Service Review Article: Vinyl Me Please, but can I have a say in how?

Vinyl Me, Please Record of the Month Club offer great selection but could offer more.

Article by Joseph Timmons: IndiePulse Music Journal

Remember Columbia Record House, the get 10 albums for a penny and then 1 per month forever record service ? (well, until they ceased operation in the mid to late 90’s), since then there have been many record clubs trying to sway consumers into signing away 10.00 or more per month to build a record collection, offering classics and “today’s hits” for low prices, but many underperformed or had to close due to low revenue, or slackers that did not pay their bills.

I found a great new Record Club Service that has a very good concept in rejuvenating the art of Vinyl collecting, but in my opinion could be better. so have a read, an consider the content is not a slam but a sonnet of sorts to a new love.

Vinyl Me, Please is a “By invite only” record club that offers some great “cultivated” records, both new and reprinted on archival quality vinyl with additional gifts, exclusive downloads and more at a relatively low price of as low as 23.00 per month.

I had signed up for the club with the idea I would write about it and just maybe use it for a couple of months. I wound up using it for a year and I really have to say it is a great service, timely billing, great music and always a happy moment when you get something with value to make your collection truly unique, well worth the money. I do however feel that there are some things that could change.

 

1. Delivery – I know could blame the postman, since they deliver USPS, but I always got my selections late, either the last week of the month, a couple of times the next month following. I found this is due to fulfillment. If the record labels or pressing plants run late, then it ships late. Not at all the fault of the Vinyl Me Please service, but still a bit annoying. I will say this, and it is important they stand by their quality. I had 2 occasions where I received an album with a defect and when I contacted Vinyl Me, Please, I had a replacement within a week, express replacement, no argument. That is definitely a plus, they stand by their brand.

2. Selection – Now here is where I really need to make this clear, the object of the club is to send a “Select Album, curated by the VMP staff based on quality, style and unique values” this means to me that they only look for the best of the best, which is why, I feel, this is great, but it is also a bit daunting. I like to be able to pick what I like, in addition to getting something new, I would like to be able to add other records to my shipment, I don’t mind spending more if they had another record I wanted. VMP does have on their website a way to get more, but the order process is frankly difficult to use and I don’t want to have to go through many steps only to find out he album may not be available, out of stock or have to pay extra shipping. If VMP was to add an order form in the shipment, or set up a better order system, it could make their service more appealing to us record junkies.

3. Website and Emails – 4 times a month I got a Newsletter, which I had to “Log In” to read, notice the album has shipped, which arrives 2 weeks later or after the album has, and like I mentioned, a website that is not as great as the service itself. Honestly, a bit much, send the newsletter, fix the site, no need to tell me something has shipped, just ship it.

4. WHY IS IT SO DAMN HARD TO OPEN THE SHIPPER – the only thing worse that getting a package that is hard to open is getting one that hurts to open, every time I wind up getting hell on hell painful ginormous paper cuts. YEOUCH, that needs to change.

 

OK, look, I am not writing a hack job, Vinyl Me, Please is a great service, im just really picky and want things my way. But with the way Vinyl has made a comeback, which to the delight of collectors, and the advent of the modern technology which makes it possible to order anything from anywhere; VMP could make a big difference in how the record collector buys online. I would like to add that VMP should reach out to the Independent and small labels of America, some great music coming out of small run labels like Hidden Volume Records, Fat Elvis Records, Philthy Phonographic Records and Classic Waxxx Records, the list goes on and the indie scene is growing exponentially, let’s get some of that in the monthly box of joy!

Take a chance and get some really innovative music from Vinyl Me, Please, it is a great service and as you know, it is only with feedback that a company does well and improves, I hope Vinyl me please knows I did this article because I love what they are doing and I want to keep getting the joy of the once a month treat, well, speaking of that, I need to renew my subscription so I can keep getting the love so, check’em out, sign up and enjoy.

Joseph Timmons: IndiePulse Music Journal writer and Vinyl Junkie!