Amazon re-sealed movies Beware

[vortexx]

Grr! I bought the Scream double feature featuring the Dunwich Horror and Murders in the Rue Morgue from Amazon last year. It looked re-shrinkwrapped but I didn't open it as I assumed it was examined if it was a return. I decided to watch it today, opening it, I found the disk seated backwards with the playing surface facing me, once I pulled it out, it turned out to be a volume of performances from the Midnight Special TV show. Since it is over a year I can't return it. People buying what looks resealed from Amazon beware.

[SeanJoyce]

[Show spoiler]

[b_squared]

This is why you should always open your movies and inspect the discs as soon as you receive them, even if you have no intention of watching them anytime soon.

[drush9999]

Originally Posted by b_squared

This is why you should always open your movies and inspect the discs as soon as you receive them, even if you have no intention of watching them anytime soon.

Yep I check every disc is intact, not scratched, and playable.

[gbm82]

you people watch your movies?!

[Spooked]

Originally Posted by b_squared

This is why you should always open your movies and inspect the discs as soon as you receive them, even if you have no intention of watching them anytime soon.

As someone who recently unwrapped my 2-disc DVD of Near Dark (long out-of-print) I bought 10 years ago, I can attest. The bonus disc was actually disc 4 of some long-forgotten TV show.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Spooked

As someone who recently unwrapped my 2-disc DVD of Near Dark (long out-of-print) I bought 10 years ago, I can attest. The bonus disc was actually disc 4 of some long-forgotten TV show.

10 years ago? What were you doing all this time.

[Leeon0]

Originally Posted by vortexx

Grr! I bought the Scream double feature featuring the Dunwich Horror and Murders in the Rue Morgue from Amazon last year. It looked re-shrinkwrapped but I didn't open it as I assumed it was examined if it was a return. I decided to watch it today, opening it, I found the disk seated backwards with the playing surface facing me, once I pulled it out, it turned out to be a volume of performances from the Midnight Special TV show. Since it is over a year I can't return it. People buying what looks resealed from Amazon beware.

How can you tell if it's resealed? There are generally two types of plastic wraps: the brittle, crinkly type with neatly folded edges top and bottom, and the stretchy heat-sealed type. Some labels use both types of plastic for the same title.

This is not to say that Amazon doesn't sell resealed movies, as I've had a few come my way that were, mostly from marketplace sellers. But the telltale signs were not the shrink-wrap but things like a split security seal at the top edge of the case, or discs that had gone through a "scratch-removing" device but that had left neat circular scratches on the surface.

Your best bet is to stick to reputable sellers and to inspect the discs asap as others have suggested.

[starsteam]

I reported earlier this year about receiving a new copy of Fear of the Night from Amazon, and receiving it re-shrinked with a blank (presumingly) CD-R disc that was placed backwards in the case. It happens. I generally only use Amazon for pre-orders now and try to shop elsewhere for older releases.

[HorrorBlu]

There are a few labels that use the "heat-sealed" shrinkwrap (Synapse and Severin for example), but generally most major studios use the folded edges.

Shout Factory uses the folded edges, but uses the "heat-sealed" around the slipcovers when they started shrink-wrapping those.

And yes, Amazon is notorious with re-seals. Your best bet is to get what you want within the first few months.

[crs]

Years ago I bought Blu-rays from a US webshop that re-sealed most of my purchases. If I knew any better back then, I would have realized sooner, because their new wrap was different (thicker and brittle). Remains of the old shrinkwrap still stuck to the spine was also a dead giveaway.

I assume they watched the BDs before re-sealing them. Maybe they took the digital code as well, I wouldn't know, since I don't use them.

Needless to say, I stopped purchasing from them. They still exist, hopefully they were smart enough to stop doing it.

[Spooked]

Originally Posted by slimdude

10 years ago? What were you doing all this time.

Biding my time.

[HDMe]

Yep. You always have to inspect... missing discs, damaged discs, are things you want to take care of right away.


I once, many years ago, bought a DVD from Best Buy and the case was empty! I don't even think that was a case of tampering, I think it was a manufacturing glitch... I was afraid they wouldn't believe me BUT working in my favor was I had gone straight home and opened it and called them all within a couple hours of the purchase... then I went right back to the store to trade for a copy that had the disc and I opened that one in the store in front of the exchange guy to be sure.


But had I waited months or years? That ship would have sailed.

[canucksam]

Originally Posted by HDMe

Yep. You always have to inspect... missing discs, damaged discs, are things you want to take care of right away.


I once, many years ago, bought a DVD from Best Buy and the case was empty! I don't even think that was a case of tampering, I think it was a manufacturing glitch... I was afraid they wouldn't believe me BUT working in my favor was I had gone straight home and opened it and called them all within a couple hours of the purchase... then I went right back to the store to trade for a copy that had the disc and I opened that one in the store in front of the exchange guy to be sure.


But had I waited months or years? That ship would have sailed.

Bought a CD like that once. Opened it and there was a clear plastic disc, like on the top of a spindle of blank CDs or DVDs. It had the name of the group written on it with a marker. Brought it back right away, showed them, got a new one and opened it in front of the clerk, done.

[GuruAskew]

Originally Posted by Spooked

As someone who recently unwrapped my 2-disc DVD of Near Dark (long out-of-print) I bought 10 years ago, I can attest. The bonus disc was actually disc 4 of some long-forgotten TV show.

That would be Profit. If you’re going to mix discs up you might as well pick something with the same lead actor at least.

It was a widespread problem and they sent out replacements. I remember getting a complete set, packaging and all, as opposed to a single disc replacement.

Also: this thread is hilarious. In the real world it’s seen as reasonable to re-wrap something that isn’t perishable, and it isn’t reasonable for warehouse workers to assess the integrity of a $20 return item’s shrinkwrap.

Furthermore, it would have been easily returnable. You didn’t open the item for a year. Live and learn.

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by GuruAskew

That would be Profit. If you’re going to mix discs up you might as well pick something with the same lead actor at least.

Both Near Dark and Profit starred Adrian Pasdar.

[McGarnigal]

Originally Posted by vortexx

Grr! I bought the Scream double feature featuring the Dunwich Horror and Murders in the Rue Morgue from Amazon last year. It looked re-shrinkwrapped but I didn't open it as I assumed it was examined if it was a return. I decided to watch it today, opening it, I found the disk seated backwards with the playing surface facing me, once I pulled it out, it turned out to be a volume of performances from the Midnight Special TV show. Since it is over a year I can't return it. People buying what looks resealed from Amazon beware.

Was it a 3rd party seller on amazon?

[rdodolak]

Don't put it past the customer to reseal them as well as people can tend to be ***holes. One of my former colleagues also offers some of her products on Amazon. Returns are not normal for her product line, but recently she did have someone return an order back to Amazon. She requested Amazon to send the return to her for inspection and guess what, the individual put their old product back into her packaging, returned it for a refund and kept the new product.

[Leeon0]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Don't put it past the customer to reseal them as well as people can tend to be ***holes. One of my former colleagues also offers some of her products on Amazon. Returns are not normal for her product line, but recently she did have someone return an order back to Amazon. She requested Amazon to send the return to her for inspection and guess what, the individual put their old product back into her packaging, returned it for a refund and kept the new product.

I've heard stories of people making a hobby out of buying things online from big-box stores and claiming they never received them. They get a refund and keep the items, which they then sell for profit. These people are beyond ***holes. And we all ultimately pay for their thefts.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Leeon0

I've heard stories of people making a hobby out of buying things online from big-box stores and claiming they never received them. They get a refund and keep the items, which they then sell for profit. These people are beyond ***holes. And we all ultimately pay for their thefts.

Same on eBay. These big box stores like Amazon are an accessory to the crime as they encourage it by their liberal policies. Instead of not refunding the customer they just turn a blind eye as they prefer not to lose the business of their criminals.