Is Play.com just becomig a third party traders site
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Dont use play.com that much mostly due to their shocking slow website but the other day went and had a look for a few movies I was after to see prices. After searching the prices look ok but when I tried to add it to my basket found it was from a thrid party seller rather then play themselves. After looking closely I have found that the prices play are quoting against an item when you search is the cheapest which is very often not their own. You have to open up the item to see the list of prices and what play are charging.
IMO this is pretty poor as if I wanted to just buy an item from some joe bloggs I would use ebay. Amazon do a simular thing but the price you see is always there's you have to open a further page to see their marketplace sellers prices.
Its clearly been done this way by play to make it look like their prices are cheaper than they really are when you search but its just very poor if you ask me.
Have sent an email to them to complain about it just to see how they respond more then anything else.
IMO this is pretty poor as if I wanted to just buy an item from some joe bloggs I would use ebay. Amazon do a simular thing but the price you see is always there's you have to open a further page to see their marketplace sellers prices.
Its clearly been done this way by play to make it look like their prices are cheaper than they really are when you search but its just very poor if you ask me.
Have sent an email to them to complain about it just to see how they respond more then anything else.
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Shame really as 5 years or so ago they were always excellent, used them all the time.
And what on earth is up with their website, it takes almost 10 seconds to load a page whenever you do anything especially searching. Its like being back on dial up internet when you vist their website.
I was looking for an AV receiver recently.
Most places are doing a particular model for £80 less than the RRP. Play were doing it for £10 more than the RRP.
Amazon have always been my number one site for movie/tv/music related purchases and have never let me down.
Ebay has also always been great for me.
Last time I used play must have been back in 2009 but will have to try it some day if it has cheap blu rays.
Havent used them for years ......
As someone who has been busy selling his dvd collection this year, i have to say i have sold a lot on play, far more than on ebay. I think this may well be because people are getting confused about who is selling what. I think it's perfectly clear who you are buying from
there are some dodgy sellers on there though. one in particular selling used stuff as new, dozens of complaints against her but she's still trading. i guess that's what the feedback is for.
Most of the time play works out cheaper because of the free shipping. Also whenever I've pre-ordered something from play it arrives before or on the day of release, I never had the same luck with amazon. Late last year I ended up pre-ordering the same dvd from play and amazon (xmas gifts) and the play one turned up about a week before amazons.
Saying that I only ever ask for deliveries through royal mail because I'm not in to receive courier deliveries and I understand amazon is quite good at next day deliveries that way.
amazon and even HMV beat them for service.
but i'm not always after latest releases though and I found this:
http://www.thatsentertainment.co.uk
its owned and run by musicmagpie.com.
really competative and so far i can give it 100%
Amazon delivers outside the UK for free so they are now my go to site.
Every time I go to Play.com, I always misread that as the "Rasputin Group".
THIS is when i used them and i agree when they were at thier best. my history is still on my account from my 247 days, when dvds were no cheaper than £17.99. i must have spent around £2000 in those days... a website of a bygone era...
now it would need to be something special for me to pay £17.99 a movie.
but just for my tuppence i have used amazon a lot these last few years and use zavvi when they email me for mega monday if something catches my eye!
This may explain why there are more reliant on third party sellers now days.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/mar/11/channel-islands-last-bid-vat-free-retailing
At the end of the day I'd still pay a little extra from Play than buy from a vile company like Amazon. Zavi are pretty good too.
It absolutely matters and Play MUST be totally upfront about whether you are buying directly from them, or a third party. It's sounds like they aren't making it as crystal clear as they should be?
When you click on the item they make it very clear on their pages who is supplying it. Have a look.
Whats wrong with amazon? they have always been first class in my opinion, never once had a problem if an item gets lost, always send out a replacement for a faulty item before getting the faulty item back and are always keen to partially refund or send a e-voucher if your not happy. Ths is the total opposite to what many peoples experiences with play are like. I have only had a few items lost from play but they take an age to action it and it often takes well over a month before you recieve a replacement or refund.
The business model adopted by Play.com was unsustainable given the dominance of both legal and illegal downloads.