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Where can I report store breaking street date on big titles? (1 Viewer)

Cassy_w

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OK, they have been doing it for some time now. All the big A titles are put out about a week before the street date. It wouldn't bother me if they had not put all of the local mom & pop stores out of business this way.

Now that they are IT, they just raised their rates by $1 to $5. I was in the store this morning and when someone very politely complained to the manager, she was told "If you don't like it, go somewhere else." When she replied, "Where am I going to go? You put everyone out of business." He replied, "Too ****ing bad."

I was so disgusted that walked up to him and threw my membership card at him and told the women who was complaining, "I'm going to Netflix.com and suggest you do the same."

So they deserve to get reported. How can I do it? The latest title is KILL BILL V2, so I would want to report this to Miramax/Disney. There is a 1-800 # on some of the actual DVD platters from Miramax. Should I try calling that number?
 

Peter Apruzzese

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You want to contact Buena Vista, and here is a list of all the studio numbers to report street date violations:

Studio (Labels handled) Hot Line Number

Artisan (Artisan, Hallmark) (800) 650-7099

Buena Vista (Buena Vista, Dimension, Walt Disney, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax, Touchstone) (800) 799-1225

Sony (Columbia, TriStar) (888) 680-2843

Paramount (323) 956-3952

MGM (877) 646-4968

20th Century Fox (888) 223-4FOX

Universal Studios (Dreamworks, Universal) (800) 921-1212

Warner Home Video (HBO, New Line, Warner) (800) 258-3800
 

Bill Cowmeadow

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Street dates apply to the retail side of distribution, I'm not sure it applies to a 'Wholesaler' of the membership kind. Might be a loophole for the seller to argue against. Does anyone know the rules as they apply to membership warehouses?
 

Peter Apruzzese

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Virtually all new video releases have a street date which is to be adhered to. The retailer - whether they are a "wholesale club" or the drugstore down the street- is bound to honor that street date by agreement with their distributor. If a retailer breaks street date, they can be penalized by the studio via withholding advertising funds, late shipments on subsequent titles, or - to repeat offenders - fines.

Video rental dealers are also bound by those same agreements. The store in this case is clearly guilty of breaking street date and, since there are no other local retailers to complain about it, think they are above such agreements. I hope Cassy nails them.
 

Malcolm R

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Who's talking about a wholesale warehouse? I get the impression the violator is a big video rental chain store.
 

Glenn Overholt

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...and here we are being nice not mentioning the club's name! Can I laugh again?

Peter, that is a real nice list. I'm saving it for who/what/whenever.

Casey, before I opened this up I was going to suggest another retailer, but now that there aren't any, you'd really get screwed if they stopped sending the store first day releases. There isn't any chance you can find the mom & pop, can you? I smell a massive lawsuit in the making.

Glenn
 

Neil Joseph

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I second reporting the store to the studios. Wholesaler or not, the studios will not ship to the store until the release date so their "upper hand" will be eliminated.
 

Joe Karlosi

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Actually, it worked the reverse way for me. For years I always went to my small, independent "mom and pop" store precisely BECAUSE they'd give me my DVDs early. They went out of business after a long time, not because they got caught breaking street dates or anything, but just because they couldn't compete with the "big guys," period. Too bad -- I liked getting my movies early, though I may be the lone voice in the thread on this.
 

Keith Paynter

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Street date violation is strictly a measure of the retailer/renter. Titles are shipped in advance by wholesaler so that inventory is ready for street date. The larger the inventory purchased, the more time is likely required to get it distributed to all the retailer's outfits.

Shipment cartons are clearly marked that titles are not to be displayed until "such-and-such" street date.

I have frequently reported SDV's by certain retailers to another retailer where I prefer to spend my money. (No names here) Having been involved in a minor capacity with an M&P video store, I have no sympathy for chains who break street date.
 

Michael Elliott

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I can get any release 2-3 weeks early by going to my mom and pop store. In fact, everyone I know who wants a release early goes to the mom and pop store because they never go by the release dates. That's not the case with the big guys who usually don't have new titles until the release date. The only catch is you have to pay more money at the mom and pop stores to get them early.

I see it pointless to bust those breaking release dates. Who doesn't want one of their favorite DVDs a day or week early?


I'm sure most would buy that DVD before the release date if they could. If someone finds their favorite film on the shelf two weeks early they're going to pick it up.
 

Malcolm R

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Yeah, it's an extra few days/weeks it can sit on your shelf after you watch it once and move on to the next week's "favorites."
 

Cassy_w

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There is one place, but the owners are, no offense to them, very ignorant and hate widescreen, so they stock pan & scan every time they can. I gave up trying to educate them. My husband wants to chop their heads off with a chainsaw. :D

Anyway, I found out the employee was one of the managers!

I'll go ahead and use Netflix, but there are times I have to cancel the service for a month here or a month there because I cannot rent enough to justify the monthly fee. I wish they had a per movie rental plan.
 

Michael Elliott

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Exactly. With so many favorites coming out I'm glad I got the Scorsese set and various others a few weeks early. By mid-month I'll start working on next months titles.

With over 65 released this month and the next, a few days jump will help me out. ;)
 

Gregory E

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And what part of KY are you in??? :D I'm up north, but it may be worth the drive on some titles. ;)
 

Joe Karlosi

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I certainly understand the concerns of street violations for those who are personally involved in the video business -- but to be frank, as an average, everyday consumer I couldn't possibly care less. I want my films as early as I can get them.
 

EricSchulz

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Having worked at two major retailers of music and video, I can tell you that there is the threat by the studios regarding the breaking of street dates, yet I have never heard them follow through with it. Remember earlier this year when a certain video game store blatantly broke the street date on Return of the King? Did anyone hear that any type of action was taken against them by the studio? In a few instances where street dates have been broken by music titles, if it's a major release (and I believe this happened with the last Eminem CD), if one retailer breaks the date (and it does seem to be the same retailer in my area in every case), then eventually all retailers do it. There are major music releases that chart a week early because of street date violations! It's obvious that the studios are blowing alot of hot air on this; unless they start taking action against those who consistently break the street dates (and you know that they aren't or the retailer wouldn't HAVE the product available to continue breaking the dates) there is no reason to stop. And let's not even include online retailers that routinely are able to ship product before the street date...
 

Sean A

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In New York City, there are several smaller shops that will stock new releases 2-3 weeks before street date. This is the only way they can compete with Virgin, Tower , HMV, Best Buy, Circuit City, and J&R Music World
 

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