In U.S. - Buying Foreign Steelbooks (Help?) - Blu-ray Forum

THS · 05-29-2013, 02:35 AM

This would be for anyone who is kind enough to help.

I've recently been bitten by the Steelbook Bug, and I need more!!! (The selection in U.S. retail stores is pretty lame.)

I'm finally branching out and have found some Foreign-Released Blu-ray Steelbooks from the UK, Germany, and Japan that have caught my eye. I've noticed that buying these imports from the U.S. Amazon site is quite pricey, while it seems cheaper to buy and ship directly from say: Amazon.de or Amazon.co.uk for instance. Can anyone chime in on the experience of buying from these sites and having steels shipped to the U.S.? Are there price-y import charges or something that i'm missing, or is it really just that much cheaper to buy directly with U.S. dollars and patiently wait for them to be shipped over?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

videohead · 05-29-2013, 02:53 AM

Amz uk is fine. Sometimes they take over a month til u have it in ur hands. I ordered jaws steel, nothing else and it came in mint. I think they all use ur same ol amz name and password too. Hope this helps.

atomik kinder · 05-29-2013, 03:03 AM

I have ordered from Amazon UK and Amazon.de (Germany). I haven't had problems with either. Most orders of in stock items take about a week to arrive from Amazon UK. Although I ordered two items once and it seemed to take three weeks to arrive after it was shipped. I ordered from Germany and the last time it took about a week, the first time I ordered, it took about three weeks. I have never had to pay an import fee or any customs fees. My highest amount was for around $60 and still no customs fees. I don't know how much the amount has to be before they charge you. I have heard it is worse in other countries when importing from the US.

Yes, you can even use the same log in and everything on these sites and you can even use your US credit card. There will be some small international exchange rate fees, but I believe both UK and Germany will allow you to place your orders in US $. They just figure out the exchange rate for you. It is very easy and I have never had a problem, except the Amazon.de is not in English. But you can probably figure it out.

THS · 05-29-2013, 03:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by videohead

Amz uk is fine. Sometimes they take over a month til u have it in ur hands. I ordered jaws steel, nothing else and it came in mint. I think they all use ur same ol amz name and password too. Hope this helps.

Thanks, yeah, it let me log into my U.S. account. That's the cool part. So, People selling to impatient people in the U.S. are jacking up prices on something I can order and wait for for less than 1/2 or even 1/3 in some cases? I'm shocked, but this news means I can finally bite on my first import steels. Thanks again.

Dragun · 05-29-2013, 03:10 AM

Some credit cards have foreign transaction fees. But Amazon doesn't charge any such fee. You don't have to pay the VAT that UK buyers have to pay. Shipping is reasonable. I've ordered from Amazon UK a few times and had no problems. I was worried that the one steelbook I ordered from them would have been dented in transit, but they packed it carefully, and it arrived in perfect condition.

bsweetness · 05-29-2013, 03:13 AM

Looks like you've already gotten the main answers you were looking for about Amazon's foreign sites. If you're looking for more information on foreign SteelBooks, you'll find pretty much everything in the Steelbooks forum. You can also inquire about where to purchase SteelBooks in this thread - What is a SteelBook and purchasing Resource thread for Blu-ray SteelBook

THS · 05-29-2013, 03:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragun

Some credit cards have foreign transaction fees. But Amazon doesn't charge any such fee. You don't have to pay the VAT that UK buyers have to pay. Shipping is reasonable. I've ordered from Amazon UK a few times and had no problems. I was worried that the one steelbook I ordered from them would have been dented in transit, but they packed it carefully, and it arrived in perfect condition.

Thanks, these are reassuring responses. I'm getting stoked for payday now.

chip75 · 05-29-2013, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atomik kinder

I have never had to pay an import fee or any customs fees. My highest amount was for around $60 and still no customs fees. I don't know how much the amount has to be before they charge you.

I looked it up a few months ago and I think it was something like $200 before you go over the limit. I can't remember where I got the information. It was on one of your government sites (maybe they had information about visas et cetra) but I can't remember which one!

Hopefully if I'm miles off someone will post.

Also to the OP Zavvi are used by a lot of US members for their Steelbook Exclusives. I think postage is like 99p to the US.

MifuneFan · 05-29-2013, 04:04 AM

If you have a Capital One card, they don't charge any fees. In any event, it's usually cheaper to checkout in the foreign currency. The foreign exchange fee is usually around 3% which works out cheaper than Amazon's currency converter more times than not.

Shadygoat · 06-06-2013, 11:05 PM

I'm glad i stumbled upon this thread. There is a 3 for 2 deal on amazon.de with my name on it

AGH · 06-06-2013, 11:15 PM

You can also get lucky on the UK-based Ebay website. I was able to purchase the two Star Wars steelbooks brand new for about $35 USD each (Buy It Now option). Be sure to look at the postage on certain items though, because you might need to contact the seller for additional pricing information. Furthermore, I've had nothing but good experiences with these sellers (good packaging, no bootlegs) and also with Amazon.uk. I can't speak on behalf of Zavvi, but I've heard they're pretty decent. Good luck!

BluRoo98 · 06-06-2013, 11:15 PM

I have always just found a fellow bluray.com member who was willing to help but recently I ordered a steel from amazon.fr (France) - the funny things is I was able to "guess" what the site said because it is all set up exactly as the US amazon. P.S. you can use "google chrome" to translate for you but I just wanted to order it. It is set to arrive Monday so if this goes well, you can use any amazon site to order steels. Also (I don't know why - maybe someone can enlighten me) the steel was set at arise of 19.99 euros but after I added it to my order and they added 8.50 euros onto the order they dropped the price automatically to 16.99 euros. So the total US was $34. Not a bad price at all for Star Trek (a completely Sold out title)

sickofyou · 06-07-2013, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by videohead

Amz uk is fine. Sometimes they take over a month til u have it in ur hands. I ordered jaws steel, nothing else and it came in mint. I think they all use ur same ol amz name and password too. Hope this helps.

How's the packaging of amazon uk?

Shadygoat · 06-07-2013, 01:50 AM

I just ordered three blus from amazon.de for less than 20 euros shipped. I was going to order two steels from amazon.ca and they were going to charge me 12 bucks in shipping.

Smigro · 06-07-2013, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadygoat

I just ordered three blus from amazon.de for less than 20 euros shipped. I was going to order two steels from amazon.ca and they were going to charge me 12 bucks in shipping.

Yeah, it is best to order two or more to help offset the high shipping charges in Canada.

richieb1971 · 06-07-2013, 03:54 AM

Some notes for you..

Amz UK takes away sales tax for you, so it ends up cheaper than the price you see.

USA does not charge import taxes on certain entertainment categories for individuals, blu rays is one of them. I think if your a business you will get hit though.

Most AMZ sites will replace faulty items free of charge and you get to keep the original faulty item as well.

Buying imports makes you uber cool because you will inevitably have something that make people take notice.

Your right the USA selection of steels is lame.

If you read this far. Beware.. You could spend a grand a week and still be wanting more. There are so many steels out now that buying from multiple countries gets ridiculously expensive.

TheOneWithThePrize · 06-07-2013, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HD2Blu

Also (I don't know why - maybe someone can enlighten me) the steel was set at arise of 19.99 euros but after I added it to my order and they added 8.50 euros onto the order they dropped the price automatically to 16.99 euros. So the total US was $34. Not a bad price at all for Star Trek (a completely Sold out title)

Tax is included in the price quoted on all products, since you live outside of the European Union you are exempt from paying that tax so it is removed during the checkout process thus giving a lesser total than expected.

ManUtd · 06-07-2013, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sickofyou

How's the packaging of amazon uk?

I've bought quite a few Steelbooks from Amazon UK and their packaging has always been excellent.

Prelude2Elude · 06-07-2013, 04:41 AM

Thought i would branch out since my Zavvi kick (havent received them yet) and check out amazon.uk (damn this thread!). I ordered the Ted steelbook, for $20 shipped.

jhan8185 · 06-07-2013, 01:48 PM

Yeah amz uk is an awesome source for steels. I've only ordered once but it was impressive. In fact, I just don't get it. How can I get a steel mailed all the way from the UK in mint condition for $16 total but when I go to the local BB I have to sift through all the steels to find a mint piece. Unreal.

First order from Zavvi has not arrived yet. I'm not expecting much because they simply don't have the reputation amz does.

05-29-2013, 02:35 AM	#1
THS Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Aug 2011 Home Theater Gallery:11 4K collection:1185 Blu-ray collection:2470 DVD collection:161 Trading Score:368	In U.S. - Buying Foreign Steelbooks (Help?) This would be for anyone who is kind enough to help. I've recently been bitten by the Steelbook Bug, and I need more!!! (The selection in U.S. retail stores is pretty lame.) I'm finally branching out and have found some Foreign-Released Blu-ray Steelbooks from the UK, Germany, and Japan that have caught my eye. I've noticed that buying these imports from the U.S. Amazon site is quite pricey, while it seems cheaper to buy and ship directly from say: Amazon.de or Amazon.co.uk for instance. Can anyone chime in on the experience of buying from these sites and having steels shipped to the U.S.? Are there price-y import charges or something that i'm missing, or is it really just that much cheaper to buy directly with U.S. dollars and patiently wait for them to be shipped over? Any help would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

05-29-2013, 02:53 AM	#2
videohead Expert Member Member since:Oct 2011 Location:ontario, california Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:780 DVD collection:12 Trading Score:7	Amz uk is fine. Sometimes they take over a month til u have it in ur hands. I ordered jaws steel, nothing else and it came in mint. I think they all use ur same ol amz name and password too. Hope this helps.

05-29-2013, 03:03 AM	#3
atomik kinder Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2007 Location:Omaha NE 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:-	I have ordered from Amazon UK and Amazon.de (Germany). I haven't had problems with either. Most orders of in stock items take about a week to arrive from Amazon UK. Although I ordered two items once and it seemed to take three weeks to arrive after it was shipped. I ordered from Germany and the last time it took about a week, the first time I ordered, it took about three weeks. I have never had to pay an import fee or any customs fees. My highest amount was for around $60 and still no customs fees. I don't know how much the amount has to be before they charge you. I have heard it is worse in other countries when importing from the US. Yes, you can even use the same log in and everything on these sites and you can even use your US credit card. There will be some small international exchange rate fees, but I believe both UK and Germany will allow you to place your orders in US $. They just figure out the exchange rate for you. It is very easy and I have never had a problem, except the Amazon.de is not in English. But you can probably figure it out.

05-29-2013, 03:10 AM	#5
Dragun Blu-ray Guru Member since:May 2010 Location:Los Angeles, CA 4K collection:114 Blu-ray collection:857 Trading Score:1	Some credit cards have foreign transaction fees. But Amazon doesn't charge any such fee. You don't have to pay the VAT that UK buyers have to pay. Shipping is reasonable. I've ordered from Amazon UK a few times and had no problems. I was worried that the one steelbook I ordered from them would have been dented in transit, but they packed it carefully, and it arrived in perfect condition.

05-29-2013, 03:13 AM	#6
bsweetness Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Sep 2008 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Digital collection:- Trading Score:85	Looks like you've already gotten the main answers you were looking for about Amazon's foreign sites. If you're looking for more information on foreign SteelBooks, you'll find pretty much everything in the Steelbooks forum. You can also inquire about where to purchase SteelBooks in this thread - What is a SteelBook and purchasing Resource thread for Blu-ray SteelBook

05-29-2013, 04:04 AM	#9
MifuneFan Blu-ray Emperor Top contributor Member since:Mar 2012 Location:New York City 4K collection:27 Blu-ray collection:1143 Trading Score:69	If you have a Capital One card, they don't charge any fees. In any event, it's usually cheaper to checkout in the foreign currency. The foreign exchange fee is usually around 3% which works out cheaper than Amazon's currency converter more times than not.

06-06-2013, 11:05 PM	#10
Shadygoat Active Member Member since:May 2013 Location:Texas 4K collection:7 Blu-ray collection:232 DVD collection:64 Digital collection:20 Trading Score:24	I'm glad i stumbled upon this thread. There is a 3 for 2 deal on amazon.de with my name on it

06-06-2013, 11:15 PM	#11
AGH Power Member Top contributor Member since:Mar 2011 Location:Seattle 4K collection:27 Blu-ray collection:282 Trading Score:23	You can also get lucky on the UK-based Ebay website. I was able to purchase the two Star Wars steelbooks brand new for about $35 USD each (Buy It Now option). Be sure to look at the postage on certain items though, because you might need to contact the seller for additional pricing information. Furthermore, I've had nothing but good experiences with these sellers (good packaging, no bootlegs) and also with Amazon.uk. I can't speak on behalf of Zavvi, but I've heard they're pretty decent. Good luck!

06-06-2013, 11:15 PM	#12
BluRoo98 Power Member Top contributor Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Center Valley, PA Home Theater Gallery:17 4K collection:11 Blu-ray collection:355 DVD collection:67 Digital collection:914 Trading Score:180	I have always just found a fellow bluray.com member who was willing to help but recently I ordered a steel from amazon.fr (France) - the funny things is I was able to "guess" what the site said because it is all set up exactly as the US amazon. P.S. you can use "google chrome" to translate for you but I just wanted to order it. It is set to arrive Monday so if this goes well, you can use any amazon site to order steels. Also (I don't know why - maybe someone can enlighten me) the steel was set at arise of 19.99 euros but after I added it to my order and they added 8.50 euros onto the order they dropped the price automatically to 16.99 euros. So the total US was $34. Not a bad price at all for Star Trek (a completely Sold out title)

06-07-2013, 01:50 AM	#14
Shadygoat Active Member Member since:May 2013 Location:Texas 4K collection:7 Blu-ray collection:232 DVD collection:64 Digital collection:20 Trading Score:24	I just ordered three blus from amazon.de for less than 20 euros shipped. I was going to order two steels from amazon.ca and they were going to charge me 12 bucks in shipping.

06-07-2013, 03:54 AM	#16
richieb1971 Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Aug 2007 4K collection:89 Blu-ray collection:706 Trading Score:16	Some notes for you.. Amz UK takes away sales tax for you, so it ends up cheaper than the price you see. USA does not charge import taxes on certain entertainment categories for individuals, blu rays is one of them. I think if your a business you will get hit though. Most AMZ sites will replace faulty items free of charge and you get to keep the original faulty item as well. Buying imports makes you uber cool because you will inevitably have something that make people take notice. Your right the USA selection of steels is lame. If you read this far. Beware.. You could spend a grand a week and still be wanting more. There are so many steels out now that buying from multiple countries gets ridiculously expensive.

06-07-2013, 04:41 AM	#19
Prelude2Elude Senior Member Member since:Mar 2007	Thought i would branch out since my Zavvi kick (havent received them yet) and check out amazon.uk (damn this thread!). I ordered the Ted steelbook, for $20 shipped.

06-07-2013, 01:48 PM	#20
jhan8185 Active Member Member since:Mar 2011 Location:Providence, RI 4K collection:419 Blu-ray collection:1031	Yeah amz uk is an awesome source for steels. I've only ordered once but it was impressive. In fact, I just don't get it. How can I get a steel mailed all the way from the UK in mint condition for $16 total but when I go to the local BB I have to sift through all the steels to find a mint piece. Unreal. First order from Zavvi has not arrived yet. I'm not expecting much because they simply don't have the reputation amz does.

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