Bowie fans say enough already! UPDATE !!!

As you all know I am a huge Bowie fan. I am also a collector and run the David Bowie collector’s group on Facebook.

I have accepted I will never own everything many years ago, but I would like to own the official releases (funds allowing). I don’t need one of every country, I don’t need all the boots, I don’t even need all the coloured and splattered vinyl, although I do have a weakness for a nice colour. But I would like all the official releases. Sadly, there are gaps in my collection as I cannot afford the extortionate prices for a Starman picture disc (RSD) or a yellow Lets Dance from the exhibition in Australia. (and if anyone has one of these to sell at a reasonable price – please please contact me).

Since Bowie’s passing, the releases have been an interesting mix. I have enjoyed the big box sets such as five years and conversation piece (although overpriced on release) was a joy to own.

However, this most recent box set, Brilliant live adventures and not been brilliant at all. It has been a farce. Who on earth at Bowie HQ decided to not release the box set as a box set but to set it all off separately? Buying an empty box for £17? All that extra postage costs and for those outside of the country possibly tax costs too? I believe someone sold that empty box for hundreds – can you see the problem yet?

But the worst of this is the stress that comes with each release. Not knowing what day is stressful enough although we have had a heads up on the last couple of releases of BLA. Emails letting us know are often sent out after they were on the site and sold out. Fans are trying to find a pattern in the dates and times of release. It might be on a Friday around 2pm uk time as the last two have been. We knew that the last one would. Not the last release. Not Something In The Air. The day that went for pre-order, it was released just before 10am. What are they trying to do to us? Give us a heart attack? This coming Friday is the last in BLA. It’s anybody’s guess when it will go live to pre-order.

Why are the releases’ so very limited? Why are you making it so hard for Bowie fans to enjoy collecting? We love and support Bowie and the Bowie family/estate but something needs to be said about distribution and releases. It’s getting beyond a joke and many fans in my Facebook group have had enough. They do not want to keep buying if it is gong to be this much stress and hassle.

So, this blog is a warning to the people who are making these decisions. Stop it. Enough already. We want a release with easy access. We don’t want scammers to get their hands on them so that we have to pay ridiculous prices on eBay – and I don’t mean just double the price. Look at the cream Mother single that was released for David’s birthday. 1000 copies worldwide. Cost £13.99 to buy but sold out in less than 5 mins even if it was limited to one per order. They are now selling for over £200 on eBay. How ridiculous is that? It’s the same with RSD and the HMV equivalent – a blue Let’s Dance is ridiculous.

I don’t believe it’s the family members making these decisions – I don’t believe that at all. I think it’s a manager somewhere on the chain that is making these decisions to think they will make more money for the estate. I am sure they thought selling a box set individually was a great marketing idea and clapped themselves on the back for their genius. But it isn’t a great idea at all. What they are actually doing is alienating the fans. This is a huge mistake. They need to engage the fans and hear what they want and how to deliver it.

I have written this to ask why they have done this? To hope they have realised they made a mistake with how they released this latest box set and to ask for change. To hope that the next release will be a box set in a box that we can buy as one item and it not so limited that unless you are refreshing your browser every few minutes you will miss it and it will sell out. Some of us have to work and cannot keep doing this. Should that mean we miss out on ordering as you release so few? Why can’t you take pre-orders and just produce the amount that are pre-ordered? Bowie valued his fans and I am sure he would be concerned that so many fans are saying enough already. This is not just my opinion, but thousands of the fans in my collector’s group. Please make it easier for us to buy the latest release. Thank you.

text: Jasmine Storm ,It’s A Wonderful Life ,Reviewer, Blogger and views on everything!

 

Beste David Bowie-fan,

We zijn ons ervan bewust dat een aantal fans een slechte winkelervaring hebben gehad tijdens de ‘Brilliant Live Adventures’ -campagne, en dat spijt ons zeer.

We erkennen ook dat, helaas als gevolg van de onverwachte vraag, veel mensen bepaalde titels niet hebben kunnen kopen en vervolgens de kans hebben gemist om hun verzameling te voltooien.

In de komende weken zullen we u meer informatie geven over hoe en wanneer we deze titels weer voor u beschikbaar zullen stellen.

We bieden nogmaals onze excuses aan en danken u voor uw geduld en voortdurende steun.

 

Oprecht,

David Bowie Web Store-team

(Visited 629 times, 1 visits today)

7 thoughts on “Bowie fans say enough already! UPDATE !!!”

  1. How about all these fans just stop buying altogether ?
    I’m currently arguing/discussing with the ‘official’ suppliers about missing stuff.
    Months and months went by with no replies and now they want me to find the original email replies….which I can’t find all of them.
    They sent a record and not the CD version, though both were ordered at the same time of some….or vice versa.
    As for that ‘ucking cardboard box [!]….I got one on the third attempt….the ‘re-issue’.
    The two previous goes, they refunded one but not the other but took the money like.
    No more,
    it’s been ‘fun’,
    NOT….

  2. Well Saïd, I missed the box and the last two recordings and the Mother single , I hope these comments will help , I hope you Will continue home great site.

  3. Also totally agree, got this on 31 of march from Bowie Offical Store, seems to be a message for all of us 🙂 :
    ————
    Dear David Bowie Fan,

    We are aware that a number of fans have had a poor shopping experience during the ‘Brilliant Live Adventures’ campaign, and for that we are very sorry.
    We also recognize that, unfortunately due to the unexpected demand, many people have been unable to purchase certain titles and subsequently missed out on the opportunity to complete their collection.
    In the coming weeks we will provide you with further details on how and when we will be making these titles available to you again.
    Once again we apologize and thank you for your patience and continued support.

    Sincerely,
    David Bowie Web Store Team

  4. It totally sucks! Only a few hardcore fans still buying physical products. And they giving shit from Paralophone or greedy managers. Do a pre order and produce as many as preordered! Sell a complete set, because of the shipping coast. Do not feed the resellers from ebay oder discogs!

    And why no complete “dance set” from the 1997 Earthling-Tour?

  5. A extremely wise and clear mind words. And for sure speak for us all. I couldn’t have used better explanation.

  6. Well said, totally agree, I have been a Bowie fan for over 40 years and never known such an awful experience. If I was lucky enough to have got the box at the beginning it would now be missing two of the releases. Unless something changes for the next release I am done! I never met David, but I believe that he would have never sanctioned such a scam! A very sad day today and all involved should be very ashamed. I truly hope the family read this and step in!

Leave a comment