Slip covers?! Are they a big deal? I just throw them out!

Maybe by damaging them, they were hoping to make the slipcovers look different than the artwork underneath.

Here is a good fix:

If you have the receipt, go ahead and open the DVD. Put a small scratch on it, and then bring it back to Best Buy and tell them that your new DVD is scratched and won't play. They'll tell you to go and get a replacement, and you pick out one that has a slipcover on it. The UPCs are the same, and the person at the returns counter will never know anything different.

If you walk in there and tell them that you'd like to exchange your DVD because you didn't get a fancy cardboard cover....they're liable to punch you in the mouth. If you're going to live the life of an overly-anal DVD collector (that didn't sound good!), you've got to make some crazy shit up.

Ditto. I got tired of getting Foolscreen DVD's...everyone gives me GC's now.

As to the OP...buy new copies and return the ones you already have on that receipt. Piece of cake.

That's just wrong. So wrong.

Both sides are right in this case (how's that for politically-correct internet bullshit? ).

I don't think you're being too picky at all. Lord knows I'd want the slipcover and any other packaging, and I'd want it to be in good condition. After all, this isn't used product we're buying here. However, your mistake was expecting your family to examine DVDs as closely as you do before buying them. They're just not gonna think to do this, even if they know how picky you are about DVDs. You can educate them about things like buying widescreen, and getting a Special Edition instead of a barebones release, but things like exclusives, slipcovers, and condition in general is going a bit too far. Obviously people shouldn't be buying you DVDs that are truly beat all to hell, but what you consider "beat up" may be just fine to others, and regardless of whether they know you're picky about DVDs, they're not even gonna notice things like crushed corners on slipcovers, and certainly not whether the slipcover is missing (of course it's possible that the person who shorted you a slipcover might have needed a replacement themselves ).

I got tons of gift cards this year because people know I buy the DVDs I want as soon as I can, and they don't want to get me something I already have. My wish list on Amazon helps solve that problem (and in case I decide I want a DVD near Christmas I can check to make sure nobody's already bought it for me. Ruins a couple surprises, but I still won't know who bought what), but I'd really hate to have people giving me gift cards out of fear that I'd just return everything because I'm too damn picky. In other words, you can be as picky as you want when buying stuff for yourself, but with gifts you have to appreciate the thought and move on.

If you're asking if it's worth going in and exchanging the items, it depends where you go. Place like WAL-MART ask the fewest questions, but the employees will be the least likely to understand why you want to exchange an item, probably because most of them just take the disc out and let the dog play with the case. Depending on how minor the damage is, there may not be anywhere where an explanation of "I just don't like that scar on the slipcover" won't get you a funny look, but as long as you're bringing back sealed goods, they shouldn't balk, especially if they're easily identifiable as being from that store (or at the very least aren't obviously from elsewhere).

Some things that might help with difficult returns are bringing the item to the store in a bag from that store, perhaps even with a receipt that you suddenly realize is "the wrong one", which might buy you some sympathy from the CSR or CSM. Another option would be to tape a small piece of giftwrap to the item -- if done correctly, it sells the "it was a gift" excuse, and might grease the wheels a bit. It's particularly useful outside the major holiday season, although you're gonna want to use birthday-themed giftwrap instead.

The reason I keep suggesting WAL-MART is that they have set up a "sticker" system where they slap a sticker on any returns as soon as you walk in the door. Actually, I think BEST BUY does that, too. I'm not sure how well it works at keeping people from trying to sneak past the registers and "return" goods right off the shelves, but it seems to eliminate the dreaded "was this purchased here?" question when you bring the item up to the counter.

An interesting (or not-so-interesting) side note: Just before Christmas, I had to return a copy of Home Alone: Family Fun Edition just seconds after buying it, because while I went through just about every copy checking the condition of the slipcover, I neglected to look at the Amaray case inside. As I was leaving, I noticed that it had a pretty severe case of "cover creep", where the cover insert was shoved pretty far up under the security sticker at the top, which would have left a nice snowy-white strip of torn paper upon opening it. I got the customary "you are such a geek" look, but I was able to find one with both a decent slipcover and well-centered cover, so it was worth it.

Good luck in the future!

its really not all that hard to just be specific when asking for DVDs for Christmas...

-NiCK

Well I got the receipt and all, but the store (Target) no longer has the box set. I guess the set that was bought was the last one. They also no longer have a spot for the set, so they want be getting anymore in. The only thing they could do was tell me to try the store across town. If they had it they would exchange it, if not I'm out of luck.

I think a lot of "normal" people (ie those who don't post on DVDtalking websites) probably aren't that concerned about the packaging, as long as it's not decimated. I know lots of people care a whole lot about and spend lots of money on some things I totally don't care about (you should see the crowds and excitement each winter at watching a bunch of big guys run around a field) Or maybe they bought the last copy.

no you're not being anal at all. You wouldn't buy a shirt with a rip in it or a car with dents in it. When i buy my dvds i look for the one in best shape.

Hey, I thought I held the patent on car metaphors!

You're right, except that the defects that bother most of us when it comes to the condition of a DVD aren't anywhere near as obvious as a ripped shirt or a dented car. A ripple in the paint would bother the crap out of most really picky collectors, but the average customer wouldn't even notice, even if they were buying it for someone they knew was very picky.

EDIT: That said, anybody who wants to buy me a new car is welcome to.

You're not being too anal, and I would do what king slug said.

spoken like a true 15-year old!

^ Nah, I'm only 12. I just act older. ;-)

And come on...I was only kidding!

It's not like Mr. & Mrs. Smith or King Kong Extended Edition are going to be worth anything in the near future. If you're wanting them for your own collection & need them that mint you obviously are overly anal. I'm a DVD collector, 850+ currently, but a slip case is nowhere near as important to me as say a bonus disc with extra content. A scuffed case, a bad sticker tearing the slip sleeve or case, those are issues to piss & moan about, but when it all comes down to it unless you're going to try to resell them off on eBay no one is going to condem your collection for it.

You can always take them to GameStop or a Pawn shop where they don't give a crap as long as the discs are good & get your $3 each.

If you opened them, then take them to Walmart & see if you can get an exchange because they all 'Skip' or were 'Loose in the cases'. Walmart doesn't jump your bones if you're doing an exact exchange. Hell if they're not open Walmart will even give you a giftcard & let you buy something else without a receipt.

Yes, I think you are definitely being too anal. Especially if you are talking about those cardboard slipcovers that look exactly like the cases beneath them. Often, I will just toss them.

I buy 50% of my stuff at Hollywood or Blockbuster PV or Flea markets/Pawn shops on the cheap...I don't give a crap about the covers. I tend to make them over myself or find someone else who custom designs cases anyway. But there are plently of other things that I wouldn't want to look 'used' when they are new and understand your wanting to exchange.

If I were you, I'd find the easiest way of exchanging for a DVD. Just go to ANY store and pick up one that you think is the 'perfect' DVD, then just return the bad one. All you need is a 'I changed my mind' comment and you're set to go. I'd go with Target because there are many around and lines are shorter than Best Buy. As long your DVDs are sealed, it's fine.

Too anal? Possibly.

But trying to get pristine slipcovers pales in comparison to some of the anal behavior I've seen posted on these boards on other occasions.

Didn't I already vote in this poll on the Adult forum?

I say no. You enjoy having what you feel is the best for your collection.

It's okay, you just need to teach your fam, friends, and lover what's up!

I seriously doubt that the OP was asking if wanting to keep the slipcovers for his DVDs was being too anal. I'm sure a lot of people don't really care about slipcovers, the cases themselves, or a lot of other things, and I guess in the eyes of those people, he is being "too anal" by wanting to have them. As I understand it though, the question is more about whether he's being too anal if he returns the ones he got for ones that are in better shape, and I don't think "I don't give a crap about slipcovers" is the kind of insight he was looking for.

Could be wrong, but I doubt it.

I sympathize completely with your dilemma, phatboy. I am probably the most anal person I know with regard to finding the best copy of a DVD. As I have stated previously on this forum, I value the condition of the packaging as much as I do the movie contained within. I no longer let anyone else buy DVDs for me; my criteria for what makes a DVD acceptable are so strict, I figure only I can truly appreciate them. Who else but I could understand the subtle nature of the selection process?

I have received DVDs as gifts in less than mint condition-- one had a deep slice in the front cover (looked to be from a box cutter), others have had simple imperfections that just didn't sit well with me-- and I'm replacing them myself, one at a time, as I find copies that meet my standards. It costs me, sure, but I just suck it up. Having a collection in a condition as perfect as possible is worth it. But I don't tell the gift giver I am doing this. He or she doesn't need to know.

To the question posed by the thread: Are you being too anal about your situation? Could be said that many of us on this forum are too anal about our collections. I will certainly admit it. Anyone who will spend an inordinate amount of time looking through every copy of a DVD to find the best possible one could easily be labeled as too anal. But I don't apologize for it. Just the nature of being a collector, isn't it? May get you a raised eyebrow or two, but chock that up to "occupational hazard."

--THX

If DVDs were rare artifacts, precious items that are currently priceless, or eventually will be astronomically appreciated in value over the years than yes, I will be compulsively meticulous concerning their condition. Considering these elements, I am not fastidious about the condition of my DVDs, due to their insignificant value.