2000 AD Online Forum

God forbid we might be able to get a good deal in this country.  This turned up in my inbox from CDWOW this morning:


"The UK Major record companies through their mouth piece the BPI* have unfortunately restricted the UK and Irish consumers right to enjoy the freedom of the World Wide Web.

As from this weekend, any CD ordered for delivery to the UK and Ireland will incur a surcharge as we are only able to deliver CDs manufactured within the EU (more expensive).

Delivery to the rest of the world will not be affected."


How irritating is that?!?

Grumpy Matt.

That is ridiculous, bad enough that we have to wait a while for films, music and games to be released over here, we now get charged more for them!

Sounds like a job for Liberal Stalin.

And the BPI want to have VAT on CD's cut as well so they can make more money.  They are currently lobbying the EU with the backing of Jean Michelle Jarre to get their evil way.

It's pretty alarming how they can basically bully companies and governments into changing the way they run things.

The upshot of the CDWOW thing is that it will just encourage more piracy as people are obviously willing to buy CD's if they are less expensive, for some reason the BPI thinks that ought to mean the government drop the VAT as opposed to them selling them for less.

I always use cdwow.hk (the hong kong version of the site). U pay in HK $, but otherwise its exactly the same as cdwow.uk (free delivery etc)except its even cheaper!! (more like ?7.50 for a cd than ?8.99, most dvd's for ?11).
Anyway I'll be interested to see if the HK version's prices are amended after Saturday - I'm hoping this little known route wil stay withoutthe BPI surcharge.
Altho' tbh I download most of my music using Audiognome. Or i get order a CD from my local library, take it out, then copy it.

Yeah,I've been using the HK version since you pointed it out to me, Marb- let's hope they fall outside of the jurisdiction of the sodding EU...

This really hissed me off when I heard about it.  The only reason I don't rip CDs like I used to, or purchase pirate copies, is due to the likes of CD-WoW.  I don't mind spending a couple of quid on a CD if I've only heard one or two songs by a band if the price is right.  But, I wont take the risk at high-street prices.  Better to do what Marbles says and 'borrow' them from the library.

I hope the HK site stays the same as it is.

Marbles:  How much does the Credit Card company charge you for conversion?  Or what typical exchange rates are you getting?

conversion rates are pretty close to usual tourist rates i think. certainly no rip-off xrate charges on using my CC (something i was concerned about too before my first use of the HK site). about HK$ 14.5 to the ?1 a few months ago as I recall.

Yeah, I got that note from CD-Wow too....  the HK thing is rather sneaky...  Are these items still shipping from the UK, or do they come from HK (and therefore take longer)?  In the past, when I've ordered through the UK site, delivery seems to take about 3 or 4 days.  Is that also true of the HK one?

Not sure to be honest.  It can't have taken much longer than normal or I'd have moaned about it by now!  I think both companies import from HK anyway.

AFAIK the company/stock of cd's is physically one & the same thing, so I've not expereinced any delays in delivery (3-4 days normally). Just different websites for different regions.
As I say, dunno whether the HK version will escape the BPI ruling - have to wait for the w/e to find out (ruling comes into effect on Saturday I think).

those idiots in the BPI, last week they were complaining that piracy is killing the market, doing what they can to encourage sharing and copying by forcing the price up.

"single sales are falling because of filing swapping!"

bollox, they are falling cos a single can cost half the price of an album.

Exactly.  I never buy singles these days.  What's the point?  You may as well buy the entire album off the net and so long as you like at least one other track, you're no worse off.  If you like any others- bonus!

Anyone got a link to the HK site? I'm failing to work it out myself.
www.cdwow.hk isn't working.

http://www4.cd-wow.com.hk/

Ta.

I was never going to guess "www4."!

mp3
baaaaaaaaa

So I've just ordered the Fellowship of the Ring extended 4disc edition for the equivilant of ?13.29 - bargain, compared to ?21.99 at HMV.

I'm guessing that anything with the import sticker (ie being imported into the EU) on it will incur an additional charge so if you try then either CD-Wow will automatically add ?2 onto the cost of any cd sent to the UK or C&E will do and it'll end up costing even more than normal.
Doesn't affect dvd's though but then I've not seen much of a difference in cost apart from some Region 0 ones.

Import duty, or custom's charges if you prefer are only incured on items costing ?18 or more. Note tho that this ?18 does include the cost of postage too. You can get away with ?34 if the item is a gift.

Alan!

The moral of this particulary nasty story is RIP RIP RIP..do unto them as they do unto you

Yeah, I sent an email to CDWow (and got a lovely reply) today giving my support and telling them I'll still buy my games and DVDs from them but will happily buy ripped music CD's 'cos I refuse to give fat twat record comanies my money, grrrr!

Pete.

what like was the reply pete?

This is disgusting eh, i mean its small fry really but still the principals involved suck. tell you i'm pretty sick of the UK, ( well okay my home village more specifically ), i'm pretty sure i'd bail out of britain if i could.. mutter mutter down the pan blah blah

54% agree with you apparently bou....due to relationship hell i off back to uk...fortunately...family in nz say 'come here'

well

why not eh

http://www.hawkesbaynz.com/

NZ's a top place JD almost like its part of Australia(the good bits anyway)Just remember the two month delay on progs(if u want em at a decent price)...

CU Krestel

I'd upstix and move to NZ tomorrow- but Sara's not having any of it.

I would have been raised there if not for my idiot Dad.  Nice one Dad...

Oi, Monkeyeyebrows!

Great icon!

 two month delay on progs

wonder if i could get rebellion and a ozzy printer matched up..electronically sent to oz...printed in oz...sorted out to shops by meeeeeee...

probably not...ho hum...2 months wait...i will just have to live with it

Is that a two month delay if you're subscribing? or 2 month delay buying in your local comic shop?

    Steve

Cheers- I like it loads more than anything else I've used recently.  I feel it shows my inner self*.

Hopefully I'll not get so bored of this one...

Matt

*I think it shows my outer self as well...

yes it is rather blue & grumpy huh ? but nice ...

Ah well, I've done the "nice" bit, so I can get back to taking the piss.  I worked out where it looks familiar from!

Remember "Trading Places"?  
At the end (SPOILER) Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd are left with the unconscious Clarence Beakes, a gorilla costume, and a real gorilla in a cage.

Remember a little later on, the look on the fake gorilla's face when someone comments "that must be the, uh, female."?

Careful now... It's the same monkey that pulled off several boarders' heads in a fit of pique...

hey, CD-WOW got til monday now......

Bah!  Another question answered:

"This surcharge applies to all of the CD WOW! websites and URLs where the delivery addresses are either the UK or Ireland."

Bloody EU...

Check it out- result:

"WOW! We've been able to remove the additional charges for deliveries to the UK and Ireland on CDs.

We've been working our little cotton socks off to source our Chart Albums within the EU at the lowest possible price and cutting our margins even more.

In simple terms, from today the additional charges are no longer applicable. Chart CDs remain at ?8.99 including deliveries to the UK - yippeee!

There have been a few cutbacks in the office, I'm working out of the YMCA and using an etch-a-sketch as my PC was sold.

But fear not - you get our great CD price - and I'm loving the YMCA tomato soup!

Thank you for your overwhelming support!

Warmest Regards,
CD WOW!"



Now that's what I like to see- a company willing to make a bit of extra effort rather than just pass on the cost to the customer.  Eat that Railtrack (or whatever it is you're officially called now).

Went into Argos yesteday... what I wanted had sold out, grump wasted journy etc. Ah ha thinks I, I'll try their web site... wot! nearly 4 quid delivery, not paying that! Google google... blimey Amazon sell them... ok, not quite what I'm looking for but it's HALF the price, lets add a really cheap cd and it's free delivery as well.

I think I'm gonna do all my shopping on the web...

What use is Jean Michelle Jarre to the BPI in their battle against VAT?  I've got this picture of him using lasers to bust into a curiously futuristic '80s style government building.  Probably as Tom Selleck's techno-whizz sidekick.

But even if you manage to get stuff cheaper from another country, you'll still get screwed this end. I got Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Larry Sander's Show on DVD from America for my birthday, they took ages to arrive, and then I recieved a note from the Post Office saying Her Majesty's Bloody Customs and Excise had stuck on a ?11.46 surcharge! People just know that they can take the piss with the citizens of this country. Especially after last year, when record companies agreed to drop the prices of CDs in America to between $6-8 (were talking about your average chart CDs), due to falling sales and a slowing down of the economy. Meanwhile, over here, sales have actually remained fairly constant, despite a worsening economic climate, so we face no change. Basically, we're being punished for buying proportionally more than America and supporting the record companies during a fallow period.

I say to everyone, use the libraries, use your friends, use the internet, steal if you have to, but BURN ALL YOUR CDS, and PAY FOR NOTHING!

I'm in two minds about this: where the price difference is due to varying levels of taxation around the world then I'm with Customs and Excise.  We have higher taxes than the US (but substantially lower than much of Europe) so we can have comprehensive state education, health care and welfare systems.

But where it is the BPI trying to set up isolated regions where they can manage prices, cartel-style...

All I'm saying is that we should be charged the same proportionate rate as other major population centres, or that if we are forced into buying from abroad then we should be told honestly about all the charges we will face up front.

The Beatles 5 DVD Anthology on CD WOW (Hong Kong)
just over ?15 and free postage... happy days!

And thanks to which ever boarder here mentioned about CD WOW's Hong Kong site, I picked up the new Planet of the Apes (1968) (R3)DVD set for ?9

Can you say "not out inthe UK yet"? ;-)

Ed

Just to say - Fellowship of the Ring arrived yesterday (although my prog didn't!) extended 4-disc version nicely priced at HK$189.99 (that's under ?14 to you & me). Far better then the ?30 priced identical version I saw in HMV at the weekend!

I find HMV's only use these days is to actually gaze upon a CD/DVDs case and packaging while waiting for my copy to arrive mail order, vastly over priced.

(Mind you The Stranglers cd single was cheap :-)

Ed