Why can't they just reprint that UPC on the art work and the slipcase and not have that gap in the back?

It's to prevent people from taking a more expensive DVD and sticking it in a slipcover of a cheaper DVD. The cashier would scan the barcode on the slipcover, so the customer got the more expensive DVD at the cheaper DVD's price. A while back this started to be a big problem, so they took action to prevent it from happening.

Check out this thread and this thread as well from two years back to see everyone's reaction when we really started to notice this practice. I think some of the reactions in those thread are pretty funny, trying our best to come up with the real reason for the holes, and who was to blame.

My least favorite part about them doing this now is that there are times when the little thin part of the slipcover above the hole, at the very top, can tear really easily. I see that in stores all the time.

Its funny to me that they decided to do this rather than just ditch the slipcover idea all together. Escpecially since often times the slipcover has the exact same artwork as whats underneath.

There are a few nice exceptions, ofcourse.

[QUOTE=BrentLumkin]It's to prevent people from taking a more expensive DVD and sticking it in a slipcover of a cheaper DVD. The cashier would scan the barcode on the slipcover, so the customer got the more expensive DVD at the cheaper DVD's price. A while back this started to be a big problem, so they took action to prevent it from happening.

That still doesn't even work, people are still doing it! If they ditch the slip cases all together, it would work

how does it still not work? slipcovers no longer have a UPC on them so they cannot be scanned for something else. how is it possible that people are still doing it?

How would retailers even know this replacing of more expensive DVDs in cheaper slipcases was/is done? The cashiers are still ringing up a sale of a DVD.
Or do they just know by the total count of the missing DVD?

I always figured it was so when I slid my slipcover back over my case, the little opening would catch on the cases plastic and crease or tear the cover itself. But yeah, the whole avoiding buying a cheaper DVD thing works too.

I'm guessing come inventory time, they'll know.

I always thought it was because of the mail in rebate stuff that stores like FYE do. So that the person would actually have to cut the one UPC out instead of having two to keep people from selling them back to the store after getting the rebate.

But how could they attribute the loss to the replacing or just general theft?

aren't the slipcovers used as theft deterrents though?

They probably noticed a large number of the cheaper movies missing slipcovers.

I thought only first pressings have the slips. So some would have and some wouldn't, no?

As a customer I've seen this happen while I was shopping, so I'd assume that
store employees/security have too.

During checkout, perhaps an alert clerk noticed the DVD inside didn't match the name of the title on the slipcover. Word would spread quickly once this happened and would get back to the studios ASAP.

When I worked at Best Buy, it was apparent after the first day that people were switching the movies. We warned cashiers to look at the top of the dvd to confirm that it was the same as the slipcover. It took a few months before studios started shipping them with the upc cut out.

why dont they just put the shrinkwrap over the slip cover, and not put a whole in there?

Hmm...guess you are right...

DVD's with slipcases used to get shrinkwrapped, but then that stopped. I seem to remember Die Another Day being the first time I noticed a disc with a slipcover that wasn't under the wrap.

I've said this before, but if they think a slipcover which takes 1.2 seconds and very little effort to remove is going to stop someone from stealing a DVD, they are crazy.

If the point of the scam was to get the clerk to scan the barcode on the cheap release's slipcover instead of the one on the more expensive DVD held within, why would the title on the register and the title on the slipcover not match? That'd kind of defeat the purpose of the entire scam...

-JP

Like others have said, they could always do away with these things or...something more revolutionary....they could SHRINKWRAP the slip covers with the DVD inside. Then they wouldn't get marred with the stickers that get slapped on them.

Doing away with slipcovers would remove the chase aspect of the first week of release, when obsessive-compulsive collectors who not only have to have a slipcover, but also have to have one in perfect condition, rush out to buy DVDs they might otherwise wait a while to purchase.

And shrinkwrapping them with the DVD would just protect them that much more. Not to mention, from a manufacturing perspective, when it comes time to eliminate a particular SKU's slipcover, anyone who's ever dealt with a copacker will tell you that removing the final step in the packaging process before they're put into cases (i.e., "insert sealed DVD into slipcover") is a lot easier than removing an intermediate step.

what's funny about this is that some stores put stickers over the holes in the slipcovers with the barcode....

Why not just eliminate the UPC on the slipcover completely and just have the cashier slide the slipcover down an inch when they scan it?