Andrew subscribes to Popular Photography magazine, and was annoyed to receive an instructional DVD in the mail. Not because he’s a pro photographer and already knows his way around a DSLR, but because he didn’t order it. “I was just going to throw it out,” he writes. “thankfully I didn’t.” Why is that? Andrew frets that they would have charged him for it if he just tossed it out. But they can’t. [More]
Let’s Review: If You Didn’t Order It, You Don’t Have To Pay For It Or Send It Back
By April 12, 2013
Hey Kids… This Mystery Shopper Report Tells You Which Stores Will Probably Sell You R-Rated Movies & Games
By March 25, 2013
When I was an adolescent, my friends and I had to rely on word-of-mouth about which stores would look the other way when it came to movie ratings and parental advisory warnings on music. But kids today, they have the benefit of the Federal Trade Commission, which periodically looks at how strict various businesses are about sticking to these ratings systems. [More]
Netflix: Actually, We Mailed Reader Three Different DVDs, And They All Broke
By March 5, 2013
Last week, we published the story of Michael, who ordered a documentary from Netflix and wasn’t able to get a non-broken copy. The two relevant parties, Netflix and the band that was the subject of the documentary, saw our post and reached out to Michael through Consumerist. [More]
Netflix Insists That This DVD Works Just Fine, Sends It Back To Me Twice
By February 26, 2013
Michael wants to see this movie, “Cork n’ Bottle String Band: The Ken’s Bar Story.” It wasn’t exactly in the year’s top 10 at the box office, but Netflix has it, because Netflix is cool and stocks copies of relatively obscure movies that people still want to see. What he’s found, though, is that Netflix does not necessarily stock working copies of these movies. [More]
Netflix Locks My Wife Out Of Her Profile, Shrugs
By January 14, 2013
Do you use separate Netflix profiles to manage the separate video preferences of your household members? Whatever you do, don’t lose your passwords. Eric and his wife have learned this the hard way. They’re locked out of his wife’s profile, and have no way to get back in. Netflix’s response? They’ve shrugged. [More]
'Sale' Is Not French For 'Charge $15 More'
By August 23, 2012
Shopping at Best Buy, Arthur noticed this odd shelf tag for DVD copies of “The Adventures of Tintin.” The double printing on the left indicates that something isn’t quite right with the sign. Yet it made its way onto the shelf in the real world, where people can see it, making everyone who has seen it just a little bit stupider. [More]
Why Is My Alarm System’s Instructional DVD A Mormon Easter Movie?
By July 30, 2012
Howard’s shiny new home security system came with an instructional DVD. Being one of those weird people who apparently reads the directions for his new purchases, he popped it in the DVD player to check it out. That’s when he found the disc menu for a different kind of edifying film entirely. It was an inspirational film about Easter distributed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. [More]
Does Netflix Even Have Any Playable DVDs?
By April 16, 2012
Reader Somedaysomehow is annoyed with Netflix. She’s been a loyal customer on the one DVD at a time plan, but lately most of those DVDs have been unplayable. What’s the point of continuing to pay for movies in the mail? All complaining to Netflix gets her are bonus DVDs from her queue….which are unplayable, too. [More]
At Least Netflix Streaming Doesn't Take 6 Weeks To Reach My House
By April 12, 2012
Like many other Netflix customers last year, Chris was frustrated with the service’s price hikes, loss of content, and wacky re-branding efforts. He canceled and took advantage of a free trial offer from competitor Blockbuster. His happiness about switching didn’t last long, especially when it took Blockbuster six weeks to get his first DVD to him. Sure, he lives in Alaska, but it’s not like they were delivering it on horseback. [More]
No, You Didn't Rent A Pirated DVD From Redbox
By March 30, 2012
Nathan didn’t know who it was replacing Redbox DVDs with ripped and burned copies in his city, but he approved. Kinda. He like pirated copies better, without all of the un-skippable trailers and other nonsense that studios cram on DVDs. “I don’t know who this vigilante is, but I’m thankful for him,” he wrote. Only there was no vigilante stealing discs from Redbox en masse. This Sony DVD-R with the movie title written in felt-tip pen is an official, legal copy of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” [More]
Use Peanut Butter, Toothpaste To Fix Scratched Discs
By March 2, 2012
You don’t need to throw away or replace a DVD just because it’s scratched up. With some careful rehab, you can get the disc back into playing shape. [More]
Best Buy Upgrade & Save Promo: Upgrade, Don't Really Save All That Much
By January 11, 2012
It seemed like a pretty solid promotion: bring in one of your old DVDs to Best Buy. Trade it in at the customer service desk. Receive a coupon for any $5 off Blu-Ray with a price of $9.99 and up. Step 4: Savings! Except, according to the employees on the floor while Carl was shopping, the deal changed while he ran out to his car to grab another DVD. [More]
100,000 "Atlas Shrugged" DVDs Recalled
By November 11, 2011
100,000 “Atlas Shrugged” DVDs have been recalled for an important danger they posed to unwary consumers: the title sheet suggested that viewers help someone out besides themselves. [More]
Movie Studios Create Special Blu-Ray Slipcovers For Target, This Target Tosses Them In Trash
By November 3, 2011
Michael has a cool hobby that I had never heard of until today: collecting new Blu-Ray disc releases, especially limited editions and interesting slipcovers. Studios issue exclusive slipcovers to certain retailers: a great marketing opportunity and plenty of fun for collectors, right? Sure. If the employees at Michael’s local Target hadn’t been ordered to slip off those neat slipcovers and toss ‘em before putting new movies in plastic security cases before they go on the shelves. [More]
Dish Network Keeps 1,500 Blockbusters On Life Support
By July 22, 2011
New Blockbuster owner Dish Network believes in its near-obsolete movie rental chain so much that it’s keeping 1,500 of the stores open. This means more than 15,000 employees will get to keep their jobs. The optimistic move runs counter to previous reports that Dish would keep only 500 Blockbusters open. [More]
How To Remove Scratches From CDs and DVDs
By June 24, 2011
If you lend a movie, CD or game to a friend and get it back with scratches, it isn’t necessarily cause for rage. With the right technique you can easily remove the damage and have the disc playing as though it were new. [More]
Sorry, Best Buy Can't Sell You A Non-Scratched DVD
By June 16, 2011
If brick-and-mortar retailers and entertainment companies want their customers to keep showing up and paying for content, it might help if they worked together to make sure that the DVDs on their shelves are playable, and not mysteriously scratched all to hell. Spencer bought two “American Dad” box sets at his local Best Buy, seeking out the least-mangled one on the shelf. He checked the DVDs of one set when he reached his car, found scratched and smudged discs, and headed back into the store to see if he could get a refund. Unfortunately, he could have ripped the DVDs in his car in the intervening ten minutes, and Best Buy wasn’t interested. [More]
