DVD security becoming an insult to the consumer (1 Viewer)

[Brad M]

Just wanted to add my little story. When I went to buy Star Trek: Generations, I got in line and was reading the back of the DVD. I noticed that the corner of the disc was popped-opened so I closed it back and saw that the plastic was cut. I opened it at the register and the disc was gone. Not a problem since I was at the register but if I had paid and left then later found out the disc was gone, that would have sucked. I would have had to try and tell someone I bought a DVD without a disc. I'm sure it would have been fun.

 

[Aaron Croft]

Defeating those "stickers" is as easy as bringing in a fairly powerful magnet into a store. You can buy a "supermagnet" that fits in your hand that easily "kills" those stickers.
The best bet a store has against theft is people watching. I used to work at a CD store (how I know about the magnets), and I decided to watch our most hit section thoroughly (rap ... I caught dozens of kids trying to steal CD's in one weekend... I convinved my boss that he should just keep me there as a security gaurd undercover...
Pretty sweet.... until I realized just how frickin boring it is to stand around acting like you are looking at CD's for 8 hours
I caught one kid trying to chew one of those plastic tags that they put on shirts... I just let him do it for a while.. he eventually got the tag off and then stuffed the shirt in his pants.... that's when I made my move. Turned out he lost a tooth in the process and his mouth was full of blood!!!!
I caught another kid stealing a Metallica sticker that was worth 1.99... he had JUST turned 18 the week before, and had been caught shoplifting several times as a minor. The store prosecuted him and he actually did time for stealing a 2 dollar sticker.
Sorry I'm babbling... shoplifting is a fact of life... BUT.. security stickers only catch the real morons out there..
Aaron Croft

 

[Nelson Au]

I actually bought a DVD from a Mom and Pop shop that I was a very frequent customer of. When I got home, I noticed the plastic was torn. When I removed it, I noticed the bottom edge of the case was a jar and when I looked inside, no DVD! I got that replaced. I then realized that's why they put the stickers on all three sides. The DVD I bought only had the sticker on top.
Annoying yes, but my trick is to use a sharp knife, like an X-Acto blade. I cut the sticker along the edge of the case where the two halves split and then I have an edge for my finger nail to catch the sticker and it comes off pretty fast.
Nelson

 

[CRyan]

Yeah, after I had my card stolen, I decided to write "Check ID" in the signature area. Half of the stores still do not ask for my ID. Crazy. Of course the local post offices cannot take an unsigned card. If it is not signed, they simply ask you to sign it. Not sure how this helps anything though since a theif could just as easily sign it.
Personally, I think it should be required to show a photo ID for every purchase. It would not bother me in the least.
Security stickers are fine by me, however, it does not prevent someone from slitting open two of the stickers and snatching the disc. A friend of mine is a manager at Suncoast, and he said this is how most of his discs are stolen.
C. Ryan
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http://www.elitestoragedesigns.com/RyanOAR.bmp

 

[Ron Eastman]

Too bad we have so many bastards in the world that make these security stickers necessary. Still, I wish they would come up with something new.
Just in the past couple weeks I have bought 2 DVDs that I ended up ripping the cover art while removing the security stickers. These were in keepcases and the cover art was not centered properly so the paper was stuck to the sticker without the plastic barrier in between. It's annoying to me plus makes it difficult to trade the disc with the damaged artwork if I'm so inclined in the future.
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"The last thing I want to remembered as is an annoying blabbermouth." - Del Griffith
Link Removed
my DVD collection

 

[Chad R]

When I worked at Blockbuster in College (when Sega and Super Nintendo was the thing) we used to actually open up the game and put a security label on the inside of the casing. I thought it was overkill, but one day a kid tries to walk out and the alarm goes off. I ask him to go back through again and the alarm went off again. I ask him if he has anything on him. He hands over a cartridge. He goes through and another alarm. He pulls another cartridge out of his pocket. Another alarm, then he pulls one out of his jacket. Another alarm and another shirt pocket. Finally, he takes off his hat and pulls out the last cartridge!
I'm sure some games still got by, but the 'excessive' measures at least cut down on the theft. They'll never wipe out theft, but if they can reduce the loss (and remember, the more theft the more prices go up to compensate) I'll live with the 'inconvenience' of taking off these extra stickers on DVD.