Looking for better prices for DVDs & books in English?

If you already know about Play.com (www.play.com) based in the UK, you’ll be wondering whether with all the hype surrounding the arrival of Amazon in Spain (www.amazon.es) which one of the two is the more economical option.

Having used the services and having checked out the small print, we wanted to give you a brief outline of each company’s delivery terms and prices: 

Play.com

• Site only available in English - to order from outside the UK, choose the “euro” setting at the top of the page.
• All postage & packing to Spain is free – however not all items on their website are available for export. (Excluded are all electronics, computers, gadgets and mobile phones)
• If you buy more than one item they won’t be delivered together, and, indeed, are often sent from different countries so they might not arrive on the same day. Notwithstanding this, most items arrive within 5 working days.

Amazon.es

• Spanish site only available in Spanish
• Some hiccups with their search results when we looked for items to compare prices.
• Delivery prices and times are somewhat confusing if you don’t speak Spanish. Basic cost is 2.99€ for standard 3-5 day delivery, 5.99 € for 2-3 day delivery and free standard delivery if you order over 19€ in books (but they’ll still charge if you purchase other items in the same order). If you’re absolutely desperate for a book you can always pay 8.99€ for 1-day delivery (can anyone be that desperate?). If you sign up to Amazon Premium (you can trial this for free – it costs 14.95€ per year), then it’s free delivery for 2-3 days and 2.99€ for 1-day delivery. Wow – that’s some tariff structure!

NOTE: Info correct as of 15 Sep 2011

So, basically we don’t rate Amazon.es and you’d probably be better comparing between Amazon.co.uk and Play.com. Remember that Amazon in the UK offers free Super Saver delivery to Spain on selected items when you spend over £25, otherwise you’ll need to add on delivery charges before deciding which company to use (and make sure you compare prices in the same currency). If you use the US version of Amazon watch out for import taxes and possible considerable delays in receiving your goods.

Of course, there are other online Spanish stores, such as Fnac (www.fnac.es) for DVDs, CDs, books, etc but their site isn’t available in English. Although you can buy multi-language DVDs, if you’re searching for a DVD using its English title on their site you normally won’t be able to find it.

Additionally for books you could check out La Casa Del Libro (www.casadellibro.com) which has the possibility to use their website in English (well, they reckon it’s English, we think it’s hilarious). 

MSS Tip: To avoid costly mistakes, be careful when buying DVDs online as both Region 2 and Region 1 disks are available when you search so, unless you have a multi-region player, ensure you select the right type for your player.

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