One solution for UK gamers looking to buy games!

I have read a number of postings from UK members who are totally fed up with not finding the latest games either online or in the High Streets of the UK. Another concern, rightly so, is the number of times UK versions of games are postponed for one reason or another, even though such games have been available in the US and elsewhere for some considerable time.

I am resident in the UK and now buy such games from an extremely reliable online shop in the US. I have just received Black Mirror and, last night I received an email from the supplier to let me know that Runaway, ordered a half hour earlier, had been shipped. How's that for service?

I have absolutely no connection with this site apart from being an extremely satisfied customer. The owner, a man called Dave, is very pleasant and helpful in his emails and I have been informed of each stage of the transaction from confirmation of the original order through to the shipping stage.

POSTAGE: This is a great bonus - 7 US dollars Air Mail without box and 10 with box. The goods arrive on average about 3 days after shipping.

I have no hesitation in recommending this site as, I repeat, I am in the UK and a customer only with no affiliation or ties whatsoever to it.

The address is www.interactcd.com

On arrival at the site you can click the tab at the top and be directed to 'adventure games' where there are about 4 to 5 pages!

Happy hunting all you UK gamers who have suffered for far too long.


Bernie :-)

Thanks for the link Bernie, I will check it out.

I think the underlying prob is that we buy games via the US because we have to.. so the UK is seen as a small market for adventures. IF the games were available in the UK at the same time as in the US, then we would buy from UK suppliers and not look elsewhere.

Hugs

Tig

Wow, thanks Bernie, there are some great games listed, don't know what to order first. Can feel baags coming on big time.
Sylvia

Tig and Sylvia - yes, couldn't agree more - happy gaming from hereon in for everyone I hope :-)

Bernie

Bernie,

I just popped over to that US 'shop' - It looks great but, assuming one pays by credit card, does one pay in dollars and they credit the account in £'s - or what?

Things which I would need to investigate before buying would be a) is the game point and click? and b) does it work with Windows XP? Both are essential in a game before I can buy it - and this type of information is not forthcoming on the site.

I will need to do a little sleuthing first.

But thanks for the info anyway.

Alice.

If one first finds the right game!!!

If you plan to buy from an overseas online site you will need a currency conversion tool to check the prices in your local currency.
http://www.bloomberg.com/analysis/calculators/currency.html#results is a good one.

I have checked some USA sites and convert to Aussie dollars for the game plus the International postage. Some sites don't ship to foreign countries.

USD 19.99 = AUD 28.00 - GBP 11.00
Plus postage. The amount would show up on your Bank statement in your own currency, and exchange rates change on a daily basis.

Thanks Berbie,

Will pop over to the currency converter site. Then on with the sleuthing - hi.

Be seeing you.

Alice

Hi threads

What happens is that you pay in US dollars which is converted to pounds sterling for your Visa Card statement purposes.

I also like to know the basics of a game before buying it, especially as I like point & click and do not like keyboard. What I do is:

(a) First of all check the game publisher's website for all the details such as this but

(b) If I cannot obtain such details in that way then just go to interactcd website and email the company. Dave who runs it is extremely dilligent and you will receive a reply very quickly.

Hope this helps


Bernie :-)

Hi all

I recently got so sick of waiting for Runaway to come out here that I went over to Interact and bought it. Four days later and the game arrived! I was very impressed with their service. As Bermag45 says they were very helpful and I was informed exactly what was happening at every stage of the transaction.

Bernie are you around?

I have bought three games from Interact - took a while to get through all the pages with my poor sight (at the moment) but at least they are now on the way.

Went to Bloomberg.com to discover how much I'd spent in sterling and just could not make it work - kept saying I was using the wrong code!

Had USD in the 'from' box and UKpounds in the 'to' box, and the amount to change in the money box. I have entered it in as many different ways as I could think.

USD 23.24
USD $23.24
$23.24 and so on.

What am I doing wrong? Perhaps they expect us to be usisng the Euro dollar. Well, we certainly are not doing that yet, thank heaven.

Hope you see this.

Thanks for your other help.

Alice.

Hi Threads

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

I take it you are having trouble with a money converter (am I right?). If so, I recommend the following link:

http://www.bloomberg.com/invest//calculators/currency.html#results



You will see a box on the left in which you highlight the currency of the country you wish to convert FROM eg US dollars and on the right the box listing the names of the countries that you wish to convert that currency TO eg UK pounds sterling.

*** Lower the page slightly BUT DO NOT USE YOUR SCROLL BUTTON or you will change the countries - use the bar at the side.

Then click "perform conversion" and the web page will change and give you an exact answer.

If that is not what you mean't please come back to me and I'll try again.

Good luck and best wishes


Bernie

My previous experience in ordering from the States was that it was picked up by Customs, as the packaging was obviously from a company. It landed up costing as much in customs duties as the price of the game.

You need to be aware while some games may get through, you always run the risk of having to pay duty, which brings the price up to British levels or more.

Hi Bristol

I too had the same problem but then realised the reason why this was happening. Quite a while back now I used to order from dreamcatcher which sent the software over here by FedX. I was caught on 3 occasions out of 3 and had to pay duty.

I then switched to online US stores which sent the software by Airmail, not FedX, and the problems ceased right away.

I estimate that since avoiding FedX I have received about 20 games from the US by Airmail, without the box, with no problems at all. Each packet was marked on the outside with the word 'software' and the value.

I am expecting another such delivery any day now but, having said all this, I bet I get stung by UK Customs for the first time in about 2 years!


Bernie :-)

You almost tempt me into ordering again, but since we'll be back in Canada permanently by April, I think I'll just wait till I get there. Anyway, by that time the price of some games should have come down!

Received Black Mirror and ROTS this morning after six days and no customs charge, will be using again definately. Thanks Bernie.
Sylvia

Hi Bernie, me again!

Thanks for the new conversion site - it was a piece of cake.

I ordered Nancy Drew and Black Mirror on the 17th and it was shipped by Air Mail on the 17th. Now hoping it will turn up by the weekend.

Will keep you posted.

You're a good friend. Thanks.

Alice

bermag45 Wrote:
"-Quite a while back now I used to order from dreamcatcher which sent the software over here by FedX. I was caught on 3 occasions out of 3 and had to pay duty."

Sorry to hear about your problems. Must be that brittish customs are bit "a pain in the, you know what".

I also used FedX(buying games) a couple of times when I lived in Ireland. But I never had to pay any duty for any of the deliverys.

Irish Customs

Catsskeg

Great - I'm so glad I put up the suggestion now!

Happy gaming!


Bernie

Hi Bristol

Re my previous mention of "game on the way from US". Well, it arrived here safely this morning without any Customs interference. It took 4 working days - excellent. This is the game Conspiracies which I will get around to playing when I've completed Black Mirror, Runaway etc.

Best wishes and happy gaming to all.


Bernie

Hi again Bernie.

This morning received my games by airmail. Ordered on the 17th they arrived at Bodmin Post office yesterday, and were pushed through the letter box at 8am today. Very good service.

Now.....can you tell me if Dark Fall is point and click, please. The advert came with the games.

Would also like to hear what you think about Divinity, Divinity if possible. Knowing you like point and click, if you have played it then it probably is.

Been waiting ages for the last two Nancy Drew's and it will be even longer for Black Mirror to be on sale in the UK. What's more, even counting in the P & P and Air Mail, I have saved enough to buy another game.

Am just about to start Black Mirror so will finish now by sending my thanks.

Alice