danstheday

I purchased a live u2 DVD from Best Buy. Took it home and watched it and noticed it was somehwat bad quality. I went onto the net to read reviews on the disc and noticed that the company that released the disc was sent Legal notice by U2 and there Record company and the DVD was recalled and is no longer available for sale. The DVD is no longer listed on Bestbuy.com or Amazon.com but I found a link to it on http://www.tower.com/u2-live-dvd/wapi/112297693 The Best buy manager said he could not give me a refund but told me that I would be able to apply it towards another U2 dvd. I told him that I already had everything of theres on DVD and just wanted a refund and he still said no. Should I have got a refund since they sold a recalled product ( and still had another one on the shelf )

EdTheRipper

Most stores won't give refunds on open media. Typically, they only allow exchanges for the same item.

danstheday

I understand the policy but BestBuy was selling a DVD that was never authorized by the band or record company and was released by a company that did not have the rights to to relelase the concert on dvd and it was recalled off the shelves. Basically it was a bootleg.

JJay

Maybe you should have checked the reviews before buying it? Or buy it and then check the reviews? I really don't see a problem. Your beef, it sounds like, is with Allegro.

EdTheRipper

That YOU bought.
Looking at the cover art on the Tower site, it should be pretty obvious that this is an unauthorized release. I'm not even a U2 fan and I can tell you that it doesn't look like something they'd have anything to do with.
Like JJay said, maybe you should have done a little homework before buying it blindly. As far as I'm concerned, Best Buy really isn't the problem here.

Shannon Nutt

It sounds like this was something "legally" released to stores, then yanked because U2 filed a suit and a court ruled it couldn't be sold. It's BB fault for not making sure it wasn't taken off the shelves, and I would think in this case they would AT LEAST give the customer store credit (for ANY item, not just another U2 DVD). This is an exceptional case that should fall outside their normal sales/return policy.

Danstheday - you might want to try taking your case higher up the BB "food chain". I found problems that can't be rectified with the local yokels can often be taken care of if you go to corporate.

rich-y

Simply go back to Best Buy and tell the manager that he's selling illegal DVDs and that you plan to contact your state Attorney General if you don't get a refund.

If you don't get your money back follow up your words with action.

Of course, you can only do this if you absolutely know the item is illegal.

My guess is that the disc is not illegal. Many times I've seen inferior products released internationally with the understanding that it would never be sold in the U.S. due to the sub-par quality. In this case, perhaps U2 told their distributor not to sell it here. But... it's not illegal for a company in the U.S. to purchase these DVDs on the open market and then sell them in their stores.

It's only illegal if the DVD producer didn't have the rights to produce the DVD at all. Then it's a bootleg and illegal to sell in stores.

JJay

I would think he'd also need some kind of official recall information stating exactly when the product was to be taken off shelves. For instance, if the receipt is dated October 28, yet the recall notice/court order has an October 31 date, I'd think he'd be out of luck. If it was an October 27 date, though, better chance at getting satisfaction.

If he goes to corporate and threatens to make a stink, they may just give him something to shut him up.

dx23

I have a better idea for you. What you have in your hands is a recalled DVD that now is out of circulation and out of print. So, why don't you sell it on Ebay for double of what you purchased it?

stingermck

Winner.

Thats the first thing I though of.

asianxcore

Corporate usually doesn't do anything, as they normally do not have direct communication with most of their stores. They also get calls with customer dissatisfaction on a daily basis.

Want to really get things done/fixed and make a stink? Ask the manager of whatever retail store you are unhappy at for the district manager's contact information.

District Managers are constantly in and out of the stores in their district. They are in direct and constant contact through emails/telephone with all managers and supervisors of all of the stores in their district.

You'll have a better chance at getting things fixed via contact with a district manager who knows all the managers, supervisors and associates of all his/her stores rather than corporate who doesn't know anyone.

DJariya

I think your shit out of luck.

Personally for me, filing a complaint over a $15-20 DVD whether it was an illegal copy or not is a waste of time.

Best Buy has no involvement with the manufacturing and distribution of this product. They just bought it from their wholesaler and put it on their shelves. I think it was just bad timing on your part for picking up the DVD when you did before it got pulled.

If you really can't stand keeping it, just donate it or sell it on Ebay. At least if you donate it to your local library you will get a tax write off.

Good Luck

Gizmo

Keep it for 6 months then eBay it. Winner.

DeanoBKN

Make sure you scream out OOP, RARE, and BANNED in your title to gain some extra clicks.

whotony

There should have been spelled their.

Just sayin'.

Chrisedge

I bought that same dvd since I am a huge fan, and even already had a bootleg copy of the same show (in better quality? I haven't checked yet) since it might be a collectors item.

Suck it up, it was $15...

Edited to add: DVD is selling for $$ on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/U2-LIVE-In-Germa...1%7C240%3A1318

ernestrp

Someone is already listing it as OOP/Rare on Ebay. Price 39.98.

http://cgi.ebay.com/U2-LIVE-In-Germa...1%7C240%3A1318

SI78

Great. Now I want to run to Best Buy to see if I can find this.

Travis McClain

I'm curious. The OP said that the local BB manager offered "that [he] would be able to apply it towards another U2 dvd [sic]." By this, do you mean that you were offered in-store credit so long as you applied that credit to another U2 DVD? Also, you never stated how much time elapsed between the date of purchase and the date of attempted return. It seems to me that the opened media policy prohibits Best Buy from giving you cash for the product, but you should have received store credit (with no strings attached).

I realize there is a legal dispute over the production of your item, but your argument really amounts to: you didn't like the quality of the DVD and want your money back. Store credit is a reasonable, acceptable compromise.

jackson2006

You do know when you buy and item from any store that you agree to their return policy.

Evad

Hmm, me too