Hayley Westenra : The New Album " Celtic Treasure " - US Edition ( 2007 ) : I Have the Album !

4:35 PM : Following On from the previous post ....

Celtic Treasure ( US Edition ) - Acquired !

Hayley Westenra's New Album " Celtic Treasure " ( US Edition ) has officially been released, and is easily available for purchase now at all popular music stores around Australia. I bought it today, at my local Sanity Music store at Southland Shopping Centre. I'm a little busy today, so I doubt I'll get the chance to listen to it today, however, I intend to listen to it sometime in the next couple of days, after which I shall endeavour to post a review of it right here.

Quest for the Elusive ' Treasure ' UK Import Edition

The UK Edition, - well, just as I thought, it's really hard to come by, and unfortunately, I was Not able to get my hands on it today. I tried looking everywhere for it today, scouring All music outlets at both Southland and Chadstone shopping centres, but found nothing of it. I'm going to do some more research on the internet soon, and see If I can find anything relevant.

Back real soon ! ....

Update : 6:39 PM :

Searching on the internet for acceptable alternative sources and options for the UK edition has not been very fruitful. I have decided to put in a pre-order for it through JB-Hi-Fi Online, as it seems they can order for it via thier supplier. If I were to have ordered it through Amazon.com, it would have cost me twice as much, and I would have to wait another three weeks for the delivery. The local JB-Hi-Fi Online is charging only the Australian standard price, and delivery time is estimated somewhere between a week to two weeks - at least, that's the details going by the pre-order summary documentation. There's no order cancellation option on JB-Hi-Fi Online, and they have already charged me, so I'll just have to wait now, cross my fingers, see what hand is dealt to me by 'actual reality', and hope that it 'is' what I have hoped for, and what I believe I have paid for.

The UK Import Edition is supposedly the better edition of the two, as it is apparently the more ' Traditional ' Hayley, the more ' Classical ' Hayley, the way she had originally envisioned it to be heard. I believe this. Thus, I am eagerly looking forward to recieving this item that I have already pre-ordered. [ I am thinking about whether I should wait until I recieve the UK Import Edition before I listen to either of them, as I'd rather not spoil the pleasure of listening to the UK edition in the spirit in which it is originally meant to be heard ! .... ]

Update : Thursday 29th March, 2007 :

This Update not too important. Just for the record. No, I haven't listened to the US edition yet, and No, I haven't receieved my UK edition order yet either. I 'have' decided that I 'will' wait until I recieve the UK edition before I listen to either of them. I have been tracking the status of my order every day since the day I placed it. Anyway, it's nearly two weeks now since I placed my UK-edition pre-order with JB-Hi-Fi online. When I initially made the order, JB-Hi-Fi online clearly stated in thier Terms and Conditions that they don't charge a customer until the ordered item is ready for despatch ( from JB... ), but somehow they charged me immediately, as soon as I had placed the order, and the item had not even been available from thier supplier at the time...; A few days later, the web-status of the item changed from " Currently NOT Available " to " Special Order ", and JB refunded me the amount they had originally charged me earlier. According to JB, " Special Order " means the respective item is 'available for pre-order' from JB, however, JB is UN-able to provide an estimate on when the item might arrive at JB for despatch, meaning theoretically, there could virtually be an 'indefinite' wait on the respective order. Well, Today, that status changed back from " Special Order " to " Currently NOT Available " ( Not held in stock, but can still be ordered from the supplier... ). Since my order has been 'in-progress' for the past couple of weeks, I'm assuming it's now back on track, and should arrive at JB for despatch within the next week or so. By this time next week, I guess I should expect some progress... JB has not re-charged me yet.

To the best of my knowledge thus far, JB-Hi-Fi Online is still the only Australian resource where the UK Import edition of 'Treasure' is available for order or purchase. I have not seen it available ( locally ) anywhere else.

Update : Monday 2nd April, 2007 :

A Few days ago, My on-line-order at JB-Hi-Fi-On-Line for the UK Import Edition of 'Treasure' recessed into supplier-Back-Order mode, as apparently even the supplier was ill-stocked on the item. Behold !, This afternoon, that status-quo was elevated all-the-way to " Item-Dispatched " mode, which means it's now officially on its way to my door-step. JB-Hi-Fi-On-Line has re-charged me, and this time, at the right time. Delivery should take no longer than 1 to 2 days at most. JB-Hi-Fi-On-Line Emailed me a ' Dispatch Confirmation ' Message this afternoon, notifying me that my order has been dispatched from the JB Warehouse, and that I should be recieving my order shortly. Yay ! It's about time ! ( I Pray it does not get lost in mid-transit ! ); Oh Yeah, JB-Hi-Fi-On-Line charged me approximately AUD $ 24.00 for the item, and just shy of AUD $ 3.00 Delivery Fee, totalling just shy of AUD $ 27.00 all up. That's pretty good, considering what it 'would' have cost had it been imported via an international company ( virtually double ! ).

Update : Tuesday 3rd April, 2007 :

Time : Approximately 2:30 PM :

The JB-Hi-Fi Order Arrived Today, but, unfortunately for me, they messed up ! :( They sent me the wrong item ! They sent me ' Celtic Treasure ' ( which I already have... ), instead of ' Treasure '. ( I thought there was a possibility that something like this might happen... ) I opened the invoice/receipt, got the enqury-line phone number off the document, and called JB-Hi-Fi directly to immediately inform them of what has transpired. I told the representative on the phone that I wasn't impressed with what had happened, that I had gone through alot of effort to acquire what I 'believed' they were delivering me, and certainly what they had advertised on thier web-site. The information, details, and artwork they had advertised on thier web-site matched the item I was looking for, originally. But, it wasn't what they sent me ! I queried it could be possible they had on-line item-descriptions erroneously mixed-up. Maybe they were confused over the issue of there being two distinctly different editions of the album being available. The representative on the phone said he'd send me item-return details via email to inform me how to return the item to JB-Hi-Fi, and that he would speak to his people and his supppliers, and investigate what might have gone wrong, and whether they can still acquire the item I originally ordered. I was told it would not cost me anything to return the item to JB.

Time : Approximately 3:00 PM :

Update : The email with item-return instructions has come through. The representative has informed that unfortunately, they are NOT able to get the UK edition at all, and that I will be refunded full credit after I have returned the item. Looks like I shall indeed have to resort to ordering and importing it in via an international market. Though, I can only hope that they do the right thing, and send me the correct item, otherwise I shall have go through this all over again.
I have sent an email to JB-Hi-Fi online confirming that I will indeed be returning the item back to them. Well, I've set myself back a few steps.... Bummer !....
[ It's going to take me at least another week now... ] The Quest Continues.... More news later....

Earlier today ( BEFORE all this disappointing drama... ), believing that what I had originally ordered was about to turn up on my front door-step, there was something else I had been meaning to do for sometime now - there is an Australian edition of one of Hayley's earlier albums, one of her Self-titled albums " Hayley Westenra ", which I bought today at a shop. This album has the same Cover Images, booklet and Inlay as the UK Import edition of ' Odyssey '. However, this CD comprises tracks from both ' Pure ' and ' Odyssey ', but what really got my attention is the presence of a previously-Un-released track called " Bridal Ballad ", which does 'not' appear on any Australasian editions of any of her earlier releases. This is the first time this particular track has appeared on an Australasian edition of her CDs, nevertheless, a Vital addition to a Good " Hayley Westenra " Collection.

Update : 3:50 PM :

OK, After doing some very quick searching on the internet, I have just placed a New Online/Web Order for the SAME originally-intended item with an English Distributor called 'DVD.co.UK', who have charged me 8.95 UK-Pounds for the item, and 1.00 UK-Pounds International Delivery Fee, Totalling 9.95 UK-Pounds, which equates to approximately AUD $ 24.50. That's still pretty good, standing at a couple of AUD dollars less than what JB-Hi-Fi Online originally charged me. However, on top of the AUD $ 24.50 Order cost, my bank has to charge me a tiny International Currency Fee, which shouldn't be anymore than a dollar or two, still remaining within the margin of JB-Hi-Fi Online's original cost. Well, that sounds good. I would estimate the Timeline now to be set back approximately 3 weeks. I have checked DVD.co.UK's online Inventory List for All Titles matching " Hayley Westenra ", and they Don't 'have' ' Celtic Treasure ' and they're not using Celtic Treasure's Front Cover for any of thier Hayley Westenra items. Plus, " Treasure " seems to be the 'Only' edition of this particular item available in thier Hayley Westenra Inventory. So, I think I can be pretty confident this time, that I will ( or should, ) recieve the item that I had originally ordered. I have checked, and double-checked this order. ( Even the track-listing appears OK and is as expected... ) Fingers Crossed ! Hope for success this time around.

Update : 11:14 PM :

My new order at DVD.co.uk has been escalated to ' In Dispatch ' mode ( being prepared for ship-out, but not yet shipped ), and I have now been charged for the item accordingly, and I have balanced my account. I have not yet recieved a refund from JB-Hi-Fi online.

At this point in time, I'd like to amend ( and according to my most current knwowledge ) that not only is ' Treasure ' the UK edition extremely difficult to find and acquire, but dare I say that it's altogether Not-Available for acquisition anywhere in Australia at all, and that the Only way to get hold of it over here in Australia is to literally Import it in from an overseas market via online/internet shopping sites.

Update : Wednesday 4th April, 2007 :

Time : Approximately 10:30 AM :

Minor update. JB-Hi-Fi Online sent me an email this morning, requesting confirmation on my request for Full Refund to my account for yesterday's drama. ( Wait ! Didn't I already do this yesterday afternoon ?? Hmmm... ) I sent a quick reply confirming a quick 'YES' on full refund to my account. Last night, after doing some reading on Hayley's Forum, I found that I was not the only customer to have experienced this problem with JB-Hi-Fi. So, along with my reply email this morning, I also informed them that I was not the only customer to have experienced this error in delivery, and that they should correct thier online item-descriptions accordingly, i.e. Remove this item from thier online database.; Shortly, JB-Hi-Fi Online sent me a brief reply email, confirming action on refund to my account, but has yet to be credited.; My new order with DVD.co.uk still has not yet been shipped. Status has not changed since last night.

Update : 3:21 PM :

I have prepped the Return Package to send back to JB-Hi-Fi ( as per the Return Instructions ), and will most likely put it in the mail a little later in the afternoon today. [ No status change on either new-order-dispatch or refund credit. ]

Update : 11:02 PM :

My new order on DVD.co.uk has finally shipped. I expect Delivery time to be at least somewhere between two to three weeks, could be a little more.; DVD.co.uk has emailed me an Order Dispatch Confirmation message to confirm that my order has shipped. The Easter Holiday could possibly factor into a slight delay in the usual Delivery Timeframe.; [ Estimated Delivery Date : 17th or 18th April, Easter Delay Included. ] I have not got around to mailing the Return Package back to JB-Hi-Fi yet. I hope to mail it out some time tomorrow morning. Now I wait to see how everything goes. Fingers Crossed, Better Luck this time around, I Hope and Pray.

Update : Thursday 5th April, 2007 :

Time : Approximately 10:35 PM :

I put JB's Return Package in the Mail earlier today, and sent it back to JB-Hi-Fi OnLine. I followed up by Emailing JB-Hi-Fi OnLine a Confirmation message to confirm mailing out the return package. No sign of the refund credit yet though.

Update : Friday 6th April, 2007 :

Time : Approximately 11:05 AM :

Happy Easter and Happy Good Friday ! Hope you're having a good Easter. My JB-Hi-Fi On-Line Refund Credit was credited back to my account this morning.

Update : Tuesday 10th April, 2007 :

Time : Approximately 10:30 PM :

Early this morning, I received an email from JB-Hi-Fi-OnLine simply acknowledging that they recieved the last email I sent to them late last week. This should almost be the last dealing I have with JB-Hi-Fi-OnLine regarding the most recent matter. All that's left now is for them to confirm recieving the Return Package I mailed back to them last week.; Now for the interesting part, Guess What ?! It's Arrived ! It's Finally Here ! And this time, it's been correctly packed and correctly delivered ! ( Albeit a tad earlier than I originally expected ! ) Yes, It's that all-elusive UK Import Edition " Treasure ", now satisfactorily in my possession. I have not had the time to listen to it yet, and I'm a bit busy over the next day or so. So, I'll probably get around to listening to it in detail maybe later on in the week.

Something else I'd like to add : while I was looking around on the internet for an international on-line web-shop through which to order and acquire the UK Import edition of ' Treasure ', I thought I'd check out some New Zeland on-line resources to see if maybe I could acquire it via New Zealand. In the process of doing so, I found that in New Zealand ( well, on-line NZ at least... ), Thier " Treasure " is titled exactly " Treasure ", has the UK version's photo-artwork CD-Cover image on the front, but low and behold, it has the US Version's Track-Listing, and presumably the US Version's songs ! Technically, this 'is' the US version product, and would be more correctly titled " Celtic Treasure " like the way it is everywhere else. Very mis-leading if you ask me. The dumbly un-educated could be mis-leadingly fooled into thinking they were actually buying " Treasure " the UK edition ! How Silly is that ?
( Now, that would 'really' confuse JB-Hi-Fi on-line ! They were confused and got it wrong even when the photo-artwork CD-Cover image and track-listings were the 'right-way' round ! Now, that's really dumb ! ) I can't speak for New Zealand's actual in-store stock, but I'm just assuming, from the information I've found on-line. So, from this stand-point, technically, " Treasure " the 'Proper' UK version, seems Isn't available anywhere in New Zealand either !

I will now Close this particular entry here, Start a New Entry/Post, and pick up the story right where I left off - from right here. [ See Next Entry/Post for Continuation... ]

* Hayley Westenra's Official Web Site.