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Importing games is traditionally never easy. Whether it be with ridiculously expensive import shops, or the abominable shipping costs and import tax threat, importing games has always been a stressful and laborious process. There have been many tales of lost cash, things never turning up and the dreaded 17.5% tax, and importing has generally been restricted to the truly hardcore fans .I don’t doubt that these stories were true, but they’re just extreme exaggerations of the hardships of importing.
I’ve only ever imported things a few of times. The first time was during the Pokemon craze of 2000, when I got my granny to send me Pokemon Gold from Australia. It was importing, and the only trouble I had then was a great delay between sending and arrival and the box being slightly squashed. For the time, it was a brilliant thing to have the game that Pokemon fans were eagerly awaiting, and being boastful about it was one of the main reasons I decided to import again. It was only a few months afterwards that I actually ordered Pokemon Stadium 2 from an Australian shop. That game I also got pretty much without a hitch. And the latest example has been with me ordering a Wavebird controller for my GameCube, which was also completely fine. So, if importing has been so easy for me, why oh why is it such a dreaded subject among gaming circles?
The true answer is, people are always looking for the cheapest deal, and if that means ordering from a dodgy internet site – so be it. It’s hardly surprising that people get ripped off from unknown sites which promise half price games but never deliver. The two times I actually ordered games were both from reputable companies, and the thing is, I got them for one hell of a lot cheaper than they would have been in England. What’s more, there are plenty of internet sites which now give free worldwide postage.
Of course, there is still the problem of importing from Japan. As yet, I’ve never suffered from Eastern troubles, but then again I’ve never tried importing. The language barrier has to be a major trouble, which is again why people should stick to reputable companies. Something written in Kanji can have an entirely different meaning to the same thing in English, which is why you may end up with the Final Fantasy 11 soundtrack instead of the game. But the lack of Japanese sites in English means that internet shopping can be a big problem for gamers who aren’t bilingual. In many cases, the only option can be the expensive import shops.
But with the advent of internet shopping, it really has become easy to just order from abroad. No more worrying about having to ring up a US phone number or sending off mail order forms – it’s easy, it’s instant and any troubles can be sorted out via e-mail. However, as the import track is becoming more and more trodden, so become people wanting a quick buck, who’ll promise you Mario Sunshine on release but just take your money. This is so obviously highlighted in the importing ghost stories, and if you want my advice just stick to reputable companies.
Of course, you only should import if there is a good reason. If you want a game which will be out in England in a month, forget it. It’ll take a month anyway to get to you, and it’s entirely likely you won’t like it. Regional codes are another worry, and if you don’t know your stuff, you may end up with a non-working game. Importing, as I said before, has always been restricted to hardcore types. And unless proper UK shops, with a good reputation such as SR start to import games, it would be a good idea to stick to our PAL variations. If you don’t want to import, then you probably won’t be bothered by conversion pains anyway.
If you absolutely must import only go for a proper, brand name site, which will ship to the UK and will allow cancellations/refunds. Importing can be a gamer’s best friend. It can also be your credit card’s worst nightmare. You have been warned.
I’ve only ever imported things a few of times. The first time was during the Pokemon craze of 2000, when I got my granny to send me Pokemon Gold from Australia. It was importing, and the only trouble I had then was a great delay between sending and arrival and the box being slightly squashed. For the time, it was a brilliant thing to have the game that Pokemon fans were eagerly awaiting, and being boastful about it was one of the main reasons I decided to import again. It was only a few months afterwards that I actually ordered Pokemon Stadium 2 from an Australian shop. That game I also got pretty much without a hitch. And the latest example has been with me ordering a Wavebird controller for my GameCube, which was also completely fine. So, if importing has been so easy for me, why oh why is it such a dreaded subject among gaming circles?
The true answer is, people are always looking for the cheapest deal, and if that means ordering from a dodgy internet site – so be it. It’s hardly surprising that people get ripped off from unknown sites which promise half price games but never deliver. The two times I actually ordered games were both from reputable companies, and the thing is, I got them for one hell of a lot cheaper than they would have been in England. What’s more, there are plenty of internet sites which now give free worldwide postage.
Of course, there is still the problem of importing from Japan. As yet, I’ve never suffered from Eastern troubles, but then again I’ve never tried importing. The language barrier has to be a major trouble, which is again why people should stick to reputable companies. Something written in Kanji can have an entirely different meaning to the same thing in English, which is why you may end up with the Final Fantasy 11 soundtrack instead of the game. But the lack of Japanese sites in English means that internet shopping can be a big problem for gamers who aren’t bilingual. In many cases, the only option can be the expensive import shops.
But with the advent of internet shopping, it really has become easy to just order from abroad. No more worrying about having to ring up a US phone number or sending off mail order forms – it’s easy, it’s instant and any troubles can be sorted out via e-mail. However, as the import track is becoming more and more trodden, so become people wanting a quick buck, who’ll promise you Mario Sunshine on release but just take your money. This is so obviously highlighted in the importing ghost stories, and if you want my advice just stick to reputable companies.
Of course, you only should import if there is a good reason. If you want a game which will be out in England in a month, forget it. It’ll take a month anyway to get to you, and it’s entirely likely you won’t like it. Regional codes are another worry, and if you don’t know your stuff, you may end up with a non-working game. Importing, as I said before, has always been restricted to hardcore types. And unless proper UK shops, with a good reputation such as SR start to import games, it would be a good idea to stick to our PAL variations. If you don’t want to import, then you probably won’t be bothered by conversion pains anyway.
If you absolutely must import only go for a proper, brand name site, which will ship to the UK and will allow cancellations/refunds. Importing can be a gamer’s best friend. It can also be your credit card’s worst nightmare. You have been warned.
I've done a bit of importing myself... like you, I shipped in Pokemon Silver at the time G & S were released overseas, that was as a birthday present for a younger brother though. I've shipped a few non-gaming items from the far east before, like some figurines not available elsewhere, and electronic goods. Never had a problem there, although I do tend to be quite cautious with WHO I order from. Most recent would be the adaptor I ordered from Lik-Sang (Hong Kong), for using PS1 & 2 pads on the PC (they had a fair few others for PS/PS2/N6/DC all in one, but they're USB and I don't have any USB ports on this comp), I only ordered that a few days ago though... takes 5-14 days to arrive because I didn't want to fork out for the huge shipping fees so only chose global priority. Earliest that can arrive is Monday, but I'll certainly be looking forward to it all the same.
Its generally a cheaper way to get things earlier than you would buying from the UK, especially if you ship from the US, as more often than not the cost of the item AND the cost of the shipping will still work out a lot less than just buying the game from a shop here.
Its generally a cheaper way to get things earlier than you would buying from the UK, especially if you ship from the US, as more often than not the cost of the item AND the cost of the shipping will still work out a lot less than just buying the game from a shop here.
Importing games is traditionally never easy. Whether it be with ridiculously expensive import shops, or the abominable shipping costs and import tax threat, importing games has always been a stressful and laborious process. There have been many tales of lost cash, things never turning up and the dreaded 17.5% tax, and importing has generally been restricted to the truly hardcore fans .I don’t doubt that these stories were true, but they’re just extreme exaggerations of the hardships of importing.
I’ve only ever imported things a few of times. The first time was during the Pokemon craze of 2000, when I got my granny to send me Pokemon Gold from Australia. It was importing, and the only trouble I had then was a great delay between sending and arrival and the box being slightly squashed. For the time, it was a brilliant thing to have the game that Pokemon fans were eagerly awaiting, and being boastful about it was one of the main reasons I decided to import again. It was only a few months afterwards that I actually ordered Pokemon Stadium 2 from an Australian shop. That game I also got pretty much without a hitch. And the latest example has been with me ordering a Wavebird controller for my GameCube, which was also completely fine. So, if importing has been so easy for me, why oh why is it such a dreaded subject among gaming circles?
The true answer is, people are always looking for the cheapest deal, and if that means ordering from a dodgy internet site – so be it. It’s hardly surprising that people get ripped off from unknown sites which promise half price games but never deliver. The two times I actually ordered games were both from reputable companies, and the thing is, I got them for one hell of a lot cheaper than they would have been in England. What’s more, there are plenty of internet sites which now give free worldwide postage.
Of course, there is still the problem of importing from Japan. As yet, I’ve never suffered from Eastern troubles, but then again I’ve never tried importing. The language barrier has to be a major trouble, which is again why people should stick to reputable companies. Something written in Kanji can have an entirely different meaning to the same thing in English, which is why you may end up with the Final Fantasy 11 soundtrack instead of the game. But the lack of Japanese sites in English means that internet shopping can be a big problem for gamers who aren’t bilingual. In many cases, the only option can be the expensive import shops.
But with the advent of internet shopping, it really has become easy to just order from abroad. No more worrying about having to ring up a US phone number or sending off mail order forms – it’s easy, it’s instant and any troubles can be sorted out via e-mail. However, as the import track is becoming more and more trodden, so become people wanting a quick buck, who’ll promise you Mario Sunshine on release but just take your money. This is so obviously highlighted in the importing ghost stories, and if you want my advice just stick to reputable companies.
Of course, you only should import if there is a good reason. If you want a game which will be out in England in a month, forget it. It’ll take a month anyway to get to you, and it’s entirely likely you won’t like it. Regional codes are another worry, and if you don’t know your stuff, you may end up with a non-working game. Importing, as I said before, has always been restricted to hardcore types. And unless proper UK shops, with a good reputation such as SR start to import games, it would be a good idea to stick to our PAL variations. If you don’t want to import, then you probably won’t be bothered by conversion pains anyway.
If you absolutely must import only go for a proper, brand name site, which will ship to the UK and will allow cancellations/refunds. Importing can be a gamer’s best friend. It can also be your credit card’s worst nightmare. You have been warned.
I’ve only ever imported things a few of times. The first time was during the Pokemon craze of 2000, when I got my granny to send me Pokemon Gold from Australia. It was importing, and the only trouble I had then was a great delay between sending and arrival and the box being slightly squashed. For the time, it was a brilliant thing to have the game that Pokemon fans were eagerly awaiting, and being boastful about it was one of the main reasons I decided to import again. It was only a few months afterwards that I actually ordered Pokemon Stadium 2 from an Australian shop. That game I also got pretty much without a hitch. And the latest example has been with me ordering a Wavebird controller for my GameCube, which was also completely fine. So, if importing has been so easy for me, why oh why is it such a dreaded subject among gaming circles?
The true answer is, people are always looking for the cheapest deal, and if that means ordering from a dodgy internet site – so be it. It’s hardly surprising that people get ripped off from unknown sites which promise half price games but never deliver. The two times I actually ordered games were both from reputable companies, and the thing is, I got them for one hell of a lot cheaper than they would have been in England. What’s more, there are plenty of internet sites which now give free worldwide postage.
Of course, there is still the problem of importing from Japan. As yet, I’ve never suffered from Eastern troubles, but then again I’ve never tried importing. The language barrier has to be a major trouble, which is again why people should stick to reputable companies. Something written in Kanji can have an entirely different meaning to the same thing in English, which is why you may end up with the Final Fantasy 11 soundtrack instead of the game. But the lack of Japanese sites in English means that internet shopping can be a big problem for gamers who aren’t bilingual. In many cases, the only option can be the expensive import shops.
But with the advent of internet shopping, it really has become easy to just order from abroad. No more worrying about having to ring up a US phone number or sending off mail order forms – it’s easy, it’s instant and any troubles can be sorted out via e-mail. However, as the import track is becoming more and more trodden, so become people wanting a quick buck, who’ll promise you Mario Sunshine on release but just take your money. This is so obviously highlighted in the importing ghost stories, and if you want my advice just stick to reputable companies.
Of course, you only should import if there is a good reason. If you want a game which will be out in England in a month, forget it. It’ll take a month anyway to get to you, and it’s entirely likely you won’t like it. Regional codes are another worry, and if you don’t know your stuff, you may end up with a non-working game. Importing, as I said before, has always been restricted to hardcore types. And unless proper UK shops, with a good reputation such as SR start to import games, it would be a good idea to stick to our PAL variations. If you don’t want to import, then you probably won’t be bothered by conversion pains anyway.
If you absolutely must import only go for a proper, brand name site, which will ship to the UK and will allow cancellations/refunds. Importing can be a gamer’s best friend. It can also be your credit card’s worst nightmare. You have been warned.