Today's counterfeiters have gotten quite sophisticated. Gone are the days when you can tell a counterfeit DVD from the outer packaging. Save the replies they send you, as you can use it against them in an eBay/Amazon claim, if they lie and send you a counterfeit item. Hopefully, the seller will give you honest answers. If the listing is using a photo of a real item, you should also ask: "Is the Complete Series DVD set that you're selling *exactly* the one pictured? I want to make sure that if I buy it, I'll receive that exact item, and that that isn't a stock photo."
Your best bet is to ask the seller these questions about a specific set: "How many of the Complete Series DVD sets do you have? Is it just the one, or can I buy a few of them. Listings that use the same stock photos that are found in other listings (and all over the web) are likely counterfeits, though a listing with photos of a real item doesn't guarantee legitimacy.Ĥ. If the price is far cheaper then a known retailer, it's likely counterfeit.ģ. If they have a lot, and they're not Target, Best Buy, Deep Discount, or another known retailer, then it's likely counterfeit.Ģ. How many do they have for sale? If it's one or two, it's likely legit. UPDATE - Since this has gotten to be a long article, it might be prudent to first give some quick advice on some ways to determine if an eBay (or Amazon Marketplace) seller is selling a legit DVD set before I get to the details.ġ. I felt it would be my civic duty to my fellow netizens to point out some ways in which you can identify a counterfeit DVD set from a legitimate one. These are clearly counterfeit items, as they are designed to look as much like the legitimate box sets as possible. Although it's tempting to call these sets "bootleg", that's a completely different thing. Three different counterfeit Thrones sets were purchased on Amazon (two by me, one by a friend), while Mama and Crypt were both purchased on eBay at different times. The regular version is seen on GT Media titles.Īvailability: Seen on Goodtimes and GT Media releases of the era.Within the past year, I have been in possession of several counterfeit DVD box sets: Game of Thrones: Seasons 1-7, Mama's Family: The Complete Series, and Tales From The Crypt: The Complete Series. Variant: On DVDs, the background is white with a GoodTimes Entertainment print logo wallpaper (a la the 1989 Paramount warning), the warning text is black, and the " FBI WARNING" text in the red bar is in black as well. use is strictly prohibited" warning text, also in white, below. Visuals: On a black background is a red bar with the white words " FBI WARNING" and the "$250,000.000" & "any public. Variant: On earlier releases, " FBI" was larger than usual.Īvailability: Seen on Goodtimes releases of the era like The Earthling. Visuals: On a blue background is the words " FBI WARNING" and the "501 & 506" warning text below in white and in a computerized font. Everything is white and has a shadow effect.Īvailability: This was an alternative warning screen for Goodtimes Home Video. Visuals: On a red background is the large words " FBI" and " WARNING", as well as the FBI logo, on top. Īvailability: Seen on Goodtimes Home Video releases of the era. Any unauthorized duplication is strictly prohibited. This compilation is under exclusive license to GOODTIMES HOME VIDEO and is protected by the copyright laws of the United States. The screen then fades to a black background with the following text in a white font with a drop shadow:
United States Code, sections 501 and 506" warning in a white box on the right with the red word " WARNING" on the top. Visuals: On a white background, there is a black square on the left with the standard FBI logo in white, and the generic "Title 17.