After facing criticism from music fans online, Rough Trade has suspended its new scheme for selling vinyl records. The scheme was announced on August 2, intending to allow people to swap “pre-loved records for cash with FlipVinyl”. Almost immediately, people began to notice that the high-value records were being offered at low prices by the company. The scheme was described as ill-advised, and soon after, Rough Trade UK withdrew the service to “give us time to reassess” the situation.
Lawrence Montgomery, managing director of Rough Trade UK, said in a post on social media that the company made wrong assumptions and that people viewed this service as inappropriate. Customers saw Rough Trade as profiteering rather than offering a mutually beneficial service. The company takes full responsibility for the feedback and has decided to suspend the service for reassessment.
Criticism of the service was widespread. Social media users saw this as a “genuine shame” to see the once fiercely proud and independent Rough Trade bow to the greed of opportunistic capitalism. Another customer wrote, “Who dreamt up this scheme? You’re offering next to nowt, with no transparency about how the records are being sold on. Putting the word Flip in the title shows exactly what you’re at.”
Previously, Rough Trade had issued a statement stating that the service would not be suitable for people seeking to maximise collectible items. However, for anyone looking to trade casually for a quick turn-around to make space, the service could prove beneficial.
Rough Trade, known for being an independent music retailer, has six branches in the UK, including its most recent opening in Liverpool. The company is known for promoting independent artists and providing a platform for them to share their music. However, this service proved to be unpopular among its customers, and Rough Trade will reassess before launching this type of service again
Read the full article on NME here: Read More
