Ok, we have threads on CH's used/returned/re-sealed DVDs. But this recent Enrollment order I received was ridiculous.

7 DVDs from 6 different studios, ONLY ONE INSERT.
I know sometimes they aren't included, but ... ?!?!

Here's the list:
Batman Begins
War of the Worlds
Shark Tale
Crash (insert included, yeah!)
Intrepretor
Coach Carter
Be Cool

All were sealed, but nearly all of them were missing security stickers. 50 memberships over the last few years, first time I've seen this. Did I get extremely unlucky, or is this a trend? Anybody else have this kind of experience?

Trend. Most new movies do not include inserts. This has been going on for a while now, and will continue. Inserts are rare these days.

So you are worried that we are getting used dvd's instead of new?

I don't worry that much as long as the dvd aren't scratched and the dvd's are sealed. The inserts are not important to me anymore, I used to feel that I needed to have the inserts but I never get to use them anyway.

As basaro already said, most studios have done away with inserts(I'm looking at you Warner, Paramount & Universal). There's a subforum on this site that talks about inserts, so you might want to check it out to see if any of the titles that you're unsure about is supposed to have an insert or not. Here's the link to the official thread-

www.dvdtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298231

the "no inserts" phenom is actually more and more common whereever u buy from. but in my last batch from CH, i also noticed out of 8 dvds, 5 of them didnt have security stickers sealing the case shut. those 5 all didnt have inserts. the dvds were all sealed by plastic, but different than the sealing job done by original distributers.

i emailed CH and asked them about this issue. responded that they guarenteed all the dvds sold are new and unopened. the discs looked clean so i really didnt have much reason to raise a stink. but with the missing inserts, no security tape, and cheap plastic wrapping, it definitely makes you wonder if these dvds were opened before.

has anyone else had this problem?

I believe CH is the mfgr of a lot of these dvd. The reason for not having the security stickers is because they are put there to prevent shoplifting. Since CH only sells online, they have no reason to spend the additional dollars.

Well everybody's certainly consistent; thanks for the responses.

I feel like I've had my head buried in the sand because I hadn't seen the lack of inserts in any significant quantity before. BTW, that sucks!

This might be a dumb question but it's sort of related to this thread so I thought I'd take a shot and ask. I was thinking about joining CH but one thing I don't like about music clubs is how they print their own UPC to show it's a record club title. Does CH also do this to their DVDs or do you get regular barcodes like you'd find in a store?

they're just like in the store. same barcode and everything.

I ordered the first 8 star trek movies. Not only did only half of them have inserts, the cases varied. 1, 3 and 4 had the case with 2 discs on one side, the rest had the flipper cases. Anyone know if they have always been this way or are newer versions of the movie coming in different packaging?

Did you order Batman Begins Deluxe? I just got Jumanji Deluxe and Batman Begins Deluxe. Neither had the top security sticker, and Jumanji had none. Jumanji did not come with the special slipcover (pictured on their site) or ANYTHING inside. Batman Begins Deluxe, which is supposed to come with a comic book had nothing. As far as I'm concerned, these DVDs were definitely opened.

The Batman Begins Deluxe Edition with comic book was recalled due to legal issues concerning the comic book. The re-released Deluxe Edition does not include the comic book.

Regarding security stickers, this is taken from CH's FAQ:

Does Columbia House sell DVDs that are previously-viewed?

No. All of the DVDs that Columbia House sells are new and have not been previously-viewed. Some customers have noted that our DVD cases do not have "security device" labels that are found on products sold by other retailers, leading them to believe these products have been previously-viewed. In fact, since Columbia House does not have retail stores, we are able to distribute DVDs without this security device label.

Are Columbia House's DVDs as good as the ones from a store?

Yes. Our DVDs are manufactured the same way as those you'd buy in a store. They come to you factory-sealed, and we guarantee each and every one of them. If you ever receive a DVD that's defective or damaged, we'll replace it or credit your account.

You're not always going to get slipcovers from CH or any other merchant. Slipcovers are usually only available for the initial batch of dvds, and after that they are gone. If you're so concerned about covers, go to a retailer and find one. (You'll be paying much more just to get a worthless cover, but that's your decision).

And sometimes CH discs don't have security stickers either (I like this because the security stickers are a pain in the ass), because they don't need them, so sometimes a studio will send a batch of movies to CH without them.

Believe what you want, but these are the facts.

Well said! I get amused by the perodic furore over DVDs without security stickers, inserts, slipcovers, or you-name-it. They have been coming this way from Columbia House for years from some, but not all, studios. Some, such as Dreamworks DVDs, even have "watermarks" on the plastic wrap... but no security stickers. Yes, the DVDs are factory sealed and new. No they are not used and re-wrapped except in the case of rare mixups with returns at the CH warehouse.

I stand corrected. And how ignorant of me to expect what's advertised anyway!

I'm not sure how to read this, but I hope you're still not bitter or mad at CH because you feel you were misrepresented or something.

Just in case, I want to make sure you don't feel CH is not legit:

You didn't NOT get anything that was advertised:

1.Batman Begins is NOT advertised to come with a comic book.
2.Jumanji is NOT advertised to come with a slipcover. Sure the picture may show the slipcover, but show me another online merchant which updates their pictures to not show slipcovers when they become unavailable. I don't think there are many if any. So if you have a problem with that practice, it's a problem you don't solely have with CH.

I hope you feel better now that you are getting insane deals on brand new dvds.

I'm not bitter or mad at all.

The Batman Begins does say that it does NOT come with the comic book. That's my mistake, I noticed that posting. It may have been there the whole time, but I swear that I read that description before I ordered and it wasn't there...but I'll take it on the chin for that one. However, I do believe your attitude is one of the reasons why companies today can pawn off any piece of shit on we the public with no remorse. I'm very sorry that I expect to receive what is advertised. How about if you go into, say, McDonalds, look up and see this great looking picture of a double cheeseburger on the menu, your brain clicks, and says, "That's what I want!". You get your order, sit down, and open it up, and instead of a double-cheeseburger, you have a fish sandwich. Is that okay? Well, according to you, it should be. How about you're looking for a new car, and you're one of those people you shops for a car over the internet. You find a fantastic deal on the car of your dreams, and look! It's even in your color...red! So you make all the arrangements, buy the car, it gets delivered, but when you go to pick it up at your local dealership, instead of red, it's baby-shit brown. The dealer says to you, "Oh, yeah, well, they just use a stock picture, you never know what shitty color they might send." You should just accept it and move on, right? According to your logic, that's what you should do, cause hey, you got a good deal!

My point was, I'll accept my good deal and move on. However, I don't believe that it is acceptable for ANYONE, not just CH, to advertise something and then not give it. It's commonly know in the legal business as "bait-n-switch", and is illegal. Just go to the Bargains forum and you'll see hundreds of threads on people getting deals because Besty Buy or someone else advertised the "Special Edition" for the regular edition price, based entirely on a picture in the ad. Would you accept it if CH advertised the picture of the 4-Disc Gone with the Wind, but you got the single disc? Hey, it was a good deal, move on!

Oh, and BTW, I've yet to order from Best Buy, Circuit City, Amazon, DDD, FYE, Tower, Borders, B&N or any of literally tens of other places I buy from and get a DVD with no slipcover, no inserts, no security stickers of any kind and different plastic wrap than the studio usually uses. Gamestop, EB Games, Hollywood Video, Blockbuster video, etc, used sections, yes.

All that being said, I'm not bitter, angry or upset. I recognize that CH is a legit organization, and that I'm getting good deals. I hope I didn't offend you in any way. Myself, I will just remember what I should and shouldn't buy from them, and take my orders with a grain of salt. Enjoy