I was surfing on line recently looking for a specfic hard to find import CD and came across it for what I thought was a decent price ($26 plus shipping and handling). I was quite bummed out when it arrived and it was a CDR with a photo copied booklet. I'm still upset about it and haven't decided to send it back, basically because the guy only offered me a credit. I was wondering how often this happens outside of ordering on Amazon and other reliable sources.

It happened to me once with an eBay seller.

There was an OOP Smiley Lewis (New Orleans singer) I'd been looking for for awhile (pretty expensive) new for only $12.99. When I received it, it was sealed, but when I opened it, it was a CDR and the booklet was copied.

The person claimed that how he got it and let me send it back for a refund.

It became a lesson to me to watch out for an unusually good price on OOP items.

Well, you got to send it back, so I think it might still be worth a gamble.

I got former Beach Boys member David Marks' latest album on CD-R with a photocopied booklet. The album was rubbish so I gave it to my brother. I don't know if there was an official CD pressing of this album. David Marks was never a big seller solo or in The Moon or in The Marksmen.

One of the biggest red flags to be found in an Ebay listing is when a seller describes an item as "sealed" while avoiding other words such as "official", "authorized", "new" or "original".

Yes, but burn yourself a copy before you return it.

100% agree.

Young & Company, one hit wonders have a cd of "I Like What You're Doing To Me", except it is being sold on amazon for $33 and no mention of it being a cd-r. I bought it not knowing that and returned it. No excuse period for a cd-r to be $33. All they did was record it off of an LP--anybody can do that. Cd Baby lost my business because they kept sending me cd-r's, like I somehow wouldn't care, and amazon better not start. If you're going to sell me a cheap cd-r, tell me, and don't insult me by charging $33 for a recording that anybody can do.

That is totally inexcusable, asking 33 for a cd-r.

Unless something has changed with CD Baby, it is the artist who suppplies CD Baby its discs.
They would only be sending you what was given to them.They are (or were) just basically a distribution
hub. If CD-R's are provided they certainly should be flagged as such.

joebase

If I were you I would send the cd-rom back for a refund.
The seller probably doesn't consider he's done you a diservice if he used oblique language like "sealed" to describe the product,which may well be true,but that might just be to make him feel better in selling a copy or more likely just to conform with the site's description policy.

I don't know whether you've ever come across Radioacative Records who specialise in a lot of psych and prog,but basically this company used needle drops from vinyl to reissue loads of unofficial albums without the artist's consent.They now go under the name Fallout Records (see watchdog consumer section here)
I had that issue with a copy of Judy Henske's Farewell Aldebaran.A great album but an ( illegal ?) needle drop.

I just wanted to add that I've never had anything but good experiences with CD Baby, and can't remember ever getting a CD-R from them, although I know they do sell CD-Rs. In any case, joebase is right -- they just sell what the artist supplies. If the product listing doesn't indicate CD-R, it may very well be that the artist isn't suppling that information.

I only used CD Baby once and got CDs. I liked their service.

33 cents would be more like it.

In my case, there are 5 sellers currently of this cd-r and not one of them mentions in the seller notes that it is. I originally bought mine from an "Amazon Warehouse Deals" seller and returned it once I saw that it was a cheap cd-r with poor artwork. On a whim, I contacted another seller, cheapcds, who was kind enough to respond promptly to my query and confirm that their's was a cd-r, too. Lowest price one on there is $33 and that is a joke. CD Baby sent me 2 cd-r's without describing either as such and I stopped buying from them because now I don't know what I am getting. If you are a seller, say it is a cd-r because if I get it I'm giving you poor feedback if you don't. It takes 5 seconds to put that on any listing, I have one for sale on amazon and I have it listed as such.

It's happened to me twice, both buying directly from the artist. 1st Was Moogy Klingmen's edition of the Music From Free Creek lp. It was a needle drop & of lower quality then the LP I already owned. He accepted a return. The other was a Wendy Waldman release I got from CD Baby, but it was self released by her. In both cases cdr was not mentioned.

Speaking of which, I don't believe I've ever mentioned this here before, but my business is directly authorized by Shari Ulrich to sell cdr's of all of her albums that have never been on cd. I also have the 2 Hometown Band albums available on cdr. I believe I am the only US retailer authorized to offer these; I did the needle drops myself, & they're pretty darn good if I have to say so myself! If there are any Shari or HTB fans here, please send me a pm.

I bought a cd-r on ebay of a Japanese promo of Sheryl Crow's "Detours" cd and it was described as such and was eight bucks. I have no problem with that.

I occasionally buy a promo CD-R on Ebay, but I like to see photos of the disc and some sort of packaging from the record company. I wouldn't drop any serious cash on one, however.