CDRs in EBay

I just got a couple of CDs from a US seller and specifically asked if they were CDRs before buying. They arrived today and of course they're CDRs. The seller says send them back, but I say fraud

 

Send 'em back, report him to eBay. About all you can do Dennis.

 

link?

 

I'll keep them, but the guy keeps claiming that they're not really CDRs because they have a factory label.

 

Are these promos? I've seen and purchased a few but they were clearly advertised as
record company CDR promos.

 

Not promos. My only complaint is that when I asked, the seller said they weren't CDRs. He still claims that because they're not homemade somehow they're not CDRs.

 

Then he's likely confused, and stubborn. I needed to join this forum in 2010, in order to learn about CDRs. All my son could show me was the green tint on the play side. 6 months before, I stood right there at an Allman Brothers show, and watched Joe Bell " press " my Instant Live CD. I had no idea those were CDRs, esp. with the white paint and art on the face.
.

 

Just curious Dennis were these new releases?

 

They were the kind of releases we can't talk about. That's why I asked the seller in advance

 

You got CD-Rs of bootlegs and you're complaining?

 

It matters. I mean, if someone is selling CD-Rs, why not cut out the middleman and just download yourself?

 

Only because the seller said they were pressed CDs. I don't buy CDRS. Maybe I shouldn't complain, but I don't like being lied to. Do you?

 

I don't download

 

Dennis, I've experienced this problem several times and you can resolve the issue by speaking to an eBay representative by phone. In your situation, you would want to tell eBay that a) you assumed these were legit CDs based on the other items in his online store and b) you had no idea he would ship illegal counterfeit CD-R bootlegs to you instead of official CDs. (Use those words when describing the items to eBay)

Due to the deception and dishonesty, you will require a refund for the entire purchase price plus shipping. Due to the illegal nature and controversy surrounding music piracy, you don't feel comfortable shipping counterfeit items back to the seller. eBay will then tell you to destroy the items and issue you a refund without having to deal with the difficult/unethical seller.

 

PayPal will refund You, FleaBay will probably do naff all, tis their Modus operandi.. I've Lost count tha number 'Dodgy" Sellers I've reported.. My Partner even got sent copies(bad ones2) of Studio Gibil Box Set(complete with Nero Menus) yes we go a Refund(PayPal) No eBay didn't stop seller or remove listings.. ..

By by Noticed a lot of Floyd Copies/Bootlegs.. Think someone in EU churning out bent goods..

 

Since the OP deliberately went for grey market CDs, this reply may be a bit off-topic, but it's a fact that over the last few years it's getting harder to distinguish original CDs from CD-R pressings. Even big labels like Warner, Sony and Universal seem to (re-)press certain more or less obscure titles from the past that turn out to be CD-Rs. I have had this experience on various occasions. Recently I was burnt by ordering new CDs by Karla Bonoff, Yellowjackets and White Lion, but it has happened several times before.

Because many of these discs are factory sealed it's impossible for the seller to tell beforehand if these are CD-Rs or not, so he isn't always to blame. Usually, sites like amazon.com and wow HD state that the CD in question is actually a CD-R, but I can understand that not every seller can make that distinction. Nevertheless, I always return those CDs, esp. since the asking price usually is circa 10 dollars or more.

 

Definitely. Some of those CD-R titles look real at first glance, a good example would be the Acrobat Music label titles and those have fooled some people. However, you can always notice the difference when looking for a blue-ish or green-ish tint on the reflective side of the disc. Grey market CDs are usually replicated discs, but I've even read where buyers have complained about U.S. Curb titles being re-pressed as CD-R. As I've said before, full product disclosure is very important for the buyers and third party sellers.