Saturday Deluxe / 18 June 2016
HMV site can’t cope with ‘demand’ for online exclusives
Frustrated fans who were unable to get to a bricks and mortar HMV store in the UK this morning, were left frustrated when the music retailer’s website could not cope with the number of people trying to order exclusive coloured vinyl editions from the Manic Street Preachers, The Velvet Underground, Deep Purple and others.
In a tweet HMV admitted they were “experiencing high volumes”, but insisted “the site is up”. However, SDE tried to purchase some of these items at about 9.03am today and couldn’t make it through the check out process without getting error messages like the one below
We spent over an hour trying to pay for the items in our basket but the site kept falling over. In the end we went back to the home page and started again, only to be told all the exclusives were now sold out, so during the entire process what was in our basket had not been ‘ring-fenced’ while the difficulties were going on.
And predictably, while we were waiting to checkout the limited vinyl was already appearing on eBay at inflated prices. Did you manage to successfully buy any of the exclusives online? Let us know.
SDE ChartWatch
On physical sales alone, Rick Astley denies Paul McCartney a number one by pipping Macca’s self-styled ‘personal playlist’ Pure McCartney to the top spot with his new album, 50. It’s a slightly different picture of the proper album chart where Astley is still number one, but PM also has Tom Odell and his new album Wrong Crowd ahead of him, therefore the ex-Beatle has to settle for number three in the official album chart. This matches the peak position of both 2013’s New and 2012’s Kisses On The Bottom. Paul’s last number one album was in 1989 with Flowers In The Dirt an album that, coincidentally enough, isn’t represented on Pure McCartney.
The Essential Gilbert O’Sullivan does well debuting at number seven on the physical chart while Garbage‘s new album Strange Little Birds enters at a modest number 15. The Beach Boys‘ Pet Sounds sits right behind at number 16 which is a fantastic result for the 50th anniversary reissue campaign. You can watch the unboxing video of the deluxe edition right here.
Phil Collins‘ …But Seriously reissue is in at number 37 on physical sales while The Essential Going Back is at number 41. The latter doesn’t deserve the position, it’s a terrible reissue with much LESS content than the original, but if you’re a fan of Collins and have bought the first seven, you’re not going to *not* buy the eighth and final one, especially if you have the Take A Look At Me Now box set!
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Same thing happened to me (in response to Pete). I ordered the Iron Maiden and Manic Street Preachers on one order – having persisted with the website going down constantly over a period of almost an hour. I received the order confirmation details and was charged accordingly. Six days later I received an email saying my order of Iron Maiden had been despatched. No mention of MSP. I emailed to ask about it and later in the day received the following generic email:
Dear hmv Customer
We’re getting in touch regarding your order for the following item:
Manic Street Preachers – Everything Must Go hmv exclusive coloured vinyl
We regret to inform you that due to a technical issue within store.hmv.com we have been unable to acquire this item for you and we have had to cancel your order. We’ve attempted to source extra stock but unfortunately we have been unsuccessful in doing so and are regretfully unable to fulfil your order. We’re truly sorry that we’ve been unable to complete your order on this occasion.
Shortly afterwards I received a refund from PayPal. I emailed customer services to ask what the problem was, why they hadn’t responded to my earlier email directly, why I received email confirmation and was charged if they then couldn’t fulfil the order, why they didn’t ensure their website server was robust enough to deal with extra traffic on the day, why it took six days to discover there was no stock when, if I’d been told on the day, I could’ve tried my luck at a store… etc. Today I received an email apologising that there was a technical issue, but not addressing the other questions.
Many years ago I worked for HMV – in the days when you had to take a detailed product knowledge test and convince senior management that you knew your stuff and were passionate about music. It’s very sad to see the demise.
Fortunately, I was able to purchase a copy from JPC, so thanks for flagging that up, Paul.
I thought I’d be extremely fortunate for my online order via HMV for MSP and Teenage Fanclub to go through … a week later I received an email to say that MSP was sold out … still no word on TFC. I’ve now order MSP from JPC, but I have to say this level of service is unacceptable.
Got the last copy of MSP in HMV Glasgow. Wanted the Teenage Fanclub one, but was told by a member of staff that they only got 2 copies of this and these were snapped up immediately. He also said that plenty of people had asked him about it. Therefore, why were there only 500 copies made?!
Hmv emailed me Sunday morning to state iron maiden now available ( I had expressed to be formed when available ) ordered within minutes and all went through ok – now just advised me out of stock – what a joke
Oh by the way, don’t care what anyone thinks, as a life long DP fan, holding the album in my hands gave me great pleasure.
Listening to the 180g vinyl on my Rega Planar from 1976 (in mint condition) will positively make me glow.
It’s music therapy – not religion, no right – no wrong – just enjoy…
Just got home to a marbled copy of DP In Rock.
They may have screwed up the website, but are pretty sharp with conventional logistics (I’m in Edinburgh).
Well the item I thought I got at 11am on Saturday after 2 exasperating hours of payment not going through now shows up as “out of stock”. What a debacle, and HMV has shown itself to be a total joke.
In respect to Phil Collins’ ‘essential’ Going Back ‘deluxe’, the CD/DVD edition released a few years back fits nicely into the Take A Look At Me Now box and feels more deluxe than the excuse of a release that is meant to be in there…
RJS – I for one was not being “uppity and rude”
I just stated the fact people can buy what they like – and that I’m bored of seeing the same negative comments regarding people buying coloured vinyl.
I stated last week, when I buy a cd, I don’t want a 50p scratched one off ebay. I want a new one. the same goes for vinyl ( and I hardly buy vinyl) so if I do, I want it new. I also (AS WELL) buy lots of new cds from new artists. my ‘artists to check out’ list gets bigger and bigger. it’s not like I stop checking out new artists just to buy old vinyl/cd re-issues. on the contrary.
I just don’t think you can berate someone’s choices when they do not match your own. that is like saying ‘you are wrong if you don’t like xxx – they are the best group in the world”
Paul I already posted a comment on the Saturday Thread http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/video/sdetv-hmv-vinyl-exclusives/
of my online experience on HMV.. It seams to have been expunged from the thread :(
I don’t think I wrote anything that could be considered unacceptable comment.
Anyway I managed to purchase the Pistols, Clash, John Martyn and Ex Machina OST got through PayPal ok but when I was returned to HMV and whilst waiting for their final conformation web page the site crashed. I did try again and had the same experiences as you mentioned above.
But then I received an email from HMV confirming the purchase so I am hopeful that it went through ok.
As I mentioned on my previous posting I also seam to have managed to get MSP as well but don’t remember adding it to my cart. I shall pay more attention the next time to my cart before paying. By the way that was not meant as a prompt for me selling sed MSP album. My son is apparently a fan so I guess he is the lucky one. :)
Here here guys! Spot on! Paul does a great job & I’m sure I speak for a lot of us. We are here because we ENJOY collecting physical products, be it vinyl, CD, cassette, even retro stuff – some of us enjoy collecting 8 Track, Laserdisc, all sorts of stuff. If you think some of us are crazy (I’m the first to admit then, I must be crazy) for wanting to enjoy & collect something, then move along, there is nowt here for you to see. There is enough BS & negative attitude on the web, let’s not have it here. Respect we are all different. The last thing we want is Paul having to start moderating posts!! Frankie say relax ;-)
I don’t really understand why people are so uppity and rude when anyone offers an alternative perspective or opinion and berates them for doing so. I’m just voicing my opinion asking why people are so keen to seek out and buy ornamental copies of albums they already own instead of checking out something new that they’ll actually listen to.
Fine. But to be fair you’ve made this point many times. The next time I post about a coloured vinyl edition, could you refrain from repeating yourself please. It doesn’t add anything. You don’t see the point of them, others do. Let’s just move on. Thanks :)
It is bizarre. People getting stressed out because they can’t get hold of an ornamental vinyl copy of an album that they probably own in multiple formats already!
Beanie Babies for an audience that considers itself intelligent. Yep, totally bizarre.
What’s with all the negativity guys?
This whole website is based around people wanting to buy physical music and yet some seem to see themselves as superior. So what if someone wants to get something you see no point in. There is no need to be rude about it either.
If people like Vinyl and you don’t does it matter? You don’t have to attempt to put them down for it. Every penny that gets spent on physical music and helps actual stores stay open is a good thing, In my opinion anyway.
My negativity is based on my frustration that I would actually like to buy a good number of records where I don’t own a vinyl copy and second hand copies are prohibitively expensive. Yet the record industry and it’s retail partners doesn’t appear interested in or capable of selling them to me.
for me this is not the case.
I don’t buy vinyl. I never did once I started buying cds.
I have never had this on vinyl. I only ever has this on cd in 1996 and the
2 cd/dvd a few years back.
this is my favourite group, this album means a lot, so I wanted it.
I understand that people are buying *new* releases of vinyl when old ones can be
bought for 50p etc. but you don’t have to leave a comment as such under EVERY
post Paul tells us about. we get your point, you don’t have to keep saying it.
it is starting to make me not enjoy reading the comments – knowing what is coming
*again*
that was in reply to RJSWinchester
well said Chris S. I said something similar earlier this week.
when the prospect of Digital only (deluxe) releases are banging on the door (hello garbage remixes) *anything* that keeps physical product in our hands and record companies making some money is a good good thing.
There’s clearly a market for ornemental vinyl editions but I do wonder why people don’t instead invest in something that they might actually listen to. There are lots of independent labels who have embraced and in many ways started the resurgence of vinyl. Light in the Attic, Finders Keepers, Pharaway Sounds, Trunk, Soul Jazz, Numero Group, etc. that reissue long lost and forgotten albums and compilations on vinyl and some of the music is amazingly good. Better, in my opinion, to have some new music to listen to than re-buying an album for the umpteenth just because it’s a limited edition and it will look good on your shelves!
people can buy what they want.
if they want a shelf of “ornamental records” that is their prerogative.
I would never dream of bemoaning their choice in a comments section.
just like when I see Paul write about something that does not interest me,
I don’t leave a comment (like I’ve seen here before – “I’m not buying that”)
I just read it and move on. sadly the problem is people think if they think
something they have to tell the rest of the world. all that does is make
for an unpleasant time on this site reading so much negativity. it’s a shame
cause it spoils it for the people that are passionate about music – who could
not care less what other people choose to buy.
I think anyone who ordered on HMVs website this morning needs to check their HMV Account Screen AND their credit card / pay pal account… The payment HAS been taken by HMV… But the order is NOT showing now in my HMV account – despite me having an order number, confirmation email AND them having my money!! This will finish me with HMV if that’s really how it pans out…
Check your accounts fellow SDE fans
My order status is Payment Processing – I get the feeling it’s not going to lead to my order being sent out…
On a positive note – people want to buy music.
On a negative note – what a darkly depressing day for music. What’s the mad dash for colored Vinyl all abut? Surely it’s only those wishing to “invest” in music? Otherwise, black would do……
Overall – depressing….
It was also unfortunate that HMV wouldn’t deliver outside the UK so us US collectors were shut out. That wasn’t made clear until I attempted to check out online. It would’ve been a birthday present to myself to get The Clash, Deep Purple & The Manics but wasn’t to be. More product for you UK fans, cheers.
Got to my local Basildon store at 9.01 and most had gone was lucky to pick up from counter the Sex Pistols as 2 left but just missed john Martyn as only 3 in store
Went later to Southend and at 1145 still had 2 copies of JM only got the one so as to give someone else a chance rather than get a second one and stick it on e bay like some
Silly me maybe ? I hope someone’s playing it right now
Not THAT Steve J? Imagine, having to go and hunt down your own material like a commoner…
Got DPs In Rock before the problems, disappointed that over 13 are now on eBay.
Bit the bullet and brought teenage fan club on eBay for £30 all in as nowhere near an hmv today and website was a joke – the flippers serve a purpose but as like rsd the key is to hold fire for better prices – pretty sure the maiden lp is not that limited
Question: is anybody else’s MSP copy actually a ‘marbled’ blue of sorts? Thought it was one whole colour from pics but mine is definitely marbled.. No issue, just interested
That’s normal I think
Got to the Derby store @ 8:57, approx 8 people waiting, they had a promo shelf by the doors with around 6 copies of each exclusive in, got Manics as planned, happened to be the last copy. Browsed the rest of the vinyl section, 10 minutes later they’d replenished the exclusives by the entrance, an extra 6 or so copies. Walked away with Pulp’s Different Class too but decided to go back and swap it for the new Richard Ashcroft album. Seems to be a successful event to me, though the limited nature of the ‘HMV exclusive’ seems dubious, I’d actually already placed an order on 1st June for the blue coloured Manics exclusive, via Jpc.de. They have had this version listed for weeks, for release 15/7 @ 22,99 EUR + shipping. It’s still available for pre-order as of today because I’ve just been on there to cancel that same order. Tip for all those who missed out online today.
Luckily I managed to get the Manics Vinyl online. I decided to just order the Manics on its own so that it would speed up the checkout process and I paid by paypal. I think I got on very quickly at about 9.01 and I had the hmv vinyl week page saved on my favourites bar so that I could keep clicking on it until the records went on sale. Anyway the process went very smoothly and I got e-mail confirmation saying that my payment was being processed. When I go into my online account it shows the order so I assume everything is ok with this one. However I then went back in at around 9.04 to buy the Clash lp and things started going pear- shaped. The site continually crashed especially when I got to the payment screen. Anyway about 9.20 I eventually paid for the Clash lp and got an e-mail confirmation however this confirmation says ‘Order Created’ rather than ‘Payment Being Processed’. Although I have an order number when I go into my online account it does not show the order for the Clash lp so I am not sure whether I will get this one. Happy enough though as it was the Manics one I really wanted.
I got to my store at about five to and there was about ten people by the time it opened. Everybody seemed happy with what they got – I was looking for a couple of the Pulp albums but ended up buying all 4.
ordered and received email confirmation.Who knows ? It took over half an hour and repeated site crashes . Was on the point of giving up when it suddenly went through. Also member of my family was shopping near HMV bristol , texted them for missing items ,they reported all the biggies Pistols etc nearly sold out at 10.30 .So an obvious success for HMV as long as your not an internet client! There again perhaps it should have been shop only in the first place.Like RSD
to encourage people into the shops? Just a thought
I think H.M.V should hold off selling them on line for a week and just sell them in the shops, like RSD do for one week.
I wonder when the bubble will burst with these artificially created “SE” events.
Must admit I just give these a miss as dont see them as limited edition or particularly valuable. Hopefully the eBay sellers get no takers at inflated prices.
Any of these that I was interested in I guess im lucky to be old enough to have originals in mint condition.
On a positive I guess it reflects the continued interest in vinyl as a medium which can only be a good thing.
HMV really do not deserve to survive (in an online world) if they cannot get their website prepared for a spike in traffic.
In 2016 this makes them look amateurish!
Fingers crossed, I think I got very lucky judging by other SDE followers. I ordered Clash, Manics & Pistols – for me, NOT to flip!! I got order number and confirmation email, thou it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve ordered on line – from various sites, not singling out HMV, others too – to then receive a “Dear John” mail claiming over allocation blah blah. Hoping all arrives….. I totally agree it’s very frustrating trying to order on line when traffic is high, be it tickets, vinyl, special sales etc. I guess it’s the modern day version of people queuing at Harrods, Bluewater, Trafford Centre, Black Friday etc to grab a bargain.
If HMV wanted back the copy they “loaned” to SDE, then maybe, for a change, all the HMV Ltd might actually be genuine numbers!
I was shown a Ltd Ed in a shop where they had FOUR of the same number…. I’m sure the record would blame the factory for that one, not a chance to make more copies than advertised… No, of course not….
If nobody would pay on eBay for those items, these sellers wouldn’t sell it. The problem sits in front of the screen …
I’d like to buy the Clash, now it’s gone, ok. If I see it for a fair price, I’ll buy, otherwise, who cares …
Also ELO – they are number 4 in the album charts – up 101 (yes, one hundred and one) places.
Yes it’s a “best of”, but it has been out for a while now
Jeff must be doing something right…..
He’s a Brummie.By Order Of the Peaky Blinders!
;-)
I do RSD due to the lottery nature of the herd mentally so went over to Midlesbrough with not much optimism. Got there for 0905 and pleasantly surprised to find everything available. Managed to pick up pistols, clash, teenage fanclub, and also took a john martyn to try out. There was plenty available and still some in the racks at the rear of the store. If you live in the area there were still the Clash, pistols and manics with some VU left as well. Plus a load of purple if that is your thing. Not heard that the VU album so did not fancy that is it by good? For once I cannot complain so lucky today.
I wrote on the first blog Paul wrote about the HMV Ltd Ed this morning .
I was really lucky that I got the John Martyn green vinyl dead on 9 am and waited what seemed a lifetime for the confirmation to come through .
I couldnt get to my local HMV so it was the only way , just got lucky for once .
Didn’t want to risk buying online so was first in queue at my local Luton store at 7:30am. When they opened at 9:00 there was only 8 in the queue anyway. Got what I wanted – Manics, Clash, Sex Pistols. Sorry for all who could not get to a store and missed out on line. Rest assured my copies will not be on eBay.
I would have quite happily spent quite a lot of money on these records, had there been a way of doing so that didn’t involve taking a day off working and travelling for a couple of hours. I see the internet didn’t offer any alternative. To be honest I really can’t see much of a future for a retail industry of any consequence if this is the best that it can do.
I’m so happy for Rick Astley. He wrote, produced and played it all himself. And it’s a great album.
Best of luck to those ebay sellers. It’s a pity there are no laws stopping people selling things for more than there original prices.
And I suppose we should do the same for real estate and anything else sold for a profit on the open market? Absolute nonsense. This is how capitalism works and is the backbone of our economy. It’s how YOU end up with money in your pocket.
Alright, Murdoch! no-ones having a pop at you and the wonderful system of ursury and exploitation we all live in….just saying that e-bay flippers are immensely annoying, shame we can’t ban them. No-one is actually going to get in the way of their profiteering….stand easy.
This isn’t the same as buying a house. This is more like not being to buy a concert ticket because the scalpers scarf them all up to scalp them at inflated prices to GOUGE you & I. That isn’t capitalism, it’s favoritism. With true capitalism everyone gets a fair shot. This is just plain warped opportunism.