shipping costs to germany are really high...
Hello Marco0721, :)
For what it's worth, you're definitely not alone. Same for Canada. I certainly can't afford it, but I knew that I'd regret it far more if I didn't secure myself a bundle. It would hurt me more than the debt itself would. Had to fork out $130 USD to have mine shipped. But something I think we all need to remember, is that none of this is NMA's fault.
Marco0721, --- and anyone else also having difficulty with the shipping costs --- please don't let them stop you from picking up some form of "Sinfonia". If you can, try to cut corners in your daily life, daily routine. For example, cook your own meals, curb your alcohol intake (if you drink), put a hold on / freeze your internet service for a few months, if you must. Save up for "Sinfonia" in order to afford it, if necessary. I'm just sad though, that they've only pressed 1,000 of one of the pieces. Sorry, my mind's fried right now, can't seem to presently remember which bit it is though. I pray that NMA weren't set back financially, in order to get these beautiful "Sinfonia" sets produced.
Same to Belgium. And there will probably be customs to add too.
Hello Bever, :)
Yeah... I almost forgot about those. In my case, I'm going to definitely get clobbered by Canada customs. It seems that every time I ever bought anything from Townsend Records (UK), I always ended up getting hit with significant extra taxes/fees once the package arrived. What ever happened to 'goods are free to move.' Canada is part of the commonwealth, surely this counts for something, no? hopeless lol. Living in Canada, so far away from it all, leaves me without much choice. But I digress... :-[
If any fellow NMA fans currently residing in The Great White North know of any legal loopholes / ways to avoid or at least cut the customs fees / charges by a third or even half, please, clue me in. ???
Again, needs reiterating that shipping and customs charges are not the fault of the band, nor the UK based record shop.
I just parted with a lot of money...
Did I ever, too!!
Shhh... hush-up though. Can't tell my family, they'll have my head for this!! Wish I was joking. :-[
Overjoyed-smiling now :D, but I'll be sitting in a puddle of my own tears, (if not get bitten, kicked, scratched, slapped, smacked, pinched and beaten black and blue) when the bill comes! Ahhh, who the fcuk cares. :P I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Or, at worst (and probably most likely) end up jumping off that bridge, and drown into further debt. :-[
I like to think purchasing anything NMA/JS --- be it an LP/CD/DVD, etc. (hopefully an autobiographical AUDIOBOOK, and/or proper book please, someday, too... wink wink, nudge nudge. Ohhh, Mr. Sullivan... at least put those other recollections down, to tape. Yes, we do have your stunning second solo effort, "Surrounded", but you still have SO many more, wonderful, thrilling, exciting, biting, sacred, beautiful, abundantly rich and fantastic stories to share/tell. Some untold, and some you've graciously shared with audiences at your solo shows, in those tiny sweet spaces between songs. Mr. Sullivan, do it for those you love... for those who care... for your children... if and when...) --- as an investment of the soul. 8)
Besides, NMA sure as hell needs us and our support, right now, as much as we need them --- their songs, their shows, their albums, etc. Having not been able to see NMA in any form / capacity, live, for close to 13 years now, --- I can't think of a better way to do my small part, than by purchasing something that I know for certain I'll love and treasure for many, many decades to come. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, NMA/JS haven't put out a dud release, EVER!! So why would I hesitate or question this NMA effort? 'Sinfonia' is the culmination / marriage of two musical aspects I thoroughly enjoy, elements of rock and classical music. Loved the idea and was thrilled to bits about it all, ever since day one, when the whole idea was officially announced. Been waiting for this release, especially. Pleased the package is finally complete. Can hardly 'til September! :D
NMA is my favourite band. Can't say that I love every-single song from any other recording artists out there, but of NMA/JS I certainly can, and quite easily, too... without hesitation, pause or reflection. The NMA/JS repertoire covers so much musical territory. And, I think that that fact is NMA/JS' strong suit. In terms of creative / musical freedom, this has worked very much in NMA/JS' favour throughout the course of their musical existence, rather than against them. I'd even venture to say that if you took aside and asked the average NMA/JS aficionado about their own personal taste in music, they'd most likely give you a slew of answers, that covered a lot of diverse musical genres. That's a wonderful / great thing.
We come from all corners, of the musical spectrum too, but one band unites us all... and that is, New Model Army.
'Sinfonia' earBOOK-pack limited edition
*** production of just 1,000 ***
available for purchase
right here (https://newmodelarmy.tmstor.es/product/118707).
::)
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This really is a brilliant album.
Greetings, scobb. :)
May sound crazy, likely to most here, but I've not heard a single note of "Sinfonia", yet. I'll be saving it for another week and a half, still. Which is when I'll finally get to watch / listen to it -- 'til my heart's content -- without getting hassled by anyone and risk fcuking-up the mood, getting pulled out of the zone / headspace. Been looking forward to the listening / viewing experience, ever since it was first announced as a musical venture of NMA's. I want to make it special, though, to really take-it-in, absorb and savour the release, to not rush through it. embarrassed soft lol, I still haven't touched the box it arrived in, for fear I'll cave. Thankfully, so far, so good. Just a little while longer, yet. :)
Being in Australia I also have to pay silly shipping costs. What really bugs me is that
Townsend Music should take the 20% VAT cost off the items
as they don’t have to pay it when shipping outside the UK.
I wrote to them before brexit and they basically told me to bugger off
(I assume they just keep the 20% as extra profit?).
I’m hoping that many Europeans (non uk) will also start complaining and, maybe,
Townsend Music will do the right thing in the future rather than gouging extra profit from non uk purchasers.
This would go someway to compensate/pay for the high shipping costs.
Crikey! :o Twenty percent Value Added Tax? Hadn't realised it was that high! That's just fcukin' insane! I got clobbered / burned by oh, so many, many things. Let's see... there was Townsend's whopper shipping charges (for some reason, with "Sinfonia", there was no other option. I was forced to use DHL. Yeah, they can get orders shipped out to people super-fast, but sadly, not so much in the greatest condition once delivered); there were the hefty customs fees upon order's arrival; the monstrous exchange rate; and quite possibly even VAT charges now, too. :-\ I don't doubt that they tacked on VAT to non-uk-residing customers' orders. I'll take to writing to Townsend, as well, if I can find out for certain, whether I was charged VAT. I've been pre-ordering my NMA/JS merchandise through them, for years! It would suck, to discover that VAT was charged on any of my past or present orders.
I had no choice but to order "Sinfonia" from Townsend. There isn't much choice here in Canada and Townsend had the exact items I was after, packaged as a bundle. Unfortunately, had to turn to them once again for "Unbroken", too. At least this time 'round, I was given choice of three shipping methods. So I chose the least expensive, tracked option, which (of course) ended up being the slowest of the three. As long as an order arrives well and intact, I don't mind that it's takes a little longer to get here.
Really appreciate you bringing up 20% VAT discrepancy on Townsend orders, scobb. Definitely wouldn't have known otherwise and certainly hope that all folk affected, will follow suit and complain in writing to Townsend :( because that isn't fair practice nor very professional of them either.
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