Vinyl Me, Please, the Denver record club that reissues high-end LPs of classic albums, on Monday acknowledged a “frustrating” production delay that’s preventing customers from receiving their purchases amid complaints about its recent releases.
“We greatly appreciate your patience, and we want to provide more transparency on this process and a few updates,” the company wrote in a member email, which that now breaks down its orders by “Now Shipping,” “On Time,” or “Delayed.” Vinyl Me, Please blamed the delays on “unintended log jams” of sending projects to different printing plants. Some in the Delayed category have been pushed as far back as nine months.
The announcement follows a major shakeup at the 12-year-old Denver company, which has grown into one of the largest record-pressing companies in the U.S. thanks to surging popularity for the old-school music format that .
In March, the board of directors fired company chief executive officer Cameron Schaefer and chief financial officer Adam Block and filed a lawsuit against them claiming they’d mislead the board and diverted VMP money to a new and separately owned, 14,000-square-foot pressing plant at 4201 N. Brighton Blvd. in the River North Art District. Schaefer later that he believed he and others were fired to save on severance.
Vinyl Me, Please officials didn’t respond to requests for comment.
In the meantime, the company’s business has experienced problems in addition to the shipping delays. Earlier this summer, VMP announced it would end all international membership plans and restrict new releases to domestic shipping starting in October.
Some members have been complaining about the situation online. YouTube videos with titles such as have garnered as Reddit and other forums host angry, detailed complaints about each new delay and price increase. Some are claiming that VMP broke a promise of exclusivity for member purchases and from their original retail price.
Former VMP member Matt Shiverdecker, of Austin, Texas, told The Denver Post that he’s still waiting for a record he ordered six months ago. He recently canceled his subscription out of anger, he said, and is not sure he’s ever going to see his last purchase get delivered.
“Their selections and overall quality control have gone downhill, while also having major internal strife that went public,” he wrote. “To top it all off, they just announced that their annual membership is going up to $529 (and if you choose to go month-to-month, it’s $54)!”
The company’s subscriptions — which have previously been reported at around 20,000 — formerly ran $46 a month, or $435 a year, according to its website. The recent increase raises them about 17% over last year. Prices had already gone up over the previous year, members have complained.
Some members have noted on social media that many VMP exclusives are showing up in bargain and resale bins shortly after they’re released. With other releases, however, the company has left fans in the lurch and kept them waiting for their Ramones and Ol’ Dirty Bastard purchases.
The overall effect has permanently tarnished what was once a sterling service, Shiverdecker said, noting that he’s turning to individual labels that have lately gotten into the high-end reissue market.
“(VMP) titles that you could only previously get with the special Dolly Parton membership (Vinyl Me, Parton) and were otherwise not offered for individual sale are now being pitched to one-stops for sale at indie record stores,” he said. “That and the severe increases in price and lack of transparency led me to cancel my membership after nearly a decade.”
