It's Hard to Find the Hard to Find CDs
on This Confusing Site
Songsearch
I rarely buy CDs these days. I prefer to download songs (legally) right to my computer and bypass having to rip the CDs and add them to my iPod or whatever. However, when a family member had a birthday and requested a couple CDs for gifts, I went searching around. Normally, I will just go to Wal-Mart or wherever music is sold and pick up a CD but he wanted a relatively rare band and title and I couldn't find it at the normal outlets.
A search brought up Songsearch Online Store. I found what I needed but it wasn't easy and I won't be back unless I need something rare that they have and other sites don't.
What the Site Sells
The site sells music CDs of many varieties. Many of the CDs are rare, imports, or older but they also have current artists and releases. They sell movies as well but they look to be old stuff and not their main focus. In addition, they have a few accessories you can buy as well on the site.
Navigation
The site is simple looking. The homepage is filled with many different clickable CD covers from all genres of music. Enjoy them because those are the last photos you will see on the site.
There are several ways to find what you are looking for. You can search by Artist/Band/Movie, Album/CD title, or Song title. You can also search artists from A-Z or Title from A-Z.
Lastly, you can browse the many categories of music and movies they carry.
I hate the search function. It brings up things but many that don't relate at all and, even the stuff that does, takes you to a page of links with no photos or anything to help you know whether you are choosing the right thing. Prices are high because most are imports or special limited editions. I tried to look for Nickelback as a test and I had a hard time finding the band and, when I did, I was offered a list of really expensive Japanese imports and other stuff when all I wanted was their current CD. I got so confused that I ordered the CD I wanted and left the site with a headache.
There are no photos after the homepage and I rely on the covers at times when looking for CDs or movies. The site is just really tough to navigate, has way too many needless links before you reach your intended destination, and the lack of visual cues confuses me especially when things are special imports and such.
Anyway, once you find what you want, the rest is pretty simple.
Click to put the item(s) in your cart. If the item is an import, you will be notified that it will take a long time (They will give you a timeframe. In my case 2-3 weeks.) to ship out. If you are OK with that, click to confirm that you want the item. Not all choices will take extra time to arrive but imports and special orders do.
If your order is over $25.00, you get free shipping in the US and Canada. Below that, it is $2.99 to start and goes up per number of items. Rarely will you go over the $2.99 shipping before you hit the $25.00 free shipping threshold.
Go to checkout and you can choose to have your item gift wrapped for a fee or to buy a CD opener. If you don't want either,i just skip the offers and keep going.
There are four choices you can choose from to pay. Pay by credit card to be shipped to your billing address, pay by credit card to be shipped to another address, pay by credit card by FAX, or order through credit card through postal mail. If you have errors when you choose from those options, you can choose the same options with a different encryption.
I chose to pay by credit card and have the item shipped to my house.
Supply your major credit card details, expiry, and CVV2 code (which I hate to give out) and fill in your address and email and all the usual stuff. You can write a short note to customer service if you want on the checkout form. Click to submit your order and you will get a confirmation number and email.
You will get an email when the order ships. If, by 10 days your order hasn't shipped, they will write to see if you want to continue waiting for your items. That is what the FAQs say but my order didn't ship for 20 days and no one asked me if I wanted to cancel or anything. I just got a letter saying the order was shipped.
If all goes well, you will get your order and everything will work out fine.
My Experience
I really didn't enjoy shopping on the site. Navigation is confusing and I couldn't find a lot of what I looked for. I did find the import I was actually there for though and, while it was a bit expensive, at least it was available for me to purchase.
Once I found it, the rest was easy. Checkout was simple and I did get a confirmation email immediately. I didn't hear again from the site for 20 days but I finally was told the item was shipped. It arrived a week or so later and was what I needed.
I am glad I found the CD but man! I never want to go back there unless I really have to. I just really didn't like the confusing navigation and lack of any visuals or photos. The site's not aesthetically pleasing at all but I suppose collectors and serious music buyers really don't need a lot of help to find what they want and don't care about graphics or photos.
It took quite a while for my order but I expected it would and it did come to me undamaged so I can't complain.
I had no need to use customer service.
I just don't want to shop there again unless I really have to.
Shipping and Returns
The site ships worldwide. They offer free shipping on orders over $25.00 in the US and Canada. Under that amount, it depends on the number of items you have in your cart but shipping costs are quite low.
Tax is only charged to California residents.
I can find no information on returns. I searched the site and saw nothing. That is a negative. I suggest writing or calling if you are concerned about returns. I didn't even think to call them because I was certain I had chosen the right CD.
Contact Info
They have an email form on the site to ask questions.
Phone: 1-(877) 995-7664
FAX for orders and questions: 1-(909) 792-0047
Postal Address:
Songsearch
P.O. Box 9237
Redlands, CA 92375
Conclusion
This site is probably valuable to those who are collectors or who like/need hard to find, imports, and rare CDs and, to a lesser extent, DVDs.
I found what I wanted and things went well but navigation is crazy. It's really tough to find what you want and it's all text and links. I guess I am more visual and want graphics or, at least, play lists which are not on every choice, just some of the choices.
This is a niche music and movie site which I don't recommend to the masses but I do to those looking for rare, hard to find, and imported CDs. I will go with 3 stars because of the bad set up of the site and I will recommend the site but ONLY if you can't find what you are looking for at conventional CD sites. Prices on mainstream stuff is about the same as you would pay anywhere and navigation is just so awful, why put yourself through it if you don't have to?
Recommended:
Yes
