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Post by agentten on Sept 9, 2016 4:24:18 GMT
Oddly enough, I have several ongoing monthly subscriptions - Early Adventures S3&4, a main range "bridge" to get me to November, and then the 42-month MEGA main range subscription. BF is going to be shipping individual CDs to me for years. And if the shipping hike to us is a passthru of their increased costs, then they're going to be taking it in the shorts as they fulfill the CDs on orders I've already paid for. I would be more than willing to have them group my CDs and just send me a package every 2-3 months. I would still have access to the downloads and subscriber extras, and can certainly wait a little bit to have the physical product in my hands. And yes, I know... media is dead. But I *like* having a physical CD with physical artwork that I can hold in my physical hand. I guess I'm antiquated, but I really do prefer to pay extra to get CDs than just the downloads. I may not be in the majority, but I know I'm not alone. You're not alone KenBuzz. I'm a physical customer as well. I love having them on my shelves lined up according to range and Doctor. It may be a little OCD of me, but I like my collection that way. I like the variation you have here on the bundle idea we've all been kicking around. Having a way to indicate that you would like to have your pre order purchases all sent together in one box every three months is an idea that would mitigate the shipping fees but also not keep people waiting for the better part of a year to get the CDs from a season subscription. Also, welcome to the forum!
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Post by barnabaslives on Sept 9, 2016 4:37:26 GMT
Still don't know if it's entirely realistic but as of this hour, I wonder if the easiest thing would be to simply add a "Pre-Sub" CD option to the dropdown menu on the Subscription page for you to choose your preferred shipping option as you're choosing from other Sub options. The different options as they appear after adding to the basket (or as they appear on the invoice) might look something like
Subscription - Doctor Who CD Subscription - 12 CD Releases starting with release 225. US $173.36 Shipping & Handling Fees US $80.00 (Individual titles will be shipped immediately upon release - 12 shipments)
Pre-Subscription - Doctor Who CD Pre-Subscription - 12 CD Releases starting with release 225. US $173.36 Shipping & Handling Fees US $24.00 (Subscription will be shipped when all titles are available - 1 shipment)
?
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Post by Ela on Sept 9, 2016 4:57:37 GMT
Still don't know if it's entirely realistic but as of this hour, I wonder if the easiest thing would be to simply add a "Pre-Sub" CD option to the dropdown menu on the Subscription page for you to choose your preferred shipping option as you're choosing from other Sub options. The different options as they appear after adding to the basket (or as they appear on the invoice) might look something like Subscription - Doctor Who CD Subscription - 12 CD Releases starting with release 225. US $173.36 Shipping & Handling Fees US $80.00 (Individual titles will be shipped immediately upon release - 12 shipments) Pre-Subscription - Doctor Who CD Pre-Subscription - 12 CD Releases starting with release 225. US $173.36 Shipping & Handling Fees US $24.00 (Subscription will be shipped when all titles are available - 1 shipment) ? They have a "retrospective CD" subscription and a "pre-order CD" subscription option on the drop down menu. So that part is done. If they could just arrange for pre-orders to be shipped when the order is complete, that would work better in terms of shipping costs for those who want the physical product.
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Post by barnabaslives on Sept 9, 2016 6:45:55 GMT
If they could just arrange for pre-orders to be shipped when the order is complete, that would work better in terms of shipping costs for those who want the physical product. That part, I think might be business as usual... The warehouse automatically receives a shipping order at the pre-appointed time and the downloads are automatically added to the downloads page upon release as per usual? I just wasn't quite as sure as I am now of how they might implement additional options without exceptions to the dispatch-on-release having to be adjusted manually by BF personnel. If it can all be worked out between the customer and the shopping basket, that's probably a plus. PS: I'm sure I spend too much time thinking about this but I really don't want to see BF shot in the foot by this, and with as much as they've done to encourage pre-orders, direct sales and subscriptions, I somehow really can't see them being any happier with a policy that seems to work against all that, than the customers are about the rates.
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Post by redsharkJason on Sept 9, 2016 8:46:27 GMT
You know what's really silly? I just put The Torchwood Archive in my basket. The "shipping fee" for this $18.66 release is $2.00. The "per order" fee is more than 4 times that much: $8.67. They should just be honest and call the whole thing a shipping fee. The aftermath of a now outdated website: A lot of the international shipping price oddities, I suspect come down to the inflexibility limitations of the currently existing infrastructure technology for the Big Finish website as we know it. The "per order charge" is a workaround solution of Big Finish's to rightly protect themselves on their end when dealing with international shipping costs. I'm not saying that I or they like it, but this is probably the end result of a rudimentary patch job that was needed in order to program a now outdated and rigid Big Finish website system. I honestly don't think that Big Finish believes that they need to charge £8.00 to send 1 CD internationally. Moreover, I also believe Big Finish would have *no problem* granting a pre-order CD subscription with immediate download accesses and its CDs bundled in 1 shipment once they are all released, just as long as they don't have to *manually* keep tabs on every international order. Unfair pricing shouldn't be passed onto any customer (UK or international), just because of restrictive older technology. Big Finish needs to have the ability to properly program their website with more favourable shipping prices and better options when viable.
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Post by coffeeaddict on Sept 9, 2016 11:54:02 GMT
I took a look at what some of the smaller discontinued ranges would cost now - anyone ordering the Sarah Jane Smith 9 disk bundle will be paying just under $20 Can more than you would have last week with the new shipping formula. The last time I looked at the price it was just over $50 once the shipping was added, now it is over $70. I didn't look at how the pricing would break down on a per disk basis, I didn't feel like crying.
That said, in this instance it is still a decent price. But I can see why those with the monthly cd subscriptions are decidedly unhappy - they appear to be the ones who will be hardest hit.
I still expect to see prices for downloads increase in the near future - it is rare that you see price increases impact only half of the operations.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 9, 2016 11:55:25 GMT
A day later and no response on the Facebook page. The silence on this is deafening. Everyone knows the BF website has had major problems for years, hell since it got rolled out. And I would agree the per charge fee does sound like a work around. All of that doesn't change or alter my level of frustration. I just want to hear something, anything from them that they hear us and they are looking at ways to either make things better or to give their loyal international subscribers options.
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Post by pawntake on Sept 9, 2016 12:20:37 GMT
I still expect to see prices for downloads increase in the near future - Why?
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Post by coffeeaddict on Sept 9, 2016 12:25:21 GMT
I still expect to see prices for downloads increase in the near future - Why? Prices for just about everything else are going up all over, it is only logical to expect that there will come a time when BF will raise download costs. It is naïve to think that they won't be raised at some point.
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Post by pawntake on Sept 9, 2016 12:49:37 GMT
Why? Prices for just about everything else are going up all over,
Such as? Give me some examples,i assume we are talking Big finish here?
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Post by coffeeaddict on Sept 9, 2016 13:18:17 GMT
Prices for just about everything else are going up all over,
Such as? Give me some examples,i assume we are talking Big finish here? No I am not talking specifically about BF, I am referring to prices in general. As things such has hydro, gas, food continue to increase in price it leads to a domino effect where everyone else puts prices up to compensate.
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Post by mark687 on Sept 9, 2016 13:52:58 GMT
Well its 7 days now looks like all we'll get publicly is the shipping rates piece. The implication of this means that BF must've running at a loss in terms of their costs in international sales for 17 years, and they are going to loose more if they continue to send titles to suppliers who sell at reduced rates their customers.
Regards
mark687
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Post by fuurei on Sept 9, 2016 14:25:28 GMT
I wrote them an email, and Ian responded that they've heard several suggestions for an option to ship everything when the order is complete, and that they are looking into it, though it would require changes to their website and warehouse processes. So it's possible we'll hear more about this option in the future!
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Post by pawntake on Sept 9, 2016 14:25:31 GMT
Such as? Give me some examples,i assume we are talking Big finish here? No I am not talking specifically about BF But I am, there is nothing to suggest Downloads are going up.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 9, 2016 14:43:56 GMT
I wrote them an email, and Ian responded that they've heard several suggestions for an option to ship everything when the order is complete, and that they are looking into it, though it would require changes to their website and warehouse processes. So it's possible we'll hear more about this option in the future! And didn't Nick say in a recent podcast that they are in the process of designing a new site? And it's funny how much blame for all the things they can't do gets blamed on the Web site? Paul used to bitch about it and I know Ian & Joe have complained about it as well. I wonder how much money they have lost because of it.
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Post by redsharkJason on Sept 9, 2016 17:53:29 GMT
I wrote them an email, and Ian responded that they've heard several suggestions for an option to ship everything when the order is complete, and that they are looking into it, though it would require changes to their website and warehouse processes. So it's possible we'll hear more about this option in the future! As well as providing the option for pre-order retro packaging. My true preference is still for a monthly CD subscription instead of it being annually bundled, and I am willing to pay £3.50-4.50 per mailing for it (instead of £5.00 each).
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Post by agentten on Sept 9, 2016 20:01:33 GMT
It's likely they need to take some time to investigate the options we're suggesting. They wouldn't want to commit to anything before they know what they can do.
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 9, 2016 20:20:19 GMT
It's likely they need to take some time to investigate the options we're suggesting. They wouldn't want to commit to anything before they know what they can do. Which is more than reasonable but it is also reasonable for them to make a statement letting their subscriber base know that they have heard the concerns & issues and are looking at all options. The problem continues to be that Big Finish throws these changes at us without thinking everything through and when there are vocal concerns voiced about these changes they almost always seem to be shocked and unprepared.
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Post by agentten on Sept 9, 2016 20:24:52 GMT
It's likely they need to take some time to investigate the options we're suggesting. They wouldn't want to commit to anything before they know what they can do. Which is more than reasonable but it is also reasonable for them to make a statement letting their subscriber base know that they have heard the concerns & issues and are looking at all options. The problem continues to be that Big Finish throws these changes at us without thinking everything through and when there are vocal concerns voiced about these changes they almost always seem to be shocked and unprepared. That's fair. I'm in the boat of people who are affected significantly by this change so I completely understand wanting to hear from BF in at least the form of an acknowledgement while they decide what they can do. I'm sure it's forthcoming, but that's not always very comforting.
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Post by Digi on Sept 9, 2016 22:21:54 GMT
And didn't Nick say in a recent podcast that they are in the process of designing a new site? He did, yes. I couldn't tell you which podcast it was, but it was definitely from the last month or two. And I don't believe there was any ETA given for when that might go live.
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