Bootleg DVDs

[Tburck]

I recently bought a 17 Season DVD Box Set off ebay for $200, When the DVDs came in they were of pretty poor quality when on TV. The boxes and cases look nice, But when you pop the dvd in they were of pretty rough quality. I have been contacted the seller and he is really nice, a father, but says he does not have the money to refund back as it is already been spent. He said the DVDs came from an estate auction, and they were sealed up in plastic, So unless he made them himself, He would have no clue they were bootleg either. 

basically my question is what are my options? I contacted Shout! Factory - Who's DVDs they are, And they said on their end there is nothing they can do about people bootleging their DVDs. I could request a refund, But as I have been researching online, That requires you to send the item back. I have also read that it is illegal to send counterfeit or bootleg items though the mail...so I don't feel safe doing that one bit. What are my option here? Am I just stuck?

[kernowlass]

If you get PROOF before you file a dispute that the items are fake ie from a company that sells the items or trading standards (or whatever you have similar in your country) then if you win the dispute paypal normally don't tell you to send the items back again.

I would contact the seller first once you have the proof and tell them that as its against the law to sell counterfeit items and whilst he says he didn't know that is not your problem and request a refund.

If he does not refund then file a diispute.

Good luck.

[Tburck]

I have email proof from an employee at Shout! Factory that says I have counterfeit DVDs. Will that be enough? I can also provide photo evidence of all the signs....SIngle Layer Disc....4GB discs when you put them into a computer, ECT. 

[kernowlass]

Email proof "may" be enough, but i can't second guess paypal.

If you want to double check before you file a dispute then you could contact customer services >>

Click on the words "Contact" at the bottom of your paypal account summary > phone option.

OR have you considered contacting Customer Service via Facebook or Twitter?

It's: https://www.facebook.com/PayPal and @AskPayPal for Twitter.

[Tburck]

Just sent an email  in, We will see what happens.

[Tburck]

The guy went from being nice to putting up a fight now, I just sent my dispute into Paypal. There was an insurance claim open on the item because it did arrive damaged and the seller had insurance on it and asked me to open up a claim. I did, then days later I discover though watching that I have bootleg discs. I have contacted USPS Via Email, as they don't accept calls on Sundays, About cancelling my Claim as I, 1. No longer want it and 2. I told them I think it is illegal to open up a claim on bootlegged items.

I will put a call in to USPS tomorrow and make sure they cancel that claim, I opened a claim though paypal today, The Seller says he refuses to refund my money because in his words "They are not bootlegs and the item was damaged in shipping" and he does not accept returns on damaged items. 

I have the normal Pay Pal clam out now where it is just buyer and seller and he has yet to respond. I hope I don't have to esclate it to the next level. I even said I would be more than happy to send the items back....again not sure if I am able too, But I no longer want them as they are fakes and of horrible quality. 

[kernowlass]

Paypal don't get involved until you escalate, but if he has funds in his paypal account and you escalate they will be frozen which helps with refunds.

[Tburck]

Great, I am going to wait until I hear from the post office that the insurance claim is cancelled before U escalate further. The seller threatened me saying he was going to do a conter with the post office and claim that I am trying to get insurance money and also demand a refund. I have sent an email to USPS saying do not refund me any money for these bootleg sets.

[kernowlass]

He sounds a charming person.

However i think i would have waited the outcome of the dispute first before cancelling any other claim..........hope you have uploaded the proof that they are fake?? 

[Tburck]

The only claim I cancelled....or have attempted to cancell is the insurance claim with USPS. Again, The items came damaged and broken, the DVD cases did, Probley because they were bootleg. I contaced the seller and he asked me to open an insurance claim with the post office and I did. However as the days passed I discorved on my own they were bootlegs and as of the last 2 days...(Tough to do on weekends, I will go in person tomorrow) to cancell that insurance claim because I did not want to risk receiving ANY money from USPS on bootleg items, I think that is illegal anyways.

Here is what he sent me:

"You're a real piece of work. You're a scammer and a liar who first claimed the items were damaged ( which is true and I have all the evidence to prove it ). Than when that scheme to get a refund was taking too long you tried to claim the items were bootleg ( and funny how you just happen to own the same exact dvds ) and wanted the factory to send you new ones. When that scheme didn't work you than tried to bully me into giving you a refund ( all the while still having an insurance claim open ). You will not get a refund from me because you opened an insurance claim, but since you are still trying to force the issue I am now taking all the info you sent me ( including the claim number ) to the USPS and inquiring about charging you with trying to commit mail fraud and insurance fraud so that you get something for nothing twice. And if you told the USPS that these are bootlegs ( which what I sold you was not ) just because it was taking too long ( as you also admitted to in your one email ) than I will also file fraud against you through Ebay and Paypal for making false statements and trying to get a double refund."

Also he does have pretty good feedback, But when looking at this bad feedback I saw this:

Recent ebay feedback for user from another ebay buyer had this to say one month ago:

"Received counterfeit [single layer] DVDs. Seller refused to accept a return."

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=michelle11177&myworld=true&items=25&i...

I have photo proof and email proof from an excutive at Shout! Factory, Who makes the DVDs. Paypal has not asked for any photo proof yet, But I have sent these photos to the seller in ebay messages,