(02-14-2012, 04:35 AM)mamikochan Wrote: ... didn't someone say those don't count towards ratings? but since it's a hk based company, [isn't it? ] they wouldn't count in the sales ratings...

Actually, YesAsia is an Oricon partner, meaning that their sales are counted on the Japanese Oricon charts: http://www.yesasia.com/us/customer-suppo...nswer.html

Quote:i always thought they had higher retail prices because they actually build in a small shipping fee and claim they are offering free shipping as their standard mode which would usually still be less than other retailer's item + shipping charges. you can pay for expedited, but then it would really be more than the other retailers.

i like cdjpn's point system. saves a lot. and gettin 50 points for answering a quick survey each purchase. they add up too. but, i also like that hmv membership often is a lower price and they have some great multi-buy reductions sometimes. a cheap way to pick up any old singles i missed.

To be fair to YesAsia, the price bump between other sites's prices, before shipping, and YesAsia's prices, with shipping included, is often less than you would have paid for the shipping, separately.

That said, there are a couple of things that make me keep using CDJapan. ~Hey, by the way, thanks very much to some of you, here, who gave me good feedback about which online sources they recommend, a while back. I've been going with CDJapan, so far!~

CDJapan includes external bonuses (that's a big one!), they have a straightforward shipping calculator, so I can quickly make an informed decision what to buy and how to ship, and for how much. Other people had said they're very reliable, with good response when you contact them, and I've found that, with one exception.* The point system is good, though out and out sale prices would be simpler.

They process and send orders immediately.

Oh, and the joys of ordering it shipped via FedEx! This is such a special luxury, to have something delivered in 2-3 days, and for it to be reliably intact, that I have not been able to resist, despite the price. It's actually cheaper than EMS, though (at most weights), and EMS has to go through the U.S.P.S. (my package, what happened to my package? D; - USPS will be happy to tell you how they probably broke it or lost it). Although FedEx, itself, is no panacea, so far, they've been perfect, when shipping from CDJapan.

HMV does have some great specials, but I haven't used them, yet, for two reasons.

First, they wanted to know some unnecessary personal information, when I tried to register. When I asked them about it, they simply said, 'sorry, but you'll need to provide that info in order to register,' as if it wasn't their own choice to require it.

Secondly, they want you to go through the entire purchase process, before you know how much shipping will cost. Can anyone speak to their opinion of HMV, and how their shipping costs are handled/are shipping costs predictable?