Fuddland

Excellent news: rather than just take the new regulations lying down, CD-WOW have managed to keep their prices as low as they were before January 25th. From their email:

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In simple terms, from today the additional charges are no longer applicable.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!

Barely a week has passed since the new law came into effect, so I don’t think this can be just a reaction to falling sales; and it does hammer home the point harder than ever: if they can sell CDs for £8.99, absorbing the £2 surcharge they thought they’d have to apply, and still be confident of being a profitable company, the mark-up of CDs in high-street shops is simply exorbitant.

#1

lump | 2004 / 02 / 04 – 14:24

CD-Not-So-WOW

From The Register:

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) has won an injunction ordering Internet retailer CD Wow to drop claims that it had been forced by the UK record industry to raise CD prices.

CD Wow has given an undertaking to the court that it will not make any more such claims. The case returns to court on March 1.

At a hearing yesterday CD Wow’s barrister “agreed with the Judge that CD Wow had not had to increase prices and that whether or not CD Wow charged more for CDs was a matter for the internet retailer alone,” the BPI said in a statement.

#2

David | 2004 / 02 / 04 – 15:04

Re #1: I never got the impression that CD-WOW were claiming they were being forced to put their prices up because of the EU ruling — but that they needed to add the surcharge because the ruling forced them to buy from more expensive EU suppliers and they had to sustain their profit margin. That’s my interpretation of their initial email:

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).

Commenting on this post is closed. Thanks to all those who left comments. If you'd still like to say something about this entry, feel free to email me.