Merchbar

Don't buy backorders from Merchbar, if the order is not fullfilled within 120 days it's supposed to automatically refund. However, despite well over 120 days passing there was no refund. They kept moving the 'estimate' of when it will be shipped a month forward every month. Merchbar counts on you forgetting about the order so that they can keep the money. Don't do it, its a complete sham.

Complete fraud! Do not buy anything!
11/7 - placed an order,
11/8 - credit card transaction cleared,
11/26 (approximately) - support ticket opened requesting help with an update,
11/27 - confirmation of a support ticket with basically a "we're busy now" response.
Today is 12/15, no response, no merchandise, money taken over a month ago.

Bought a vinyl for my son at college for xmas, and he had that one already, so we tried to exchange it - completely un-opened and brand new still, and they said no. Terrible policies here.

Merchbar has a great selection of vinyl and other merch but it's a lure. You place an order, they charge your credit card and you hear from them only after it's shipped. If there's a backorder, you don't get a notification, even months later. That's weak, and you're not going to see your $$ back unless you complain to them.
Does anybody know of a more reputable source for vinyl?
Thanks
Renzo

I already ordered a backorder Vinyl but i cancelled it as soon as i read these reviews. They said that the team would look into it and get back to me soon (not sure what soon means) I rushed to buy it but I learn its too good to be true. Please dont buy any thing or any back order vinyl from merchbar and make the same mistake i did.

They charge you for a record they don't have, claiming it's "backstocked" which, in reality, they aren't getting their hands on rare/out of circuit vinyl (and selling them for original retail price) and basically keep your money hoping you forget about it.

Do not buy from this company. They will never ship your items. You can get a refund but no explanation as to why they never ship your purchases even months later. Complete garbage site.

I ordered some metalcore hoodies for my husband's birthday and they never came. I called their answering service, it was useless, and submitted a half dozen customer service tickets, but they never got back to me about what happened to my order. The products never came, according to the "track your package" link on the original order email, they were never even shipped. I can't get a refund because there are no actual customer service reps from the company who can even look up details about my order. It's like they're a ghost company. I would be shocked if anyone actually ever received an order from them. Total f*cking scam.

I ordered two vinyl albums on 10/06/23 and the status as of 10/20/23 was "in process". I emailed for an update and all they could tell me was that they were having trouble with their shipping and had no idea when these records would actually ship. Say what?! They had my $ and these records were in stock, so why the delay!. Sad, they were my go to store for vinyl but I've dropped them, there are others out there just as good. Btw, they sent me an email that a vinyl record I've been looking for has been released by the label so I ordered the record. On 10/28/22! The status is "open backorder" and they are clueless as to when it will be available. Then what di you send me an email that it was available?! Boooooo...

I ordered a record on backorder. After about a month I check the status. No update, but the website now says the record is in stock. So I email support asking when it will be sent. They say they had "processing issues" and can help me refund my order now if I "wish not to wait any longer." A legitimate business would reach out to a customer to let them know processing wasn't working and let them know they have canceled the order so their customer isn't just out the money. If I had never reached out, I would never have gotten this taken care of. Seems like they were hoping I would forget so they can pocket the money.

Additionally, how are you going to say you'll help me cancel the order if I don't wish to wait any longer without any clarification of the issue or a time frame? How long are we talking? The communication with me when there has been an issue has been indifferent, unhelpful, and fully pushed forward by me. $#*! you guys

I ordered a record back in AUGUST. I messaged every month asking if it was coming and they said to be patient with them and yes it was. In December (14th) I asked for a refund. They said the order had been canceled ( no one told me or refunded me) and the refund needed to be processed. Here it is January 3rd and still no record, no refund. I called Amex and they took care of it which I have never had to dispute a charge before.

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM MERCHBAR. I have yet to receive 1 singular vinyl record that was placed 11/9/23. I have sent over a dozen emails to be told the same thing: "we are experiencing delays at our supplier warehouses"

They are a fraudulent company that will keep pushing products, taking money, and refusing to send you your items.

Bought 6 records in July 2023. It's now about to be 2024 and I haven't received anything. They say they're in stock but they aren't. They don't issue a refund or tell you anything unless you actually contact them.

I'll give them credit that they did contact me back each time. But probably the worst merch site I've ever used.

Unfortunately,
I can not insert a minus (-) in front of the star rating system that is set up.
In short...my recommendation is,
NEVER, AND I MEAN NEVER, MAKE A PURCHASE WITH THIS COMPANY.
I've been burned twice.
Shame on me.

Ik voel me genoodzaakt mijn ervaring met de winkel Merchbar te delen, en ik moet zeggen dat het verre van positief is. Mijn interactie met hun klantenservice liet veel te wensen over, en ik ben teleurgesteld door hun gebrek aan inzet om mijn probleem op te lossen.

Het begon allemaal toen ik problemen ondervond bij het betalen voor mijn bestelling. In een poging om dit op te lossen, nam ik contact op met de klantenservice van Merchbar. Helaas kan ik niet anders dan constateren dat hun reactie verre van behulpzaam was. Hoewel ze meerdere dagen via e-mail met me communiceerden, leek het erop dat ze niet daadwerkelijk probeerden om mijn zorgen serieus te nemen of een oplossing voor mijn probleem te bieden.

Wat me het meest teleurstelde, was het feit dat, ondanks mijn herhaalde verzoeken om hulp, Merchbar niet bereid was om actief te werken aan het oplossen van mijn betalingsprobleem. Het gebrek aan proactieve klantenservice is in strijd met wat men redelijkerwijs van een bedrijf zou mogen verwachten, vooral als het gaat om het ondersteunen van klanten in moeilijke situaties.

Ik voel me verplicht om anderen te waarschuwen voor mijn negatieve ervaring met Merchbar. Als potentiële klant is het belangrijk om te weten dat deze winkel mogelijk niet bereid is om je te helpen als er problemen ontstaan met je bestelling. Het gebrek aan klantgerichtheid en het niet actief streven naar oplossingen zijn aspecten die ik niet kan negeren bij het beoordelen van deze winkel.

Having successfully ordered from Merchbar years ago, on Mar-31-2023 I placed a backorder for a rare pressing, with the anticipated delivery timeline noted as "Up to 8 weeks (May 2023)". I never got a confirmation email for my order, although I wrote down the number. I live in Canada, and although Merchbar advertised CAD prices on their website, they charged my credit card in USD without notice... usually not a big deal to me.

3 months later I check back to see if the pressing is in stock, and observe the backorder still says "Up to 8 weeks", however now updated with the timeline Aug 2023. After waiting until August to see that the backorder is perpetually pushed back (this time to Oct 2023), and is now on sale at a significantly lower price than I paid, I connected with customer support.

Citing industry supply chain issues, they apologized for the delay and provided a refund for the sale amount (again in USD), although I was still willing to wait longer given the rarity of this album. They also finally resent proof of my purchase with tracking information.

Later on Dec-8-2023, I see there is a sale on another rare album I've been seeking, this time explicitly stated as "In Stock". I made the purchase, again noting that prices were advertised in CAD yet charged to my card in USD. After hearing nothing all week, I checked the product page which was now indicating an 8-week backorder timeline.

I reached out to customer service again asking if my purchase was indeed successful, and they repeatedly gave me the runaround, responding "We know that you would want a confirmation if the item is actually in stock. Just a brief overview of how Merchbar works..." then explaining that they are dropshippers. They spouted the same nonsense the rest of reviewers hear: industry supply chain issues, supplier partner delays, out of our control, etc. The thing is, it's not called "dropshipping" if you your suppliers never have products in stock—it's fraud.

After 9 months of Merchbar making interest on my purchase payments, I cancelled both orders and received refunds accordingly, however in USD (a huge loss with the exchange rate). Turns out their FAQ states they show other currencies for convenience, but only charge in USD.

What disgusting and fraudulent business practices. Merchbar deserves to be shut down for failure to fulfill such a massive proportion of their orders, as reported by thousands of customers.

First time I bought from Merchbar in May 2023, I had minimal problems and was happy with my merchandise. Ordered again Labor Day weekend. Customer support confirmed two weeks ago that all of the items I ordered are in stock, but it's been nearly two months and they haven't shipped. Seeing comments on their social media and talking to friends, I'm not alone in this predicament. Don't order from them.

I don't know if this company is a scam or just a middleman distributor at the mercy of poor supply management. Either way, their online store advertises shipping within a week, but I still haven't received ordered records two months out. They did reply and offer a cancellation and refund, but noted they were just experiencing "processing" issues. Just weird this company is linked via Spotify. Probably better off from buying from your local record shop, direct via artist or record label.

I ordered CD 6 months ago. They keep trying to blame it on supply partner! Don't use them are a scam!

After waiting two months with no updates from multiple emails, I was able to track down a phone number for MerchBar. I did call and did get ahold of someone. They were of no help unfortunately. A single part of my vinyl order showed up in the stipulated time frame. The bulk of the order was over two months late. I stopped payment with my credit card company and mysteriously within a day or two my order was switched to shipped. The super short version is that MerchBar is not a company I would order from again. Lack of people to talk to was a scary ideal when they have your money and no timetable for delivery of the product, nor a helpful customer service agent to ease your mind. If you like uncertainty of your order with no help from the company supplying you with the material...this company is for you. If you like communication and transparency and a guarantee you will get your ordered product timely-do not order from MerchBar.

Do NOT order from Merchbar. Just look at all the complaints. All of the CDs I have ordered from them were damaged (did get a refund) and I am currently fighting with them on another $50 order.
I exclusively order through Indiemerchstore. They have basically no complaints. Their customer service is great, and they always get everything sent out quickly.

I ordered a record on January 2023 which was mentioned in stock. I sent email every month to have news. Always the same answer: your item is in backorder. Finally decided to cancel this week after a 10 months waiting. Obtained refund today. Conclusion: I will never came back

The company is a scam. You will not receive product or be able to talk to someone. Do not purchase from them ever!

Its been over 50 days since I ordered two vinyl records from Merchbar on 7/5/2023. Each time I've reached out they hide behind fulfillment issues with their partners. BUT - each time I refer to their website (see snapshot attached), the albums I have ordered are listed as "In Stock." Merchbar sells lies and apathy, and couldn't care less about actually delivering the merchandise it sells. Look at all the reviews online and you'll see stories like mine are commonplace.