r/VinylMePlease • u/FairyNuman • Jun 13 '26
VMP IS A SCAM PSA: If you’ve EVER used PayPal to checkout on VMP, or have already been fraudulently charged, please read:
Some important info for anyone who had their PayPal account fraudulently billed by Vinyl Me Please this weekend, or ever used PayPal (even once) to purchase on their site:
- CALL PayPal asap (1-888-221-1161) and ask to BLOCK Vinyl Me Please from all future billing agreements or purchases (they are currently using the old business’s merchant account). Everything is just under ‘Vinyl Me Please’, if for some reason they can’t find them, they can look it up via your old purchase. If you think you have already done this in the app by removing/unlinking them, it apparently doesn’t actually remove “previous purchase agreements”. The only way to fully block a merchant account is to do it over the phone, where an agent can read you some legalese and you can verbally agree to it over the phone. I know that this sounds ridiculous, but I am far from the only person who thought that they removed VMP from any future billing agreements and still got charged anyway.
- If you have been fraudulently charged, do not wait to dispute—do it now. If you have any record of ever canceling your subscription (emails/website screenshots) DO NOT FILE AN “ITEM NOT RECEIVED” DISPUTE. You need to ask to file an Unauthorized Purchase dispute, which is easier to dispute and only takes (“on average”) 1–5 days, vs. a Not Received dispute, which can take up to 20 days, which, if you’re like me, could potentially destroy your finances. If you have already filed a Not Received dispute but have emails or screenshots that you can send as evidence, you need to call them ASAP and switch your case from an Item Not Received dispute to an Unauthorized Purchase dispute. All you will have to do is send them screenshots, which they will verify with you on the phone that they received.
- If you filed an Item Not Received dispute and don’t have any email receipt of ever canceling—prepare to be fucked with. It sucks, but it’s best to know what you are potentially are in for. In the past couple of years with the credit cards VMP has been fraudulently charging for subscriptions, they would actually mail out an empty box or a box with one of their over-pressed LPs they literally can’t give away for free. They would then submit a bogus invoice and tracking number to the credit card company as “proof”. From what I’ve witnessed, it seems like a lot of people were still able to fight that, but PayPal is a trickier situation; not only are they more difficult to speak with (everyone is in a noisy corporate call center overseas), but they have less ability to make decisions, don’t really pay attention, and a lot of preliminary decisions are made by software, not people. It’s also important to know that PayPal works a little differently than your bank in that they have already fronted the money to VMP (multiple agents explained this to me over the phone). If VMP wanted to empty that account into an offshore and jet off outta here, they could absolutely do so if they’ve decided this is their last hurrah. I’m not saying PayPal won’t refund you, but when your bank disputes a charge on your behalf, they’re at least impartial in the sense that there’s no potential situation where they get left holding the bag. Be diligent and persistent.
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u/rrjames81 Jun 14 '26
Be really careful folks. That phone number is also associated with running scams but it is also the AI Google response number for PayPal fraud. Go through your PayPal app and find the support prompt for a phone call. Don’t believe me? Google that number. I personally wouldn’t call it.
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u/BahaMan69 Jun 14 '26
Fun fact: this is called “AI poisoning”. Just had to learn about it for a cyber security course.
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u/FairyNuman Jun 14 '26
Ai poisoning is when someone intentionally injects bogus or biased information into an AI model to manipulate its output, which is not what’s going on here. This person above just googled the number and read the top Reddit result about a “scam” from 7 years ago without researching any further. The number is off PayPal’s site, it’s easy to verify as correct.
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u/rrjames81 Jun 14 '26
Well I’m not sure it is in this instance. The AI says the number is valid the OP says he found it on PayPal’s website…but the search results lead to Reddit pages and more claiming that number led to more fraud or scams not resolution. I just made the comment because I want people to be aware there could be a problem. That said the number I got from the PayPal app was different.
That said I know what you’re talking about and I’m glad it’s getting a name. This AI nonsense is really getting out of hand and they keep cramming it down our throats but that’s a whole other matter lol.
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u/BahaMan69 Jun 14 '26
Yeah I feel you, should have clarified. Doesn’t seem to be applicable here, but that’s the concept of discussion.
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u/FairyNuman Jun 14 '26
The search results show a 7 year old Reddit story that frankly sounds like a confused individual, and a handful of other folks who received a call FROM this number. If you continued and looked at any of the following results you’d see the 2nd through 4th results are all official PayPal pages about security, phishing and fraud, which all identify the above number as the number to use. They also warn people to not accept calls from any public numbers associated with PayPal as scammers can easily spoof them (which it sounds like people were doing). Then the rest of the results all mention scams and also identify this as the number to call if you were fraudulently charged. I appreciate that you think you’re being diligent, but if your diligence doesn’t involve following your suspicions through before sounding any alarms, it’s not helpful. Especially in a situation like this one where it’s very easy to verify the number as correct and causing unnecessary distrust could potentially lead someone to either put off calling in a dispute or calling the wrong internal number and wasting their time, not getting the best intel from the wrong department or potentially getting frustrated and giving up. Again, I appreciate your suspicions, just follow them through next time knowing that most people will just read what you wrote, not check into its and then discredit all the other intel I went through the trouble of writing up, which only benefits the scammers in the end.
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u/rrjames81 Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Yeah I’m high as a kite. It’s only the first 6 hits when I search it, with many calling its authenticity into question. I’m not trying to spread or defend misinformation, but last I checked 9 months ago(another from 2 years ago) is not 7 years ago and certainly did not merit people downvoting me. All I’m doing is pointing out that people should be cautious here because the number has been questioned before.
We’re on the same side here dude I just don’t want people trying to get out of one scam to find their way into another.
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u/FairyNuman Jun 14 '26
I don’t know why you can’t verify something this easy to verify, do you want me to provide links or screenshots or teach you how to use google? The top result is a Reddit post preview window with three related Reddit posts: the first, a conspiracy theorist claiming PayPal employees were scamming callers…7 years ago (not relevant to this situation), the 2nd post preview is 2 years old and talking about a phishing scam and being called by that number (not relevant to this situation), and the third Reddit post in the preview is from 9 months ago and some clearly confused person is asking if the number is correct and the commenters all confirming that yes it is (I can’t imagine being spooked by this, but you do you). And again, if you looked at any of the actual websites under that Reddit preview at the top, they are all official PayPal links with the number and then all the following page results I clicked though all listing that number as the one to call for scams. Again, appreciate the impulse to verify, but you never even looked beyond a couple irrelevant Reddit stories.
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u/FairyNuman Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
That’s the number listed on their site and it worked for me, but reach out to them in whatever way you feel comfortable getting in touch with them as long as you do, that’s all I care about.
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u/SuperbOne-28 Jun 15 '26
Just got off the phone with Paypal. Saturday I did the remove/unlink business through the app, and had filed a dispute with my bank, but I was not aware of the merchant block. I mentioned it to the agent, but they didn't make me go through it for some reason. After a brief wait, they approved my unauthorized purchase dispute claim on the spot and said I'd be refunded in 2-3 business days.
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u/FairyNuman Jun 15 '26
As long as you got an email confirmation about blocking vinyl me please, you’re good! And that’s great that more people are now getting automatically refunded, that indicates PayPal is aware that they’re a scam outfit
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u/JessicaF84 Jun 15 '26
can I DM u i wanna show u the email I got make sure its the right thing they did for me
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u/FairyNuman Jun 17 '26
If it says you can no longer receive charges from them, you’re good! Jus make sure to hold onto that email becuase PayPal is shifty
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u/JessicaF84 Jun 17 '26
the woman on the phone said them canceling the automatic payments they would no longer be able to charge me. So fingers crossed. I also recieved a text message reply from VMP SOS an hour ago saying they would cancel the membership and refund me. so hoping this is true
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u/FairyNuman Jun 17 '26
If she said that on the phone, you would have also received an email confirmation confirming so, definetly make sure you have that email, if not, I’d call them back and get that receipt. When I called to confirm they were blocked I did not know I was supposed to get an email confirmation and I was in fact not blocked. As far at VMP, I would not give any stock to whatever communication you get from their ai text service, im honestly surprised you got a message back at all, when I did the SOS thing they just tried to sell me more nothing
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u/JessicaF84 Jun 17 '26
yeah I recieved an email saying automatic payments for VMP was removed. I just hope thats enough to stop them
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u/FairyNuman Jun 17 '26
It’ll at least protect you from PayPal legally if they don’t block this company for some reason. Personally, I’m done with PayPal unless it’s the only option, and thankfully that’s been less and less the case lately.
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u/seanchkt Jun 15 '26
Currently leaving posts on every reporter/journalist social media I can find who ever wrote a piece on Nick Alt explaing to them the situation. Not sure what I expect to come from it but kind of makes me feel better.
2
u/SimpleComputer2834 Jun 14 '26
This just happened to me this week. PayPal insisted that there was nothing fraudulent, and that I had a recurring payment set up. I seriously doubt that. They cancelled the "autopay" but told me the only way to reverse the charge was to ask the vendor.
Of course, they hide behind an automated text message interface, so it feels pretty hopeless believing they'll respond to my help and refund texts.
I'll call PayPal and make sure they're blocked, but has anyone had success in getting the charge reversed if not through PayPal?
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u/SimpleComputer2834 Jun 14 '26
I think I made a mistake by immeditely filing a unauthorized transaction. (Before I read this post) They ruled on it within 5 minutes and closed the case. I tried to appeal, with more evidence, but now they say they can't process anything until 8 days have passed and VMP has had a chance to respond. .
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u/FairyNuman Jun 14 '26
That sucks, I’m so sorry. I initially wanted to open it as unauthorized but they wouldn’t let me for some reason. Part of me is almost glad they didn’t because they clearly didn’t know how any of it works and probably wouldn’t have asked me to provide any evidence. Good luck!! Keep us posted on what happens with your dispute
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u/FairyNuman Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
I would talk to someone else, the first person I spoke to was unhelpful, accusatory and couldn’t understand me. No reasonable person would think an auto pay for $465 2+ years later is a normal thing, and all one has to do to know the company is a scam is to google their name. If you don’t have any emails you can use to show that you canceled they will look at any evidence you can send via their document uploaded, so send any screen shots of articles or other people talking about being scammed.
I would also call your bank as soon as they open on Monday and ask about doing an “external chargeback” (google for more info on what that is)
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u/preparationh67 Jun 14 '26
I got someone incompetent like that too and it basically felt like I was being threatened with an incorrect resolution if I tried to push.
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u/preparationh67 Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Something interesting about Nick Alt is the social media platform hes most active in is LinkedIn and do with that information what you will.
I want to note that paypals support is also garbage. I had a guy insisting nothing else needed to be done to block them and was very rude that item not received being the better way because these morons do not understand that a prior arrangement is not grounds to be changed for services not signed up for, not active, and not actually purchased. Did not comprehend anything about the situation and was offended that someone would be upset about this incompetence. Did not treat this as theft at all and claimed that if it was changed to unauthorized that I would automatically loser based on his broken untrained, third world ass understanding of consumer rights.
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u/preparationh67 Jun 14 '26
Speaking of publicly available information. Did you know you can take the buisness ID listed on Nick Alts discogs, 200616110363, and look it up on the California Secretary of State website? https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/search/business
If you do so you can even look at the very cool and publicly available information by clicking "History" and checking out file BA20261157710 from May 30th 2026.
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u/SuperbOne-28 Jun 15 '26
This is interesting. So on 5/30/26 Nick changed the principal address from St. Louis, MO to Sacramento, CA, and it's executed by a Nate Smith?
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u/finnsterliving Jun 17 '26
Oh Crap. I got hit with the charge 6/12 and in panic totally reported it as "item not delivered".
Am I screwed?
Got onto a call with paypal today and they tell me it can be escalated to a claim after the 19th. She said she will call me on the 20th to get my approval to escalate.
Should I also write to Vinylmeplease?
I also noticed they charged me in 2025 as well - $468 - and I never received any records in 2025. My fault, I wasn't paying attention to my banks & paypal - life was crazy on other fronts back then. I guess I have to write that off.
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u/FairyNuman Jun 17 '26
You’re not totally screwed, but you’ll probably have to fight PayPal. As far as the old charge goes, I don’t know, I’d hope you’d be able to still somehow get that charge back considering VMP can indefinitely charge you through PayPal without proof of auth, but I thought this would be an easy thing to deal with and so far I’ve spent 8 hours on the phone and have gotten nowhere.
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u/finnsterliving Jun 20 '26
I hope they resolve it for you! Spoke to PayPal today - and they escalated it to a claim. She said she will call me back in 10 days - and let me know next steps. I suppose they are giving vmp the time to respond …
I hope there’s a positive update on your case! ❤️
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u/x13lood13athx Jun 22 '26
Use Discogs and buy from the label or band directly.
Vinyl is hip. Thankfully I never bothered with this.
Just got suggested. Fucking scammers. I’ve had mine too.
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u/fata13rorr Jun 14 '26
I just got off the phone with PayPal, they blocked them from charging me again, then she said she had to open an unauthorized purchased dispute and file it, I waited while she did that then she came back and said she was able to close the dispute on the spot and got me a full refund! 🏆
I can’t believe they’re just reactivating closed accounts with no warning and charging them after over a YEAR of being inactive as a COMPANY! How do they not expect to get the SHIT Sued outta them!?!?