USA DVD prices. Are you being ripped off?

1. STAR WARS EPISODE II-ATTACK OF THE CLONES
   $50.99
2. Star Wars Episode 1-the Phantom Menace
   $51.13

Just went to my favourite USA website to buy some DVD's and came across this pricing for the Star Wars DVD's. USD$51 is about AUD$70 each. Here in Aussie, we can get them for around AUD$20 each, or 3 for AUD$50. (around USD $37 for all 3).
I just bought Episode 1 for AUD$20 and the boxed set of 4,5 and 6 for less than AUD$60.

What gives? Are these gold plated or are you just being ripped off?

PS: Eldest son said it is a Canadian website so maybe that explains it. Site does not advertise itself as Canadian and shows initial screen in USD. It is a great website for old classic movies on DVD that rea not available in OZ, like Blackboard Jungle, Elephant Walk, etc.. Unfortunately they have been "under re-construction" for over 2 weeks over the Christmas New Year period, same as the GAP and others.
Bazza

 

Do those prices include shipping to Oz? We normally pay under $20 US for ours too.

 

You can just go to the shops here and buy them for that.

Even if it was online, delivery isn't much, a few bucks for overnight.


This is why these greedy morons have Region Coding, because of the differences in world prices.

Considering Australia is far away from most countries, you would assume they'd acutually cost more here.

 

bah! Theres a region program out there that lets you change the regions... or you can just buy a US dvd player... hehe. I pay no more than $10 for any dvd i buy (woot for having a brother work in Sam Goody!)

 

Yes I know there are programs, but that's not the point.

Anyway, with a lot of drives, you have to defeat the drive and fool Windows as well.


What's even more stupid, is that they sell laptops, which are supposedly global, yet the DVD drive is region coded.

That's stupid and defeats the purpose of buying a laptop in the first place.

 

I had to hack my region on my standalone DVD player just to play regular region 1 DVDs. There is a certain protection scheme used that makes it so you cannot play certain DVDs with a DVD player that upscales the resolution to High Def (with LG anyway).

Now I can play them fine, of course. Its a shame I had to do it, but hey, its not fair I paid for a 150 dollar machine to have it play only select DVDs.

 

I always check for region coding now before I buy, but I'm not aware of a drive in Aus that's not.

Don't know about other countries.

 

The reason I buy from overseas is that USA have a lot of DVD's that I want that are not available in Australia. Like Blackboard Jungle, released over 12 months ago in the USA, still not available here. Elephant Walk and Sand Pebbles are 2 more I am after.

Prices normally are/were cheaper than the equivalent in Australian Dollars and include free International airmail. Good service, good range but closed since prior to Christmas for re-jigging their hardware (I presume). Site is playcentric.com if anyone is interested.

As for laptops with hard coded DVD regions, my 6 year old laptop came with region free DVD. I guess manufacturers have changed specs in that time to region coded. That sucks.

Standalone DVD players, multi region, sell in Australia for less than USD$70 (AUD$100) so that is no problem. I have DVD's from UK, USA and Australia that play on it without problems.

The point of the original post was what is the usual price for each edition of Star Wars, as a defacto standard (example) that you pay in the USA, UK or wherever.

USD$51 each is extreme and obscene, unless they are personally autographed by Darth Vader, or someone. Bazza

 

I've not seen those prices for those movies in any store, anywhere.

Thats a scam.

 

Some companies and industries are their own worst enemies

All this does is NOT encourage people to do the right thing, and give pirates a soapbox.

Guess I shouldn't be surprised or disappointed.

 

I hope there is another reason, as I have dealt (read bought DVD's from them) with the website for ages now and recommend them.
Something is peculiar and I will contact them when the site is up and running again. Bazza

===

 

Whether it helps or not, a very quick Google reveals Star Wars 2 Attack of the Clones for AUD$19.95.

 

Yeh, I know. I bought them for the same price at Sanity. First 3 could be bought for AUD$50 at Sanity. Still trying to find out why USD$51 (for 1), in that site I mentioned in post number 1. Bazza

===

 

If the site is now down, maybe the crazy prices were due to site corruption, and that may be why the site is down ATM. See if the crazy prices are still there when it comes back online.

 

That is what I intend to do as I believe the site is genuine from past purchases. Bazza===