A guide by rainbowjam  

I've noticed recently that I get quite a few questions from buyers asking if my new DVDs are sealed or not and have also seen other people having feedback disputes with buyers over whether a DVD, sold as new, which wasn't sealed should have been. So I just thought I'd add my take on this issue.

I've been selling music and entertainment items on all formats for over 20 years and always have hundreds of DVDs and CDs listed in my eBay shop which are all 100% legitimate and accurately described and are mainly £4.99 Buy-It-Now. So if you want a safe and easy purchase, visit my shop at http://stores.ebay.co.uk/rainbowjam. Well, that's the plug over; now back to the matter in hand.

When listing a CD or DVD for sale, you have the option to fill in any or all of the sections in the Item Specifics. One of these is Condition; for CDs the three options are 'new', 'new and sealed' or 'used'. However, for DVDs there are only two options: 'new' or 'used'.

I generally write my own detailed descriptions but, if I'm selling a new CD, I always use the Item Specifics as well just to give the buyer an extra note on whether it's sealed (I still mention if it's sealed in my description as well). With DVDs, you don't have the extra Item Specifics option; when I'm buying I always take the view that a DVD won't be sealed unless the description specifically says so. Having said that, I wouldn't expect to receive a visibly used DVD that's been passed off as new with the excuse that 'new DVDs aren't always sealed'. If a DVD is sold as new then it should be new and unplayed (and look like it) whether it's sealed or not.

I don't know about the rest of the world but, in the UK, brand new DVDs bought from a record company / wholesaler / warehouse are very often not sealed, although many are; this can even vary between different batches of the same title for no apparent reason. The same is true for items sold by high street retailers, Amazon etc. - some shops have their own heavy duty stickers to 'seal' any items that they have bought in which aren't sealed in cellophane. So the advice I would give to buyers is to expect unsealed unless the description says otherwise and if you only want a sealed copy then check with the seller if you're unsure. If you don't get a reply to your question then proceed with caution!

Problems do sometimes occur with a seller trying to pass off second-hand goods as new so always check feedback for any negative comments. Also check the seller's Sales & Returns Policy as even honest sellers can sometimes make a mistake. If the seller has good feedback and a clear and reasonable Returns Policy then everything should be fine. If not then, once again, proceed with caution (or don't proceed at all!).

So, to sum up: expect unsealed unless the description says otherwise and looking at the item specifics won't give you any clues. eBay could really do with having three condition categories: 'new and sealed', 'new unsealed' and 'used' to clarify things for buyers. If the description is unclear then ask the seller.

Well, thanks for taking the time to read my guide - hope it's been of some interest; if so then please register a yes vote and take a look at my other guides. Don't forget to visit my eBay shop for hundreds of 100% official Buy-It-Now CDs and DVDs at just £4.99. I offer speedy delivery and reasonable postage rates; check out my feedback before you buy. If you like my items, please add me to your favourites list.

Best regards, rainbowjam