Discussion Forums - Questions about SwapaDVD

I received a DVD today.  It came packaged in a square papersleeve the size of the DVD.  The correct upc is printed on the sleeve, along with the title, a picture, and the details about the film that normally come on DVD cover art.  There is no plastic case.  Is this postable by SADVD guidelines? If it's postable I don't want to mark it RWAP, but if it's not postable I'd like my credit back. 

Some discs may actually be distributed in paper sleeves, not plastic cases.  In such a situation, I would consider the paper sleeve to be the "original case and artwork".  I've seen $1 discs at pharmacies that were in thick paper (i.e. thin cardboard) sleeves just slightly less wide & high than the traditional plastic case (and of course much thinner!).  I work in a library and have learned never to underestimate the "creativity" of publishers!

I have a copy of Honeymoon in Vegas like this (paper sleeve)...I haven't tried to post it, but am a bit curious.

Anyone remember the Pizza Hut DVD promotions? I think they were like $1 with a Pizza order.  My mother has 2 or 3 other DVDs like my Honeymoon in Vegas (I recall Weekend at Bernie's as one of the titles).

I've gotten those too and the first time I pitched a fit because if, given a choice, I would refuse DVDs in that packaging because the DVD itself is inferior, the inside art, extras etc. are not there, it cannot be stored on the shelf with other DVDs and is just plain offensive (OCD I admit)

I was informed that because it was all the original packaging it was postable and I should repost it.  Like I'm about to give somebody else the same screw job I got!

IMHO, these need to be listed as a side trade making it clear to swappers exactly what is coming so people can have the option of saying thanks but no thanks.  I ended up buying the DVD from Amazon because I was afraid that if I re-requested it I'd get another paper sleeved beauty. I still PM senders who send them out that I am not happy but I have either heard nothing or been told to pound sand.   Sure do wish that there was some way to let traders know in advance that I do not want these!

That stinks.  The courteous thing to do would be to PM the user & let them know EXACTLY what they were getting, but then again...a credit is a credit to most.

Just out of curiousity Betsy & if I may ask, what movie was packaged in this "sleeve"? 

Eddie Murphy's Dr. Doolittle.  The main grump I have about it is even if I put the paper sleeve in a case and put the disc in a case you can't see what the movie is from the binding edge.  My kids won't see it on the shelf and won't watch it.  SIGH!

I got a copy of local hero that way, and I sent it on after watching it.  Figured the wait was a long one and I was just thrilled to get it.  Thought someone else would want it as much as I did.  I figure, I am getting the DVD, that is what I want to see.  The idea of requiring the UPC number and the case is just to keep everyone honest.  It helps weed out bootlegs and over seas releases.

Can't remember several of them and I already donated them to local animal shelter thrift - the really unfortunate one was vol 1 mr & Mrs north.  I have a set and the vol. one kept falling out the back of the rack because on the poor package.  I bought a good copy from Amazon (in keep case) and, you guesed it, donated the trade one.

IMHO, these need to be listed as a side trade making it clear to swappers exactly what is coming so people can have the option of saying thanks but no thanks.

anything that is allowed as a legal swap does not require permission of any kind whether receiving or sending.  If you are unhappy with a specific edition, you just repost it and request another one. Unless the movie was only released in that format, the chances you would get the same format are slim.

I still PM senders who send them out that I am not happy but I have either heard nothing or been told to pound sand. 

The people who send you legitimate copies of movies in allowed formats are not required to notify you, nor are they expected to refund credits for movies in legal swapping condition. I seriously doubt anyone told you to "pound sand" but if your private communications are anything like your forum posts, I suppose it's possible.  Honey catches more flies than vinegar.

Just a helpful hint for those who receive paper-sleeve DVDs that they wanted for their keeper shelf.  Check out http://www.cdcovers.cc/covers.  They have cover art for thousands of titles, most with several different versions.  Most are very high quality scans.  You can put the DVD in a replacement case and print one of these out (I recommend printing on photo paper at the highest quality setting) and . . . tah-dah!  A pretty keeper for your shelf!

I did this for Wall-E.  It comes in a flimsy all-cardboard case.  More environmentally friendly, they say.  I say, "Does not stand up to a 4-year-old!"  So I printed my own cover art and put it in a regular DVD case.  Now the cardboard case is stored away to remain in pristine condition should I ever want to swap this DVD.  (Yeah, right!  But anyway...)

Of course, Swapa doesn't permit home printed cover art so these will be strictly keepers!

I get these movies from a Kelloggs promotion thats going on right now. Dr. Doolittle is one of those movies. I didn't know I wasn't getting a case with these movies from Kelloggs and didn't know you could post them with only the sleve on here. I have just been offering them as unpostables in the bazzar. I was wondering, does anybody know if its alright to find the original artwork to these movies and then post them like that?

Eydie, by "find the original artwork" do you mean finding an original copy of the original artwork (like, from another copy of the DVD you happen to have lying around)?  Or do you mean getting a digital image from a website and printing it out?  If the latter, that's definitely not allowed per the rules.  If the former, I think that's sort of iffy.  As I understand it, a DVD is postable if:

1) it is a legit copy (not a burned duplicate, or a promo copy marked as "not for resale", etc.)

2) it is in the original case/artwork, whatever form that may be (although a plastic keepcase may be replaced with an "identical" one, i.e. of the same generic type and size)

3) it has a legible UPC that appears in the club database and matches the title/edition.

I think the problem is going to be the UPC.  If the Kellogg one doesn't have one that you can match up to an original standard DVD case/artwork, you can't be sure the disc you are putting in there is the same thing.  It wouldn't surprise me if the Kellogg freebies are missing some extra features that the 'pay' version of the DVD has.

Kerry is right - if the packaging doesn't have a UPC it is unpostable, no matter where it came from.

No, not printing it out. I mean finding the real artwork. I have gotten artwork from the bazzar to match up with other unpostable movies from the bazzar. The ones Ive done this for though, Im keeping, but the movie and the artwork match up exactly. There wouldn't be a problem posting them though. Was just wondering if it can be done with some of those Kelloggs movies.

oooh now I want some corn flakes. ahhhhhhh

subliminal advertising! lol

The problem is that you cannot be sure the Kellogg version of the DVD is the same as the one that originally came in the regular case.  That is what makes it unpostable.

If they are movies people really want, you can probably easily find homes for them in the bazaar.

Ive already sent a couple off from the bazaar, but I remember looking up the UPC on the back of the paper sleeve and it did indeed bring up the proper movie in the database. It had a sticker over the original UPC, but the one directly on the sleeve was the right one. I still didn't post it because I didn't have a case for it, but it really does look like the Kellogg movies can be matched up with the right artwork.

If the UPC matches . . . I say go for it!  Actually, if it's got a UPC on the paper sleeve, it's postable just the way it is since that sleeve is the "original artwork".  But you know people aren't going to be happy about receiving it like that, just as you weren't.  So, yeah, I'd track down an unwanted case/artwork for it and post it!