There is nothing better than the vision of Europe, with it´s very own currency and endless shopping possibilities via internet - don´t ya think so? EU was not enough, we needed more and we got more. I love it so much, especially on the days when can´t get rid of my dosh quickly.
Seriously, I tried to order a Playstation 2 gadget during the last three days that is not being sold in Germany (yet). No problem, if the local dealers don´t have it, just browse the web with your credit card handy and get it, I thought.
I tried three times, two shops in the UK and those old chums from FNAC (who are seriously not bothered to pre- sent their page in any other language but French), but no luck. This item will not be shipped outside of the UK and Eire (so why does the website offer shipping-rates to abroad anyway?). Sorry, we cannot take your order, your credit card will not be charged (oh thank you, you´re so sweet). Nous ne prenons pas leur argent avons volontiers toutefois d'envie d'envoyer un emballage sur le Rhin , malheureu- sement malheureusement (Now I know why I avoided Paris all my life...).
Especially nasty is having to go thru the order processes three times, each turn taking between 5 and 15 minutes. Not because I´m an illiterate nerd with a burning passion for typewriters, but because these companies want to know this and that before they decide they are not shipping the item. Why do the FNACFROGS want to know my favorite FNAC shop if they don´t ship certain items to Germany anyway (there could be a quick check before the item is placed in the basket). Why do those British net scalpers want to know my credit card expiry date before they realize Germany is not a county in Eire? Why does the other English "specialist shop" bother sending me a personal mail (think it took more than five minutes of human work time to process it), when they could have excluded the item for foreign sales on their massive page?
Last chance is Norway, but I can´t read any of that. Guess I´ll have to think GLOBAL. Maybe a shop in Peru will sort me out...