Topic: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) (Read 1,625 times)
roger Guest
CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Thread Started on Jun 15, 2008, 3:45pm »
Over the past four years, many of our members have ordered Hayley's Japanese releases from CD Japan and all comments about their service has been extremely favourable. As we believe that many other members and guests may like to order the recently released 'Hayley Sings Japanese Songs' album, here is a link to Hayley's page on that site:
Their prices seem to be very competative and certainly work out cheaper than buying the same product as an import in other countries. Shipment usually takes place (if in stock) in one or two days and delivery is usually within a week of ordering. Their packaging, which protects the item, is second to none.
'Hayley Sings Japanese Songs' currently appears at the top of the page and the Deluxe Edition is immediately below it. And if you don't already have it, 'Prayer' is just a little further down the page.
Subsequent pages include many items which may be of interest to the serious collector. These include the 'Wiegenlied' and 'Amazing Grace' singles and the 'Wuthering Heights' mini album.
For a general brouse, go to the Home Page at CDJapan.co.jp.
Hayley's so tolerant, it could be a chimpanzee at London Zoo cuddling her, but see signature
Joined: Nov 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 4,856 Location: Hertfordshire
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #1 on Jan 7, 2009, 7:27pm »
Well, I have finally got round to ordering my 'Hayley sings Japanese Songs'. I know Grant for one is happy with this site so I thought I would add my own experiences.
I found logging on and being registered very easy and the courtesy (interesting observation!) of the site a delight.
The '3-day' delivery seems expensive and having tried the site out I may go for the cheaper forms of delivery later but 'several' weeks does sound a very long time and I have already bought one or two things twice because I had forgotten I had them on order or had temporarily lost them amongst the chaos in which I live, including a second DVD of two different films! I won't weary friends with my personal saga, save to say I am hopefully emerging out of the doldroms.
While posting this I thought I would check on progress and it was very easy to find what was happening, 'it is all in hand'.
For those not sure, I can recommend this site and i am looking forward to hearing 'Japanese' Hayley very soon now!
Re-looking at Roger's original post I also ordered Weigenfeld. They are also doing a promotion at the moment, offering three hundred yen off the first order.
Joined: Jul 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 8,623 Location: Spondon, Derby UK
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #2 on Jan 7, 2009, 8:04pm »
Hi Peter
I'm glad that you're happy with CD Japan and I am sure you will enjoy your purchases .
Without looking, I think it is the standard delivery that states it may take several weeks to arrive. If so, I've always used the standard delivery which has always been very quick. I guess what they're saying is that it may take several weeks to arrive.
Looking forward to reading your observations on HSJS although I think it may take a while for you to adjust after the first hearing, as I suspect you will be blown away by it and could end up anywhere!
Hayley's so tolerant, it could be a chimpanzee at London Zoo cuddling her, but see signature
Joined: Nov 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 4,856 Location: Hertfordshire
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #4 on Jan 21, 2009, 1:04pm »
Hi everyone.
In no particular order I have copied various emails of people expressing their experiences with importing. If anyone wishes to skip through them, it may be helpful having them all in one place. They are at the end.
Keeping things simple: My experience As previously stated I found the CDJapan site courteous and straight forward. Other than it would take 3-4 days when alternatives COULD take weeks and being unfamiliar with the site I chose the EMS delivery method. What determines this ends up in the UK as a ParcelForce service instead of Royal Mail, I do not know and may have to ask CDJapan.
This 3-4 days in fact has taken 10 days IN THE UK ALONE!
One week after it's arrival in the UK, Parcel Force advised me by letter (delivered by the postman in the Royal Mail service and despite the fact they knew my telephone number) that the parcel was in Milton Keynes because the customs required £18.13 for import duty. The Parcel Force web site is quite comprehensive so I was able to despatch an email enquiring how import duty could be almost as much as the cost of the item at point of sale.
In their reply to my email three days later (in which they were most sympathetic but could not do anything about it) ParcelForce did not want to go into the details but said I could raise the query by letter 28 days later, so my original enquiry did not get duplicated, despite the fact the original letter advised me they would send the parcel back in 20 days (of their first receipt and we had already lost a week) unless I paid the sum required. I could argue the toss later.
The next day happened to be a nice day so I decided to go and pick the parcel up and have a pub lunch on the way back, after which I would gently wander back through country bye ways and be back ready for tea and watching Obama. It seemed a pleasant way to while a dry, sunny, 'spring' day.
In this mellow mood I was able to raise my ire with the chap at the ParcelForce reception desk coolly and calmly, despite the fact that the large red HM Revenue and Customs Charge sheet stuck to the parcel read: 1. Import duty: zero. 2. Excise duty: zero 3. Other charges: zero 4. VAT (for doing nothing): £4.63 5 Other (charges): zero (as nothing had happened presumably) 6. Parcel Force (for handing it to HMRC): £13.50
In other words, for anyone who has not yet met with this experience, they can do on any parcel they receive from Japan or other nonEC country.
It would therefore appear that everything coming into the UK goes through customs. In fact it doesn't, because that is too much work for them. Customs therefore look at the vast piles coming in and if someone is feeling bored and a parcel looks an interesting shape or is is a particularly pretty clour, they look at at, otherwise they do 'eenie, meenie, minee mo' and then select it.
Apparently they are incapable of actually doing this themselves and require ParcelForce to undo the package for them and then do it up again, appending a statement, in effect saying 'we're not interested'.
On the basis of my experience it would seem this ParcelForce person is paid £100+ an hour, or, to be pedantic, only £90 an hour plus a contribution on a square foot basis of £10 an hour for heat, light, space to be in and air to live on!
It would therefore seem that anyone is liable to this experience at any time and the fact no on else has yet means they have simply been lucky.
Quote:
Yesterday at 3:38pm, postscript wrote: I think Grant has been very fortunate in his dealings as I do not recall him ever posting details of any problems.
Maybe the reason is that I don't use the EMS service. Sometimes it works, most often it don't! 
Best wishes Grant
Hi Peter and Grant,
My own experience with EMS service is very positive.
I placed already 4 orders at CdJapan, and only one time it stayed at customs about a week and had to pay "fees" (here in Portugal for every commercial deal above 22 Euros approx. GBP 20.5, or particular deal above 45 Euros approx. GBP 42 we have to pay "fees" - when the goods come from outside the EU), the strange thing is why I had to pay "fees" only once, as we all know any of those orders exceeded the 22 Euros, But this is a strange country!  well, I shouldn't really complain, I hope they never read this!!! 
It's fast and delivered at home, even that time I had to pay "fees".
Last order from CdJapan (December 2008), the CD was released on Monday and it arrived Friday! 
My worst experience was with FedEx, (a order from Amazon JP - it was the first and last time that I bought something from them) I had to go and deal myself with customs, as FedEx besides the customs "fees" would charge me more 60 Euros approx. GBP 56. Can you believe this!!! 
Best wishes,  Paulo Correia
  
Jan 19, 2009, 8:29pm, Ross wrote: I have just ordered the CD thru CD Japan. It is going to cost me a lot of money due to the strong yen vs weak NZ Dollar. But if the second CD is as good as the first one it will be well worth it.
Oh dear NZ's got currency problems too has it? Sorry about that. As I'll post shortly CDJapan was a greater cost than i had envisaged. Peter S. an 19, 2009, 5:10pm, comet wrote: Well I ordered the Live at Guggenheim last November 2008 from Amazon It arrived last week (January 2009) from Jamaica (No Less) but has been held by the MFB's at customs and excise.................
worse than Master of the House in Les Miserables, They even charge you extra when they FAIL to deliver an item. A plague on their houses  
Most interesting Comet, This is similar to the experience I have just received from CD Japan's EMS service which I will soon be posting on the CDJapan thread. I think Grant has been very fortunate in his dealings as I do not recall him ever posting details of any problems.
Peter S.
OK, I've bitten the bullet and ordered my copy. How could I not do when I love the first one so much? It cost me very nearly 30 quid though even with 100yen discount! - Ouch!
Martin

Yesterday at 10:21pm, martindn wrote: OK, I've bitten the bullet and ordered my copy. How could I not do when I love the first one so much? It cost me very nearly 30 quid though even with 100yen discount! - Ouch!
Martin
but Hayley is worth every penny!
in reply to other posts, I have ordered over £80 worth of stuff from CDjapan in the last 6 to 9 months, all using EMS as postage option and found that it took 5 days from ordering to it landing on my desk at work (approx 3 days delivery), this has been every time to date.
Cheers Dean am looking at getting both of these albums from www.marbecks.co.nz including Delivery to UK it's $67.07 NZD or approx £25
This looks like a good deal to me but wondered if any other member has purchased anything from them (they are linked CD retailer on HayleyStore.com)
Many Thanks Dean
p.s Yes, I know I have been a little slow in getting these albums but I have been looking around for the best deal (and Hopefully I've found it)
Hi Dean,
Yes, I have used Marbecks on a number of occasions and they have always been pretty good. Most recently, I didn't receive email confirmation that it had been shipped and it took slightly longer than it should but, overall, they seem very reliable. If you can get the pair for £25, that sounds like a good deal.
Roger
i Dean
I haven't used Marbeck's personally although I'm sure several members have, including Roger if I'm not mistaken. £25 is certainly a good price for both CD's especially as that includes delivery!
I think I paid that for the original "Hayley Westenra" in Oxford Street in 2005.
You'll find them very different from how Hayley sounds now but I still love them both and play them quite regularly.
Joined: Jul 2006 Gender: Male Posts: 8,623 Location: Spondon, Derby UK
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #5 on Jan 21, 2009, 3:31pm »
Hi Peter
I think the problem here may rest with CD Japan's chosen courier and not CD Japan themselves. EMS as I understand it stands for "Express Mail Service" which, to me, says 'courier' and couriers charge money!
Undoubtedly, CD Japan will have chosen the most appropriate courier for their part of the transaction, but who that courier ultimately chooses for the 'foreign' part of the trip will be outside the control of CD Japan.
I can't comment on the customs aspect, but what you describe as happening to your CD Peter, sounds an absolutely ludicrous situation.
Having dealt with couriers for many years as part of my purchasing committments with British Rail, I always prefer to stick to the good ole' postal system. Yes, it may take a day or two longer, but what price the hassle of possibly getting your precious CD a few days early?
My experience and that of other members here is that airmail from Japan is usually very quick. I've actually had CD's arrive from Japan more quickly than they can journey through the UK!
It would therefore appear that everything coming into the UK goes through customs. In fact it doesn't, because that is too much work for them. Customs therefore look at the vast piles coming in and if someone is feeling bored and a parcel looks an interesting shape or is is a particularly pretty clour, they look at at, otherwise they do 'eenie, meenie, minee mo' and then select it.
Hi Peter,
I think you did an excellent description of the Portuguese customs !!!!
Joined: Aug 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 6,241 Location: Leicester, England
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #7 on Jan 21, 2009, 10:34pm »
Well, I haven't fallen foul of this yet and I hope I never do. I am tempted to use some rude words about our authorities, but I won't do so here. Except to observe that they seen to behave like gangsters sometimes.
Hayley's so tolerant, it could be a chimpanzee at London Zoo cuddling her, but see signature
Joined: Nov 2005 Gender: Male Posts: 4,856 Location: Hertfordshire
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #8 on Jan 22, 2009, 7:40pm »
From Stevemacdonald on 4th November in another thread
Quote:
long for the day when Ms. Westenra is simply known as "Hayley" -- the way Mr. Sinatra was unmistakably known as "Frank". The time for that is obviously way down the road, but it would arrive much sooner if silly terms like "crossover" and "popera" were chucked as we hail the return of the true singer to our musical terminology.
Which is how she is known on one of the two CDS I have just received from Japan. I'll try and remember to say which one when I post my reaction. Received yesterday but today I was woken by a 'phone call 'spare theatre seat', so day of intended hard work thrown asunder and I was there (it was a matinee), hence no chance to hear them yet. I will return but as I close perhaps that ought to be on the CD thread itself! Sorry.
I had a bad experience with Amazon Japan, last year when I ordered HSJS, they don't deliver overseas by airmail or Express Mail, it was FedEx that made the deliver, and for me it was the first and the last time that I order something from Amazon JP.
HMV Japan It's not bad, I already order from them, but they only deliver overseas by Express Mail (the deliver it's a bit cheaper than CdJapan).
Joined: May 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 666 Location: New Zealand
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #12 on May 27, 2009, 7:58am »
I personally think there would be a decent market for HSJS 1 and 2 and Prayer in New Zealand.. decent enough to merit importing some to sell in shops or on Trademe (online auction).
I wonder why this hasn't been done yet..? I notice the CD's are available on Ebay in the UK etc..
I haven't got the CDs yet but I'm keen to sometime.
Re: CD Japan (for Hayley's Japanese releases) « Reply #13 on May 27, 2009, 8:26am »
Hi Jono,
I wouldn't know about New Zealand but I have certainly seen HSJS1 and Prayer in HMV in London. I'm not sure about HSJS2 simply because I haven't been there to look since it was released.
The problem with imports is the huge mark-up. They are typically about £26 (67NZD) but, if I import them myself by ordering them online from CD Japan, I only pay roughly half that.
I wouldn't know about New Zealand but I have certainly seen HSJS1 and Prayer in HMV in London. I'm not sure about HSJS2 simply because I haven't been there to look since it was released.
The problem with imports is the huge mark-up. They are typically about £26 (67NZD) but, if I import them myself by ordering them online from CD Japan, I only pay roughly half that.
Roger
Hey Roger.
Oh wow, so the shops are selling them @ an inflated price when compared with importing them from Japan yourselves? That seems to go against simple 'economies of scale'...I guess, like you mentioned, the shops add their mark-ups.
I wonder, then, if it would be useful for me to order a few extra copies from cdjapan to sell here online. That would help me cover the freight costs (or lower them), and would save a couple of other fans from having to order through Japan.. What do you think?
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that made the deliver, and for me it was the first and the last time that I order something from Amazon JP.
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