Loose discs in "new" DVD cases

[RedCoKid]

After checking most other stores (Best Buy, Gamestop, etc) that might carry it in my area, I decided to buy Barnes & Nobles' only copy of Fooly Cooly (FLCL) vol 1 early last week despite that it sounded like something was rattling in the package when I picked it up. Curious, I opened it up in the store and found some mild scuff marks on the disc. The employee let me take it home and meanwhile ordered a replacement along with vol's 2 & 3 at my request. On Saturday I received the call that the order was in, exchanged it and bought the 2 others, then opened them all up at home. It turned out that the replacements were pressed on a second run (1 page insert instead of booklet) unlike the one I exchanged. Furthermore, 2 of the 3 DVDs were also loose in the package due to broken pegs on the spindles. One of the DVDs made it through unscarred, but on the other it looked like somebody used sandpaper toward the center of the disc. Luckily it still plays without skipping. I'd exchange it again, but since my chances for buying from this company a DVD properly snapped into place are 25%, I decided to make due with an ugly yet functional disc.

Anyone else have problems buying DVDs that are scratched up and/or aren't properly snapped down?

[Ashen Victor]

how can you not have problems with that?!? i bought Grave of the Fireflies, Berserk vol.6 and i don't know what else that had fucked up cases or were loose. some of the ones i bought were a little scuffed but played fine, others i flatout returned because they looked disgusting. i can't stand it, and i don't know why it always happens. shit, someone tried to peddle off a loose disc copy of Cardcaptor Sakura the movie 2 to my friend Shingo and played it off like it was a special insert. bastards. you could tell it was loose because the case for it is clear and visible, and plus the shaking sounded like it was heavy.

i definitely try to avoid them. but sometimes it's hard telling if anything is wrong if you shake the case. what sucks is that i really want to pick up They Were 11 on dvd, but every copy i've seen around has been a loose disc. eventually, and hopefully, i'll find a copy that doesn't sound fucked up.

[Shooting Love]

This happened to me recently. Only one store of 5 that I checked had copies of Dan Wolf's "Closure". They were behind the counter, so i didn't even notice the loose DVD till I got home. Upon opening the clamshell the spindle teeth went skattering across the floor. And sure enouigh the disc had that light sandpapered effect. It played fine, but I took it back anyway. The only other two copies they had were the same situation. The guys at the shop were like "Well does it play?.. , well then what's your problem?" I felt like some kind of puss for being scared of a lightly scratched DVD so I left with my tail between my legs. Sure enough the video skips on some crappier (APEX) players. And a friend bought one of the copies I tried to make an exchange with, only he paid $20 instead of $30, since it was already open. Buncha crap!

[RedCoKid]

how can you not have problems with that?!?

I do have a problem with it, but FLCL is somewhat rare and would have to be re-special-ordered. As I said, I've bought 4 FLCL from them, and 3/4 were loose. Chances are it gets damaged during shipping or isn't snapped down in the factory. It's time to give up.

This post is just kinda a heads-up.

[Gymkata]

I thought I was the only one that noticed this. I just usualy see it when it comes to rentals and bargain bin kung fu flicks.

[Jeremy]

This has happened to me with cheap releases, and it's annoying no matter what price was paid. If it happened for anime, I'd be pissed more than for a general release, as they tend to be more expensive than other releases. FLCL is rare? Yikes...

[RedCoKid]

FLCL is rare? Yikes...

It's not on Best Buy store shelves anymore. Also, my local Suncoast closed for good >1 yr ago.

[Jeremy]

Eep, I should have bought them when I had the chance. Ah well.

Edit - Yay, Amazon has them for sale. Maybe I'll get vol. 3 for my b-day.

[Dolemite]

exchange it again, but since my chances for buying from this company a DVD properly snapped into place are 25%, I decided to make due with an ugly yet functional disc.

I would return it again, and keep returning it until they got right. I don't pay new prices for damaged goods, even if they do still work.

Whenever I buy a DVD, I give the case a little shake. If it rattles, I don't buy it.

It turned out that the replacements were pressed on a second run (1 page insert instead of booklet) unlike the one I exchanged.

The guy let you take the disc home, I would have just returned it without the booklet. I doubt the guy would have noticed.

[Grave]

This just happened to me recently. I bought a Black Jack DVD from a Manga Video stand at Anime Boston, and the center part of the disc was cracked. I was afraid playing it would worsen the crack and damage the disc, possibly my player as well, so I jumped through hoops to get in contact with them, and apparently there's a new one coming to me... sometime.

Sometime. That was over a month ago, I believe, wonder how long it'll take for the disc to arrive.

Fortunately, every other time it happened to me, the disc was either undamaged, or I caught it before I left the store. A lot of people aren't so lucky... I wish there was a way to prevent this in the packaging, like some sort of seal holding the disc down. It couldn't be too hard or expensive to do.