ldworld-thank you for your message. I understand that you are upset, and I'd like to clarify a few things myself. I previously said I had no idea if you were the same seller. I did not say there were "no" payment methods.I said the ones that "most" folks use ("the popular and trusted ones") are not accepted in Russia for a number of reasons (Google provides plenty of info).
My warning was prompted because you happened to appear at the same time as the other seller from which I had purchased (and not yet received discs) also suddenly was online, after a few weeks of no communication, and you said you were selling some of the same discs. I apologize if I contributed to a case of apparent "mistaken identity".
I am one of very few that will actually transfer and purchase from high risk areas, and hence own relatively rare discs myself. However, within the HD DVD community, many larger collectors post warnings and send each other private messages as FYI's, to avoid trouble for the above reasons, and will not buy unless trusted, prolific payment services are accepted by the buyer or the buyer is already known on the forums-you can check any of the hi-def forums to validate this general posting/warning pattern.
I've been in media distribution for decades, and aside from being one of the last HD DVD enthusiasts and importers of rare discs left, we've regularly imported large qty electronics and media as part of private sale, from all over the world. As I shared with you previously during our discussion of Bloodrayne at the other forum, I am very familiar with the process.
There was no "carelessness" on my part with my previous transaction-the funds were transferred using a known international service (which was also used previously without incident), one of the only payment methods accepted for transfers to Russia, and one that has some fraud recovery option, as opposed to some others. All communication was kept, etc. The package was shipped via a method the seller had used before (and as I said I received discs that time), and which you yourself said was the safest (when I asked you about Bloodrayne yesterday on another forum, via PM). But unfortunately it's either lost, or hung up in customs-both of which I have no control over. The transaction is being investigated further and resolved amongst the seller and myself, and all remaining details are not known to anyone but the two of us.
I am posting the following as an olive branch to you, as you may not be known on the forums, and may be encountering some additional level of mistrust or scepticism from potential buyers, because of the nature of your discs. Please understand, the largest HD DVD collectors on here, have seen "rare" discs multiply into 100's and 1000's of copies, after being told they were "rare", and despite being skilled buyers and sellers on the largest market places online, with significant feedback or other experience, have themselves been caught up in transactions where international goods were not delivered.
This "warning" or "exploration" type post by HD DVD collectors is not particular to me, but happens on forums/via PM's, to help protect each other. It occurs because since the inception of, and discontinuance of HD DVD, we've all had our share of chasing "ghost" discs around the globe. I am not referring to you and your discs, but rather the general climate of HD DVD collecting over the years, and the situation that exists, now in 2011-which you've now stepped into.
Though your picture comment was directed at Jung (I don't him personally and I am sure he can speak for himself if he finds it necessary), I have no idea who first saw them, or who you first sent them to, initially. Obviously you have the right to ask for them to be removed from any forum. But try to understand the position of collectors who have been "through the mill" to obtain some of these discs-they'll simply want to share info of new discs uncovered, with each other, and try to research the validity before taking any risks-especially if a poster appears to be new/international. The posting of pictures, sources, etc happens all of the time in an effort to do the above. If you want to avoid your pictures circling the globe without you being the first poster, you may wish to post your own thread with pictures, or mark them with your e-mail address,which you had previously had done, on the pic host site.
I wish you all the best with your Ebay and forum sales. As you know, as an Ebay seller, Ebay provides an extra layer of protection in the minds of buyers, and some of the discs you have, have been on there before, so if you end up not selling them via forums at your asking price, you may find pursuing the Ebay avenue with other discs you have, a better option in the long-run.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
All the best,
DB
Update 2/4:
As promised I am posting in this thread to share the final outcome of my last transaction with "Starry" on another forum. Luckily, this story had a happy ending, after all, and my discs arrived today after nearly 2 months of seeing no tracking results stateside. Despite my fear that something had gone terribly amiss (all factors pointed towards a situation where that could have been the case), he has proven to be trustworthy and professional. As a long-time HD DVD enthusiast and hunter of rare discs, I highly recommend this seller, and hope to work with him again.
Hilarious!
Unfortunately, HD DVD, with its region-free capability also got me looking at imports on Blu and DVD (a whole other growing addiction). As cheesy as it sounds, though-I'll always have a special place in my heart for my "Reds"
