I’m always looking for a bargain when it comes to buying CDs and DVDs, purely because I tend to spend so much money on them. As such I always used to do a price search when looking for new item and practically every time play.com came up as the cheapest so it’s now the first place I start my search. So what exactly is Play.com? Play.com is an online leading retailer of CDs, DVDs, computer games, books and electronic items which in the past ten years has experienced huge success. Its actual offices are based in Jersey and as such they can buy the majority of their goods without suffering the perils of VAT which allows them to be sold on at cheaper prices to the bulk of high street retailers.

The Site

The site itself is very simple to use and visually appealing too. The homepage offers a search option as well as highlighting the most popular or newest items in each category for easy access to new releases. The search option is located on the left hand side of the page and consists of a box where you can write the title of the item you are looking for as well as a second box with multiple options as to the classification of your item (e.g. DVD title, DVD actor, DVD director, etc). Below the search option it also informs you of what is already in your shopping basket and the total value of the basket so far. If you don’t wish to search directly for the item all the categories of items sold on the site are listed along the top of the homepage. Therefore you can merely click on books for example, to view new releases, top sellers, coming soon and editor’s choices among others. I always find this part useful when I’m not sure what to buy as a present for someone. Once you’ve searched for your item you’ll be presented with a list of options featuring a photo and the basic details of the article, including the price and whether or not it is in stock. After locating your item you merely click on the “buy” icon to have it added to your shopping basket.

Purchasing

Once you’ve filled up your shopping basket you’re ready to do your credit card a bit of damage by clicking on the checkout option on the left hand side of the page. In order to purchase an item off the site you need to have an account with them which is fairly easy to set up. The first details that the company need are your email address and a password for the site, secondly you’ll be asked to enter your basic details that are required by most companies such as address, phone number, etc. Thirdly you need to enter your payment details (all major credit cards are accepted including Solo) which are kept on file for future purchases, not the safest option quite possibly but I’ve never had any problems with it. After you’ve purchased your item you’ll be sent an email of confirmation and also a code which you can use to check the status of your order.

Prices

In my opinion the prices offered by play.com are extremely reasonable. On the majority of items including new chart CDs and DVDs you’ll find that you save between £1 and £5 compared to high street stores. On bigger items such as box sets and computer games I’ve found that I can save up to £30 by ordering off the site and the same applies to older items which very often high street stores do not always have in stock. Postage is free on the site which I’ve found really refreshing compared to numerous other sites that charge up to £4 for delivery.

Extra Information

This site allows you to pre-order goods that haven’t even been released yet and as soon as they are they’ll be posted out to you. I’ve found this really advantageous with CDs as they’re generally released on a Monday and I could be playing them on a Tuesday morning!

The bargains section offers some really great deals and views items that aren’t overly old at the same time. Around Christmas time they have some really great bargains, just to give you an idea they’re offering The Simpsons DVD series on a buy one get one free deal at the moment so get stocking up!

If you do have any troubles with the site at all then have no fear, there’s a play.com helpdesk which allows you to email the site or phone them to enquire about your order. I’ve never had to phone them but when emailing them I’ve always received a reply within 48 hours.

My Experience

I’ve made frequent purchases on this site over the past couple of years and can honestly say my experiences have only ever been pleasant. Each time I’ve placed an order I’ve received an email confirming my order and then a later one informing me that it’s been dispatched. I’ve never had to wait more than 4 days for any item apart from when one was out of stock but play.com kept me fully informed as to the whereabouts of the item.

With regard to the actual website I’d say it’s really easy to use, even my mum who is a computer novice has made a purchase off the site. By using a simple search and a couple of clicks you can have the item being posted out to you, all in the space of about five minutes. Product information supplied on the website is really useful too and is equal to the majority of music sites out there with track listings being supplied for example.

Play.com does have a huge range of goods on offer with practically every CD and DVD available on the site. It’s recently become a lot more up to date and now stocks modern appliances such as ipods, mp3 players and playstations too. In comparison to other sites I’d say it’s much cheaper in general, I’ve never found an item that’s cheaper on Amazon or CDWow either so I’d certainly recommend checking it whenever you’re shopping about. The added bonus is that once you’ve got an account it’s even quicker to buy when you’re in a hurry!