Book Depository UK based IP pricing...

LMetalPhreak on 10/08/2011 - 14:58

Remember that little cookie trick that was posted on OzBargain a while back that let you get cheaper prices by making the site think you're connecting from the UK? Well, they're still doing it if you connect from a UK ip address (but you can no longer do it with a cookie hack).

Well, I've got a UK proxy setup just for this purpose that I share with a few close (and trustworthy) friends. I've been considering sharing it with OzBargain but I have a few reservations.

  1. What was the official OzBargain stance on the original post? Was it deemed unethical? (its no different to having a friend in the UK order for you)

  2. If a huge influx of people start using it and TBD catches on and blocks my server.

  3. Its currently setup with a referral ID to help pay for the server each month but is entirely optional. Should I remove it entirely before putting it up or is it ok to have there.

If anyone is interested in testing it out for a trial run, you can contact me through OzBargain by clicking on my name, and then the contact tab in my profile.

http://i.imgur.com/6AVmv.jpg :)

General Discussion

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 10/08/2011 - 18:06

    Since Amazon UK started doing free delivery it's made it a bit of a moot point.

    Random example, Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic. $11.18 from Book Depository with an Aussie IP. $8.47 from Book Depository with a UK IP. $7.18 from Amazon UK (so long as you spend over ￡25).

    Appreciate the offer though.

    A simple and reasonably easy way of duping IPs is with the Tor network too.

  • Funkdafied on 10/08/2011 - 20:11
    +2

    I still think it's wrong. They already have some of the cheapest prices around and all they're doing is covering the extra cost of posting it here. It's not a "bargain", it's exploiting a hole in their system.

    And I agree with the above post.. Amazon UK offer great prices and make this hack not worth the hassle.

    • MetalPhreak on 30/08/2011 - 15:39

      ‘It doesn’t cost us much more to send books internationally than it does domestically, because of Royal mail’s cost-effective international tariffs for light items,’ says Andrew Crawford, founder of The Book Depository.

      While some books have a $1 difference, that might account for the cost of posting to Australia, another equally sized and weighted book might have a $15 difference. The higher pricing for Australians has nothing to do with postage costs.

      It's also no different to me simply asking my relatives in the UK to order books for me, and have them sent to my Australian address.

      They also make no mention of this pricing policy in their Terms and Conditions, or indeed anywhere on their website, or otherwise publicly. Nor do they forbid any methods of "circumventing" this pricing method. If anything, their pricing tactics are deceptive and this method of behind-the-curtains pricing is 'wrong'. However, they are free to run their business as they please. They provide a great service and in the true OzBargain spirit, i'm using the technology of the internet to get a better price :)

      • illusionarybreeze on 01/09/2011 - 14:16

        Why is it deceptive or wrong? Does it say somewhere on their website that prices for UK customers are the same as for customers from other parts of the world? They are setting different prices for customers from different countries by differentiating between IPs. By circumventing their measures, you are not paying the price they intend to sell to you at.

        There is a definitely a difference between you asking relatives to order and forward books to you, and you using loopholes in technology to bypass BD's measures. Being in the UK, they have access to UK prices; whatever they do afterwards with the items no longer concerns BD. I'm not sure that BD's pricing is deceptive - I would only agree with you if they promise the same prices the world over.

        However, your use of a UK proxy is clearly deceptive, is it not?

        • MetalPhreak on 10/09/2011 - 02:37

          "whatever they do afterwards with the items no longer concerns BD."

          They can order in the UK, and have it sent directly to Australia for the same price as having it sent to them. They do not do any "forwarding".

          Relative in UK "Hey BD, send this to MP in Australia"
          BD "No Problem, still the same price - WorldWide Free Delivery"

  • a1rhead on 31/08/2011 - 23:18

    I've never heard of this before, but is it consistently cheaper to buy from a UK IP when buying several items? Or might is just be cheaper to use the US site instead of the UK one, seeing as our dollar is better than the US dollar currently.

    I've never tried buying books from Amazon UK because I used to avoid Amazon due to the P&H cost per item, but free shipping from Amazon UK makes it a more viable option now and I might start buying from there in the future.

    Personally, I don't really have a problem with using a UK proxy. If the shipping really isn't that much a of a difference, I'm sure they're still making a profit anyway.

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