TOWER RECORDS : Online Shopping For Movie and Music Lovers
Written: Jul 28 '01
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The Bottom Line
is that Tower Records offers a great selection for music and movie lovers at reasonable prices.
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| Full Review |
I started shopping at Tower Records at www.towerrecords.com early last year after a friend told me about their outlet center and forwarded me a coupon for free shipping. I decided to give a look myself and see if I couldn't locate some bargains too.
Tower Records offers music and movies in the various formats. When visiting the site you will see a number of sale items listed on their front page along with a section for new releases and what's hot in the various categories. If you don't see anything on the front page that grabs your attention, don't despair because there are literally thousands of selections available in their inventory.
The Outlet Center
Being the cheapskate that I am, the first stop was the outlet center. The outlet offers shoppers the option to browse through the various sales sections including used CDs, used DVDs, and Videotapes under $10. In each of these sections the shopper can browse by genre to check out the items on sale.
For the purpose of this review, we will visit the videotapes under $10 section. There is a menu to the left that offers the various genres including animated films to world history with a little of everything else in between. If you don't want to browse through every category, you may select to view all sale items but be warned that this option is organized only by alphabet so you will have pages and pages to thumb through. Most of the movies selections are $9.95 but there are a few that you can pick up ranging in price from $5.95 and up. They do not appear to be having any great sales at the moment but at times you can get movies for $4.95 each.
The DVD outlet offers selections starting at $9.95 and up with most averaging $14.99. With all their products, you are entitled to a full refund if you are not satisfied with your purchase.
Now onto the music. It's rare that I will purchase music online unless they are having an unbelievable sale. The CD selections in the outlet range in price from $4.95 and up with most falling between $7.99 and $10.99. In the CD outlet the shopper is able to locate some hard-to-find selections but they are far and few between.
New Releases
Tower Records offers a pretty impressive selection of new, fairly new, and pre-order releases in all of their departments. Like the other sections available on their site, the new release section has extensive search options including the ability to search by artist, genre, awards received, song, title, and special features. For parents concerned with monitoring what their children view, they even offer the ability to search by rating.
If you are unsure what you want to purchase but know you want a film starring Al Pacino, simply enter the actor's name and the search will return a complete list of selections.
Personally, I found their prices on new releases in all categories to be comparable to what you find in retail stores so the only real benefit is the ability to shop online and save your self a trip to the retailer. They do provide some decent savings on some items and the ability to pre-order upcoming releases.
Details, Details, Details
Although the site doesn't offer as much information on movie releases as the Internet Movie Database at www.imdb.com, they do offer a reasonable amount of details to make a solid buying decision. Under the movie listings you will find a summary of the film, a list of cast, and special features that are available with the DVD format. On the DVD releases, the site lists items such as interactive features, trailers, documentary info, and other addons that are included. An added bonus in this department is they inform you whether the film is in stock and if not, they let you know approximately how long it will take to receive. With each movie listing, the site also offers related suggestions and genres for your shopping pleasure.
If music is your interest, you will be delighted with the details they provide with each listing. Each CD listing includes a detailed track list, artist info, and the ability to listen to 30 second song samples. If you are unsure what you want and are just browsing, drop in on their Listening Station to select from different categories and listen to select artists. The site will do their best to tempt you into a purchase.
Other Features
Also at Tower Records, you will find a great selection of items in their Extras department. Here you will find collectibles, exclusive items, gift certificates, and CD wallets. One of my favorite sections is the collectibles, which offers action figures and other items from mostly movies. Because 'Planet of the Apes' is the big deal right now, they have a good selection of items including a lunchbox. Be prepared to spend a good deal of money on these items though with one of the cheaper pieces being the lunchbox at $26.99.
Tower Records also puts out their own publication called 'Pulse!', which offers readers a variety of articles and up-to-date information on what's happening in the entertainment world. If you love reading about musical artists and movie stars then you won't want to miss their feature articles which include interviews with some top names in the business.
Shipping and Customer Service
Tower Records offers some of the best shipping rates available at online stores. They offer standard, FedEx 2 Day or Next Day shipping options. If you order four or more items, they offer a flat rate shipping fee starting at just $4.95.
Their customer service department are courteous and quick to respond. There have only been a couple occasions that I had to contact them for assistance on an order and was pleasantly surprised with their attentive service. You can depend on this site to treat their customers with care.
Overall Thoughts
Overall, Tower Records is my favorite online site for music and movies. Their pricing is reasonable but it's the convenience, strong customer service, and decent shipping rates that keep me coming back.
Movie buffs will absolutely love this site for locating cult films or B movies at great prices. I was able to pick up the DVD version of 'Reefer Madness' last year for just $9.99. If the film you seek is out of stock or no longer in print, they will attempt to locate you a copy within 45 days.
Occasionally they will offer some great sales deals and discounts so be sure to sign up for their newsletter. Often they will offer shipping or new customer discounts especially around the holiday season. Be sure to put them on your list of places to shop this Christmas.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
phineaskc
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Member: Pamela
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Reviews written: 211
Trusted by: 375 members
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