EDIT 3/10: Guys, please stop placing orders in this post D: cassiopride was created a few weeks ago to carry out this project. If you placed an order here for The Secret Code, I`m sorry but it was not officially recorded m(__)m Please check out cassiopride for more information about the project and to place future orders to support the boys ^^


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We all know the boys' releases in Japan can be pricey, and that ordering from cheaper online stores *cough*Yesasia*cough* results in our purchases not counting towards their official sales. In order to

a) support TVXQ's official sales in both Japan and Korea
b) enable international fans to purchase the boys' releases at lower prices, and
c) carry out a project as international Cassiopeians to support our boys, just like the official Cassies do,

I would like to propose the International Cassiopeia Pre-Order Project.

First of all, I should mention that this is a NON-PROFIT project. I AM NOT MAKING MONEY. It is purely motivated by the three objectives stated above - we always talk about how Cassiopeians have so much purchasing power but no way to exercise it, so here's our chance. Right now though, I'm going to ignore the Korean releases and talk about the Japanese ones, since we have Survivor and The Secret Code coming up, plus the Japanese ones are always a lot more expensive.

This is the basic premise of the project:

1. One or two (or more, as needed) main representatives in each country/region to take charge of all pre-orders for that country/region. (There will be stringent quality checks carried out on each representative, they MUST be responsible and dedicated individuals.)

2. Once all pre-orders have been placed, the TOTAL amount of each representative's orders to be given to me to process. Payment can be made via Paypal (credit card), bank transfer or meet-up. Each representative will transfer the total amount of funds to me, which will then be forwarded to my supplier.

3. The merchandise is shipped directly from Japan to representatives.

4. Once merchandise has arrived in a country, it is then the responsibility of the representatives to give out merchandise to people who have placed orders. Preferably, representatives should live in regions with many other Cassiopeians so that goods can be delivered via meet-up, therefore not incurring any domestic shipping costs. Otherwise, domestic registered mail can be arranged, which is also a much cheaper alternative to international courier.

This means that my role is in getting all the international orders together and making sure that all orders are shipped to your country. Once orders are within a country, your local representatives will assume all responsibility of getting your orders to you. I assure you that all representatives will be completely trustworthy and dedicated to the job, and will not run away and hide in the mountains with your purchases. :x

Benefits:

a) My supplier in Japan has agreed to purchase and ship all goods for this project at an extremely low price (less than half of what is normally charged for third-party purchases).
b) The more orders placed, the lower prices get (or at least, there's a higher likelihood I can negotiate an even lower price).
c) If you live in a high-density area with many other fans, e.g. Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia or Singapore..Singapore 8D, you won't have to pay for domestic shipping at all.
d) If you don't have a credit card to purchase things online, you can always work something out with your representative or another fellow Cassiopeian (for example, local bank transfers, or simply via meet-up).
e) Your orders are GUARANTEED to count towards their Oricon sales, and will definitely cost less than buying from online stores that count towards the Oricon, e.g. CDJapan and HMV. (I estimate international shipping costs to ultimately cost about a third of CDJapan's.)

I know Yesasia offers very competitive prices, and while I don't have any exact figures as of the moment, I don't think we will be able to compete with them...but by paying just a bit more, you're going to help the boys officially sell more in Japan, and we know what a big deal sales figures are.

I actually think this would be a really great opportunity to meet loads of other local fans, e.g. you could all pick up your CDs at the same time and fangirl over them together over karaoke. :D

Right now I'm suggesting Malaysia and Singapore because these are the countries that I am most familiar with and will be fairly easy to distribute goods within. However, I would REALLY like to open this project up to other countries so that ALL international Cassiopeians will be able to help support our boys. I think anywhere within the Australasia region would be do-able, but the US and Europe might be difficult (unless there are many fans within a particular state)....but if you believe you know how to make this happen in your region (and provided your region has enough a number of fans), please give me your suggestions. ^^

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If you are from Malaysia/Singapore and are interested in placing an order for Tohoshinki`s The Secret Code (release and expected shipping date: March 25th 2009), please leave a comment with the following details:

a) Location (be state-specific if you are from Malaysia)
b) Do you have a credit card?
c) Would you be able to meet/interested in meeting up with local Cassiopeians?
d) Preferred method of payment?
e) Which edition of The Secret Code you do plan on ordering/how many copies?

*This is for information-collecting purposes ONLY. If response is satisfactory, I will start a separate community to administrate this project - so please help to spread the word, you DON`T need to be an LJ user to join in ^^

I am also looking for representatives to help out in Malaysia. You should preferably be from a region with many other Cassiopeians e.g. KL and must have your own credit card. Please be aware that this is a heavy responsibility and undertaking, and you should be dedicated and have the time and willingness to deal with orders both online and offline. If you want to help out, please let me know!

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As mentioned earlier, if you are a non-Malaysian/Singaporean and want to place an individual order, please leave a comment with the following (you MUST have a credit card and Paypal account if you are not Malaysian/Singaporean/Australian - Australian bank transfers are acceptable):

a) Location (please be specific)
b) Which edition of The Secret Code you do plan on ordering/how many copies?

and I`ll calculate how much it will cost - you can then decide if you would like to go ahead with the order. If you want to make mass orders happen in your country too, it is only worthwhile to carry out if there will be a large number of people pre-ordering. So if you`re a member of an international Cassiopeian forum, SPREAD THE WORD!

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Note: This plan is currently limited to Japanese releases. For Korean releases, I believe we have a way to not only contribute to their sales, but DONATE GAINS TO CHARITY. The Korean Cassies have been doing it all this while and making our boys proud, so it`s time for us to step up! :D So please, let`s get together and make this work! ^^

INTERNATIONAL CASSIES, FIGHTING!! :DD ♥♥