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

This is the domestic message:

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This is Matt Fiedler, co-founder and CEO of Vinyl Me, Please, with an important update regarding your membership.

We are adjusting our domestic membership pricing. These changes will go into effect for new members beginning this week and for existing members upon your next renewal (beginning October 1st, 2024). This decision was not made lightly, and I want to share some context with you.

Over the last 18 months, our costs have increased significantly—from raw materials and manufacturing to shipping and labor. For instance, shipping costs alone have risen over 18% since December 2023, and licensing rates have gone up as much as 50% in the same timeframe.

As these costs have increased, it’s become difficult for us to maintain consistency in quality and production timelines due to limited margins. Raising prices is necessary for us to keep up with the realities of these rising costs. This helps ensure we have sufficient margins and can continue to maintain quality, improve production and fulfillment timelines, and invest more into the membership itself. Here’s a breakdown of the new pricing for each membership tier:​
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Term​
Current​
New​
Monthly
$46​
$54​
3-Month
$128​
$149​
6-Month
$237​
$279​
12-Month
$435​
$529​
Add-Ons
$36​
$39​
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Your membership will automatically convert to the new pricing upon your next renewal. You can make changes to your membership (e.g. upgrade, downgrade, or cancel) in your member portal. Please email us at info@vinylmeplease.com if you have any questions, or need any help in this process.

It’s a privilege to help you build your record collection, and you’re an essential part of what makes VMP special. We’re deadly serious about making VMP the best damn record club and we look forward to continuing to explore the world through music with you for many years to come.​
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We’ll be hosting a Discord Q&A on Friday, September 6th at 12:30 PM MT. Our whole team will be there, and we invite you to join us as we’ll be answering questions from the community and sharing more of what we have planned for the future.​
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We’ll be hosting a Discord Q&A on Friday, September 6th at 12:30 PM MT. Our whole team will be there, and we invite you to join us as we’ll be answering questions from the community and sharing more of what we have planned for the future.

LOT MORE PRICE INCREASES AND DISSAPOINTMENT, THAT IS WHAT IS PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE.
 
Twentytwo said:
We’ll be hosting a Discord Q&A on Friday, September 6th at 12:30 PM MT. Our whole team will be there, and we invite you to join us as we’ll be answering questions from the community and sharing more of what we have planned for the future.

LOT MORE PRICE INCREASES AND DISSAPOINTMENT, THAT IS WHAT IS PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE.
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I expect a lot of "unnecessary negativity" as they call it over there.
 
My honest opinion is that with great curation, I'd be fine with the costs. For example, if that Weezer 30th was a ROTM, I'd be down for it. The problem is that they're getting boxed out by the labels and I don't think they can survive the squeeze (and charge what they state they need to in order to make a profit). I'll happily pay my 40-50 for records I want from places like Rhino Hi Fidelity, Mofi, and AP that do it right.
 
wmeugene said:
My honest opinion is that with great curation, I'd be fine with the costs. For example, if that Weezer 30th was a ROTM, I'd be down for it. The problem is that they're getting boxed out by the labels and I don't think they can survive the squeeze. I'll happily pay my 40-50 for records I want from places like Rhino Hi Fidelity, Mofi, and AP that do it right.
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It will be $60 for a 1LP for me with tax. Thats WILD. And likely still pressed at GZ.
 
Rowan said:
From VMP



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Hi

I hope you’re doing well. I’m Matt Fiedler, co-founder and CEO of Vinyl Me, Please, and I wanted to share an important update with you regarding your membership.

Starting next month (October 2024), we will no longer offer our memberships to members outside the United States. This decision was not made lightly, and I want to share some context with you.

When we first launched in January 2013, we were thrilled to see our community grow from just 12 members to a global family. By February, we had our first member from outside the US (what’s up, Max from Moscow). Since then, international members like yourself have become an essential part of our story, now making up over 15% of our total base. Many of you joined VMP because of the curation, community, and ability to get high-quality packages at affordable prices.

However, as our international presence has expanded, so have the challenges. Shipping costs have soared, delivery times have become increasingly unpredictable, and navigating the complex compliance requirements across different countries has made it difficult for us to maintain the high standard of service you expect and deserve. It’s no longer sustainable for us to continue operating in this way as, on average, we’ve been losing money on nearly every international order: ​



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Avg. Shipping Cost​
Avg. Margin​
$24.93​
-13%​




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After exploring numerous solutions, we found that every alternative would either greatly increase costs for our international members or compromise the service you’ve come to expect from us. Ultimately, we decided that discontinuing memberships to international members was the best choice for both you and VMP.

Here’s more information on what will happen next: ​



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  • Membership Cancellation: Your membership will automatically be canceled at the end of your current term. You’ll still have access to tracks and swaps in the meantime.

  • Store Purchases: Any pre-orders you’ve already placed will be shipped with your upcoming ROTMs or separately if your membership ends before they’re in stock. You can still buy records from the store until (and after) your membership expires. You will still get member pricing while your membership is active, and shipping, plus any applicable duties and taxes, will be charged on future store purchases. Each order will be shipped separately, and purchases will be limited to in-stock only. We’re working on making new ROTMs available for international members in the store in the months they are released. More to come on this.

  • Future Availability: We’re actively working on partnerships with international distributors to make VMP records available in local record stores worldwide. We’ll keep you updated as soon as we have more details.

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We know this news may be disappointing, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding. Our mission has always been to bring people together through music, and we hope to offer memberships in your country again in the future.​



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Wow. 8 years of membership to be told in a generic email. Crazy.
My membership was due for renewal next month anyway so I guess this has made my decision for me.
 
MikeH said:
but also why would you sign up for more than 3 months at this pricing and with the current curation? hah.

on the bright side, guess they solved their issue of overselling ROTMs! Just get rid of customers!
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I do think any future interest is 3 months or nothing due to prices. But that is one way to get rid of inventory issues. I have to imagine the upcoming Essentials may end up being their worst selling in years.
 
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