Play.com
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Play.com | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Private |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Jersey, Channel Islands |
| Industry | DVD, music, books, electronics & gadgets, music downloads, video games, retailer |
| Website | Play.com |
Play.com is a Jersey-based online retailer and of DVDs, CDs, Books, Gadgets, DRM-free mp3 downloads, and other electronic products. Founded in 1998, Play.com was one of the first online retailers of the UK. It is the second biggest online retailer in the UK, according to traffic monitor Hitwise, and it is in the top 50 globally. Play.com was ranked second on the November 2006 UK "Hot Shops List" compiled by IMRG and Hitwise.[1] As of January 2008, Play.com has 7,000,000 registered customers, a catalogue of 5,000,000 products, and it employs some 500 staff. [2]
As Play.com ships its goods from Jersey rather than the United Kingdom, it is exempt from collecting VAT charges on items costing £18 and under.[3]
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[edit] History
It was founded in 1998 under the name Play247.com, but re-branded as Play.com in 2000. Play.com originally sold region 1 and 2 DVDs only, but has since expanded its range to include CDs and video games and other electronic items. Since 2004 it has sold books and electronics, in 2006 it started selling personal computers, posters & T-Shirts and in 2007 it started selling HD DVDs and Blu-rays, with sister site "PlayUSA.com" selling region 1 DVDs, HD DVDs and region A Blu-ray Discs and offering sales in a range of currencies.
The site was originally popular because it stocked every DVD available and offered free delivery on all items. It now has over 5,000,000 items for sale and most recently added a feature called PlayTrade (like Amazon Marketplace) allowing third party sellers to sell on the site.
Playtrade bears several resemblances to Marketplace, replicating that site's two-option account model whereby a seller chooses either to pay a monthly subscription plus a percentage-based closing fee, or no subscription and a per-item flat closing fee plus percentage. As there are no listing fees, this second option allows sellers to set up with no upfront costs. Key differences from Marketplace (as at March 2008) are that the closing fee percentage is 10% as opposed to 17.5%; also there is no postage credit acting as a floor price on items. Unlike Marketplace, it appears impossible to create a new item from scratch; sellers are restricted to selling items already on Play's database, which for books at least does not include superseded editions or most out-of-print titles.
In February 2008 Play.com started selling DRM-free MP3s.
In May 2008 the Play.com website was redesigned for easier navigation based partially on customer feedback.
[edit] Returns policy
Because Play.com is not registered in the UK, the Sale of Goods legislation which normally protects customers when faulty goods are supplied does not apply. Customers' rights are therefore restricted to the company's "returns policy" which it states as: "Our returns policy is valid for 28 days from receipt of an item." The company's policy is to accept an unwanted item for 7 days from the receipt of the item provided the package has not been opened. Otherwise it will only accept a return within 30 days if the item is faulty. This is in marked contrast to Amazon.co.uk who allow the Customer to return ANY item within 30 days even if the item is not faulty.
[edit] References
- ^ "November Hitwise - IMRG Hot Shops List" - hitwise.com; retrieved 2007-05-12
- ^ Microsoft Case Studies: Play.com
- ^ "E-commerce firms head for tax haven Channel Islands" - Out-Law.com 26 October 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2007.
