Ayumi Hamasaki - Shopping at Internet auctions and in China

An important issue:

Auctions

It is quite possible that when you use e-bay or Yahoo Auctions the product, -

(a)
may be a second-hand one,

(b)
may not contain the insert(s) with lyrics and pictures, or

(c)
may be a bootleg or 'self-made' (from mp3 or mpg files).

TO ENSURE THAT YOU RECEIVE WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE MONEY YOU PAY:

If you see the price for something is really good I suggest contacting the seller and asking some questions (if you cannot find relevant information on the page):

1
Is this a second-hand product and, if it is, what is the condition?

2
What would be the cost of postage to [insert where you are] and how long it would take?

3
Can I pay by [insert your preferred method of payment]?

4
Are the inserts included and what is their condition (in case the product is a second-hand one)?

5
What is the region code (in case of the DVD) and will it play in [insert where you are]?

If the answers are satisfactory and you happy with the price - proceed with the purchase.

DO NOT EVER:

1
Buy bootlegs or "self-made" things. By doing this you are actually receiving stolen goods and encouraging people who rip off the artist you like. Let me know where it is and I'll place it into the "black list" (published here).

2
Click on "buy it now" or "place bid" without COMPLETELY understanding the conditions. PARTICULARLY - the cost of shipping. This should not be a big problem for music products, nevertheless you may find out that you have to pay more for the shipping then for the product itself.

3
Purchase items 'outside' official auctions. After you bid for an item you may receive a message from the seller, offering to "take a couple of bucks off" if you send money to him/her directly (without registering the purchase on an auction site). It's possible that you will not receive the item, and then you will not be able to do anything about it...

4
Send "well concealed cash" unless you've got plenty of it...

Important: It may happen that after clicking on "buy it now button" you discover that the product is actually a bootleg. It is, unfortunately, pointless trying to refuse to pay for it. The only thing you can do is (after receiving the product and establishing that it is, indeed, a bootleg) - leave a negative feedback in seller's profile on e-bay. This is usually checked by buyers and, therefore, you will forewarn others...

Ayumi products in China

Tips on shopping for legitimate Ayumi products in China were first posted here in 2004 thanks to orange89 from AYUNITE! forum. As I've spent some time in China (Beijing, Xiamen, Hong Kong, etc) recently, some more information was added and several corrections were made. I've just been to Beijing again in April 2013 and the notes below appear to be still correct and applicable.

1
All Ayumi CDs contain OBIs (a piece of paper with Ayu name and album name in Chinese that is not inside the plastic box holding the CD, but under the plastic packaging);

2
All CDs released in China are the equivalent of "Limited Edition" CDs in Japan. For example, "A Best" is sold only in the limited edition slipcase. Another example - "I am..." is only released with the limited enlarged OBI.

3
A legitimate album costs between 30 and 60 RMB (could be as low as 10 RMB 'on sale'); singles are about 20 or 30 RMB (if they are with a DVD). Bootleg CDs are typically sold at markets at a price of about 7-10 RMB. [For the reference: 1US$ is roughly equal to 6-8 RMB]

4
All legitimate Avex CDs have a holographic "sticker" (with the Avex label) on the cover of the CD. Be careful of mini round stickers (usually gold in colour) - these do not certify that a product is legitimate (see photos below).

5
ADVICE: Always buy CDs from large electronic "department" stores or smaller shops with electronic security (one way to tell which stores are these is that they have electronic detectors close to doors such as those found in a regular store in a mall). The '77-th Street' next to Xidan metro station in Beijing is the most convenient place to get the CDs, a very large bookstore next to the same metro station has an enormous choice of CDs and DVDs on the third floor (look for directions to 'audio-video' on the ground floor).

6
COMMENT: As data of the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) shows, nine out of ten CDs currently sold in China are counterfeit ones - please be very careful when shopping there...

7
The product is official if it has the holographic "avex j-cd" sticker the factory places on the CD cover:

A NOTE ABOUT HONG KONG

There are two major sources of CDs and DVDs in Hong Kong: 'HMV' and 'CD Warehouse'. Whilst HMV has a larger choice of products, CD Warehouse appears to be cheaper overall. If you don't mind buying second-hand CDs, the best choice (in my opinion) was a small store on Nathan Road in a building not far from south-east exit from Mong Kok MTR station (you would have to pay attention to the signs and get to the first floor to find it). This store was unfortunately closed when I was there earlier in 2008...

Additional information

Avex Inc. used to have a website for Avex China with a part dedicated to Ayumi Hamasaki, which is now closed. Not all products were available and for the ones that were - the track list was the same as on 'Japan' and 'Overseas' versions. A cover of a CD was sometimes different - with a bit of writing in Chinese (usually - Ayumi name) and/or an additional logo. Therefore, the fact that 'there is a writing in Chinese on the cover' does not neccessarily mean that a particular CD is a bootleg.
The official distributor of Avex China products is 'China Records Shanghai Corporation' (CRSC) and all products are described on the relevant discography pages (almost all albums and singles since 2003).

Important notes on how to distinguish an original release from a bootleg (more here) - with an album 'A Song for XX' as an example:

CRSC and avex trax logos on the front and back covers

Packaging detail

Back cover detail

A front cover of the CD should have the name of 'China Record Shanghai Corporation' in Chinese next to the logo (examples: 'forgiveness' and 'Bold & Delicious / Pride' singles)

The CRSC should also be present on the CD itself (detailes from the same singles as above are shown below):

<-- Back to 'other' page

<-- Back to the Guide

Auctions
It is quite possible that when you use e-bay or Yahoo Auctions the product, -
(a)	may be a second-hand one,
(b)	may not contain the insert(s) with lyrics and pictures, or
(c)	may be a bootleg or 'self-made' (from mp3 or mpg files).
TO ENSURE THAT YOU RECEIVE WHAT YOU WANT FOR THE MONEY YOU PAY:
If you see the price for something is really good I suggest contacting the seller and asking some questions (if you cannot find relevant information on the page):
1	Is this a second-hand product and, if it is, what is the condition?
2	What would be the cost of postage to [insert where you are] and how long it would take?
3	Can I pay by [insert your preferred method of payment]?
4	Are the inserts included and what is their condition (in case the product is a second-hand one)?
5	What is the region code (in case of the DVD) and will it play in [insert where you are]?
If the answers are satisfactory and you happy with the price - proceed with the purchase.
DO NOT EVER:
1	Buy bootlegs or "self-made" things. By doing this you are actually receiving stolen goods and encouraging people who rip off the artist you like. Let me know where it is and I'll place it into the "black list" (published here).
2	Click on "buy it now" or "place bid" without COMPLETELY understanding the conditions. PARTICULARLY - the cost of shipping. This should not be a big problem for music products, nevertheless you may find out that you have to pay more for the shipping then for the product itself.
3	Purchase items 'outside' official auctions. After you bid for an item you may receive a message from the seller, offering to "take a couple of bucks off" if you send money to him/her directly (without registering the purchase on an auction site). It's possible that you will not receive the item, and then you will not be able to do anything about it...
4	Send "well concealed cash" unless you've got plenty of it...



Ayumi products in China
Tips on shopping for legitimate Ayumi products in China were first posted here in 2004 thanks to orange89 from AYUNITE! forum. As I've spent some time in China (Beijing, Xiamen, Hong Kong, etc) recently, some more information was added and several corrections were made. I've just been to Beijing again in April 2013 and the notes below appear to be still correct and applicable.
1	All Ayumi CDs contain OBIs (a piece of paper with Ayu name and album name in Chinese that is not inside the plastic box holding the CD, but under the plastic packaging);
2	All CDs released in China are the equivalent of "Limited Edition" CDs in Japan. For example, "A Best" is sold only in the limited edition slipcase. Another example - "I am..." is only released with the limited enlarged OBI.
3	A legitimate album costs between 30 and 60 RMB (could be as low as 10 RMB 'on sale'); singles are about 20 or 30 RMB (if they are with a DVD). Bootleg CDs are typically sold at markets at a price of about 7-10 RMB. [For the reference: 1US$ is roughly equal to 6-8 RMB]
4	All legitimate Avex CDs have a holographic "sticker" (with the Avex label) on the cover of the CD. Be careful of mini round stickers (usually gold in colour) - these do not certify that a product is legitimate (see photos below).
5	ADVICE: Always buy CDs from large electronic "department" stores or smaller shops with electronic security (one way to tell which stores are these is that they have electronic detectors close to doors such as those found in a regular store in a mall). The '77-th Street' next to Xidan metro station in Beijing is the most convenient place to get the CDs, a very large bookstore next to the same metro station has an enormous choice of CDs and DVDs on the third floor (look for directions to 'audio-video' on the ground floor).
6	COMMENT: As data of the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) shows, nine out of ten CDs currently sold in China are counterfeit ones - please be very careful when shopping there...
7	The product is official if it has the holographic "avex j-cd" sticker the factory places on the CD cover:
A NOTE ABOUT HONG KONG
There are two major sources of CDs and DVDs in Hong Kong: 'HMV' and 'CD Warehouse'. Whilst HMV has a larger choice of products, CD Warehouse appears to be cheaper overall. If you don't mind buying second-hand CDs, the best choice (in my opinion) was a small store on Nathan Road in a building not far from south-east exit from Mong Kok MTR station (you would have to pay attention to the signs and get to the first floor to find it). This store was unfortunately closed when I was there earlier in 2008...

Additional information
Avex Inc. used to have a website for Avex China with a part dedicated to Ayumi Hamasaki, which is now closed. Not all products were available and for the ones that were - the track list was the same as on 'Japan' and 'Overseas' versions. A cover of a CD was sometimes different - with a bit of writing in Chinese (usually - Ayumi name) and/or an additional logo. Therefore, the fact that 'there is a writing in Chinese on the cover' does not neccessarily mean that a particular CD is a bootleg. The official distributor of Avex China products is 'China Records Shanghai Corporation' (CRSC) and all products are described on the relevant discography pages (almost all albums and singles since 2003).

Important notes on how to distinguish an original release from a bootleg (more here) - with an album 'A Song for XX' as an example:
	CRSC and avex trax logos on the front and back covers

Packaging detail

Back cover detail

A front cover of the CD should have the name of 'China Record Shanghai Corporation' in Chinese next to the logo (examples: 'forgiveness' and 'Bold & Delicious / Pride' singles)

The CRSC should also be present on the CD itself (detailes from the same singles as above are shown below):