Treasury to close loophole that allows VAT-free DVD

[CinemaScope]

We'll see if prices go up, I don't think they will. Online customers are used to paying a certain price & they're not going to pay more. Remember those crazy prices in HMV a short while ago, I was in there (Oxford Street) yesterday, & the vast majority of Blu's were in the two for £15 offer. It's no good asking a lot for a product if no one is going to buy it.

[Blu-Ray Winstone]

See this is from 1st April ... But when do you think these companies will actually start to increase ?

Anyone think it'll be increased sooner (assume prices will go up?)

Just wondered as I've already pre ordered titles for release in Jan/Feb and March - They would keep the preorder price ??

[Buddy Ackerman]

Originally Posted by Blu-Ray Winstone

See this is from 1st April ... But when do you think these companies will actually start to increase ?

Anyone think it'll be increased sooner (assume prices will go up?)

Just wondered as I've already pre ordered titles for release in Jan/Feb and March - They would keep the preorder price ??

Yes, they would keep the pre-order price.

As for when they'll rise (if they do) - depends on how they want to play it. They may start slowly increasing them from the start of the year so no-one really notices a difference or they may just up them in April with big "it's out of our hands, blame the government" apologies on the site.

[Douglas R]

These companies have been exploiting a legislative tax loophole for years. I'm only surprised that it's taken so long to close it. As someone who likes shopping in the high street, this may provide a more level playing field for traditional retail stores such as HMV.

[Blu-Ray Winstone]

I've noticed a few big titles being the same in store at HMV as online, i.e Green Lantern and its Steelbook, X-Men First Class and Batman Anthology £15 sale price.

I now wonder if this will be common ? Hopefully as it is now with in store being just as cheap, rather than the other way.

I saw Centurion at £35 !!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was in the 2 for £15 last week and Cobra £18 ?? I will never pay these prices... £35 I still cannot believe that !

[No1_Dave]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

I believe it would depend on what site you order from. Some sites, like Amazon, list prices with VAT included to begin with, so it's not likely that those prices will increase. However, those sites in the loophole that have already factored VAT out of their pricing will have to re-include it, essentially raising their prices.

overseas buyers (especially from outside the EU) has always had it good with UK online retailers, with ability to remove VAT and relatively cheap shipping and high import customs limits, and double good deal/prices shipping from channel islands.

but good old amazon specialises in pricematching hmv, Play, thehutgroup etc, so if those those raises their prices, amazon's baseline or pricematch prices will also go up.

so in conclusion, bad news for consumers (uk or otherwise) all round.

[Ben_R]

Originally Posted by The Driver

Save me repeating myself.Maybe Germany will take them over again?

Imbecile!

[RBBrittain]

Originally Posted by No1_Dave

overseas buyers (especially from outside the EU) has always had it good with UK online retailers, with ability to remove VAT and relatively cheap shipping and high import customs limits, and double good deal/prices shipping from channel islands.

but good old amazon specialises in pricematching hmv, Play, thehutgroup etc, so if those those raises their prices, amazon's baseline or pricematch prices will also go up.

so in conclusion, bad news for consumers (uk or otherwise) all round.

Yes, it will reduce the pressure to keep prices down, especially on boxsets; but otherwise it won't have a huge effect on buyers from outside the EU, especially at Amazon UK. Their U.S. & Canada customers will still get VAT removed & cheap shipping. And the U.S. duty-free threshold on mail imports (US$200 per day) isn't going up anytime soon; even the proposals to force U.S. e-tailers to collect sales taxes so far won't give U.S. Customs and USPS authority to collect sales taxes on personal imports (as in almost every other country, including Canada). USPS might use the boost in revenue, but the extra customs agents needed to do that are almost certainly needed more for smuggling & homeland-security issues than to raise revenue for the states (not the Feds).

[The Driver]

Originally Posted by The Driver

Maybe Germany will take them over again?

Originally Posted by Ben_R

Imbecile!

I'm stating a fact as Germany did invade the Channel Islands in WWII and took over the running of said islands for a very long time. Nothing imbecilic about that.

A little controversial but people should be remembered about 50,000,000+ (fifty million) people dying even through crass humour. Yes, and even on a Blu-ray forum.

[Ben_R]

If you either lived through it or had relatives who suffered the occupation with the constant fear and threat of being shot or sent to concentration camps then maybe you with think twice before making flippant comments.

[Alex_DeLarge]

The crooks in suits do it again!!!

This country will self desruct in... 5... 4... 3...

[prankz]

Well that's the end of cheap Blu-rays. What do you think the new base price will be from 1st April? £20? £25?

[Blu-Ray Winstone]

Originally Posted by prankz

Well that's the end of cheap Blu-rays. What do you think the new base price will be from 1st April? £20? £25?

That is when I suddenly become very happy with my upscaling DVD player and cannot see the difference between DVD and Blu. And then marvel, at the amount of choice for old titles etc etc

But I will stop being a day one buyer and blind buyer. I currently cannot wait 3 months before my £14.99 triple play is in a 2 for £15 deal. Or that £40 box set becomes £15, six months later.

Unless it is an absolute must, limited release, extra ultra special edition etc. I promise myself, I'll not pay £20 on a single movie.
I have struggled to part with £15 for the Batman set and only bought The Matrix set, when play.com had a one day deal for £13.95 - So I will not buy Thor 2 or the Avengers at £24.99

[tigertron]

I wasn't much of a blind buyer to begin with but I can't see myself buying expensive Blu-rays that I haven't seen before.

This is such ashame, yet again the government screws us over.

[Blu-Ray Winstone]

Originally Posted by tigertron

I wasn't much of a blind buyer to begin with but I can't see myself buying expensive Blu-rays that I haven't seen before.

This is such ashame, yet again the government screws us over.

I've nearly always bought blind. I do buy movies I rented as a kid or caught on TV and thought thats good etc. But I rarely go to the cinema as I find it too expensive and am fortunate to have a decent home system. So I will buy based on reviews, like the actor/actress in many other films, like the genre etc.

I haven't seen a single 'super hero movie' in the cinema or rented, but I own a copy of all of them. I enjoy owning, collecting and at £15 to watch in comfort whenever I wish, is like half the cost of going to the cinema. I always knew from trailers and reviews I'd enjoy Spiderman etc and would watch many times.

I can see myself changing, IF, this price increase is drastic. I have on preorder (blind buy) Inbetweeners, loved the series - own all on DVD and will buy day one £14.99, knowing this will be £10 or less by spring. I will not do anything like that if it were, say, £22.99.

Same with older movies. I'd love Jaws on Blu, I have the 25th A.E and the 30th 2 disc S.E. Unless it is an editon I think will sell out (even at £20+) like a steelbook or limited box I'll wait...Loke with Scarface triple play, I picked that up in 2 for £15 about a month after it released at £17

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by prankz

Well that's the end of cheap Blu-rays. What do you think the new base price will be from 1st April? £20? £25?

Why would it be so pricey? X-Men First Class, as a random example of a new release, is only £14.99 in-store at HMV, and even cheaper at Tesco. That includes all the taxes at the rate we'll be paying online in the new year. You probably won't even notice it.

I might be wrong, but I'm sure that the only major groups affected by this will be Play.com, Amazon's dreaded Indigo Starfish and the Hut group, who are awful anyway. I always thought that HMV.com was based in Jersey too, but google tells me otherwise. So yeah, whenever you were buying from anyone other than Play, The Hut group or Indigo Starfish you were already paying the same taxes.

[Shawn Elestren]

But this won't just affect DVDs and Blus. Surely books, CDs and video games will be affected too.

[Douglas R]

Originally Posted by Shawn Watson

But this won't just affect DVDs and Blus. Surely books, CDs and video games will be affected too.

Not books. They are exempt from VAT.

[thewerepuppygrr]

Originally Posted by Douglas R

Not books. They are exempt from VAT.

Which is just as well since they're gonna close all the libraries...

[snooloui]

Another stupid move by the Government. All that will happen is that people will spend less and therefore make the economy even worse. They worked out that they would collect all this extra tax without thinking that maybe people wouldn't just keep on buying the same with an extra 17.5% on top. Really great news for people who live on the Channel Islands

Still, a Blu-ray at £14.99 + VAT is still better than the extortionate prices they charge in HMV stores, which kinda disproves the bullshit excuse the Government gave for doing this.