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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to feel like i have been diddled by a seller on ebay........but have I?

29 replies

2shoesistheeasterbunny · 20/03/2008 15:26

ds needed to get a film quick. as he has to do an essay on it for coursework. he saw the play/film ages ago and can't remember it.
I tried amazon. no luck. I googled it and it is not avalable. so I tried ebay. got it for £5.99 plus £1 pp&p buy it now option.
turned up today and is a copy.
it works and will do the job. but I can't help feeling diddled as it is a copy.
yet....when I was asking about it on mn. if someone had offered me a copy I owuld have jumped ar it.
so AIBU for feeling diddled?

OP posts:
hecate · 20/03/2008 15:28

Well, no - if it didn't say it was a copy then you were reasonable to expect an original. Aren't copies illegal anyway? Selling them I mean - piracy?

ChocolateRockingHorse · 20/03/2008 15:29

S'not legal.

Original poster
2shoesistheeasterbunny · 20/03/2008 15:33

may be I missed it

OP posts:
bonkerz · 20/03/2008 15:36

it does say its been transferred from VHS to DVD and that they have put their own artwork on it.

PotPourri · 20/03/2008 15:37

Er, don;t think that's right. OK, the listing does say it is copied over - but surely that's not legal?? Maybe contact eBay directly for advice - can you do that? They will know the legal side maybe.

Watch it anyway as DS needs it, but YANBU thinking that it should be an original for that price.....

sophiewd · 20/03/2008 15:37

does say it has been transferred to DVD so I am guessing it was a video to start with, would be slightly wary that he had 5

hecate · 20/03/2008 15:38

selling pirate copies is illegal. I'd report them.

FAQ · 20/03/2008 15:39

no it says (in my mind) that it was a made for TV film that has been put onto DVD.......as have been many "made for TV/VHS" films (properly) and that is has "Our Day out" (The name of the film) artwork on the DVD......

I don't see it saying that it's their own artwork.

ZoeC · 20/03/2008 15:40

It was not released on DVD or VHS at all, so there is no other way of obtaining this other than through someone having taped it from TV - I have Quincy's Quest which is equally unobtainable.

Not legal, but as there would be no other way of getting it I suppose what you do about it depends on how much you needed a copy.

What did the course leader suggest for the students to do to see this btw?

Rubyrubyruby · 20/03/2008 15:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WallOfSilence · 20/03/2008 15:45

You wanted it.

You couldn't get it anywhere else.

I'd give the guy + feedback as without it you [ds] would've been stuffed.

Original poster
2shoesistheeasterbunny · 20/03/2008 15:47

good advice ruby
ZoeC if lazy darling ds had done the work when he should have he would have been able to remember the bloody film

OP posts:
MsPontipine · 20/03/2008 15:48

I think this is different to a pirated copy - something about it being in the "Public Domain" whatever that means, if it was recorded from the TV. Seller could have made it a bit clearer though that it was actually homemade. You could always always explain to the seller how misled you feel and suggest maybe they send you a part refund.

BandofMothers · 20/03/2008 15:49

Are you ever going to watch it again for fun??

If not, which I imagine NOT, then do you really care enough to give him bad feed back, which can get him banned from ebay.

Flibbertyjibbet · 20/03/2008 16:04

They haven't put their own artwork on it, they've put 'our day out' artwork on it which is the name of the film.
There are still licensing and copyrights attached to tv productions, thats how they sell them to other networks.
I would give good feedback regarding delivery etc and then report him to trading standards.
I think its a blardy cheek to sell something you taped off the tv, not to mention saying 'transferred to dvd' when he means 'recorded from my telly on to dvd'. And the price, cheeky cheeky **ard.

HappyMummyOfOne · 20/03/2008 16:06

The words "great picture and sound quality" on ebay are a sure sign its a pirated copy.

southeastastra · 20/03/2008 16:07

lots of hard to find tv shows are only available as illegal copies. reporting it seems a little extreme, some great shows are never ever shown again on tv.

ChickenSoupDragon · 20/03/2008 16:18

"not to mention saying 'transferred to dvd' when he means 'recorded from my telly on to dvd'"

Um... if it was last broadcast in 1979 (as per the description), it wasn't recorded straight from TV to DVD I think it's clearly a copy,. I would have assumed it was transferred from a video recording to DVD (not sure if this would enhance the quality as it would be only as good as the original, surely).

Greyriverside · 20/03/2008 16:30

It is certainly illegal in any case, but if not available any other way then you are not depriving the copyright holder of his profit since you couldn't have bought it anyway.

What I'm saying is that it is morally ok(ish) as long as you feel that what you got is worth what you paid for it. I imagine that it's a bit risky to say openly on ebay that it's pirated and the seller probably thought you would guess that it was.

Oh and if the quality is reasonable (I'd expect a 30 year old VHS copy to be unwatchable) they may have got it from some TV company archive.

Aimsmum · 20/03/2008 16:37

Message withdrawn

Original poster
2shoesistheeasterbunny · 20/03/2008 17:03

thanks. was just bugging me
I was never going to report it. as they kinda helped me out iynwim. just a bit miffed.
I will leave good feeback by concentrating on how quick it turned up.

does make you wonder if there are people who just know that this stuff is part of the coursework and see a gap in the market.

OP posts:
tissy · 20/03/2008 17:10

erm, if the play isn't available on DVD or VHS, then ds didn't need it- presumably the teacher expected him to .... ...read a book? Or was he supposed to write the essay ages ago when he saw the play?

Well done for getting the play for him, I think the seller deserves positive feedback for doing this public service for schoolchildren in a hurry!

NotQuiteCockney · 20/03/2008 17:13

Hmmm, it doesn't say it's a homemade copy, but it does say it's region free, which no normal DVDs are, ime.

scottishmummy · 20/03/2008 17:15

shamei would be wary of anyone who had 5 same items to sell. he hasn't said it is an original but yes i would feel aggrieved.

thing about ebay is you have to read every word really carefully

1st time i bought dvd from ebay i was also duped into buying a copy: same circumstances(i have since learnt to be vigilant)

Original poster
2shoesistheeasterbunny · 20/03/2008 17:20

tissy they watched it at school so the teach must have a copy.
like all teens ds watched it and instantly forgot it so needed to see it again. it had to be the film not a book. otherwise it would have been different iynwim

OP posts: