Frequently Asked Questions

Hot Stampers are records with sound that goes far beyond the average pressing of that album. We find them by cleaning and comparing multiple copies of the same record. All of our Hot Stamper records carry a 100% Money Back Guarantee. You can read more about Hot Stampers here.

What are the different levels of Hot Stampers?

All Hot Stampers have earned Single Plus to Double Plus (A+ to A++) ratings on both sides. Super Hot Stampers will have at least one Double Plus (A++) side, and White Hot Stampers will have at least one Triple Plus (A+++) side

How are the records graded?

We find, clean and play a large number of pressings for any title we offer (a process we call "shootouts") and make notes about the sound of each copy on both sides. After going through all of our copies and comparing them to the Reference copies we keep on hand, we then assign each side of each copy a grade for sound. Triple Plus (A+++) is our top grade.

We do not typically assign grades to sides that don't rate above A+ -- it becomes clear to us quickly that these are not Hot Stamper sides and we do not waste time on them.

You can learn more about our rating system here.

What is a 2-pack?

If a record rates as a Hot Stamper on one side but not on the other, we will often combine it with another pressing to create a 2-pack in order to provide you with Hot Stamper sound for both sides.

These 2-packs are typically offered at a discount compared to what the price of a single copy with the same grades would be. They are an excellent way to learn about pressing variations since you can compare the sides with high ratings to the less impressive sides that back them.

Why is the album cover I received not as nice as the one pictured in the product listing?

Every album cover pictured on the site is generic and does not represent the quality of the cover you will receive. With that said, we do try to show the correct album cover for the pressing we're selling, with all of the correct cover markings, catalog number, label logo position, etc.

We will do our best to provide you with the best possible cover we have on hand at the time of shipment. However, there are only so many beautiful covers left for some of these vintage albums (Deadheads, I'm looking at you) and the better ones do tend to ship with our most expensive records.

I think I have a Hot Stamper. Will you grade my copy?

Unfortunately, our tight shootout schedule leaves us no time for evaluating records you may own already. You can always grab a Hot Stamper from our site and do the comparison on your own. If our copy doesn't beat yours, feel free to return the Hot Stamper for a full refund within 30 days.

Will you ever do a shootout for [album]?

Maybe? We're willing to give almost anything a try, provided there are enough copies out there in used record land and enough customer demand to make it worth our trouble. If there's an old favorite of yours that you've never seen on the site but would like to hear with Hot Stamper sound, let us know. We can't make any promises, but we'll certainly give it our best shot!

How do I register on the site?

New customers can register here.

What is the return policy?

Hot Stampers may be returned for full credit for any reason within thirty days of purchase. We are happy to refund 100% of your payment directly to your credit card or Paypal account upon receipt of the record, no questions asked. (If you would like to tell us in what way you felt our Hot Stamper pressing fell short -- sound, condition, music -- naturally we would very much like to know.)

Please do not return any record until you have contacted us about the problem. When returning records, we ask that you follow the packing and shipping instructions listed below.

After we receive your record, it may take 2-3 business days for us to process your refund. After that, it can take 7-10 days for the refund to show on your bank statement.

How should I go about returning a record?

No Return Authorization is necessary, but we ask that you let us know via email what the problem with the record is. If it is a noise or distortion issue, please be specific as to its location on the record so that we can check it for ourselves.

Please pack the record carefully to ensure that the vinyl and jacket arrive back in the same condition as we sent them.

If possible, use the box we sent your original order in (assuming it has not been damaged; if it is not sound, do not use it). You may prefer to use a priority mail box or an oversize mailer. Never use a standard record mailer; they're too flimsy to protect the cover properly. Many records packed in these mailers have arrived badly damaged, even destroyed.

Take the LP out of the jacket (but leave it in its inner sleeve) and sandwich it next to the jacket. Next, place the "sandwich" in a standard plastic outer sleeve. This method absolutely prevents split seams and is highly recommended. (We ship records out this way and virtually never have a problem.)

Oversized boxes, bubble wrap, cardboard stiffeners -- use whatever you like so long as it works. We recommend sandwiching the LP between two pieces of cardboard slightly larger than the jacket, held together by rubber bands to keep the vinyl from sliding around. This "sandwich" should then be placed in an oversize box with cushioning.

Our thanks in advance for all your efforts in this regard. Records that arrive damaged create serious problems for us, so please make every effort to pack your return well.

We recommend Media Mail with Delivery Confirmation. Under no circumstances should anything be returned to us that can't be tracked, or its delivery confirmed, especially if it has much value.

Our address is:

Better Records
766 Lakefield Rd, Ste B
Westlake Village, CA 91361

If the issue in question is our mistake, we are more than happy to send you a UPS return label via email.

Can I trade in a Hot Stamper towards a better one?

More and more folks have been trading up from their old Hot Stampers to better sounding versions, and we think that's great. As your listening skills grow and your stereo improves, it is only natural that you may want even better sounding copies of your favorites.

If you would like to move up to a better copy of an album you have bought from us within the last 12 months, we will under most circumstances offer a credit of 75% of your original purchase price.

Your original copy must arrive back in the same condition as when you received it. We cannot offer any credit on Hot Stampers that were purchased more than one year earlier. We do not allow trade-ins towards copies of equal or lesser value, or to copies of different albums. All upgrades are made at our discretion, and we reserve the right to decline any upgrade request.

Can you notify me if an album I want is about to go up on the site?

If there's a record that you're interested in and we don't currently have any copies on the site, feel free to let us know by using this link and we'll do our best to notify you the next time we have something available.

What should I do if my discount code isn't working?

If you cannot get a discount code to work, just make a note in the order comments and we will make sure that it is applied correctly, as well as processing any applicable refund.

Do you sell gift certificates?

We sure do. They can found here.

How do I get on your mailing list?

We have a weekly mailer that goes out to all customers, which is where we put virtually all the best sounding records that come our way. (The best records usually sell within hours of the mailer going out, which results in few of them ever making it to the site.) We will automatically add you to our mailing list when you place your first order, or you can sign up via this form.

If you don't want to receive these mailings, you may opt out. Please note that once you opt out, you will to sign up again yourself.

What payment methods can I use?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover; Paypal; checks, money orders and wire transfers. Larger checks may take up to 10-14 days to clear. If you would like to call and give us your credit card information over the phone, so as to avoid sending this information over the Internet, we are happy to accommodate you.

If you would like to pay by a method other than a credit card, login using "Bill Me" as the payment method where it asks for your credit card, which will allow you to register without entering any credit card information. Once your order is invoiced, we will send you a total which must be paid before shipping.

Orders paid for by credit card must be shipped to the cardholder's billing address. Orders paid through Paypal must be shipped to the address registered with them. Special arrangements will, of course, be made for smaller orders or established customers.

Domestic Shipping Information

If your order is less than $150, we'll charge you a flat-rate of $8 for UPS Ground shipping or a flat-rate of $5 for USPS Media Mail shipping.

If your order is more than $150, we'll ship to you via UPS Ground or USPS Media Mail, free of charge.

UPS Ground typically takes 1-5 business days. USPS Media Mail can take anywhere from 5-10 days. If you would like your order expedited, we offer faster UPS and USPS shipping options at checkout.

For domestic customers, if it's your first order and you are not happy with your purchase for any reason, we will refund your original shipping charge if there is one and we'll also pay for return USPS Media Mail shipping to us.

Please note that there is a processing time of 1 business day for every order. Orders placed after 12pm PST are treated as if they came in the next business day.

International Shipping Information

We offer international shipping via both UPS International and the USPS.

Please contact us if you have any special customs needs.

Shipping single LPs internationally can be quite expensive. You can get much more value from international shipping costs if you build up a batch of 3+ records, and ship them together. For that reason, we offer a 'Hold My Records' option at checkout. This allows you to checkout the record you'd like (before it sells to anyone else) without paying any shipping costs up front. When you're ready to ship, just let us know and we'll send you an invoice for the shipping amount.

NOTE: We no longer ship international packages with a value of more than $180 using USPS First Class mail. We are happy to ship your order via UPS International, USPS Express Mail or USPS Priority Mail.

What are the site discount rules?

We often offer discount deals in our weekly mailer. Discounts may only be used on new purchases, never on upgrades or previous purchases. All discounts may be used once per customer unless otherwise noted.

If an active discount is not working or will not apply correctly, you can still place the order as normal. We will retroactively apply the correct discount, along with any necessary refunds, while processing your order. Please note that discounts are only valid for records that are in the section linked to in our weekly emails.

The discounts in our weekly emails, both the Wednesday email and reminder email on Friday, expire at midday the following Wednesday unless stated otherwise.

Records included in our weekly Wednesday evening emails are ineligible for the discount.

I have a question that's not answered here. How can I contact you?

If you have a question that's not answered on this page, the fastest way to get a response is by using our contact form. Please note that a phone number is not required to submit your inquiry.

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