DVD - Scam - Fraud - Rip-Off - Sick of Being Cheated?

Do you collect DVD's or hard to find VHS movies?  If you do, you should beware that there are several scams, or at least plain old "Rip-Off" artists out there. I bought what I thought was a legitimate copy of an
old movie several months ago. The selling price was pretty good, and the shipping, though high, was supposed to be registered mail and was understandable. After all, it was a rare movie. The product was coming from Hong Kong. The ten business days went by and the DVD still wasn't here. I sent emails, but got no answer. Finally after 38 days the DVD arrived. It arrived in a plain envelope about 6 x 8". It was a birthday card type of envelope. the DVD was in a paper computer disc envelope with no cover or artwork, or DVD case. The DVD has a decal type sticker on it (Obviously not commercially produced) . It was sold as original and new,  with no mention that case and artwork weren't included. It was supposed to be ALL REGION playable, but would not play in any of my four DVD players. Upon inspection of the shipping envelope, there was no return address or REGISTERED MAIL sticker from Hong Kong. Instead, the post mark said Burbank, California. The postage was two first class stamps, not the $7 that I was charged. All together, I was out $25.

The only recourse that I had was to return the item to Hong Kong. It would have cost almost the amount paid to send it back, and there was probably no way that I would have received a refund. The seller responded to my email eventually and sent me another DVD. It didn't work either. All of these items are bootlegged. A friend of mine received a DVD from another seller. The same thing, no artwork, no case. . .
His movie did play, but it was very grainy and had the appearance of something pirated off a TV channel.

Bottom line. . . Buy American. It might cost more, but how much is a broken anything worth?