service issue, I either call the record store or contact the label directly if my issue is credible and the labels' fault.

VMP via subs asks for money upfront for unidentified, curated product and has to deal with all customer service issues from the fidelity/pressing itself to the shipping/return issues. This requires more commitment from both the subscriber and VMP's customer service.

In my mind, VMP's subscriber program costs puts more skin in the game for the consumer and therefore, more questions get asked and expectations are higher.

and those places also farm out customer service like VMP does for those who were concerned about VMP moving their CS overseas.

I asked Craft why one of the items in their store wasn't in the current sale and they said that some items including food are excluded from the current sale lol

 

[ntaos]

Craft and Rhino are record labels. They market products and when purchased, ship them direct or I can purchase them at storefronts that distribute them. If I have a customer service issue, I either call the record store or contact the label directly if my issue is credible and the labels' fault.

VMP via subs asks for money upfront for unidentified, curated product and has to deal with all customer service issues from the fidelity/pressing itself to the shipping/return issues. This requires more commitment from both the subscriber and VMP's customer service.

In my mind, VMP's subscriber program costs puts more skin in the game for the consumer and therefore, more questions get asked and expectations are higher.

Good take