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| Recordings to celebrate the world of the oboe | |||
Costs, Payment, Security, Delivery Times, Privacy and Returns
Some have programme notes in English, French and German, some have variations, or longer notes in English only.
Follow the 'More Details' link of the individual CD for details.
COSTS
In UK shops these CDs are 'full price', which is about £14-50 per CD. The web price is £11-99, which is about 14 euros or 19 US dollars as of December 2011 (currencies go up and down; when you check your shopping basket, the approximate rates of the day are shown). For the Britten Metamorphoses CD the price is £13.50 (16 euros or 21 dollars approx), and for the Han de Vries box of 11 CDs and 2 DVDs it is £50 (60 euros or 78 dollars). The UK price has not changed since Oboe Classics was founded in 2002.
For orders of 10 CDs there is a considerable price reduction to £75, i.e. £7.50 per CD. Click the 'Oboe Box' link at the top of the Catalogue for details. (This offer is sometimes suspended when other offers are present.)
The only other cost is Postage and Packing, which is currently on a flat rate. Orders up to £40 cost £1 in the UK and £2 for everywhere else. Orders of £40 or more are post free, worldwide. This means that the cost of each CD gets a little less the more you buy.
If you live outside the European Community, there is the theoretical possibility that you could be charged import duty in your country. However, out of more than a thousand orders I have only heard of this happening once, to Canada (I now split large Canadian orders into smaller units).
US orders - and some of them have been very big - have never been charged.
Occasionally there will be a price reduction involving a 'promotional code'. This is normally associated with an Ad in a magazine, and is typed into the shopping cart before checking out.
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PAYMENT
As you browse the site, if you want to buy a CD, click 'Add to basket'. You will first be asked whether you are in the UK or not - to calculate postage - and then taken to a basket (a shopping cart) run by www.roman.co.uk. You can adjust the Quantity of CDs, and then continue shopping (back to the Catalogue) or check out.
When you are ready to go, click 'Check/checkout' from the Catalogue or 'Checkout' from the basket, and Roman Cart will take your address details. You can send the CD(s) to someone else if you want, and there is space for a message. At the bottom of this screen you select the payment method, for which I recommend PayPal as the most flexible and the least prone to errors.
Here you decide whether to pay from a PayPal account (if you have one) or with a Credit or Debit card. The next screen asks you (again!) which method you want to use, and asks for your credit/debit card details or PayPal account login details.
When you're happy that all is in order, make the payment. PayPal will send you a confirmation email, and so will Roman Cart. I also get one, from which I send the CD(s).
If this sounds complicated, it isn't really, and usually the CD(s) are sent within 24 hours. If for any reason any delay is expected (because of holidays, for example) there will be a message to that effect on the Home Page of the site. There have been no errors so far. The payment will show up on your Card bill as 'OB CLASSICS'.
There are two alternative methods of processing credit/debit cards. Nochex, which is very security-conscious, so much so that bona fide cards can sometimes be rejected; and Moneybookers. Both work in a similar way to PayPal's card-processing system; however PayPal is clearer on your card bill, the others don't mention Oboe Classics and you have to remember.
If you opt to pay by UK cheque, none of these companies will be contacted. You will be asked to send a cheque to 'Oboe Classics' at 9 Beversbrook Road, London N19 4QG. (You will still get a confirmation email from Roman Cart.)
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SECURITY
In spite of stories in the media, buying over the web is much safer than using a credit card in a shop, restaurant, or (especially) garage. Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of security is the Spam emails many of us get, inviting us to update our account details. If you have a PayPal account, you will know never to respond to such emails, however persuasive.
If, in spite of these reassurances, the worst should ever happen to you, your credit card company will reimburse you for any money used fraudulantly from your account. If you think Oboe Classics has made a mistake, or your order doesn't arrive, tell us and we'll see what we can do. Our address is 9 Beversbrook Road, London N19 4QG, UK, telephone number is +44 (0)20 7263 4027, email address is mail@oboeclassics.com.
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DELIVERY TIMES AND RELIABILITY
Worldwide, the CDs are sent airmail as a small packet. I have been pleasantly surprised at the reliability and speed of the world's postal services. One American buyer was amazed when their CD arrived two days after ordering it, but they were lucky - five days is a more typical time to the USA. Even Australia can be five days. Unfortunately Europe doesn't seem to be much faster, perhaps because the package still has to go through the same number of stages, even if the flight time is shorter.
In the UK they are sent second class, but my feedback indicates that they usually arrive the following day.
However, the Post Offices of the world don't guarantee delivery times, and there is always the possibility that the CDs may get held up somewhere in the system, which means waiting to see if they have been lost, or merely delayed. This can be a nuisance, but out of more than a thousand packages sent out since 2002, only two have failed to arrive - one to Poland and the other to another part of London, about five miles away! (I replaced them.)
The CDs are sent in bags padded with bubblewrap, which is normally enough to protect them from the stresses and strains of the journey. However, there are some kinds of mishandling they can't withstand, and the CD jewel case may crack. If this is a problem for you, again, I will replace the product.
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"I must say how impressed I am at the efficiency and speed of your service. Not only do you
provide outstanding products but they are delivered and received within days. If only
everyone was like that....." Stuart Wright, UK
"I was amazed at the speed with which my order arrived. I ordered something else from England a week earlier, and it still hasn't arrived." Gail Perstein, USA |
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PRIVACY, RETURNS etc
When you place an order, I retain your name, address, email address, and what you ordered. If you want that information deleted let me know and I will do so.
Once or twice a year I may send an email with news of new CDs, special offers etc. There is always a way of opting out, but if you wish to do so immediately, again, let me know.
If a CD is physically damaged, or doesn't work, I will replace it. If you just don't like the music, and can make out a case that the sound clips on the website misled you as to what you were buying - well, give it a try!
In all these cases my name is Jeremy Polmear, address Oboe Classics, 9 Beversbrook Road, London N19 4QG, UK; telephone number +44 (0)20 7263 4027; email address mail@oboeclassics.com.
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