HMV store memo circulating Bulk Buying

[cudzndrips]

According to Naughtius Maximus over at HDN a memo has been sent from HMV head office to all stores instructing them that bulk buying in-store is no longer allowed, and that each customer could be limited to just 1 x copy and no more. This could mean a pretty big blow to future groupbuys I may do but also those members who cannot get to an HMV store may have to rely on eBay and inflamed prices. We'll of course evaluate the GB situation when the next HMV exclusive is released.

[levcore]

Originally Posted by cudzndrips

According to Naughtius Maximus over at HDN a memo has been sent from HMV head office to all stores instructing them that bulk buying in-store is no longer allowed. This could mean a pretty big blow to future groupbuys I may do but also those members who cannot get to an HMV store may have to rely on eBay and inflamed prices. We'll of course evaluate the GB situation when the next HMV exclusive is released.

That's crazy but on one hand i'm not surprised. For a start, in Birmingham HMV they have started keeping the Steelbooks behind the counter, with just an Amray placeholder with a steelbook sticker on the front placed on the shelves, instructing customers to ask at the checkout. I wasn't sure if this was to dissuade theft, or to keep the fact that the store has Steelbooks fairly low key. The latter makes less sense though. They sold out of the Riddick exclusive pretty quickly, but still had one or two copies of the Wolverine one a few weeks ago. If it's a HMV exclusive i get a bit anxious and try to get down there as quick as possible, sometimes lunchtime is the earliest i can make it. What with the Steelbook market being the way it is it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of scalpers have been clearing the shelves of the HMV exclusives so much so that other customers can't get any. It will be a blow for your Group buys though, which will truly suck for some of our International members here.

[cudzndrips]

Originally Posted by levcore

That's crazy but on one hand i'm not surprised. For a start, in Birmingham HMV they have started keeping the Steelbooks behind the counter, with just an Amray placeholder with a steelbook sticker on the front placed on the shelves, instructing customers to ask at the checkout. I wasn't sure if this was to dissuade theft, or to keep the fact that the store has Steelbooks fairly low key. The latter makes less sense though. They sold out of the Riddick exclusive pretty quickly, but still had one or two copies of the Wolverine one a few weeks ago. If it's a HMV exclusive i get a bit anxious and try to get down there as quick as possible, sometimes lunchtime is the earliest i can make it. What with the Steelbook market being the way it is it wouldn't surprise me if a lot of scalpers have been clearing the shelves of the HMV exclusives so much so that other customers can't get any. It will be a blow for your Group buys though, which will truly suck for some of our International members here.

It will definitely suck for those who can't obtain it. When I first approached the manager of my local HMV about how many copies they would sell to me, he told me "you can buy them all if you want". It was because he'd been left with so many unsold copies so was happy with a sale. Take Mondays Ender's Game for example: my local store opened its doors at 9am and by 9:03am they'd run nearly £300 through the tills. That's good business for any store.

[BHolst]

That's typical... I joined my first GB for Ender's Game (thank you, Cudz!) and now they might put a stop to it.

Oh, well, that's life I guess.

I wonder if it would be possible to allow GBs if the buyer can prove that they are buying for other members (yeah right, because you can't cheat with that )?

[casperuk]

limiting it to 1 is a mistake to be fair, but not having a limit is crazy. any deal you see in a supermarket is limited to x amount per customer. normally something like 6.

[MarcusZoller]

Does anyone know the numbers that Enders Game and other HMV exclusives have been limited too? For instance Wolverine has been sat on shelves in bulk for months, but it sounds like Enders Game may have been and gone in a day!

[Monkeyspoons Revenge]

I'm glad they have done this. Some people are honest but some are not. Even with group buys there is still the opportunity for someone to make a lot of money ripping off people who can't get a copy for themselves. I've seen some group buys and ebay prices that are ridiculously high.

1 per customer is all you need really. Mind you there is nothing stop people coming in multiple times to buy one copy.

[CasuallyDressed]

Originally Posted by Monkeyspoons Revenge

I'm glad they have done this. Some people are honest but some are not. Even with group buys there is still the opportunity for someone to make a lot of money ripping off people who can't get a copy for themselves. I've seen some group buys and ebay prices that are ridiculously high.

1 per customer is all you need really. Mind you there is nothing stop people coming in multiple times to buy one copy.

I agree with this. For every 1 genuine person doing a GB or 'buying for a friend', there are 10 more scalpers on eBay.

[Buddy Ackerman]

Originally Posted by Monkeyspoons Revenge

I'm glad they have done this. Some people are honest but some are not. Even with group buys there is still the opportunity for someone to make a lot of money ripping off people who can't get a copy for themselves. I've seen some group buys and ebay prices that are ridiculously high.

1 per customer is all you need really. Mind you there is nothing stop people coming in multiple times to buy one copy.

Originally Posted by CasuallyDressed

I agree with this. For every 1 genuine person doing a GB or 'buying for a friend', there are 10 more scalpers on eBay.

Agreed again. 1 per person may be a bit too strict - 2 seems a bit more fair - but I can understand restrictions.

Hell, even with group buys (and I say this recognizing the good that people like cudzndrips do) I can see the argument for stopping it - someone said that they went into HMV to buy Ender's Game on Monday only to be told that all the stock had been sold to one customer, to which someone jokingly replied that it may have been cudzndrips getting their copies for the GB - now had that been the case then sure, those copies are going to individual people but it still seems unfair that no-one else could snag a copy from their local HMV because someone from a forum had come in and grabbed the lot for international customers. It's a grey area because I can see the GBs as doing good, but I can also see it from the other side of things.

[bumblebaytuna]

I bought 3 yesterday was this email out then as they didn't seem bothered I didn't realise it was so sort after . Oh it was one to watch to keep and one to my brother in USA if anyone interested

[cudzndrips]

Originally Posted by bumblebaytuna

I bought 3 yesterday was this email out then as they didn't seem bothered I didn't realise it was so sort after . Oh it was one to watch to keep and one to my brother in USA if anyone interested

I was in the store at 9am and had no problem so I can only assume the memo went out sometime through the day. It's possible HMV customer services received numerous calls about people bulk buying and that it was unfair.

[casperuk]

Originally Posted by cudzndrips

I was in the store at 9am and had no problem so I can only assume the memo went out sometime through the day. It's possible HMV customer services received numerous calls about people bulk buying and that it was unfair.

but what would happen to the manager if they refused to do it. seeing as HMV is losing money faster than it's making it, surely they would want the business.

my local HMV closed and i didn't even know it was going or i would have went down. nothing on the site or good to say it's gone. even Canary Wharf's floor plan map has it listed.

[MarcusZoller]

Originally Posted by casperuk

but what would happen to the manager if they refused to do it. seeing as HMV is losing money faster than it's making it, surely they would want the business.

my local HMV closed and i didn't even know it was going or i would have went down. nothing on the site or good to say it's gone. even Canary Wharf's floor plan map has it listed.

I work right by the Oxford Street branch that recently closed to move to a much smaller location. It's a shame to see them go, but I'm glad they are trying to capture some revenue with things like exclusive steelbooks.

Managed to get the A Good Day To Die Hard steelbook for £1.99 in the clearance.

[nate.]

Anything that stops people scapling is good news for collectors. Sure it'll suck that overseas folks miss out but then again they get their exclusives that we don't get too. My Mrs picked up Enders game for me yesterday or I'd probably not have got one unless I took a day off work. There weren't many left when she got it. I missed out on Riddick because it went so quickly.

[Rixx]

Originally Posted by nate.

Anything that stops people scapling is good news for collectors. Sure it'll suck that overseas folks miss out but then again they get their exclusives that we don't get too. My Mrs picked up Enders game for me yesterday or I'd probably not have got one unless I took a day off work. There weren't many left when she got it. I missed out on Riddick because it went so quickly.

I seriously doubt it will stop scalping. The scalpers will find a way around it and will probably increase the asking price as overseas buyers will find it harder to get the steelbooks through group buys.

[MarcusZoller]

There are always ways round this, whether it's hitting several stores, going to different sales desks/assistants or hiding copies and coming back strategically throughout the day, people are going to find loopholes.

As mentioned by me previously, there are copies of the Wolverine "limited" steel at every HMV I go too. If I or anyone else arranged a group buy for US customers I doubt anyone at HMV would stop me buying 10, because they are just taking up shelf space now.

It's only because Enders Game has flown out so quick... but who knows if there'll be a restock. I'm heading down today to check.

[bladelia]

i called HMV Oxford St, just now, after Enders Game , and they told me, that someone bought all 30 copies, and also the manager rung round all the other branches in London, and they are all out of stock. so basically I'm now buggered, serves me right for waiting till today to get one.

[MarcusZoller]

Originally Posted by bladelia

i called HMV Oxford St, just now, after Enders Game , and they told me, that someone bought all 30 copies, and also the manager rung round all the other branches in London, and they are all out of stock. so basically I'm now buggered, serves me right for waiting till today to get one.

OK, guess I won't be going down there on my lunch break then. Cheers for saving me a journey.

Letting someone buy all 30 copies is f***ing ridiculous

[malcy30]

After the doom and gloom here took an early lunch to go to my local store (a small town one) as was away yesterday. Managed to pick up two copies (for my brother in law and myself), there were a further 8 on the shelves. In fact they only had the steelbook and no standard BDs for this.

I was served by the manager and no issues buying two copies, not sure if it would have been different trying to buy all 10. Have known him from years back to when he started as an assistant in MVC.

My store tends to have the HMV exclusive steelbooks for some time as Riddick took a couple of weeks to sell out, and they had so many copies unsold of Die Hard 5 and Wolverine they finally went on sale to clear.

Edit (added) : It seems crazy they only send 30 copies to their Central London store when the others in the centre have been closed and also many parts of London like Croydon no longer have an HMV, whereas my small HMV got 10 copies plus whatever they sold Monday and up to 11am on Tuesday.

[malcy30]

Originally Posted by bladelia

i called HMV Oxford St, just now, after Enders Game , and they told me, that someone bought all 30 copies, and also the manager rung round all the other branches in London, and they are all out of stock. so basically I'm now buggered, serves me right for waiting till today to get one.

But given everything got sold at store opening Monday, that's not much help. It's like those people queuing up outside the store for the doors to open when they have sales. In this case its now steelbook scalpers.

If you read the other threads HMV will reserve the exclusives for you but you must go in store before release and pay a deposit. However there is no guarantee they remember to keep back your copy for you and don't sell it to someone else as happened to the guy here who does the group buys !