Beware Stootsi - Bootlegs
12-28-09 | 06:40 PM
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From: Big Blue Nation!
Beware Stootsi - Bootlegs
http://www.skipmcgrath.com/newsletters/current.shtml
3. How I Got Stuck With Pirated DVDs
About a month ago I mentioned the great daily deals available from Stoosi and Woot . I managed to grab two copies of the complete 7 season set of the hit kids TV Show, Are You Afraid Of The Dark on Stoosi. These sets were selling on eBay for over $200 and you could get them for one-day only from Stoosi for $39.95. So I ordered one on my account and one on my wife’s account. Usually Stoosi ships quickly –but this time I got a message from them that they were backordered. Hmmm?
So finally about 3 weeks later I got my DVDs. They looked ok and they were sealed in plastic so I listed them on eBay. The first one quickly sold for $199. Now that’s a nice profit. So we shipped them to the customer and got ready to list the second copy.
About two days later I got an angry threatening email from the customer accusing me of selling pirated DVDs. I emailed back and told him I really doubted that Stoosi would sell pirated DVDs, but in any event I asked him to return the DVDs for a full refund. He agreed and was happy. When I got the DVDs back, I played them and they were obviously fakes –and not even good quality fakes at that. I was really shocked that a large legitimate organization like Stoosi would sell pirated goods. So I reported them to the Motion Picture Association and The US Department of Justice who have a whole division set up for pirating. I could of course send them back to Stoosi and demand a refund, but then the bad guys (either Stoosi or the person who sold to them) would get away with it. I would rather be out $39.95 times two than let that happen. Had I refused the refund and the seller disputed the transaction with eBay, I could have lost my business.
This shows that the buyer of pirated goods is not the only person hurt by this industry. If any of you ever receive goods that you think are pirated or counterfeited, think twice about trying to sell them. I would rather be out some money than lose my ability to sell and earn a living.
As for Stoosi they are no longer in my list of shopping favorites which is too bad as I have found some incredible deals there in the past. But remember that old expression? A deal too good to be true…
3. How I Got Stuck With Pirated DVDs
About a month ago I mentioned the great daily deals available from Stoosi and Woot . I managed to grab two copies of the complete 7 season set of the hit kids TV Show, Are You Afraid Of The Dark on Stoosi. These sets were selling on eBay for over $200 and you could get them for one-day only from Stoosi for $39.95. So I ordered one on my account and one on my wife’s account. Usually Stoosi ships quickly –but this time I got a message from them that they were backordered. Hmmm?
So finally about 3 weeks later I got my DVDs. They looked ok and they were sealed in plastic so I listed them on eBay. The first one quickly sold for $199. Now that’s a nice profit. So we shipped them to the customer and got ready to list the second copy.
About two days later I got an angry threatening email from the customer accusing me of selling pirated DVDs. I emailed back and told him I really doubted that Stoosi would sell pirated DVDs, but in any event I asked him to return the DVDs for a full refund. He agreed and was happy. When I got the DVDs back, I played them and they were obviously fakes –and not even good quality fakes at that. I was really shocked that a large legitimate organization like Stoosi would sell pirated goods. So I reported them to the Motion Picture Association and The US Department of Justice who have a whole division set up for pirating. I could of course send them back to Stoosi and demand a refund, but then the bad guys (either Stoosi or the person who sold to them) would get away with it. I would rather be out $39.95 times two than let that happen. Had I refused the refund and the seller disputed the transaction with eBay, I could have lost my business.
This shows that the buyer of pirated goods is not the only person hurt by this industry. If any of you ever receive goods that you think are pirated or counterfeited, think twice about trying to sell them. I would rather be out some money than lose my ability to sell and earn a living.
As for Stoosi they are no longer in my list of shopping favorites which is too bad as I have found some incredible deals there in the past. But remember that old expression? A deal too good to be true…
12-30-09 | 10:13 PM
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Re: Beware Stootsi - Bootlegs
Funny that a "Well Known Ebay Expert" was hocking pirated dvds for a profit of $160 a pop, but was shocked to find out they were bootlegs. Maybe he just found Jimmy Hoffa, or invented the internet as well.
12-30-09 | 11:13 PM
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Re: Beware Stootsi - Bootlegs
This shows that the buyer of pirated goods is not the only person hurt by this industry.
01-01-10 | 05:27 PM
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Re: Beware Stootsi - Bootlegs
Being an ebay expert does not make him an expert on dvd authenticity. Typically the bootleggers who knowingly sell them sell them at a cheap price to undercut the authentic market. Just look at the Star Trek TNG sets as a prime example.
01-01-10 | 06:10 PM
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01-01-10 | 08:20 PM
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Re: Beware Stootsi - Bootlegs
I think he knew exactly what he was selling, and his big long diatribe on his website was just to cover his ass, and try and save his reputation, that is if he has one. This is the guy who makes a living hocking his "Make a fortune on Ebay" bullshit right? Loser probably has never had a real job. I hope the Motion Picture Association and The US Department of Justice, open up an investigation on him and bust him. I would be so pissed if I paid that jerk $200 bucks for that crap, I would drive to Florida or wherever he was from just to file a police report or criminal charges, and if that didnt work, I would kick his ass.
