Lack of detail on Amazon

[visualnickmos]

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed this?

I am finding increasingly quickly that there is often no detail about the CD apart from just the cover photo. In the past it was almost always accompanied by an image of the back of the CD, so all the relevant information was there. Perfect.

But now, this seems to rarely be the case, and has quite often been the deciding factor in my NOT making a purchase. Surely if one wants to sell something, it is blindingly obvious that a potential buyer needs full information.....? What is going on?

[Thropplenoggin]

I always cross-check the item against other sites which generally have superbly detailed information on most releases (not always old ones): PrestoClassical and MDT. Even other Amazon sites for the same item can offer more info. e.g. head to .com if .co.uk is lacking.

Another great resource is Allmusic.com, often providing an overview (a review), a list of credits, and which even provides the history of re-releases for CDs, alternate covers used for those re-releases. e.g. http://www.allmusic.com/album/beetho...s-mw0001377810 (Click on 'releases' tab)

[visualnickmos]

Thanks. As always on here - very helpful advice.

[Ferretfancy]

The same problem arises on Amazon with box sets of DVDS. For example, if you want a Woody Allen compilation there is no information on which films are included. Sometimes I resort to using a magnifying glass to decipher the information on the front of the box, but it's often not there - maddening!

[Petrushka]

Yes, this can be frustrating and some of the issues I've seen are quite bizarre with no image and no detail. How on earth they can expect a sale I don't know.

I use Thropplenoggin's method of cross-referencing with Presto or MDT or increasing the size of my screen to see the image if there is one.

[doversoul1]

I wonder if Amazon think that they don’t need to bother with details, as most potential customers will go to other sites and find out what they want to know. As long as their prices are lower, and I expect it can be lower if they keep their site with minimum information, people will buy from them. Like others, I go straight to Presto Classical when I want to find out about a CD or a DVD. Their prices are usually higher but if the difference is not vast, I try buying from them.

[Flay]

Their prices are usually higher but if the difference is not vast, I try buying from them.

I agree - why give Amazon your business when they are not providing the service they should?

This is one reason why Dixons & Comet etc are going under. They provide the customers with the chance to view and be told about a product at a considerable expense to themselves, only to be undercut by the internet sellers who do not carry such overheads.

Soon there will be few outlets, and with diminishing competition, prices will go up and standards down.

[richardfinegold]

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed this?

I am finding increasingly quickly that there is often no detail about the CD apart from just the cover photo. In the past it was almost always accompanied by an image of the back of the CD, so all the relevant information was there. Perfect.

But now, this seems to rarely be the case, and has quite often been the deciding factor in my NOT making a purchase. Surely if one wants to sell something, it is blindingly obvious that a potential buyer needs full information.....? What is going on?

Amazon does indeed suck. I use the search engine on Arkivmusic to learn about the disc, and then I check Amazon to see if they have a better price.
Frequently, the savings are significant, particularly if one buys a used CD. If the savings aren't significant, I'd rather give the biz to Arkivmusic.

[Flosshilde]

I noticed it when I looked at one of the Wagner boxes mentioned in the 'Bargains' thread - it was a collection of the 'great' operas, but no detils of which, & the track listing was just that. It was reasonably easy to identify the Ring, but near-impossible to identify the others. (One curiosity was that all the track titles were in German - as you'd expect - expect for the last track in Walkure, which was in English - 'The Magic fire music'.)

[cloughie]

The bare minimum of a tracklisting would be useful and where a tracklisting is provided the composer and work rather than just the movement name would also be good.