PatD

Today I got a Blu ray (from Amazon) that was touted as new. However, the cellophane was not a store-bought kind. Also the case was cracked.

I really need to know if I've been ripped off.

[Please only serious answers. I don't have a lot of money and I want to know if I should contact the company for a replacement.]

slybone

From the info you've provided it doesn't sound like you've been ripped off.

I've bought many new DVDs and BDs, both in-store and online, that have shrink wrap that might look a bit questionable. This doesn't necessarily indicate a rewrap or bootleg, some shrinkwrap jobs are just neater than others.

Also, of course a cracked case doesn't automatically mean that something is used or a bootleg either.

If you got it direct from Amazon, not a 3rd party seller, then I'd go ahead and open it up, if it looks used or something else is strange then I'd return it.

I bet you'll find after you've opened it that everything is fine.

orangerunner

Most factory wraps have either "overwrap" which is the nice, clean-cut wrap with the edges nicely folded-over.

The second is "shrink-wrap" which is a little cruder-looking because the edges are sealed with a hot wire cutting through the plastic.

Both are legitimate but neither one really proves whether a disc hasn't been re-sealed or not.

As for it being a bootleg, there's obvious signs such as being given a DVD-R disc. Exceptions are the Warner Archives, Universal Vault, which are legitimate, licensed copies from the studios that happen to be burned onto DVD-R discs.

morriscroy

The obvious giveaway that a dvd or bluray disc is a bootleg, is if there is no encryption on the disc and the color of the disc looks like a burned disc.

jjcool

You can't really tell by the shrinkwrap or lack of a top sticker anymore. I have been able to tell, as morriscroy said, by the color of the data side of the disc. Also, the small writing on the center hub sometimes is a giveaway. The printing on the case artwork is also a dead giveaway. Either printed on flimsy paper or on a sub standard printer. THe final way I ahve been able to tell is by popping the disc into a computer dvd drive and seeing the creation date for the files and what the volume label is. Essentially what name comes up when the computer recognizes the disc.

Norm de Plume

If it's damaged and seems shady, definitely have Amazon print you a return label and send it back.

PatD

The artwork seems the same consistency as known store-bought. There are no scratches as far as I can see.

I got it from a third party seller on Amazon. I will give it a watch on my Blu ray player. I will also put it in my brother's computer (it has a BD-ROM) and check the info.

Thanks to you all!

Josh-da-man

If it's an older disc, it might have been refreshed.

This means that it was unsold store stock that was returned to the distributor. The distributor will then remove the plastic wrap and re-shrinkwrap the disc. This is done to replace scuffed/torn wraps and store stickers.

mythmaker18

it could have also been a customer-opened (and returned) item, which would also mean re-shrinkwrapped.

This is not uncommon on Amazon (even "fulfilled-by" orders). Around the holidays, I ordered two copies of the Wonder Woman BD/DVD Combo pack lightning deal. Both were Amazon-fulfilled (well, being a lighning deal, they would be). One was the normal studio-sealed copy. The second was not only opened/returned/re-sealed, but it was also missing the DVD copy of the film. Needless to say, I raised a ruckus and got an exchange.