Ebay seller sending pirate copy DVDs

I don't think this is a new thing by any stretch of anyone's imagination but I'm so furious! In good faith I ordered a DVD from an ebay seller. The picture on the ad was of the original DVD so I thought I would be getting one of the originals. However, today through the post I received a pirate copy in one of those little plastic folders, just sent in an ordinary envelope. I am just so cross!! 

The email I have just sent to the seller (with a copy to ebay) requesting a full refund because of fraud was extremely polite but I wanted to vent somewhere so here I am. Sorry about that folks but I cannot and will not accept piracy. When I get my money back the feedback is not going to be anywhere near as polite as my email. Although not too scathing because they have my address!

So, just be careful out there. And if you should receive a pirate copy please let the seller know you are not happy.

Thank you very much for (virtually) listening. I feel so much better now!
Please note - taken from the Forum Rules and amended for my own personal use (with thanks) : It is up to you to investigate, check, double-check and check yet again before you make any decisions or take any action based on any information you glean from any of my posts. Although I do carry out careful research before posting and never intend to mislead or supply out-of-date or incorrect information, please do not rely 100% on what you are reading. Verify everything in order to protect yourself as you are responsible for any action you consequently take.
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Comments

  • hybernia
    hybernia Posts: 390 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    eBay UK is riddled with dVD and software piracy, and has been for years. eBay seemingly prefers to do nothing about it because to come down hard on such sellers is to deny eBay its lucrative commission rates and the profitability of its business model.

    It's all especially noticeable in software sales, where there's instance after instance of eBay sellers getting hold of free public domain programs like GIMP and flogging 'em as if they're commercial offerings. The same blatant thievery and fraud also affects year-dated Ashampoo free-to-use products (German developer Ashampoo distinguishes between its freeware and paid-for offerings by allocating a year number to an item's title to indicate it's free, but a version number to a paid-for product).
    Go on eBay at any time and you'll find Ashampoo free product 2018 or free product 2019 or even (bless!) "the latest 2020" product being charged for by a seller in a deliberate mis-selling that eBay will surely by now be all too well aware of.
    As for the sheer number of overseas sellers from well known counterfeit markets like Morocco and Ukraine, they're all still in the business of crack'd and stolen software because they're still able to get away with citing fictitious UK addresses.

  • MalMonroe
    MalMonroe Posts: 5,783 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    hybernia said:
    eBay UK is riddled with dVD and software piracy, and has been for years. eBay seemingly prefers to do nothing about it because to come down hard on such sellers is to deny eBay its lucrative commission rates and the profitability of its business model.

    It's all especially noticeable in software sales, where there's instance after instance of eBay sellers getting hold of free public domain programs like GIMP and flogging 'em as if they're commercial offerings. The same blatant thievery and fraud also affects year-dated Ashampoo free-to-use products (German developer Ashampoo distinguishes between its freeware and paid-for offerings by allocating a year number to an item's title to indicate it's free, but a version number to a paid-for product).
    Go on eBay at any time and you'll find Ashampoo free product 2018 or free product 2019 or even (bless!) "the latest 2020" product being charged for by a seller in a deliberate mis-selling that eBay will surely by now be all too well aware of.
    As for the sheer number of overseas sellers from well known counterfeit markets like Morocco and Ukraine, they're all still in the business of crack'd and stolen software because they're still able to get away with citing fictitious UK addresses.

    I know! And I'm not having any of it.
    Please note - taken from the Forum Rules and amended for my own personal use (with thanks) : It is up to you to investigate, check, double-check and check yet again before you make any decisions or take any action based on any information you glean from any of my posts. Although I do carry out careful research before posting and never intend to mislead or supply out-of-date or incorrect information, please do not rely 100% on what you are reading. Verify everything in order to protect yourself as you are responsible for any action you consequently take.
  • tempus_fugit
    tempus_fugit Posts: 1,189 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I assume you have raised a Not As described case with eBay? They usually side with buyers in these sort of cases unless the seller can prove 100% that they sent you what was advertised in the listing.
    Retired at age 56 after having "light bulb moment" due to reading MSE and its forums. Have been converted to the "budget to zero" concept and use YNAB for all monthly budgeting and long term goals.
  • IvanOpinion
    IvanOpinion Posts: 22,538 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Well done MalMonroe, far too many people have low moral values and standards when it comes to ripped off goods.
    As someone who used to help sell/build/repair/maintain PCs I used to take occasional abuse from people when I refused to re-install any software that they could not verify they had a licence for ... believe it or not one even took a small claims action against me for not completing the rebuild ... he lost and after I had explained what I had found on his computer he had his own problems.
    Past caring about first world problems.
  • MalMonroe
    MalMonroe Posts: 5,783 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Thanks everyone, for your replies.

    After complaining, I received a full refund. BUT the seller (and I've discovered there are quite a few similar ones on ebay) pointed out that the movie I'd requested was in the public domain as it was released in 1948 and after 50 years there is no reason why movies that are in the public domain cannot be copied. 

    I have managed to get my hands on a bona fide version of the movie now though and at the beginning there's a very stern warning about DVD piracy and how piracy of this movie will be punished to the highest extent, etc. So I'm a bit confused to say the least. 

    However, I'm going to take care next time I want to buy a movie, or just go to amazon or Music Magpie! 

    Thanks again.
    Please note - taken from the Forum Rules and amended for my own personal use (with thanks) : It is up to you to investigate, check, double-check and check yet again before you make any decisions or take any action based on any information you glean from any of my posts. Although I do carry out careful research before posting and never intend to mislead or supply out-of-date or incorrect information, please do not rely 100% on what you are reading. Verify everything in order to protect yourself as you are responsible for any action you consequently take.
  • dinglebert
    dinglebert Posts: 1,231 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    MalMonroe said:
    Thanks everyone, for your replies.

    After complaining, I received a full refund. BUT the seller (and I've discovered there are quite a few similar ones on ebay) pointed out that the movie I'd requested was in the public domain as it was released in 1948 and after 50 years there is no reason why movies that are in the public domain cannot be copied. 

    I have managed to get my hands on a bona fide version of the movie now though and at the beginning there's a very stern warning about DVD piracy and how piracy of this movie will be punished to the highest extent, etc. So I'm a bit confused to say the least. 

    However, I'm going to take care next time I want to buy a movie, or just go to amazon or Music Magpie! 

    Thanks again.

    The truth is that there are many films in the public domain which people are free to copy and sell these include many from the 80's.  Same goes for music and to a greater extent books. 
  • He put you in your place

  • mnbvcxz
    mnbvcxz Posts: 388 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    edited 18 October 2020 at 2:17AM
    UK film copyright is generally 70 years after the last main creator dies. So if the director or screenwriter of a 1948 film lives till 1980 the film will be in copyright till 2050. UK movie copyright lasts a really long time!

    Edit: Hmm, I may have been mistaken. Films before 1956 may be 50 years after the death of last main creator.
  • GS..
    GS.. Posts: 220 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Photogenic
    If you disable someones computer and only THEN (when you have them over a barrel) decide to police them, you should expect the worse. I guess you also drive down the third lane of the motorway at 70 mph. Most people don't like self appointed policemen so you already know it leads to a very acrimonious life.

    ......
    As someone who used to help sell/build/repair/maintain PCs I used to take occasional abuse from people when I refused to re-install any software that they could not verify they had a licence for ...

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  • GS..
    GS.. Posts: 220 Forumite
    100 Posts First Anniversary Photogenic
    It's true that movies over 50 years old have no copyright (you can download them for free) but the seller should also make sure you know what you are buying. The original DVD will still have copyright warning but it's now expired.
    MalMonroe said:
    Thanks everyone, for your replies. 

    After complaining, I received a full refund. BUT the seller (and I've discovered there are quite a few similar ones on ebay) pointed out that the movie I'd requested was in the public domain as it was released in 1948 and after 50 years there is no reason why movies that are in the public domain cannot be copied. 

    I have managed to get my hands on a bona fide version of the movie now though and at the beginning there's a very stern warning about DVD piracy and how piracy of this movie will be punished to the highest extent, etc. So I'm a bit confused to say the least. 

    However, I'm going to take care next time I want to buy a movie, or just go to amazon or Music Magpie! 

    Thanks again.


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