How To Identify Fake CD's & CD Boxsets?

[Nitro89]

Hello, I really want to buy a CD boxset of one of my favourite artists contraining about 20 CD's, however, when using play.com and amazon.co.uk I noticed that the third party users have the products brand new at a fraction of the price, I am really tempted, but after watching lots of videos on fake ipods and other products which look 99% like the real thing, I am a bit scepticle of the idea, what do you guys think of this, would you buy from a third party seller on play.com and amazon.co.uk claiming the item is 100% new and official?

[lordsmurf]

Ask other people. Give us specific links to what you want to buy.

[Nitro89]

I found a great article about how to identify a fake CD on ebay, but you can only really identify it once you bought it:

http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-Spot-Fake-CDs-especially-rare-ones_W0QQugidZ10000000006386863


I am mostly looking to buy Michael Jackson Ultimate Collection on play.com or from amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Collection-Michael-Jackson/dp/B0002XH9Z4/ref=sr_1_1?i...7847016&sr=8-1

http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/3065072/-/Product.html?searchstring=michael+jackson+ul...searchsource=0

[Noahtuck]

I found a great article about how to identify a fake CD on ebay, but you can only really identify it once you bought it:

http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-Spot-Fake-CDs-especially-rare-ones_W0QQugidZ10000000006386863

One problem with that is anyone with the slightest bit of experiance can look at the bottom of 2 disc's and tell the difference.

The second problem is there are many pirated copies of both CD's & DVD's that are pressed the same as legit retail disc's.
I own several pirated copies of CD's & DVD's that were pressed, only of things that have never been released, so i don't know if that really fit's the technical term of "pirated", rare stuff that 99.9% probably will never be released.

With a little research you can usually figure it out beforehand.

[Nitro89]

How can you tell if its fake then if both CD's and DVD's can be pressed the same as legit disc's? Do you mean you wont be able to see the green tint?

[Noahtuck]

Of course you won't see a tint or color difference if they are both pressed!!

The color tint you see is from the DYE in the recordable media, pressed media does not have this because they are not recorded or burned with a laser like we do at home with burners, they are PRESSED!!!

But some cdr's it's hard to tell the diff. in color, you can tell by the label side or you can see the ring where it stopped recording on the disc, but this is not 100% as i have legit pressed dvd's that you can also see the ring.

You can tell by researching!!!

looking up items for sale, reading reading reading!!!!

If you are buying a dvd boxset from china off e-bay, and it's season 12 of a TV show that just finished S12, and the only retail, brick or online, set is only up to season 7 then you can bet $$ it's pirated!!



Bottom line is, if it's recordable media, you should be able to tell easily!!!
DVDr's are way easy!!!

[Nitro89]

the product I want to purchase is from a play.com seller who is sending from USA.

Will the fake pressed CD's still have a catalogue number?

[lordsmurf]

I don't see anything in those Michael Jackson set sellers that screams fake, no.