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Post by fuurei on Sept 6, 2016 21:05:05 GMT
Yes! As another person who lives in the US but does get CDs occasionally (I am old fashioned and like to have physical artifacts of things I own, when I can), I would love the "hold until all CDs are released" option.
If the choice were between waiting to order all CDs in a bundle after they are released and ordering the download subscription, my choice would be the download because I'm impatient and wouldn't want to wait to hear the stories. Getting the downloads as they're released and the CDs in one package when it's all done would be an ideal balance.
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Post by redsharkJason on Sept 7, 2016 1:10:50 GMT
I think the "hold until all CDs are released" option is worth talking about. I would be bummed to not have the discs right away when they come out, but I could deal with it if it brings the price down. I'm reluctantly thinking along those same CD subscription purchasing lines. The kicker with waiting until all of the CDs are released is that you'll also be waiting for its matching downloads. 9 months for a FDA: Series 6 subscription and longer for a 12 title Main Range one.  Having the ability to be able to pre-order (not available yet) a CD subscription that allows for immediate digital access to its titles with retro bundle shipping would be more favourable. |
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Post by Digi on Sept 7, 2016 1:21:40 GMT
A nice alternative might be to discount the physical sale price if your account already bought the digital version. Say a $25 physical release is offered at $10 digital, you buy that, and could later buy the physical at the $15 difference. Granted I have no idea how that would work with sales, but what's one more mess at this point?  |
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 7, 2016 1:35:08 GMT
I would very much be okay with shipping everything out at the end of a series run or quarterly with the Main Range. Otherwise, well, I'm going to end up spending a lot less money with BF.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 7, 2016 1:42:37 GMT
The other thing I'd throw out there for US subscribers is Alien Entertainment. They are the stateside distributors of BF and it might be worth investigating how shipping shakes out there on their end.
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Post by frobisherthepenguin1 on Sept 7, 2016 2:00:30 GMT
It might be nice if BF could develop a stronger relationship with Alien Entertainment or WhoNA to allow us to continue to order through BF to get the downloads (and use the App), but then let Alien Entertainment or WhoNA do the physical domestic distribution.
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Post by redsharkJason on Sept 7, 2016 3:18:38 GMT
On one hand, I applaud Big Finish for trying to help lessen the international shipping costs with the retro subscription bundling option (which still could be perfected).
But on the other hand, I still get a feeling that Big Finish isn't offering fair value shipping rates to its international customers within some of its other possible buying configurations.
Another one of my moaning examples:
A FDA: Series 5 (8 title) retro subscription costs £10 for shipping.
A FDA: Series 5 (8 title) per order charge bought separately costs £18.50 for shipping.
Both with the same contents, same parcel dimensions and delivered by the same courier.
Note: all "per order charge" single release 1-2CD orders of 8 titles costs £18.50 for shipping.
Could Big Finish in realty be making a small shipping fee profit on some of the "per order charge" order size configurations...?
When I buy books from WhoOne and pay too much on their online shipping estimate, they then always *faithfully* refund me the the overcharge.
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Post by Whovitt on Sept 7, 2016 5:29:46 GMT
When I buy books from WhoOne and pay too much on their online shipping estimate, they then always *faithfully* refund me the the overcharge. I've been looking at getting some books through them! Can you give me any indication of shipping costs (per book, per group of four, or whatever number you buy in one go)? I'm very interested in their expansive collection of VNAs in particular... Thanks in advance!  |
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Post by fuurei on Sept 7, 2016 21:18:51 GMT
Having now experimented a bit more with the various shipping options, I'm now a bit more confused about exactly how the shipping changes work out for subscriptions and bundles.
If I add a single release (for example, The Torchwood Archive) to my basket, I get the expected £1.50 shipping charge for a standard jewel case and £6.50 per-order charge, as the new shipping explanation says.
If I add a subscription (for example, the new Torchwood monthly range), I get a $40.22 shipping charge, which works out to about £30, or £5 per disc. This is equal to neither the £1.50 reported shipping charge for each individual disc, nor the £8 combined shipping + per-order charge, so I don't understand where this number comes from. No explicit per-order charge is included here.
And if I add a bundle of already-released box sets (for example, the Dark Eyes 1-4 bundle) then the shipping charge works out to £16, or £4 per box (which is different from the £3 per box documented on the shipping site), also with no per-order charge.
So all in all I'm not sure this page explaining shipping rates is telling the whole story, and where all these numbers are coming from. (Edit: Somehow I missed the line that said subscriptions & bundles "are calculated based on the specific content included and the postage timeline for the items." Which still isn't the most illuminating, but the numbers above seem to be what it works out to.)
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 7, 2016 23:43:46 GMT
I don't really frequent the Big Finish Facebook page, so could someone fill me in on the discussions that are going on there, any substantive BF responses to concerns and has the hold & ship the entire series upon completion option been raised and/or commented on? Thanks ahead of time.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 0:21:02 GMT
I don't really frequent the Big Finish Facebook page, so could someone fill me in on the discussions that are going on there, any substantive BF responses to concerns and has the hold & ship the entire series upon completion option been raised and/or commented on? Thanks ahead of time. So far from what I have seen, they have only been explaining any questions people might have, but nothing we haven't figured out. In regards to hold until series complete option, there has not been any mentions as of yet. Hope this helps.  |
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Post by redsharkJason on Sept 8, 2016 4:36:53 GMT
When I buy books from WhoOne and pay too much on their online shipping estimate, they then always *faithfully* refund me the the overcharge. I've been looking at getting some books through them! Can you give me any indication of shipping costs (per book, per group of four, or whatever number you buy in one go)? I'm very interested in their expansive collection of VNAs in particular... Thanks in advance! : 1x BBC: PDA/EDA or Virgin: NA/MA novel costs £9.00. 2x BBC: PDA/EDA or Virgin: NA/MA novel costs £10.50. 4x BBC: PDA/EDA or Virgin: NA/MA novel costs £13.50 1x BF single CD costs £4.50. Conversely, from BigFinish.com it costs £8.00. 2x BF single CD costs £6.00. Conversely, from BigFinish.com it costs £9.50. 4x BF single CD costs £9.00. Conversely, from BigFinish.com it costs £12.50. Bottom line - Big Finish in many cases is NOT providing their international customers with the most faithful postal rates. I'm prepared to pay my fair share for shipping when *sincerely* applied... |
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Post by redsharkJason on Sept 8, 2016 5:32:22 GMT
It costs £3.50 postage to Canada for Baker's End: The king of Cats from Bafflegab. I was waiting to see (starting in October from other vendors) if I could buy that CD from BigFinish.com, but it would unfairly cost £8.00 to have it sent from them.  |
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Post by mark687 on Sept 8, 2016 9:55:23 GMT
I don't really frequent the Big Finish Facebook page, so could someone fill me in on the discussions that are going on there, any substantive BF responses to concerns and has the hold & ship the entire series upon completion option been raised and/or commented on? Thanks ahead of time. There's a general feeling of confusion/anger from international fans especially with several saying they'll switch to Dl or purchase elsewhere from now on. BF's only response so far has been to repost the shipping rates page.
Regards
mark687
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 8, 2016 12:42:31 GMT
I don't really frequent the Big Finish Facebook page, so could someone fill me in on the discussions that are going on there, any substantive BF responses to concerns and has the hold & ship the entire series upon completion option been raised and/or commented on? Thanks ahead of time. There's a general feeling of confusion/anger from international fans especially with several saying they'll switch to Dl or purchase elsewhere from now on. BF's only response so far has been to repost the shipping rates page.
Regards
mark687
Well, that is unsurprising. |
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 8, 2016 13:07:18 GMT
I just posted a longish cry for help on the BF Facebook page.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 13:10:13 GMT
I just posted a longish cry for help on the BF Facebook page. I am not on Facebook, so let us know how you get on! |
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 8, 2016 13:20:35 GMT
This is what I posted on the Big Finish Facebook page, I know a lot of us from outside the UK are confused and/or angry about the radical jump in shipping costs. Which isn't to say we don't understand and acknowledge that Big Finish is a small company and change needed to occur to help Big Finish continue and thrive but just directing us to the shipping rates page on the Web site doesn't really help or address our concerns. I think one of the things we most want are options. One of the ideas raised on the Not The Big Finish Forum would be an option offered to us where say we subscribe to the upcoming season of FDAs. Under what we have discussed is an option where BF ships out the physical copies upon the completion of the series while having access to the download on a monthly basis as the installments are released. The same structure would apply to the Monthly Range and monthly Torchwood. That isn't an ideal scenario but it would allow a lot of us to continue investing our money into BF productions before a series is released instead of after. I want to continue to purchase BF productions through Big Finish but right now that looks to something I won't afford to be able to do. We would like some guidance from you all and we would like to know Big Finish is doing everything it can to hang on to the business of their loyal international subscribers.
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Post by mark687 on Sept 8, 2016 13:52:31 GMT
This is what I posted on the Big Finish Facebook page, I know a lot of us from outside the UK are confused and/or angry about the radical jump in shipping costs. Which isn't to say we don't understand and acknowledge that Big Finish is a small company and change needed to occur to help Big Finish continue and thrive but just directing us to the shipping rates page on the Web site doesn't really help or address our concerns. I think one of the things we most want are options. One of the ideas raised on the Not The Big Finish Forum would be an option offered to us where say we subscribe to the upcoming season of FDAs. Under what we have discussed is an option where BF ships out the physical copies upon the completion of the series while having access to the download on a monthly basis as the installments are released. The same structure would apply to the Monthly Range and monthly Torchwood. That isn't an ideal scenario but it would allow a lot of us to continue investing our money into BF productions before a series is released instead of after. I want to continue to purchase BF productions through Big Finish but right now that looks to something I won't afford to be able to do. We would like some guidance from you all and we would like to know Big Finish is doing everything it can to hang on to the business of their loyal international subscribers. I think that's fair and it should provoke a more human response from them,
Too be honest BF have been a bit dubious IMO, implementing pricing changes and releasing new products 2 of which could've had the option to be bought in a Bundle together, in the same week.
Regards
mark687
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 8, 2016 13:54:13 GMT
Flipside to maintaining loyalty to BF is episode 7 of the just finished Fourth Doctor Adventures is currently $8.55 at The Book Depository with free shipping.
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Having the ability to be able to pre-order (not available yet) a CD subscription that allows for immediate digital access to its titles with retro bundle shipping would be more favourable.
