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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I register on the site?
Why are items in my shopping cart disappearing?
What is the return policy?
Can I trade in a Hot Stamper towards a better one?
How should I go about returning a record?
What is a Hot Stamper?
How do I get on your mailing list?
How do I search for a specific album?
Are there any limits on sale items?
What is the minimum order?
What payment methods can I use?
Important note for California Paypal customers
Questions about domestic shipping (Media Mail,etc.)
Questions about international shipping
How do I register on the site?
New customers can register via the LOGIN link at the top left of every page. Please read our How To Order page before getting started. International Customers should visit this page before placing an order.
Why are items in my shopping cart disappearing?
If you have a problem registering on the site it's no doubt because your browser is not set up to accept our site's cookies. If you put items in your shopping cart and they disappear, this is a registration problem caused by your browser not accepting out cookies. It is an easy problem to fix and should take less than two minutes.
Go to your menu bar in Explorer and click on 'Tools'.
- In the dropdown menu that appears click 'Internet Options'. It's at the bottom of the dropdown.
- There are seven tabs across the top of the 'Internet Options' window. Click on the third tab from the left, labeled 'Privacy'.
- Click on 'Sites', which is halfway down the window on the left-hand side.
- Under 'Address of website:' type 'http://www.dccblowout.com', then click Allow.
- Repeat the above step but this time enter 'http://www.better-records.com', then click Allow.
- Click OK. That window should close.
- Click Apply on the 'Internet Options' window.
- Then click OK.
- Voila, you should be all setup to accept our cookies, able to register and fill your basket as full as you like!
Please note that sometimes the shopping cart may empty itself after a period of inactivity. This is beyond our control. If you don't plan on completing your purchase immediately, we advise that you add any desired titles to your wish list to make sure you don't lose tracks of the records you are interested in.
What is the return policy?
Used records may be returned for full credit for any reason within thirty days of purchase. After thirty days we typically will credit half of the purchase price, depending on the title. We can not accept returns of purchases from over 12 months ago.
Hot Stamper pressings are 100% Money Back Guaranteed. If for any reason you are not happy with the record return it for a full refund of the purchase price within 30 days. After 30 days, and up to one year later, you may return a Hot Stamper LP for 50% credit. Again, we can not accept any returns of purchases from over 12 months ago.
Defective sealed in print records (i.e. current 180g releases) may be returned for replacement. If no suitable replacement is available we will refund your purchase price or, if you prefer, credit the amount towards anything else on the site you choose.
Defective sealed Out Of Print records are not returnable unless special arrangements have been made in advance, a subject we discuss in the link called Finding Better Records at Better Records.
Defective CDs (except for Gold CDs) may be returned for credit or replaced, at our discretion. Unfortunately, we can not accept returns of Gold CDs.
Please do not return any record or CD until you have contacted us about the problem. When returning records, we ask that you follow the packing and shipping instructions listed below.
Can I trade in a Hot Stamper towards a better one?
If you'd like to upgrade an old Hot Stamper towards a higher rated, more expensive copy, we will accept the trade-in of your old copy for full credit for up to one year. For purchases older than that, we will make you a credit offer on a case-by-case basis.
If you would like to trade one of your old Hot Stamper purchases (from the last twelve months) towards a Hot Stamper of lesser or equal value, there will be a 20% restocking fee. Since all used LPs can be traded in for credit within the first 30 days, there will be no restocking fee if your purchase occurred within the last 30 days.
Hot Stampers that were purchased more than one year ago are not usually accepted for trade credit and will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
How should I go about returning a record?
Please pack them carefully to ensure that the record and cover arrive back in the same condition we sent them out in.
If possible use the box we sent your original order in (assuming it has not been damaged. If it is not still strong, do not use it). You may prefer to use a priority mail box or an oversize mailer. Never use a standard record mailer; they're too flimsy to protect the cover properly.
Please take the LPs out of the jacket (but leave them in their inner sleeves) and sandwich them next to the jacket. Next, place the "sandwich" in a standard plastic outer sleeve. This method absolutely prevents split seams and is recommended highly.
Oversized boxes, bubble wrap, cardboard stiffeners -- use whatever you like as long as it works. I recommend sandwiching the LP between two pieces of cardboard slightly larger than the jacket, held together by rubber bands to keep the vinyl from sliding around. This "sandwich" should then be placed in an oversize box with cushioning.
Thanks for all your efforts in this regard. Records that are returned in damaged condition create serious problems for us, so please make every effort to pack your return well.
We recommend Media Mail with Delivery Confirmation. Under no circumstances should anything be returned to us that can't be tracked or its delivery confirmed, especially if it has much value.
If the mistake is ours we will credit you the shipping cost for Media Mail with Delivery Confirmation, which is usually about three or four dollars.
Our address is:
Better Records
1791 Bates Ct.
Thousand Oaks CA 91362-2302
What is a Hot Stamper?
Hot Stampers are records with sound that goes far beyond the average pressing of that album. We find them by cleaning and comparing multiple copies of the same record. There's much more on the subject all over the site, but The Better Records Manifesto is a great place to start. All of our Hot Stamper records carry a 100% Money Back Guarantee, and we encourage all audiophiles to give one a try. Check out the Customer Testimonials to see what people think about them!
How do I get on your mailing list?
We have a weekly emailing which goes out to all our LP customers, which is where we put virtually all the best sounding records that come our way. The best records usually sell within hours of the mailing going out, which results in few of them ever making it to the site. We will automatically add you to our mailing list when you place your first order, or you can sign up via this form.
If you don't want to receive these mailings you may opt out. Please note that once you opt out, our mail software blocks us from ever sending an email to that address again. You will need to give us a different email address if you want to start receiving our mailers at a later date.
How do I search for a specific album?
The site can certainly be a bit tricky to navigate. We recommend using the new "Advanced Search" link up top, which will allow you to narrow down your search by price range and manufacturer. You can see our Site Search Guide for search tips.
The search field at the top of every page will search for any number (such as a catalog number), word, song title, or any combination of letters that would be found in the title or the description.
If the word or letters you are searching for are very common on the site, for example, the word "night", you will either get far too many results or the search will crash.
If you are searching for an artist, let's say Beethoven, it's not necessary to type in the whole word, which may be difficult to spell. "beeth" is a series of letters that would be unlikely to show up anywhere but in Beethoven's name, so this shorthand approach will allow searches to be carried out with less effort. In the same vein, if searching for Jethro Tull, either Jethro or Tull would do the trick. Actually, "jeth" works perfectly well also.
Are there any limits on sale items?
Yes! Sale items are limited to one copy of each item per person and only one discount may apply to a given item.
What is the minimum order?
$25 before shipping.
What payment methods can I use?
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover; Paypal (tomport@dccblowout.com); checks, money orders and wire transfers. Larger checks may take up to 10-14 days to clear. If you would like to call and give us your credit card information over the phone, so as to avoid sending this information over the Internet, we are happy to accommodate you.
If you would like to pay by a method other than a credit card, login using "Bill Me" as the payment method where it asks for your credit card, which will allow you to register without entering any credit card information. Once your order is invoiced we will send you a total which must be paid before shipping.
Orders paid for by credit card must be shipped to the cardholder's billing address.
Orders paid through Paypal must be shipped to the address registered with them.
Special arrangements will of course be made for smaller orders or established customers.
Important Note for California Paypal Customers
If you are a California customer using Paypal, please enter the code "paypal" in the coupon section of your order to avoid being charged tax twice -- once at our site and once at Paypal.
Domestic Shipping Information
The site calculates the shipping charges at standard FedEx rates.
We offer Media Mail shipping as a much cheaper alternative to domestic FedEx for smaller orders. We charge half of the FedEx rate to ship your package by Media Mail or $5, whichever is more, for any order under $150. Be sure to put "Media Mail" in the order comments.
Media Mail shipping to Hawaii and Alaska tends to take a very long time, so if you are placing an order from one of these states we suggest Priority Mail shipping. Contact us if you have any questions and we will figure out the most cost-effective way to get your order to you.
Media Mail Option
See above. Also note that at checkout our site does not offer and cannot calculate Media Mail shipping. We instead charge the correct amount for media mail on our end based on the FedEx shipping amount, as described above.
Larger orders must still go FedEx, as it is insured, trackable and more reliable. Any questions, just email Tom.
International Shipping Information
We prefer to ship through the post office as it is substantially cheaper than FedEx. You can choose either Express Mail or Priority Mail. We send most expensive shipments by Express Mail as it is not much more expensive than Priority Mail and can easily be tracked.
Note that you cannot choose your international shipping method through the site. The site automatically selects FedEx but we do not ship international packages by FedEx as it is very expensive. International customers are contacted with the correct shipping charges for one or both of the above methods.
Please note that the shipping charges calculated by the site for international orders are usually incorrect. We will contact international customers with the correct shipping charges before we process your order.
You may want to check out the USPS Postal Calculator to get a rough idea of international shipping charges through the post office. LPs average about 3/4 of a pound while CDs are between 1/3 and 1/4 of a pound.
If you have special custom needs please note that on your order in the order comments at checkout. If you are paying by credit card we may need to insure the package, sometimes for a substantial amount, but the amount is negotiable. Orders paid by check, money order, cash or wire transfer can be insured and declared for any amount you like.
Due to a rash of problems, we can no longer ship 1st class to Italy. We are happy to ship your order to Italy via Express Mail or Priority Mail.
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