Ugh, eBay DVD Pirates.

Travis Hedger · 03-23-2005, 06:08 PM

So today I have had my first eBay burn after many successful transactions in the buying and selling of legit DVD's.

I do occasional Star Trek Season set DVD shopping and jump when I see a good deal. So far so good until a couple weeks ago.

I see good prices on DS9 box sets and bid on 3 and one one Voyager box set. He states after the auction close that he has the rest of DS9 that didn't sell in a previous auction and offers it all together for $300 and free shipping.

Nothing in the auction was strange, other than lack of pictures. He listed the condition as used, even with UPC code(s) and had 100% feed back with over 31 responses.

I think, that someone scamming people wont be at 100% for long. But I was wrong.

Today I get the package, and 8 Huge DVD Keepcases with custom printed DVD packaging (obvious photoshops) and burned DVDs with injet labling. A nice job but obvious fakes. GRRRRRR.

Had I known this was what I was gonna get I would avoid them like the Asian editions, and there are some ballsy enough to state that they are sending DVD+R copies, not the actual legit disks.

Needless to say I am pissed off, and looking at his other auctions he does a lot of boxed set stuff. I have reported him to the MPAA because the guy was stupid enough to use his real shipping address and his phone number was easily found doing an anywho.com search.

I am going to open a dispute with eBay/Paypal, and have given him exactly 1 chance to refund the money (not likely). Even more disgusting is that he was super polite and communicative during and after the auction had closed.

I have over 400 legit DVD's new and used, I don't even have a DVD Burner to make my own backups for when I travel. Needless to say, this guy is gonna regret he screwed me over.

Jesse Skeen · 03-23-2005, 07:08 PM

My dad knew someone at work whose son was kicked off Ebay for selling copied CDs. I think that was only because someone who bought one reported him though. I have to wonder a lot of the time if anyone in charge of Ebay is really paying attention as I've seen a number of dubious items. While it's been nice to be able to get stuff that hasn't been released commercially, nobody should be selling copies of discs you can buy legitimately.
Sort of unrelated, but I've seen people standing outside a Wal-Mart and more recently the last remaining K-Mart in town selling what looked like VCDs of camcordered movies still out in theaters. I called the 800-NO-COPYS number to report them but they say they're only open during the day when I'm at work!

Rob Gardiner · 03-23-2005, 07:11 PM

Flies, honey, vinegar...

Why don't you try the polite approach and tell the seller you did not receive what you thought you were receiving? Tell him that the listing led you to believe you were getting pressed DVDs, not burned DVD-Rs and you would like to return them for a refund.

He didn't get 100% positive feedback by leaving his customers unsatisfied.

Travis Hedger · 03-23-2005, 07:22 PM

I gave him that chance, and have nothing but complete silence in return.

Thing is, before I received the shipment, we would communicate in email 2 or 3 times a week on the status of everything and he was very nice and friendly to keep the scam going.

Scott L · 03-24-2005, 12:00 AM

If this was a single disc I'd be satisified with just complaining to the seller. If it's several hundreds worth of merchandise, and there's even more of his auctions up, I'd alert someone too.

I think you did the right thing. Let us know how it goes.

**HTF Ads**

Doug R · 03-24-2005, 02:20 AM

Yikes.. $300 bucks for burned DVD-Rs? Ouch.

Unfortunately I have no advice for you.. but I understand how you're feeling. If it was me, I'd make it my personal goal to ruin this guy.

Travis Hedger · 03-24-2005, 01:20 PM

I finally got a response.

He claims that he purchased a lot of product from a "failing company" and thought that the labels looked a little strange (hey how about the rest of the packaging?)

Even better, the biggest tip off is that the auction used the UPC codes and listed them for each set. However, none of the sets even have a code. I know its easy to find them, but it is just another misrepresentation of product in order to try and dupe someone. He responded to my negative feedback saying they are not copies or bootlegs.

How is a copy not a copy?

Here is a link to a pic of some of the items.

Link

Brett_E · 03-24-2005, 01:28 PM

This happened to me as well. I bid on a boxed set of DVD's and when they arrived most of them were copies. I threatened to report them to the MPAA and file a mail fraud report since it was shipped via USPS. Also, I held their 100% rating in my hand but did not leave any feedback at that point. I used the rating and the threats as leverage and gave them 7 days to give me the refund in full, plus the cost of shipping it back to them. The lady that sold them to me seemed to be an honest woman that was suckered herself and the copies were pretty good so I gave her the benifit of the doubt that she sold them to me unaware they were copies. 4 days later I had my full refund plus the return shipping so I shipped them back to her. I told her that if she ever attempts to sell those DVD's again in an auction I would fill out her feedback with a negative and report her.

I do not buy DVD's on eBay any longer.

Travis Hedger · 03-24-2005, 01:49 PM

Since these auctions are closed...

Here is his feedback page

Looks like since yesterday he has had 2 more complaints come in.

Paypal will definitely be ruling in my favor now.

Doug R · 03-24-2005, 04:58 PM

One thing for future reference, though I imagine you will shy away completely but if I purchase DVDs, I only buy if there's an actual digital cam picture and in the text it says something along the lines of "what you'd buy in the store in the United States"

Nice feedback though. Completely ruin this guy, bro.