The Super-Duper Cheap Bargains Thread

[Opus106]

VAT is only deducted from orders placed with Amazon directly, in my experience, and not with MP vendors (I am not sure of the rationale here for new items from the MP - of course, no VAT can be levied on used items).

What do the rules say about a merchant from the US selling through a UK-based portal?

Fun (okay, not really) exercise: Link

In the order of appearance on the side: Presto, MDT, Amazons UK, US, US and DE

Not making the cut is JPC, which would have appeared slightly higher than the blue horizontal at 33.9.

Values in US Dollars, conversion rates as of the last hour. Shipping to India, of course. Most of it is valid for buying single CDs; but beyond a point ES and DE start charging per extra kilo and therefore will not be flat. MDT, of course, will not be a straight line when you consider boxes of various guises.

[KeithW]

What do the rules say about a merchant from the US selling through a UK-based portal?

From the UK perspective, the issue would be whether the merchant had a VAT registration number.  If they don't then they cannot collect VAT and pass it on to the taxman.  If they do have a VAT registration, then items being shipped outside the EU may have VAT deducted from the list price.  There are some quirks incidentally - digital music is zero-rated (according to Hyperion) and therefore no-one pays VAT.

Do bear in mind that some countries will tax goods on the way in - and there is growing pressure from B&M retailers in some countries such as Australia to reduce the threshold to deter international online shopping.

Fun (okay, not really) exercise: Link

In the order of appearance on the side: Presto, MDT, Amazons UK, US, US and DE

Not making the cut is JPC, which would have appeared slightly higher than the blue horizontal at 33.9.

Values in US Dollars, conversion rates as of the last hour. Shipping to India, of course. Most of it is valid for buying single CDs; but beyond a point ES and DE start charging per extra kilo and therefore will not be flat. MDT, of course, will not be a straight line when you consider boxes of various guises.

Thanks - neat tool which I will play with.  I guess another element to be factored in, depending on your arrangements, are bank charges.  Most suppliers these days offer payment options in the customer's local currency, but that tends to be limited to a handful of major ones.

[kishnevi]

Thanks - neat tool which I will play with.  I guess another element to be factored in, depending on your arrangements, are bank charges.  Most suppliers these days offer payment options in the customer's local currency, but that tends to be limited to a handful of major ones.

Even then,  banks may impose charges if the purchase is from an overseas vendor.  I've had to pay bank charges on orders from MDT and Presto, even though the order was denominated in dollars.  That's the major reason I got a Capital One card, because they don't have foreign transaction fees. 

The only overseas vendors with which I can place an order in US dollars and not escape bank fees (if not using the Capital One card) are Amazon UK and Amazon France,  if I use their "currency converter" tool.  Amazon Spain, Amazon Italy and Amazon DE don't seem to have it, although Spain is the only one I've used in recent weeks, so it's possible the others now have that tool.

[Opus106]

From the UK perspective, the issue would be whether the merchant had a VAT registration number.  If they don't then they cannot collect VAT and pass it on to the taxman.  If they do have a VAT registration, then items being shipped outside the EU may have VAT deducted from the list price.  There are some quirks incidentally - digital music is zero-rated (according to Hyperion) and therefore no-one pays VAT.

Do bear in mind that some countries will tax goods on the way in - and there is growing pressure from B&M retailers in some countries such as Australia to reduce the threshold to deter international online shopping.

Thanks, Keith. As for import taxes, I guess I'm a bit fortunate in the regard, as I haven't been asked to pay any, so far, when I received packages from ordered at Presto, Amazon etc. Maybe I've always managed to keep it under the limit without my knowing it.

[Coopmv]

A little redundant chatter about shipping costs. 
Shipping is what's prevented me from using Amazon Spain, at least for the items I've checked; but I'm not sure I agree with a recent comment about Amazon UK's shipping being especially high for delivery to the United States: a recent order of five items, not terribly expensive overall, yielded exactly US$2.20 per item, for box sets.  (A little advance shopping indicated significant savings even after factoring the shipping in.)  I've found that my Presto orders end up averaging a bit less per item (~$1.00-1.30) for medium-sized orders.  Importcds is a USA-domestic option I've used many times with good results and reasonably good deals, but shipping for box sets is almost always $3.50 per item, plus a one-time $1.50 surcharge per order (of any size). Berkshire Record Outlet (also USA-domestic) seems to usually end up being ~$0.60-$1.00/per item for medium-to-large orders, depending on how many individual discs are ordered.

I made two large orders at BRO and the shipping costs were indeed pretty low ...

[Octave]

Sorry, Erato...I had a U.S.-Imperial moment and forgot you lived in Norway.  Indeed, I see what you mean about Marketplace!

[jut1972]

< £20 at amazon.uk

[asin]B007GP1CC2[/asin]

track listing from presto:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/EMI/0919342

The blurb says its been done with the latest abbey road remasters.
Bound to be some duplication (another copy of Elgar!) but an excellent price for so many good performances.

[Brian]

< £20 at amazon.uk

[asin]B007GP1CC2[/asin]

track listing from presto:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/EMI/0919342

The blurb says its been done with the latest abbey road remasters.
Bound to be some duplication (another copy of Elgar!) but an excellent price for so many good performances.

Oh, EMI, because 2007 was waaay too long ago for you to have released this:

[asin]B000V9P4YM[/asin]

[Mirror Image]

< £20 at amazon.uk

[asin]B007GP1CC2[/asin]

track listing from presto:
http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/EMI/0919342

The blurb says its been done with the latest abbey road remasters.
Bound to be some duplication (another copy of Elgar!) but an excellent price for so many good performances.

Already own it, but the slightly older set which Brian pictured.

[jut1972]

That was odds on with the number of CDs you buy    (I'm opening myself up here!)

Apparently the only difference in content is one extra track from the 1962 recital,  J.S.Bach Adagio & Allegro from Sonata in D for Cello & Harpsichord, BWV 1028 (4:35) with Ronald Kinloch Anderson playing harpsichord.

I'm hoping the remasters are noticeably better than previous versions.  There was a version of the Elgar released in 2012 (details here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elgar-Concerto-Pictures-Farewell-Signature/dp/B0079J26XO/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1360186140&sr=8-8 for SACD which gets some good reviews, reading the blurb it should be the same remastered versions.

[Opus106]

Oh, EMI, because 2007 was waaay too long ago for you to have released this:

At least it went OOP as the new cover was coming in. It wasn't a case of same recordings existing side-by-side. And the recordings in newer set was recently remastered, I think.

[Papy Oli]

Scott Ross / Scarlatti Cube at 60 euros on Amazon ES as well.... 

http://www.amazon.es/Complete-Keyboard-Sonatatas-Scott-Ross/dp/B0009MWAVQ/ref=pd_sim_m_48

Down to 46 euros now... 

[Octave]

For those in N. America, the best deal I've seen on this, which has been utterly essential Schubert for me:

[asin]B002CRJWVC[/asin]

A bit over US$10 for a 2cd set, including domestic-USA shipping.  This seems to happen with Amazon MP seller i-Deals quite a bit: a temporary dip in prices for DG/Philips/Decca etc discs.  Not a 'steal' exactly, but still roughly half what I paid for it.  Please notice that not everyone loves this recording.  I think Schreier is great (and 'lives up to his name', as it were); I think the audience coughing is great (it's a winter journey, is it not?); I think the slow tempos are great.

[Coopmv]

For those in N. America, the best deal I've seen on this, which has been utterly essential Schubert for me:

[asin]B002CRJWVC[/asin]

A bit over US$10 for a 2cd set, including domestic-USA shipping.  This seems to happen with Amazon MP seller i-Deals quite a bit: a temporary dip in prices for DG/Philips/Decca etc discs.  Not a 'steal' exactly, but still roughly half what I paid for it.  Please notice that not everyone loves this recording.  I think Schreier is great (and 'lives up to his name', as it were); I think the audience coughing is great (it's a winter journey, is it not?); I think the slow tempos are great.

Thanks for the heads up, as I ordered the last twofer i-Deals had this morning ...

[Coopmv]

Down to 46 euros now... 

This will have to wait until Presto has sales since its shipping and handling to the US is the least costly ...

[DavidW]

Probably been mentioned but the Rilling set of Bach Cantatas is down to roughly $1 per disc now on amazon.  If you want period instruments, obviously steer clear, but at that price I'm curious and will be giving it a try.

[Will Sheard]

There are a few good deals to be had in the EMI clearance at MDT right now.

[Coopmv]

Probably been mentioned but the Rilling set of Bach Cantatas is down to roughly $1 per disc now on amazon.  If you want period instruments, obviously steer clear, but at that price I'm curious and will be giving it a try.

MarketPlace seller CMS has even a better deal.  Rilling's Bach Cantatas usually have excellent soloists and that alone may be worth the money ...

[kishnevi]

Just released this week,  and currently $9.99 on Amazon US.  (That's Amazon itself, not Amazon MP, so if you can find something else for at least $15.01, you can get the free shipping if you're inside the US.)
[asin]B009YKMAKU[/asin]

[bigshot]

I just received the Van Cliburn box. What a beautiful job of packaging! I can't get enough of these Living Stereo recordings. Everything about them is great.