CDs
Reviews and ratings of quality, hand-picked, UK websites
Amazon.co.uk
• www.amazon.co.uk
Headers: Books, Electronics & Photo, Music, DVD, Video, Software, PC & Video Games, Home & Garden, Toys & Games
Although associated mostly with books of which they have a huge stock, covering nearly all subjects, Amazon now sells virtually everything. And their prices are surprisingly good. The electrical goods, for example, are very competitively priced. The site is very easy to navigate and there are also a huge selection of useful, and usually well written reviews for products. You can also search for goods available in the auction department plus you can get good deals from the many used items sold at Amazon.
• Special Features: 30 returns policy.
• Free Delivery on most orders >£15
Asda
• www.asda.co.uk
Headers: Groceries, Financial Services, Books, CDs, DVDs, Games, Electricals, Furniture, Gifts, Mobile Phones, Opticians, Photo, Travel
Not just groceries, but speaking of which, if you order your groceries online with an Asda credit card you get free delivery! Check the website to see if they deliver in your area.
Asda Entertainment
• FREE UK Delivery
• Extensive catalogue both current and back-catalogue
• Regular price checks against competitors
Blah DVD
• www.blahdvd.com
Headers: DVDs, CDs, Music Downloads, Games, Stuff
Fast and easy to navigate website selling a large range of DVDs and CDs. Many special offers and promotions available. Blah DVD has teamed up with Oxfam to provide music downloads plus, in addition to a small range of gadgets and consumables, they are now offering a wide range of games for PS2, PC, Xbox, Cube, GBA, DS, 360 and PSP. Blah DVD is based in Jersey. There is no VAT to pay on items under £18 as they are based in the Channel Islands: on items over £18, Blah DVD takes care of the VAT.
• Free UK Delivery
• Gift Service: You can send your gift directly to the recipients address. (And they have worldwide delivery)
• International Delivery Available
CD-WOW
• www.cdwow.com
Headers, CD, DVD, Games, MP3 Players
CD-WOW is an online music retailer specialising in providing CD's. Their range includes not only new release albums, but also an extensive back catalogue of music throughout the ages. Order tracking link at top of every page and "money back unless absolutely satisfied" guarantee on top of your normal rights. CD Wow is based in Beaconsfield, Bucks.
• Free Worldwide Delivery
Crotchet Limited
• www.crotchet.co.uk
Headers: Audio Books, Baroque, Chamber, Classical Home, Film Music, Historical, Jazz, Naxos, Orchestral, Sacred, Vocal, Warner, World
One of the UK's leading Classical CD sellers. They have very many titles and claim to have any known classical composer/artist, promising that if you can't find what you are looking for, if you contact them they will do their utmost to find it for you. They also have a great collection of jazz titles and a sizeable number of audio books from most genres. Crotchet is based in Birmingham.
• Gift Wrapping: Free service
• International Delivery Available
eil.com
• www.eil.com
Headers: New, Rare, Collectable, Used & Hard To Find CDs, Vinyl Records, Rare CD singles, Picture Discs, Rare Vinyl, 12", 7", Limited Editions, Promos, Imports, Albums & Music Memorabilia from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s & 2000s
Eil has a large stock of new albums and feature top chart news but they also specialise in rare and collectables, with a stock of 250,000 CDs and vinyl records. Memorabila includes fanzines, presspacks calendars etc. They also buy rare records and CDs so if you have something to sell contact them via the site. Visit the busy forum which seems to be full of music buffs. Eil stands for Esprit International Limited which has its head office in Meopham Kent and offices in US, South America and Japan.
HMV
• www.hmv.co.uk
Headers: Music Albums, DVD, Games, Competitions, MP3 Players, Ipod, Books
With a warehouse located in the Channel Isles, HMV is now offering low priced CDs and region 2 DVDs. Games available for Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, GBA, PC, Sony PSP and Nintendo DS. Prices on the website are VAT free, but for For UK customers VAT will be added from items greater than £18.
• Special Features: 10% off student discount.
• Free UK Delivery
• International Deliveries Available
Play.com
• http://play.com
Headers: DVD, Music, Games, Books, Electronics, Gadgets, Ringtones
Huge selection of DVDs, CDs, books and games for PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox, DS, GBA, Game Cube and N-Gage. And if thats not enough, the elctronics department carries a wide range of audio visual equipment, PC consumables and peripherals plus digital cameras and camcorders. You can also get sim free mobiles here and a good selection of gadgets. Play.com is based in Jersey, which means that all items are VAT free, which is good news for items less than £18. Please note, however, that goods over the value of £18 bought from the Channel Islands will be subject to VAT (not import duty). Play.com do not pay this, so you may be liable to pay extra when these goods are delivered. Having said this, Play.com do have some very good deals which sometimes more than offset this extra charge.
• Free Delivery
Power Play Direct
• www.powerplaydirect.com
Headers: DVD, Music, Video, Games
Power Play Direct is offering all latest DVD, CD and games releases as well as a very good selection of older releases. Games are available for PS2, PSX, GBA, Gamecube, Dreamcast and PC. They have special deals and multibuys, plus the current top ten in DVDs, CDs, and games charts. Subscribe to their newsletter for new releases, exclusive offers, competitions and reviews. Excellent, fast loading site. Power Play Direct is based in St Peter Port, Guernsey
• Free Delivery
Savapoint
• www.savapoint.co.uk
Headers: Loyalty gifts, DVD movies, Music, Gamezone, PCzone, Home Electronics, Software, Clearance
Savapoint is a cut price online store offering DVDs, CDs, Software and Games (PCs, PS1 & 2, X-Box, Game Cube, GBA, Mobile games - no consoles). They also do competitively priced home electronics (small selection of TVs, VCRs, Home Cinema, DVD Players, CD/MP3, Digital Cameras and Camcorders), Gadgets and PC components, including graphics cards, motherboards, storage and networking etc. They have a decent selection (>150 titles) of cut price software in most categories including childrens, hobbies etc. They have a good CDs selection with "oldies" as well as latest releases. If you order software or DVD's they are packaged in dvd-boxes, plastic jewel cases or slip case but "definitely in a way that it can be posted through your mail box", avoiding the need for you to stay in for special deliveries. Larger deliveries will be despatched by courier requiring signature.
Selections
• www.selections.com
Headers: Music, Film & TV, Books, Garden
As you can see from the headers, Selections offers a rather eclectic mix of products. Large selection of CDs, classical and modern, but specialising in classical, often at very competitive prices but also stock a good range of jazz, nostalgia, soundtracks and popular titles. Large selection of DVDs, videos and tapes. The book department stocks a wide range of deleted and remainder books covering most subject areas, so plenty of bargains to be had. Good range of classical sheet music. If jigsaws are your thing, then there is plenty of choice here. The garden department offers a good range of gardening accessories, from lawnmowers to bird boxes.
• Special Features: 60 day returns policy. Selections is based in Dorchester.
International Delivery Available
Shrink Digital
• www.shrinkdigital.com
Headers: CD collection to Mp3 player conversion
Specialise in high quality and quick conversion of CD collections onto MP3 players. What you do is tell them how many CDs you have and they send the approprate packaging. You then send them the CDs and they return it along with all your music encoded into digital audio files. They can even do the last, relatively easy bit of loading the music onto your personal MP3 player or MP3 jukebox for you. The cost is 90p per CD plus £25 for P&P. So 50 CDs will cost you £70 etc. It should take about 2 days. Your CD collection is insured from when it is collected until when it is safely delivered back to you. The level of cover is £15 per CD and up to £400 for your MP3 player.
Store4.com
• www.store4.com
Headers: DVDs, CDs
Store4.com offers a massive range of over 30,000 region 1 DVDs and 180,00 musci cds. They also sell region 2 DVDs. All genres are covered for film and music. As you may have guessed, this is a US based company, although all items for Europe are shipped from London, so there is no import duty or VAT to consider.
• Free Delivery
Tesco.com Entertainment
• www.tescoentertainment.com
Headers: Books, CDs, DVDs, Videos, Games, Consoles, Games Accessories
Tesco have a huge number of entertainment products online, covering all genres from classical music to rap and reggae, and from feature films to documentaries. They also have an extensive range of music DVDs. Games are for Wii, Xbox 360, PS3, DS, PC, PSP and PS2 and, again, appear to cover most genres. Clubcard points on all purchases.
• Free Delivery
W H Smith
• www.whsmith.co.uk
Headers: Books, DVD & Video, Music, Games, Stationery & Cards, Magazines & Gifts
WHSmith.co.uk is one of the most trusted sites on the Internet, offering you access to over 2.1 million products, including 1.5 million books and thousands of CDs, DVDs, videos, computer games and stationery products. They are pretty good for book prices and have some good 2 for 1 deals but if you are just looking for, say, 1 CD you would probably advised to check out other more specialised sites first.
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