[MaxBurn]

I am fairly certain now I got a counterfeit copy of the sopranos. The pictures in this link clued me in that I might have a fake copy in the first place.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-me...e=UTF8&index=1


The quickest way to tell is to measure the box, should be 4x9x13 1/4" and feel fairly sturdy. The book itself should be about 3" thick and there should be no "warped" or "bulged" pages in the book due to them holding DVDs. Each page in the book that holds DVD's is approximately 1/8" thick paper. The background of the pockets that hold DVDs should be BLACK.


On the fake version the DVDs themselves are horrible quality, all are out of balance and several won't read. Many complaints found on the internet about this but I presume those are all fakes.


Another Update: if you rip these movies to your home server like I do you are going to notice some other BIG differences. The fakes are all single layer 4.4GB disks where the legit ones are all dual layer ~8GB or so. Further the fake ones have wacky disk titles, some don't have titles, some have titles of the wrong disk and others have titles from other SHOWS that aren't even HBO. At first I was getting a laugh at the titling and thought it was to mess people up that are illegitimately copying but it seems the legit disks from HBO are titled all correctly "SOPRANOS_S1_D2" etc.


Lots of pictures, FYI if you aren't on broadband.


Presumed FAKE Sopranos box set that was obtained through a seller on Amazon:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Presumed REAL Sopranos box set that was obtained through HBO online store:

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

Edit: moved pictures to top post and posted legit box pictures.

 

[MaxBurn]

It occurs to me the first thing I need to do is contact HBO to verify authenticity, I will do that Monday when they are open. Assuming fake just wondering how to proceed.

 

[Gary McCoy]

I'm just curious to know WHY it is that you think that HBO owes you a set of replacement disks, simply because you bought fake disks from a crook, in a transaction that they had no part in.


Then WHY is it exactly that you think the credit card company owes you a refund because you were victimized? By the way, you know that a crook has your credit card number plus verification code, have you cancelled the card?


Because I would chalk it up to experience and assume that my monetary loss was the cost of a painfull lesson that proves the old saw "If it looks too good to be true...."


Then I would destroy the disks to prevent anybody else from being victimized.

 

[rdgrimes]

 http://reviews.ebay.com/Sopranos-FAK...00000003323518


I'm with Gary. HBO is not responsible nor is the CC company. Returning them won't get you a refund either.

 

[Tulpa]

He wasn't looking to HBO to replace the counterfeits. He originally thought he had bad legitimate discs and was going to the source for an exchange.


And credit card companies can chargeback the transaction if the goods are misrepresented. You usually have to give up the item at some point, but you can get a refund that way, even on legit goods that are damaged or misrepresented.


I wouldn't bother with your local police. I don't know if the postal service would do anything, either. Was this through a private website or eBay?

 

[Michael Sargent]

Go down to The Bing and let Tony know what's going on.


He'll take care of it.

 

[Gary McCoy]

Apparently, this scheme is all over the web and the "Complete Boxed Set of Episodes 1-6.2" was never released by HBO, only the individual seasons. Many buyers also appear to be attempting to resell the defective merchandise.


Caveat Emptor.

 

[MaxBurn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulpa /forum/post/18177256


He wasn't looking to HBO to replace the counterfeits. He originally thought he had bad legitimate discs and was going to the source for an exchange.

Thank you sir, that is right.


Also FYI for you first couple of posters credit cards do have buyer protection on fake or counterfeit items. I just got off the phone with amex and they want me to follow up with the merchant, but they have my back if things go sour. The merchant might not actually know.


The merchant in this case was through amazon but not amazon themselves, it was one of the resellers they list for items there. Was listed as NEW.

 

[MaxBurn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary McCoy /forum/post/18177326


Apparently, this scheme is all over the web and the "Complete Boxed Set of Episodes 1-6.1" was never released by HBO, only the individual seasons. Many buyers also appear to be attempting to resell the defective merchandise.


Caveat Emptor.

I see that now, but this is everything from season 1 through 6.2 plus some additional stuff. The UPC code is legit too: 88392902311

 

[MaxBurn]

Some snaps of the set I have here. Apparently the main thing that sets it apart is the white backgrounds in the slots where you put the disks and the height of the album itself where the original is more of a book height. Printing in this fake set looks first rate to me. With the macro shots of the disks themselves below I am starting to doubt myself, these were professionally pressed legit or not. Regardless the quality of the manufacture is complete crap. Two so far don't play at all and one you can plainly see has crap embedded in the disk between the foil and plastic it is laminated to. Almost all the disks are off balance and make a hell of a racket while playing them.
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) Spoiler  
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

[mod: I put images in spoiler tag to keep page load fast]

 

[MaxBurn]

Something else I just realized, these are ALL single layer 4.5GB disks. Are the legit items multi layer?

 

[PooperScooper]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary McCoy /forum/post/18177326


Apparently, this scheme is all over the web and the "Complete Boxed Set of Episodes 1-6.1" was never released by HBO, only the individual seasons. Many buyers also appear to be attempting to resell the defective merchandise.


Caveat Emptor.

I'm confused. This is a scam? http://www.amazon.com/Sopranos-Compl...6860044&sr=1-1 It claims six seasons.


Max, what did you buy?


larry

 

[Gary McCoy]

There are legitimate "Sopranos: The Complete Series" sets which contain up to Season 6, Episode 13, the so-called "Season 6, Part 1". There are no real HBO sets which contain Season 6, Episodes 14-21, called "Season 6, Part 2". There are however, very convincing fakes which are copies of 1-6.1 and include the 6.2 episodes only, without the 6.2 extra features that HBO still has not released.


Seasons 1-6.2 is of course is what people want to buy - so they are ripe for scamming. Those sets which advertize "Seasons 1-6.1" might be real or fake, all those which advertize "Seasons 1-6.2" are fake, until HBO releases a new set. So far, the only way to see 6.2 is to buy/rent the Season 6 set with all 21 episodes.


You were probably confused by my earlier message, I meant to say 1-6.2 and said 1-6.1 instead. I fixed the mistake. Sorry.


HBO hasn't helped much, they have released several "Complete Series" sets beginning around Season 4.

 

[PooperScooper]

Ah, ok, thanks. I just started re-watching the series for the third or fourth time (can't remember) up to and including Season 5. Last time I did it was prior to Season 6. Only seen 6.1 and 6.2 once. Don't need to see 6.1 again.


larry

 

[MaxBurn]

This is what I ordered:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ef=oss_product


I used one of the sellers under the link "that say 40 new from $125.00" and for what it's worth it includes all episodes of season 6, part one and two.


Are you serious the "Complete Series" is not complete and doesn't include Season 6 part 2?? That doesn't sound right at all, they don't mention that in the HBO site and you think people would be rather mad at not getting all episodes.

 

[Gary McCoy]

The title "The Sopranos: The Complete Series" has been correct every time that HBO released a box set, including the very first set with Seasons 1-3 only.


But the boxed set released November 11, 2009, contains Season 6 episodes through #13 only. I'm sure that there will be a new "Complete Series" release sometime this year, but you are still going to have to be carefull, because the earlier (real and fake) 1-6.1 DVD sets will remain in distribution in many places.


Not to mention, some of the better fakes don't have imperfect recordings, some are bit-perfect copies of the HBO disks, and pretty good packaging with reproduced UPC barcodes that are in fact assigned to the HBO originals.


But there is one fairly reliable way to distinguish fakes. HBO does not discount boxed sets very much - if you see a "Complete" set for much less than the $399 list price, it's probably a fake. In fact a lot of people with the better fakes think they got a real deal and don't even know. The HBO logos, the packaging, and the UPCs are often reproduced perfectly.

 

[mikieson]

Sorry about your problems TC. I fell into a scam a couple year ago when trying to purchase the Friends Complete DVD Set. They stole 125$ from me. Heck at least you got some dvds...I got nothing but pissed off and begging them to meet me somewhere so we could settle our problem like "men"


Im in the market to purchase the Hercules Legendary Journeys and Xena complete box sets and dont know who to trust. I probably wont even buy them because of what happen to me.


Been 2 years and I still get so mad I cant sleep...

 

[MaxBurn]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Gary McCoy /forum/post/18184799


But the boxed set released November 11, 2009, contains Season 6 episodes through #13 only. I'm sure that there will be a new "Complete Series" release sometime this year, but you are still going to have to be carefull, because the earlier (real and fake) 1-6.1 DVD sets will remain in distribution in many places.

Damn, I didn't know that and it really sucks. I thought now that they have two completes with seasons 1-6 in them they were both complete but now I need to wait.

Quote:
Not to mention, some of the better fakes don't have imperfect recordings, some are bit-perfect copies of the HBO disks, and pretty good packaging with reproduced UPC barcodes that are in fact assigned to the HBO originals.


But there is one fairly reliable way to distinguish fakes. HBO does not discount boxed sets very much - if you see a "Complete" set for much less than the $399 list price, it's probably a fake. In fact a lot of people with the better fakes think they got a real deal and don't even know. The HBO logos, the packaging, and the UPCs are often reproduced perfectly.

You aren't kidding, I watched some of what I have here and they look good. You can see above the DVD's were pretty professionally produced.

 

[PooperScooper]

I can see how it would be tempting to go for something that is about 1/3 the original MSRP.


larry

 

[Gary McCoy]

The most interesting fact is that although the fake DVDs originated in Asia, many of the "Buy It Now" sellers on Amazon are selling disks out of New York and New Jersey, and are probably organized crime members. They are getting a "piece of the action".


I have seen what I believe are the real complete sets discounted last Christmastime for around $349, only $50 below retail. Premium pricing makes HBO a prime target for thieves.