Genesis 1970-1975 Nov.10/11 2008

[BananaSlug]

The reason I care is simple: my player does not play PAL format discs and I don't want to buy a different player.

Fair enough. I didn't realize that you got it for $110. As I recall people paid more like $50+ more for the NTSC versions of previous boxes. If that again becomes the case it may make sense for some people to simply buy a new DVD player if that works into their plans. What, no Blu-ray?

 

[elroy]

It is a bit painful...Amazon US substituted the DTS version for the SACD set I ordered and sent it.

So now I have a surround version of the Genesis albums I have been waiting for in my hands and I am...sending it back without opening it!!!

It's one thing to wait through a month delay when the date is pushed back but quite different when the DTS box is sitting on my desk!

Oh well...pleasure delayed.

Come on Amazon UK!

 

[daved64]

From Hoffman:

My Amazon pre-order from August arrived today... This is what I ordered (cut and pasted from the site):

1 of: Genesis: 1970-1975 [Box set] [Original recording remastered] [SACD] [Import]
Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC


I received a NON-SACD, NON-IMPORT, RHINO CD/DVD set.

Amazon is truly terrible lately... What the hell is going on there recently?

I'm VERY disappointed!!!

Mine arrived today. Even though my order was for the SACD they substituted the CD/DVD version. Oh well....back it goes!

Same here. I then followed the exchange link and told them they sent the wrong item. Just got an e-mail, they sent sent me a new box---the wrong one again!

__________________

 

[Guy Robinson]

What, no Blu-ray?

Yup. Could have put the entire thing on one BD with DTS Master Audio thrown in. Would have made the box a whole lot smaller.

 

[Cai Campbell]

Man, you guys are bumming me out. It sounds like there is virtually no doubt that I will be getting the CD/DVD box as well.

 

[solaris]

yea on my preorder still is the SACD the say but when I click on that link the DTS box is what comes up at amazon.ca

 

[daved64]

Well, the price is good and the DTS might take the edge off those harsh mixes. It did with the ones that I heard from the first set. I sold the SACD's....and then threw the DTS copies in the trash!

 

[user 1679]

My copy is in transit from Amazon.ca and though I ordered the SACD set I too suspect that I'll receive the Rhino box. At this point I am not sure if I'll just be satisfied with that or pony up the extra to really get the sacd set I ordered - I doubt they'll send me it for the $115cdn price.

 

[BananaSlug]

Just a thought... open them up and have a listen, then send them back. Clearly THEY made the mistake so they have no right to complain that you opened them before realizing their mistake.

 

[Cai Campbell]

Sure 'nuff, I got the friggin' CD/DVD domestic box instead of the SACD import. What the hell are they smoking over there at Amazon.com?

Then they send me this e-mail:

Greetings from Amazon.com.
You saved $60.49 with Amazon.com's Pre-order Price Guarantee!
The price of the item(s) decreased after you ordered them, and we gave you the lowest price.
The following title(s) decreased in price:
Genesis 1970-1975 [Box set] [Original recording remastered] [Hybrid SACD] [Import]
Price on order date: $154.98
Price charged at shipping: $94.49
Lowest price before release date: $94.49
Quantity: 1
Total Savings: $60.49
$60.49 is your total savings under our Pre-order Price Guarantee.

Translation:

Congratulations, you ordered an apple for $5.00 and we sent you an orange for $2.00. That's a $3.00 savings you lucky bastard, you're welcome!

@:

Back in the mail it goes...

 

[Led9]

I listened to a few tracks off each disc last night and am quite impressed with the 5.1 mixes. I do agree they should have used the Foxtrot era logo on the box instead of the lame 80's art! Am I correct in understanding that the non-Rhino version will include more archival video or have I misunderstood?

Rick

 

[BananaSlug]

Music Direct has the SACD box listed for $130. However, no mention of NTSC vs PAL and no release date yet. I'm thinking that I'll wind up buying this one at some point, so I'm keeping an eye out.

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/80024

 

[Old Quad Guy]

I almost bought the supposed SACD box set at Amazon for $154.98 a few weeks ago, but hesitated as I wasn't sure it was the NTSC version or PAL. Now it turns out it wasn't even the SACD version. Instead I bought the first SACD Box set (NTSC version) for $160 as I wasn’t sure how many would be left after this Christmas.

I’ve had problems with Amazon advertizing discs claiming to be SACD that ended up being only regular CDs or the fact that SACD was not on my order, but instead said “Audio CD.” So I complained to Amazon about it and for the most part they’ve been really good about making the site clear about discs, but this Box set screw up takes the cake! I’ll wait until more product gets out there and the price goes down.

BTW what is the record label and any # numbers identifying these wrong box sets?

 

[boxmusic]

Hello, I am a Japanese fan. also over 35 years Genesis fan.
I had pre-ordered SACD/NTSC version to HMV on July.
then I had recieved correct SACD/NTSC(region free) version at 11th of Nov..
Many Japanese users confused about Rhino/Atlantic non SACD versions.
Rhino/Atlantic has region 1 protection!
Three versions are SACD PAL and NTSC(both region free)
and Rhino/Atlantic CD/DVD NTSC(region 1) they are sold mixed up at Amazon.jp.

I heared almost SACD multi format yesterday. sounds really clear than 1994 remastered CD
even an original analogue LPs. but I don't like Foxtrot on SACD multi version.
Foxtrot sounds has no deep bass volume than others. I could not hear thick pedal-bass and
bass drums on Foxtrot SACD. but other four titles are quite nice 5.1 surround and sound quality.
My friend reported The Lamb Lies Down on DTS has a great "slide show" on TV screen,
simular like as 1975 tour..
Hajime

 

[Cai Campbell]

I returned my CD/DVD domestic box to Amazon.com with clear instructions that the wrong item was sent. What do they do? Immediately dispatch a replacement of the same wrong item, completely ignoring my comments!

I'll spare the details of my hour-long conversation with Amazon.com but the reality is they are so utterly incompetent when it comes to customer service that the only way to achieve satisfaction is to tell them exactly how to do their job and then demand that they do it.

For those of you who, like me, pre-ordered the import SACD box and received the domestic CD box, here is what you need to do:

1. Call Amazon.com at 1-866-216-1072.

2. Point them to your original order and ask them to note how the description says "[Hybrid SACD] [Import]".

3. Ask them to follow the link from your original order and ask them to note that the item that comes up does NOT say "[Hybrid SACD] [Import]".

4. Explain to them that this is called "bait-and-switch" and is an illegal practice.

5. Provide them with the ASIN of the actual item you ordered. In this case, the ASIN is B001CBW1B2. Don't trust that they can find it on their own because they cannot.

6. Emphasize that THIS is the item that you pre-ordered and is the item you expect to receive. Note that you pre-ordered it for a cost of $154.98 (or whatever price you originally had) and DEMAND that they give you this price on ASIN B001CBW1B2.

7. If they give you any grief, demand to speak with a supervisor.

8. Do NOT get off the phone until you receive e-mail confirmation of your corrected order. There is NO personal accountability at Amazon.com and they will absolutely refuse to give you any way to contact the same person who promises to correct your situation. ANY contact with Amazon.com requires starting "from scratch". Sure, they keep notes in their system, but the information is all but useless and invariably serves no purpose other than to contribute to elevated confusion on the issue. Amazon.com needs to instantiate personal accountability for resolution issues! That's just plain good business, but I digress.

So, here I sit with my original pre-order intact. It's just downright pathetic that I had to fight tooth-and-nail to get here. It wouldn't be so bad if this were an isolated incident, but in my experience this is business-as-usual for Amazon.com.

Anyhow, I hope this information proves useful for anyone hoping to rectify their own identical situation.

 

[daved64]

Not trying to defend Amazon, but I have never had any issues with them. I think the biggest issue here is the confusion over formats and PAL/NTSC. Way too many variations of this box. As I said, not saying they aren't part of the problem, but have we ever seen a series of reissues with such a mess of different variations? Add to that the fact that TWO different labels are issuing this thing in 2 parts of the world. Oy....

 

[ArmyOfQuad]

Yes....but they all have different ASIN numbers.

I battled Amazon over the pricing error on the last box when the canceled the order. I tried to convince them they could send the other box as a replacement since they all have the same content. Their claim was that since they have different ASIN numbers, as far as they're concerned they're completely different products. I would think the same would hold true here.

 

[Cai Campbell]

Not trying to defend Amazon, but I have never had any issues with them. I think the biggest issue here is the confusion over formats and PAL/NTSC. Way too many variations of this box. As I said, not saying they aren't part of the problem, but have we ever seen a series of reissues with such a mess of different variations? Add to that the fact that TWO different labels are issuing this thing in 2 parts of the world. Oy....

I'm glad you've never had any issues with them. I've had many. But then, I buy a lot of product from them, so perhaps my exposure to potential screw-ups is simply greater than average.

But I don't buy the product complexitiy argument. This is their business. They offer the products for sale as a professional retailer of such products. They offer multiple variations of such products. They should have this nailed down. Occassional mistakes are expected but from my own experience and from what I've read elsewhere, their rate of mistakes is unacceptably high.

 

[Baker]

This PAL/NTSC SACD/NOT SACD IMPORT/EUROPEAN/JAPANESE/REISSUE war is insane. On a 5.1 level I sometimes wish I were American. But now and then comes that kind of problem, or I have a little glance at Amazon Germany catalog... and I'm glad being on the "right" side of Atlantic Ocean !

Whatever, just wanted to let you know that, from the few minutes I've heard, the 4-year waiting was way worth. The Watcher of the Skies intro in 5.1 is just amazing. "The Lamb" still has some production flaws, but the louder parts are much more impressive. Cinema Show and Epping Forest sound more... everything : clear, clean, powerful.

But the most impressive surround sound, from what I've heard, is Trespass. This is the one I had the highest expectations upon, and the result is really delightful. You can NOT believe this was made on average studio devices by a bunch of 20-year old self-taught English schoolmates in 1970, before Close to the Edge, before Tarkus, before Echoes and... hell, way before Red, which 'The Knife' in 5.1 will definately remind you of.

Just one VERY IMPORTANT point for those who still hesitate buying the boxset : the 5.1 surround sound seems just unbelievable, and the sound remastering is a treat, BUT if you plan to listen to it in stereo you need to keep your original Cds, vinyls or '94 CD remasters, as the new stereo SACDs sound quite (...and sometimes VERY) different. Especially the flutes and the backing vocals. It's not bad, it's just way too different, the most astonishing part from the few minutes I've experienced being the whistles during the quiet part of White Mountain - they are two bars late compared to the original album, and there are three whistlers while there previously was one !

 

[solaris]

Well amazon.ca sent the Rhino set. I preordered the SACD set for about $130. I knew I was in trouble when I saw a second SACD set on thier site for $230 in august. I am surprised that the order was not just canceled. What now, with the reviews of the DTS out performing the SACD disc in the previous boxes. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????