James P.

Over the last 10 years I have bought over 60 cds from this company, including its previous incarnations as e-stocks (eBay) and Zoverstocks (Amazon). I am a big music collector and so in a good position to judge their service compared with other companies. In my opinion I think they are being protected by eBay because of the volume of custom they bring. I cannot judge them as a purchaser of items.

The first thing to note is that there is no meaningful quality control: 'very good' discs are often scratched or dirty. At least a tenth are virtually unplayable. I have simply received refunds in those occasions because there is clearly no profit in returning a faulty disc. Often the sale figure is low and I suspect their business operation is just a numbers game with the acceptance of some refunds.

However, I recently bought a Handel 3-disc opera for a far more substantial amount of money. 2 of the discs were missing plus the booklet. I received a free post address to return it, which I did the same day. After two weeks no refund, and eBay has closed the case because I took too long to return it.

I am seriously considering abandoning eBay, but I have certainly bought my last disc from Music Magpie. It has been fascinating to read these reviews. From my long-time experience, their quality control was never good. But as they have become more successful the operation seems to be more of a scam