Policies

The following is a list of our business policies. If you have any questions about these policies, please contact me directly before you place an order with us.

How To Order From Our Catalog

All prices are in US dollars. Remember that we generally have only a single copy of each item so include alternate selections. We may eventually have a more sophisticated system for ordering and buying, but, for the time being, please do the following after making your selections:

  • E-mail me at smoonloaf@aol.com or call me (toll-free) at 1-877-353-1775 or on my residence phone (not toll free) at 520-290-9880. I will reserve items on a first-buyer-to-order basis. If you call and have to leave a message, please tell me the item(s) you want to reserve and leave a number where I can reach you; I will return your call even if the item is not available.

  • I will calculate totals, including shipping charges so you will have an out-the-door total and call you back or e-mail you with that total. Do not send money before your order is confirmed.

  • We will reserve and hold items for a one week period. If you need us to hold items for a longer period of time, please let us know and be prepared to pay some portion of the total price to guarantee the order.

** PLEASE NOTE** The Arizona time zone is often 2 or 3 hours different than much of the U.S., not to mention the rest of the world. Please don't call, if at all possible, before 8 A.M. Arizona time or you'll probably wake me! I would then have to consider invoking the little-known "10% Sleep Deprivation Surcharge" as outlined in Article 57 in the International Rules Of Vinyl Record Commerce, adapted. May, 1947.

Payment

We accept most major credit cards and PayPal. (Email to use for PayPal payments?) We may charge extra for postal services, if necessary, to comply with Paypal's seller protection plan. We also accept money orders and personal checks drawn on U.S. dollars. Personal checks should be made payable to STEVE PURDY or LYSERGIC SOUND DISTRIBUTORS and may be held for ten (10) working days, or until the funds clear, particularly if you are a first time buyer.

Shipping

We ship via United State Postal Service (USPS). Most domestic orders will be shipped via media rate or priority rate with delivery confirmation. Most foreign orders are shipped first class international or priority international. We will ship via other foreign USPS service methods if you request those options and are willing to pay the additional postal rates attached to those services.

Insurance on your package is your option and fees associated with it are your responsibility, assuming insurance is available for your shipping location. We will not be responsible if a package is lost or damaged and has not been insured. Some foreign packages may have to be mailed registered mail to meet USPS tracking requirements. Any fees associated with sending a foreign package via registered mail is the buyer's responsibility.

Grading

All grades are cover/disc and all albums are first pressing stereo unless described otherwise. All higher priced items and most other albums are play graded. Below you will find an explanation of our grading system and a list of the abbreviations we use. Many times we simply describe the flaws with a complete explanation.

Our Grading System

  • MINT - Absolutely perfect in every way; looks like it just left the manufacturer, regardless of age.
  • NEAR MINT - A nearly perfect record with no obvious signs of wear. Has been played very sparingly and handled with great care. A very minor scuff and very little else can appear on the vinyl. Covers can have no defects; no ring wear, cut-outs or anything similar.
  • VG++ - Will allow multiple minor scuff but these should be no more than 20% of the surface. Should play very close to mint and have no marks that can be felt. Cover should be close to perfect. Some impression to the cover (very minor outer ring wear) but no writing. The corners can show slight wear. No seam splits, writing or taped seams.
  • VG+(+) - For both vinyl and cover, conditions that are not quite good enough to rate a VG++ but better than the following VG+ standard.
  • VG+ - Vinyl can show some wear and may have some slight scuffs or even light scratches that have very little or no effect on the sound quality. Some very minor surface noise may be audible just a very few times or at the start of a side. Slight warps that do not affect play are acceptable. Should be obvious that the record has been handled with care. Covers may have minor flaws, small writing (not large). Cut-out holes and moderate ring wear and seam splits are acceptable if disclosed in the description. If the cover has more than 3 of these types of minor flaws, the cover must be less than VG+.
  • VG(+) - For both vinyl and covers, conditions that are not quite good enough to rare a VG+ but better than the following VG standard.
  • VG - The defect(s) found in a VG(+) record are here, but more pronounced or greater in number. There can be surface noise but not enough to overpower the dynamics of the recording. The vinyl can have obvious narks or scratches and the vinyl may even be somewhat faded but still retain a measure of luster. Covers will look worn and used and can include writing, ring wear, tape or residue, split seams and other defects. Still looks pretty good but with noticeable defects of more than a slight nature or number.
  • VG- - Our lowest grade, Both cover and/or vinyl may have multiple defects that will be described. Records will still play but may have sound issues, catches or skips that will be disclosed. Covers also will have multiple defects but will still have recognizable cover art. All defects should be disclosed in the description.

Abbreviations We Use And What They Mean

In many cases, we will completely spell out the nature of a defect. Sometimes, however, in order to save space, we will use the following abbreviations:

  • cc - cut corner
  • coh - cut-out hole
  • cvr wear - cover wear
  • partsmsplt - partial seam split
  • smsplt - seam split
  • rw - ring wear
  • srw - slight ring wear
  • stick - sticker on cover
  • swct - sawcut
  • toc- tape on cover
  • wol - writing on label
  • woc - writing on cover
  • wnap - warp not affecting play

Returns

All items are guaranteed to be in the (visibly graded, minimum) condition stated. All higher priced items and most other albums are play graded.

If you dissatisfied with an item, let me know within one (1) week of receipt of the item. Once you have heard back from me, pack the item(s) and return them to this address:

A refund will be issued after I have received the returned item. Items are returned at the buyer's expense and the delivery of an item is the buyer's responsibility. Please pack the returned item as well as I packed it to ship to you. No refunds will be issued until I receive the item.

Return postage is not refundable. Partial refunds or credits for minor problems, that the buyer feels do not warrant a full refund, may be given at my discretion. I will not accept returns if you discover, after the purchase, that you simply do not like the music or find that you already have another copy of the material.

Sealed records can only be returned to me if they are still in the original sealed condition as they were when purchased. If you open it, you own it.

Once I receive the returned item, I will issue you your credit based on the payment method you used. For example, if you paid by credit card, I will credit your credit card; if you paid by check, I'll send you a check for the amount of the credit.

**REMEMBER** These are, for the most part, vintage vinyl records, not CD's, so your turntable/cartridge/tone arm combinations may well produce different auditory results. Our items are auditioned on a fairly high end system. Returns that are supposedly due to "audio problems" or mis-grading but prove to be graded correctly visually and then play as we described them are subject to our review.

Privacy

Lysergic Sound Distributors respects the privacy of our customers and visitors to our web site. We maintain a list of names and addresses, including e-mail addresses, of individuals and companies who purchase from us, send inquiries, or request to be put on our mailing list.

Periodically, we may notify those on our list by mail or e-mail, about new items we have available and / or other matters that are specifically related to our business. We do not disclose any information about our customers or correspondents without their permission.