Things you should know about CDWOW

eth0_

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
ABOUT CD WOW


* CD Wow IS engaged in an illegal activity



* They are engaged in copyright and trade mark infringement, illegal under EU laws. The EU has these laws to protect European jobs.



* They buy products at very low prices in the Far East and thereby ensure huge profits for themselves by shipping into wealthier markets (EU)



* The price they charge does not include VAT (21%) at a huge cost to the Exchequer



* They contribute nothing to Ireland giving no employment, paying no taxes in Ireland.



* The average VAT on a full price CD is ˆ4.



* The average marketing spend by record companies on a chart CD is ˆ3.



* Record companies invest 15 million euro annually in marketing on radio, TV and other media.



* They carry none of the overheads of regular retail shops: employees, buildings, fixtures & fittings etc



* CD Wow is already injuncted in Germany and is being sued in Ireland and the UK



* CD Wow knows that they will lose these cases but will continue profiteering up to the last minute



* Remember every CD Wow purchase is a nail in the coffin of an Irish job.



* WHEN
CD Wow is shut down, it is not advisable to have your credit card details in cyber space



* Tring International plc (mainly owned by CD Wow’s majority share holder, Phillip Robinson) has already been successfully sued for piracy on several occasions.



Gill Waters
Head of Press & Promotions
EMI MUSIC IRELAND
EMI House, 1 Ailesbury Road,
Dublin 4, Ireland.
Tel: +3531 203 9900
Fax: +3531 283 0734

Oriel

* They buy products at very low prices in the Far East and thereby ensure huge profits for themselves by shipping into wealthier markets (EU)

Fair play to them? If you can do it...

robbie1876

These 'facts' are already being discussed on this thread

b20uvkft6m5xwg

Its relevant to this forum as well so we'll keep this topic here for the minute.

From what I've heard the VAT issue is the big problem, given they are stating its merely personal imports under the relative threshold. Interesting though to see how it will develop.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Victor

Originally posted by 80project
From what I've heard the VAT issue is the big problem, given they are stating its merely personal imports under the relative threshold. Interesting though to see how it will develop.

Yeah, if AOL gotta charge VAT for a service provided from the USA to Europe, then surely CDWOW should do the same?

sceptre

cdwow aren't providing a "service" though (at least not under the GATS/GATT/Treaty of Rome as amended/Irish VAT definition).

Originally posted by eth0_
* WHEN
CD Wow is shut down, it is not advisable to have your credit card details in cyber space

Hah, I still laugh at this one. I took the time to email Gill about it but for some reason haven't had a reply yet.

Makaveli

Cdwow use World Pay. So they dont have your cc details.

DMT

Originally posted by eth0_
* CD Wow IS engaged in an illegal activity

I hate when people make open-ended statements with no evidence to back up what they're saying.

* They are engaged in copyright and trade mark infringement, illegal under EU laws. The EU has these laws to protect European jobs.

Debatable, will be decided in court.

* They buy products at very low prices in the Far East and thereby ensure huge profits for themselves by shipping into wealthier markets (EU)

Good for them, nothing wrong with that. I get stuff from amazon.com cheaper than here all the time.

* The price they charge does not include VAT (21%) at a huge cost to the Exchequer

I never get charges VAT from amazon.com so that's a BS argument.

* They contribute nothing to Ireland giving no employment, paying no taxes in Ireland.

Neither do amazon.com...etc

* The average VAT on a full price CD is ˆ4.

Extortion.

* The average marketing spend by record companies on a chart CD is ˆ3.

Boo hoo.

* Record companies invest 15 million euro annually in marketing on radio, TV and other media.

Again, boo hoo.

* They carry none of the overheads of regular retail shops: employees, buildings, fixtures & fittings etc

Good for them.

* CD Wow is already injuncted in Germany and is being sued in Ireland and the UK

"injuncted" isn't even a word.

* CD Wow knows that they will lose these cases but will continue profiteering up to the last minute

Ironic, when the record companies are perpetuating their profiteering cartel.

* Remember every CD Wow purchase is a nail in the coffin of an Irish job.

Typical scare mongering shíte.

* WHEN
CD Wow is shut down, it is not advisable to have your credit card details in cyber space

Worldpay have your details, not CDWOW.

* Tring International plc (mainly owned by CD Wow’s majority share holder, Phillip Robinson) has already been successfully sued for piracy on several occasions.

I know nothing about this so can't comment.

Gill Waters
Head of Press & Promotions
EMI MUSIC IRELAND

The music industry should be brought before the Competition Authority for perpetuating their cartel....

daveg

Well said DMT. Of all the comments... the one that made me decide to ignore this crap was:

Gill Waters
Head of Press & Promotions
EMI MUSIC IRELAND

milltown

Re: Overheads

I would be fascinated to see a business model for a company, with enough turnover to spur the music industry extortionists into legal action, which can operate without staff, buildings and fixtures and fittings.

I'm picturing one guy in a sleeping bag with a laptop on the street in Korea. Order comes in over his (free?) wireless internet connection, up he jumps and runs into the local HMV, buys a cd and asks them to wrap it for him. Scribbles the name and address on it and pops it in the post. Then back to his sleeping bag.

Come on now. Surely it is much worse to allow Nike et al to make sports gear for cents in sweat shops and sell it at several hundred percent mark up in richer markets.

vibe666

so, amongst all of Ireland being ripped off, one bright little light shines down upon us, offering value in a market where we are getting ripped off more than most, and as soon as they do, the multi-billion euro record industry tries to stamp them out of existence with scaremongering tactics.

sorry, but fiar fvcks to CDWOW for making the effort to bring people what they want at a price they can afford. as for irish jobs being lost, it's firmly the fault of the industry for ripping us off in the first place, and I'll buy my CD's (and everything else) where I damn well please.

incidentally, if you buy an EMI CD off CDWOW they have to originally come from EMI, so if they can afford to sell them in hong kong for that price (hardly a 3rd world country is it!) then why are we paying so much for them in irish shops anyway?

jesus, you could set up a shop in dublin buying all your stock from CDWOW over the web and sell them, undercut every record shop in the city, and still make a decent profit.

slave1

As an regular CDWOW.HK user I have the following comments

Most importantly these are debating threads so please no digs at Gill who is only doing her job, we may disagree with some of her points of view but please keep replies civil, is "boo hoo" really constructive?

It's not often that we get the other side who is willing to open a thread to defend.

Anyhow, theres a couple of points I have which are probably in the other thread.

First of all, its a small world, we should have access to all markets.
It's not our fault that customs don't charge for these imports, they are declared properly on the face of packages.
I find it hard to understand the "AVERAGE 3M yo yo ad. spend for a chart CD" in the Irish market. Or is it supposed to be "3 yo yo a CD", equally unbelievable.
"Every CD wow purchase being a nail in Irish Jobs" is as equally non-constructive as a boo-hoo, simply not true or I am personally responsible for the loss of many jobs.

"They contribute nothing to Ireland", I would have to disagee, the package does not get delivered to my door on its own. Also I buy Irish artist CD's who get royalties and provide jobs in Ireland when they record here.

"The price they charge does not include VAT (21%) at a huge cost to the Exchequer"
This point is only valid if the purchaser was to purchase intra EU instead of CDWOW.
Also, as a PAYE earner I pay heavy taxes and there are many threads here on stealth taxes. Tax avoidance is perfecty legal and encouragable.

To counter every argument, do IRMA or whoever really believe that if/when CDWOW closes that every customer will flood back into the likes of HMV/local record store etc. Not a snowballs change in hell, two simple words PLAY.COM (the dot makes 3!!!)

I firmly believe that shops in Ireland are putting pressure on IRMA about these inevitable imports, IRMA are just self justifying themselves.

Second last point, can we take a global perspective on these purchases. They are not copies etc, so are not all the big misic companies including EMI not getting their cut when selling to CDWOW. Isn;t it better to be buying here than taking copies from mates??
Gill, if your thoughts are true EMI I should not have EMI products available on CDWOW!!!!!!

Lastly, as a lowly singular person I can buy a blank cd for pittance these days.
Forgetting about taxes, there is an unbelievable mark up to what I pay in the shops, someone somewhere is making money - even CD wow!!

Sleipnir

It's that kind of tirade that hardens my nerves against the Irish high-street stores.

"Don't buy them from there or else people will lose their jobs"!

Really, I'll rush into HMV and pay more than double then!

I don't mind if I have to pay VAT of 21% on a CD that costs a tenner. If they decide that, I won't have a problem paying CD-WOW the VAT.
I still will not buy from HMV or their ilk, I will continue to buy from CD-WOW.
VAT is 4 euro on a CD that HMV charges us, not what it would be if CD-wow had to charge it.

Even if the prices on CD-WOW get to be only a euro or two below that of HMV, HMV still aren't getting my money.

"CD Wow IS engaged in an illegal activity"

He can't make that statement until decided by the courts.

"They carry none of the overheads of regular retail shops: employees, buildings, fixtures & fittings etc"

Uuuuuh yeah, that's why their cheaper. Duh.

WHEN CD Wow is shut down, it is not advisable to have your credit card details in cyber space

This is so blatently trying to scare people off from buying from CD-Wow, it's comical.

The upshot is that HMV and the rest will never get another cent out of me. Ever. Ever. Ever.

Big al

I hate when people complain about competition, Here's an idea for the record industry here. Open a rival to CDWOW. Reduce your costs and fight CDWOW toe to toe. If they can run a cheap online model so can you.

shoegirl

Strange isn't it, that EMI/HMV consistently manage to hike the price of cds by 3-4 euro.

Even here in Cork I see this.

For example: Kathleen Ferrier: A Tribute is in HMV at €16.99 in HMV Patricks St
In Virgin Megastore down the same street the same cd is €13.99

The pattern seems to be same all round.

As far as I am aware Tring International is a legit company who does a lot of relicencing. I am aware of many of their quality classical releases. EMI, in constrast, will screw you for listening to Maria Callas, who they have a large catalogue of, by ensuring that you continue to pay full price for a 1950s mono recording. Equivalent, high quality records from audophile quality leader Decca are almost all reduced to budget or mid price for an equivalent 1950s recording.

And they treat their staff like SH*T (my brother worked there and said it was a total low wage sweatshop).

vibe666

I'll second that big al, no record store in ireland will be getting my money while they charge the prices they are at the moment, and I'm going to do my damndest to make sure nobody I know does either (volunterily of course).

The responsibilty for not getting ripped off has been put on the shoulders of the consumer by the Irish government, and so, although I believe this is wrong, I have no choice but to vote with my feet and take my business elsewhere.

I also believe that if it's been left up to us, we should all do the same, then maybe someone will start listening to our complaints and do something about us.

I read somewhere last week that Ireland has been dubbed the 'rippoff capital of europe'. maybe it is, but only because we let it, so lets do something about it rather than just sitting here and letting it happen.

when evolution is not forthcoming, revolution is the only solution. <- I like that. just kinda popped into my head.

Mr. Fancypants

All this scaremongering by EMI is going to do, and in fact has already done, is make a whole lot more people aware of CDWow and the savings that can be made by using them and similar companies on the web. There has been plenty of coverage of this on both the Radio, Newspapers and TV and personally i have never had so many people asking me about CDWow. Would be interesting to see how much CDWow's sales have increased as a result.

Just as an aside, CDWow have always given me the best customer service i have had and that includes both Online and Offline shopping. Any query has been answered within an hour or so and always to my satisfaction. Maybe some Irish retail outlets could learn a thing or two from them.

spongebob

Originally posted by mbroaders
Any query has been answered within an hour or so and always to my satisfaction. Maybe some Irish retail outlets could learn a thing or two from them.

I Agree with that , I have also had queries and had a fast response and a hassle free resolution, they are not just a pretty web site !

M

dahamsta

CD Wow is of the very few companies I recommend, which I think is a pretty good endorsement when you consider that I've never actually bought off them myself. I've just heard nothing but good about them, and that's frankly unheard of in this day and age.

And yes, the manner in which the industry has acted towards CD Wow just adds another tiny chunk of hate to the big ball I've stored up. (I keep it in the back garden, it doesn't fit in the house any more.) I actually accept the VAT argument to a small degree, but that's all I'll give them, and the lies they tell in the rest of that offensive missive more that cancel that out.

I used to pop into HMV or even one of the smaller retailers occasionally to pick up a CD on spec, but never again. It's the smaller retailers you have to feel sorry for though, they've been beaten around the place by the labels, beaten around by the chains, and now even organisations that are supposed to representing them are beating the last bit of life out of them. Poor bastards.

adam

Fry

I couldnt believe my ears when I heard about this in the news. I have never, never bought a music cd. I've never been a music person but since I heard of CDWOW I've started buying them, games & dvds of my favourite movies. I find CDWOW absolutely brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!

The main reason I've never bought them was the rip off prices in the shops. Surely to God the music, game & movie industry will do better because of CDWOW! Because if they closed down, Im not going to buy them in the shops. Isnt it better than people downloading music off p2p sites? If I had a choice I would much rather buy cds off CDWOW for e9 than going to the trouble of finding them on p2p. And they wonder whats driving priacy ? Crazy!

How come Play.com isnt been hit ?? They are also cheap.