(Reproduced from Disneycalendar.co.uk)    REVISED 11 JUL 2008

This guide applies to Region2 UK specification DVDs only and has been written to help buyers avoid the pirate sellers making pots of money by selling rubbish on ebay to unsuspecting buyers.   Despite their claims, Ebay do not make any attempts to prevent piracy and work extremely slowly to remove pirate listings when advised.     BUYERS BEWARE. 

If you find this guide useful, please vote yes to keep it visible and help others avoid the pirate sellers.  

Checkout my other guides for examples of real and fake DVDs being sold on ebay.

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Ebay is a great place to pick up a bargain, but also a haven for pirates and criminals selling illegal Disney DVDs using a variety of phrases and terminology to disguise the fact.  If you are unfortunate enough to buy from a pirate and try to complain you may be responded to with abuse and the threat of negative feedback. 

To avoid being caught out follow Grumpy's advice carefully.

eBay is rife with illegal Disney bootlegs. If you're looking to buy a genuine UK release region 2 Disney DVD, ask the seller to confirm the presence of the Mickey Mouse hologram and the BBFC rating on the front of the DVD. Watch out for the following:

1.  hologram that isn't Type 1 or Type 2 Mickey Mouse (displayed below) = FAKE.

2.  any version without BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) rating = non UK version

3.  any version with no artwork = FAKE.

4.  multiregion or Region 0 DVDs = FAKE  (Disney classics have never been released as R0).

5.  Asian imports = FAKE.

6.  Region 2 compatible DVDs = FAKE (unless they are R4 Australian DVDs).

7.  DVDs shipped in clear plastic sleeves (for ease of shipping) = FAKE.

8.  Sellers advising that 'cover art' may differ from stock photo = FAKE.

9.  Walt Disney collections that have never been officially released.  These are BOOTLEGS.   Check against Amazon.co.uk or Disneycalendar.co.uk if unsure.

10.  24 hour listings.   These are often used by the pirates as eBay can be very slow at removing illegal listings.

11.  eBay sellers advising buyers "PLEASE IF YOU ARE NOT SURE OF WHAT YOU ARE BUYING FEEL FREE TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS".  These are always FAKES with many burnt at home on 10p DVD+Rs.

12. eBay seller(s) using the term "UK NEXT DAY POST" or "UK POST" in the title.  Unless the seller describes in the listing that this is a genuine UK product with hologram, the chances are that this will be a FAKE DVD posted from within the UK.

13. eBay sellers advising that their product is not a copy but a genuine R2 import = FAKE

14. eBay sellers advising that their R2 DVD is in NTSC format (unless Japanese import) = FAKE

Type 1 Hologram (on rear of case)

Type 2 Hologram (on spine or rear of case)

If you're not sure about the authenticity of the DVD, ask the seller and request an actual image of the item.  An honest seller will have nothing to hide.  There are several eBay sellers (and Powersellers) with high feedback ratings trading solely in Disney pirate DVDs.

Watch out specifically for the following Disney classics which are currently deleted.  Check out my other guides and the disneycalendar.co.uk website for the latest release dates.

Snow White And The Seven Dwarves

Pinocchio

Fantasia and Fantasia 2000

Sleeping Beauty - rerelease planned Autumn 2008

The Lion King

Beauty and the Beast

Lady and the Tramp

Bambi

Cinderella (being withdrawn)

The following classics are on general release (despite what sellers may claim in their listings) so can easily be purchased through any High St or online DVD retailer.

101 Dalmatians

Aladdin - Musical Ed

Dumbo

Mary Poppins

Alice in Wonderland

Jungle Book

Robin Hood

The Rescuers

Mulan

Tarzan

The Emperor's New Groove

Toy Story (Pixar)

Finding Nemo

Monsters Inc

Peter Pan

Also note.