Ordered used DVD from Amazon, got a bootleg, help! (1 Viewer)

[ThomasC]

I ordered the Far From Heaven DVD used at Amazon Marketplace, got it prompted, ripped off the plastic wrap, opened the case, and I saw the All Region logo. This is my first, and hopefully my last. I'm writing an e-mail to the seller now to inform him/her that I received a bootleg, and that I would like a refund. Does this sound okay?

"Hello,

Thank you for shipping my order promptly. However, the copy I received is a bootleg. This is not acceptable, and I would like a refund. Your cooperation would be most appreciated.

Best Regards,
Thomas C-----"

 

[Leila Dougan]

I made a post a few months ago about buying a bootleg off Ebay. I basically emailed the same thing to the seller and after a little bit of argueing ("you know what you were buying") he agreed to a refund. He followed through and I've learned my lesson.

Hopefully it goes as smoothly for you as it did for me.

 

[MarkHastings]

("you know what you were buying")

Hopefully you responded with:

I understand the concept of "Buyer of Region 0 DVD ends up with bootleg", just as long as you understand the concept of "Seller of illegal material ends up in jail".

 

[Leila Dougan]

I understand the concept of "Buyer of Region 0 DVD ends up with bootleg", just as long as you understand the concept of "Seller of illegal material ends up in jail".

Something like that He got the hint, which is probably why he quickly agreed to the refund.

 

[ThomasC]

Fortunately, this is what I got in return:

sorry about that i did not notice it was not a legitamate copy if you want to send it back i will go ahead and refund you for the shipping and the price of the dvd if you put it back in the original envelope you can just put return to sender then you wont have to pay for shipping it back . sorry that happened this is the first time i have ever had one be a bootleg i normaly avoid those at all cost

I don't get it, I can just go to the post office, have them stamp "Return to Sender" onto the envelope, and I don't have to pay anything?

 

[John_Berger]

Yes, as long as the packge is unopened; however, you will lose any ability to add extra services like signature confirmations -- just to make sure that he really receives it.

 

[ThomasC]

When you're talking about the package, are you talking about the DVD or the envelope?

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> i did not notice it was not a legitamate copy

Yeah, that darn studio shipped me another bootleg.

I would notify Amazon as well.

 

[MarkHastings]

I would notify Amazon as well.

Yeah, it sounds like a case of "I got caught, and now I'm going to play dumb."

 

[John_Berger]

When you're talking about the package, are you talking about the DVD or the envelope?

The envelope. Once it's opened, you'll have to pay postage to return it. Again, I doubt that you'll be able to add services to "Return to Sender" situations, so you'll have to use your judgement on that.

 

[Francois Caron]

Why don't you call the company that originally made the movie and describe your situation? They may send you a legitimate copy of the movie in exchange for the bootleg, then use it as evidence against Amazon's DVD piracy practices.

Hey! It may happen!

 

[ThomasC]

Francois, I didn't buy the DVD from Amazon, I bought it used. There was absolutely no indication from the seller's description of the DVD that it might've been a bootleg, such as "playable in all regions" or whatnot, and he/she has a stellar feedback rating. So, either he/she is lucky that his/her customers are ignorant enough not to be able to tell the difference between a legit and bootleg copy, or it was one bad apple out of a thousand. If I get my refund back with no further problems, I'm not going to pursue this any further.

The envelope. Once it's opened, you'll have to pay postage to return it. Again, I doubt that you'll be able to add services to "Return to Sender" situations, so you'll have to use your judgement on that.

How in the world would I have been able to figure out that the DVD was a bootleg if I didn't open the package?

 

[josh4040]

I had a similar experience on amazon used about two months ago, I notified the seller that it was a bootleg, he sent back a response that he had refunded the money and would I please send back the disc. I said sure, if you send me the money to send it, I know that the shipping price was also refunded, but why should I go out of my way for a guy that sent me a fraudulent item. He did post negative feedback on me, oh well. God, I hate bootlegers.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

You've had better luck than I have. I've mostly gotten peopel who refuse to respond and occasionally someone who insists it isn't a bootleg.

 

[Brian Kidd]

Well thereare legitimate R0 discs out there. Unfortunately, most big studio pictures are not. Sorry you got burned.

 

[Tony Whalen]

Personally, I'd shell out to send it back, just you so you can get a signature indicating the package was received. Might as well play it safe. You might be out a couple bucks, but that would be worth it, were I in your shoes. Good luck!

 

[ThomasC]

I'd shell out to send it back, just you so you can get a signature indicating the package was received.

I had to, since I opened the envelope. John said the "Return to sender" thing only applies if I didn't open it. I only got delivery confirmation, that's good enough for me.

 

[Jeff Perry]

Thomas: "Return to sender" allows you to refuse packages or letters shipped via the US Postal Service. If you receive something you don't want, all you have to do is write "Refused - Return to sender" on the front and drop it back in your mailbox. It will then be sent back to the sender at no cost to you.

Of course the catch is that the package must be unopened. Clearly this won't work for your situation, but I wanted to clarify the procedure in case you need to use it in the future.

 

[Micah Cohen]

This happened to me. I'm glad to see it discussed here.

As soon as the guy sent me a refund check (after much e-haggling) and it cleared, I scribbled "NOT MGM DVD" on BOTH SIDES of the blamed phoney disc with a Sharpie and sent it back to him.

Neither amazon nor eBay have much protection from these guys. It's astounding what people will sell, and what people will buy.

Caveat emptor!

MC

 

[Drew Mertz]

What do you expect when buying dvds online. You read on this board that it happens all the time. Here is an idea, only shop at places you can actually hold the product in you hands.

I love the post about who sells bootlegs should go to jail. Thanks best laugh I`ve had all morning. I think there are some actual crimes being commited out there. Bottleging a movie ranks right up there with jwalking.