How to spot illegal DVDs and shops

The preferred scenario is of cause to recognize the scammers before doing business with them. However, have you already ordered or paid your items in a shop you don't trust, being on your guard won't hurt.

Here are some clues to recognizing suspicious deals. Remember though that these clues are not fool proof and might just be indicating an unconventional but legal retailer. Be discreet in your accusations in cases where fraud has not yet been experienced and state in your eventual report that you are only suspicious and hasn't yet seen an actual scam from the company in question.

Protect yourself:

Use your credit card to pay with. In this way if you're scammed the credit card company can refund the payment and their fraud department can then credit the company in question. Be warned: If you pay with money transfer or debit card the bank may not be able to act on the fraud. If in doubt, call your bank and/or credit card company and ask before you trade.

Clues to recognize shops intend on fraud:

- If the price is much lower than you are able to get anywhere else, something is probably wrong. This doesn't mean you shouldn't accept good offers, but be on your guard if you do. A $400 retail item might seem like a steal at $200, but incredible deals on brand new items increase the chance of seeing a scam mentioned here.

- Alternatively, very high prices for previously unavailable items should raise a warning flag, as well as deals on items not normally traded legally.

- Use web sites like epinions.com and see others' experiences with the seller. Beware though that scammers are aware of the sites too and that clever scammers post false reviews to turn the balance in their favour.

- A down-and-dirty Google search often helps a lot. If you're researching the company "GenericCo” simply Google for "GenericCo problems" (minus the quotes). This will give you any reports about problematic transactions from other users and will help you determine if the seller's practices are worth supporting. Don't take the odd positive or negative comment for being the absolute thruth, but when sites like this comes up the company in question is probably out for trouble.

Remember though; even if Google doesn't give relevant results, it doesn't mean the business is necessarily legitimate, only that nobody else have reported against it yet. Do however give new companies a fair chance to establish themselves; follow the directions under 'Protect Yourself' and trust that your credit card company will help you, should the need arise.

- Sellers may tell you their DVDs are region free. This can be a very efective clue, as very few legally produced DVDs are region free. But again; just because the discs are not region-free, it doesn't mean they are necessarily legitimate.

Clues to recognize illegal DVDs:

- If you buy legally produced DVDs on a regular basis you will notice that the rear of the disk is generally silver and that the picture on the front is clear and legible. Beware; these can be just clever frauds however.

- If you buy a disc from a retailer you don't know well and the rear of the disc is purple or green in colour, then the DVD is probably a counterfeit.

- Don't be fooled by the box or the disc having a picture printed on, it rather than the old system of sticking a label on it.
As with all modern technology there are always people that abuse it. It is totally now feasible to print directly onto the front of the disc. However in the majority of cases you will find that the print quality isn't quite right. But, as technology improves this will get harder to spot.

- The box and cover is equally easy to print fraudulently. The easy way to tell whatever a DVD is a counterfeit is that a genuine DVD cover is printed on paper that is glossy on both sides. The counterfeit will feel more like the paper you use for regular printing. Having been said that, it is possible to purchase glossy paper, but it is far more expensive so pirates usually go for the cheaper option.

In part copied from http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/counterfeit-dvds-dvd-fraud_W0QQugidZ10000000001103287 and http://www.andybrain.com/archive/fighting_online_fraud.htm, both last seen 18-02-2008. Used without permission.