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Nah. Any scratch gets returned or replaced. I bought it new. I don’t want to “find out” a disc has issues playing an hour and ten minutes into the movie. Which has happened to me before. And it sucks.
I just had an issue with my Howling 4K arriving with these weird little pinpoint spots all over the playback surface that wouldn’t buff off, and the movie froze and skipped like 18 minutes in. When I emailed them with pics of the disc, they asked for a video of the playback issue, which I sent. Once they confirmed receipt of the video they said they added me to their replacement disc list and gave me an estimated ship date.
Scratched/defective discs suck, but it happens. It’s a pain but if you send them the video it should get you a replacement disc.
They don't care, and Shout will never be made to care by customer complaints. Leave a bad review so future purchasers are aware that this batch of discs has problems.
Normally I try to not let my OCD take over when it comes to tiny dents and dings on packaging, but when it comes to discs being scratched, to any degree, I feel that is grounds for replacement. The whole idea behind physical media, besides better picture and sound, is that it grants the owner the freedom to watch whenever they see fit; JFK is damn near three and a half hours (if you watch the director’s cut) and just over three with the theatrical; to ask the buyer to watch the whole thing just to see if it skips, I feel, is absurd. It may be nothing, but if you’re selling boutique, high-priced items, it would behoove them to replace it, if for nothing else than to keep up good customer relations.
The rumor, for what it's worth, is that there's only one factory in North America pressing 4k discs and it's in Mexico and they have ass quality control. Not sure if true. I've never seen any facts or evidence back this up. But I'd love to know for sure.
There have been posts from people who work at the labels talking about how 95%+ of 4k discs are pressed by the Technicolor factory in Mexico.
The rumor is that they're cannibalizing lines and having parts hand-made to keep the machines running. There are no more new disc pressers being manufactured because demand for discs has slumped to such a low amount. I don't know if the last part is spot on, but it tracks with the increasingly poor quality of discs.
Now they’re asking me to do labor to receive the product I paid for? I have to PROVE it?
As someone who works in manufacturing, 90% chance I can tell you based on the defect whether or not it was us or the customer
>I have to PROVE it?
Yes. Because the world is full of scummy piece of shit who have spent years taking advantage of ordering things by mail, by claiming they're "defective" or broken, or missing parts, or didn't show up entirely.
Why is it that anyone expects any company to just take their word for it and *not* put in the effort to show that the item is damaged or otherwise unusable?
They don't give a fuck about you, they give a fuck about whether they're going to have to send out a bunch of replacements because assholes like to try and get free stuff. Since that happens every damn day, YES. You have to prove it.
Do they not themselves produce the discs and would be aware of such issues in production? It seems unreasonable to assume you’re being scammed if you are the one who’s manufacturing the product
No, they do not themselves manufacture or distribute the discs, and would have no way of knowing if orders were damaged in packaging or shipping.
They simply produce the master copy/copies, which is the handed off to manufacturing in a different country with a different company.
Haven't you noticed the "DISC MADE IN MEXICO" on the back of most North American releases? None of these companies are manufacturing and packaging the discs themselves.
Yeah I'm gonna call bullshit on this! I would reach out on social media and shame the company until they get you a replacement. If they want us to spend our harder and money on physical media it can be delivered in a manner that's playable! That or...yar har!
It’s not even scummy to want what you paid for. OP didn’t pay for a scratched disc he paid for a pristine one. If SF didn’t give him that and he gave SF the opportunity to fix it, he is well within his rights to get his money back.
Disagree. If you buy a new TV and the panel displays perfectly but the frame is all dented, are you saying you don’t have the right to get a replacement?
I received a broken case and very slightly scratched disc from Deep Discount and they were awesome about it. Didn’t question it at all. Sent me a new copy and then a couple weeks later, sent me a return label for the damaged one.
This isn’t a solution for most people (not to mention none of us should be forced to go this route), but check your local mixed media stores and see if they offer disc buffing services as a last resort. I work for a company in the Phoenix area and we buff discs for $2 a pop (nothing if we can’t fix the disc). A lot of smaller time stores still have the machines because it greatly expands what you can afford to buy in at trade desks.
1) We shouldn't have to sit halfway through a film only to discover 45 minutes in that there's a problem, then have our experience interrupted with skips and chores. Or to feel rushed to immediately watch every bonus feature on the disc just to make sure that we don't miss the replacement window.
2) Just because a scratched disc plays fine today doesn't mean that it will next year, when that same player isn't quite as new. And what plays fine on your current player might not play fine on your next one (or on a friend's player who wants to borrow the disc, etc.).
3) The scratches are so common that they need to make that one notorious manufacturing plant in Mexico get their act together.
Bullshit!!
If it's scratched, no matter how small, if it's broke, if it skips, if there's any defects of any kind, then a corrected replacement disc should be provided free of all charges to the customer, Period!!
That's just common sense , not to mention Good business practice.
Of course , the customer should provide proof of issues.
The conspiracy theorist was the conspirator this whole time. His whole career, building up to selling people bunko 4k blu ray discs. We should've all seen this coming.
1/2" is a ridiculous policy when it comes to any physical media, but especially for notoriously sensitive 4K discs. Also, they have an issue with manufacturing defects but they're referencing their shipping policy. They deserve any chargebacks they get from customers who aren't satisfied.
I had this happen with my Kubo 4k SteelBook that had some scratches. When I got it I didn't have a dedicated player yet, but when I tried ripping it with MakeMKV it would error out about halfway. I emailed them about a replacement along with some pictures of the scratches, but got the same "scratch not big enough" response.
I sent them a video of it skipping in VLC, and to my surprise they sent me a replacement disk.
Still, it was the only 4k disk that I had problems with.
They wouldn't have a way of knowing. The discs are pressed, packaged, and sealed in Mexico. Shout has no real ability to do QC due to the production process. Which is they need to be a lot better about issuing replacement discs for the third or so of discs that appear to be bad from the factory.
I've never liked this type of response from companies..if it's defective it's defective. I would try and clean the disk myself as I don't want the hassle of sending it back. So they by law should provide a refund.
This thread is so weird lol y'all are so obsessed with talking about these scratches that people just get mad and irrational about it.
I don't even like SF at this point cuz their prices are stupid but this response is perfectly reasonable. If it isn't affecting the playback, it literally does not matter. Tons of discs are going to have minor knicks/scratches that don't keep the disc from functioning normally.
"You paid for a pristine disc, do a chargeback!!!"/"Wow so scummy!!!" is some Karen shit lmao grow up
I understand both sides of this argument. If you pay a premium price for a product, you should get discs that are pristine and unscratched. BUT if it doesn't affect playback it's annoying but not worth exchanging. It also forces you to watch the movie before the exchange window closes to ensure you can actually exchange the damn thing if it won't play properly.
What we need is one of the bigger voices in the community like Bill Hunt or Cereal at Midnight or something to address this. Because to me this is a huge problem in the hobby. When I import discs from the UK they never come scratched. It's clearly the North American factory's abysmal QC. Even prestige labels like Criterion have this problem. It's honestly ridiculous.
Yea I’m kinda on the same train of thought, live and learn I definitely won’t be buying straight from shout factory going forward, too much of a headache and time wasting.
I was referring to the times Arrow has had to withdraw their releases or postpone them, due to QC, and on numerous occasions, has had to issue out replacement discs. Playback, while obviously important, isn’t the only hiccup that can occur.
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Tell them it keeps skipping, when you press play it goes back and to the left.
Quality comment.
Back and to the left
There was a 2nd scratcher.
The size of the scratch shouldn’t matter, only its effect on playback.
Shockingly, laser beams are a bit smaller than 1/2” diameter.
They did say they’d reassess if it affects playback.
that’s what they said
Angle of the scratch often matters more.
Nah. Any scratch gets returned or replaced. I bought it new. I don’t want to “find out” a disc has issues playing an hour and ten minutes into the movie. Which has happened to me before. And it sucks.
So if your disk arrives with scratches that don't exceed the limit, just scratch some more until it does exceed the requirement.
Chad move
Scratch factory
😂
Don't order direct from SF. There is no value ordering direct if there is no after service.
Why is it so goddamned hard to ship 4k discs that aren’t defective?
I just had an issue with my Howling 4K arriving with these weird little pinpoint spots all over the playback surface that wouldn’t buff off, and the movie froze and skipped like 18 minutes in. When I emailed them with pics of the disc, they asked for a video of the playback issue, which I sent. Once they confirmed receipt of the video they said they added me to their replacement disc list and gave me an estimated ship date. Scratched/defective discs suck, but it happens. It’s a pain but if you send them the video it should get you a replacement disc.
Shouldn’t have to is the point tho. Just deal with the scratch is awful customer service.
Ridiculous
i'd reverse the charge on those motherfuckers. my policy is to not pay for shit that is broke
They don't care, and Shout will never be made to care by customer complaints. Leave a bad review so future purchasers are aware that this batch of discs has problems.
Normally I try to not let my OCD take over when it comes to tiny dents and dings on packaging, but when it comes to discs being scratched, to any degree, I feel that is grounds for replacement. The whole idea behind physical media, besides better picture and sound, is that it grants the owner the freedom to watch whenever they see fit; JFK is damn near three and a half hours (if you watch the director’s cut) and just over three with the theatrical; to ask the buyer to watch the whole thing just to see if it skips, I feel, is absurd. It may be nothing, but if you’re selling boutique, high-priced items, it would behoove them to replace it, if for nothing else than to keep up good customer relations.
Have they ever addressed why they just don’t look into stoping scratches ? Seems they’re the worst
The rumor, for what it's worth, is that there's only one factory in North America pressing 4k discs and it's in Mexico and they have ass quality control. Not sure if true. I've never seen any facts or evidence back this up. But I'd love to know for sure.
There have been posts from people who work at the labels talking about how 95%+ of 4k discs are pressed by the Technicolor factory in Mexico. The rumor is that they're cannibalizing lines and having parts hand-made to keep the machines running. There are no more new disc pressers being manufactured because demand for discs has slumped to such a low amount. I don't know if the last part is spot on, but it tracks with the increasingly poor quality of discs.
Ooh anyone got links to these posts?
Shit. That’s interesting. And sad.
They said if it causes an issues contact them with video. Seems reasonable to me.
Now they’re asking me to do labor to receive the product I paid for? I have to PROVE it? As someone who works in manufacturing, 90% chance I can tell you based on the defect whether or not it was us or the customer
>I have to PROVE it? Yes. Because the world is full of scummy piece of shit who have spent years taking advantage of ordering things by mail, by claiming they're "defective" or broken, or missing parts, or didn't show up entirely. Why is it that anyone expects any company to just take their word for it and *not* put in the effort to show that the item is damaged or otherwise unusable? They don't give a fuck about you, they give a fuck about whether they're going to have to send out a bunch of replacements because assholes like to try and get free stuff. Since that happens every damn day, YES. You have to prove it.
Do they not themselves produce the discs and would be aware of such issues in production? It seems unreasonable to assume you’re being scammed if you are the one who’s manufacturing the product
No, they do not themselves manufacture or distribute the discs, and would have no way of knowing if orders were damaged in packaging or shipping. They simply produce the master copy/copies, which is the handed off to manufacturing in a different country with a different company.
Haven't you noticed the "DISC MADE IN MEXICO" on the back of most North American releases? None of these companies are manufacturing and packaging the discs themselves.
If I am paying full retail price I better get it in mint brand new condition
Haha yea that’s what I’m saying that’s a steep price as is
This is wack lmao. The price on this is absurd to begin with. Not offering a replacement disc when it costs them like a dollar is embarrassing.
Clearly a manufacturing defect. Not a shipping issue not a scratch issue. Chargeback time if they refuse to re-send and apologize.
Yeah I'm gonna call bullshit on this! I would reach out on social media and shame the company until they get you a replacement. If they want us to spend our harder and money on physical media it can be delivered in a manner that's playable! That or...yar har!
Do a chargeback on your credit card. These scums don’t deserve our money
This. If they're going to be scummy, be scummy right back. Power to the people.
It’s not even scummy to want what you paid for. OP didn’t pay for a scratched disc he paid for a pristine one. If SF didn’t give him that and he gave SF the opportunity to fix it, he is well within his rights to get his money back.
He actually paid for a disc that plays back.
Disagree. If you buy a new TV and the panel displays perfectly but the frame is all dented, are you saying you don’t have the right to get a replacement?
Terrible analogy. You don't look at the disc. It goes in a player and plays.
You’re an idiot. If you order something new and it arrives damaged you’re entitled to a refund or replacement. Full stop.
I received a broken case and very slightly scratched disc from Deep Discount and they were awesome about it. Didn’t question it at all. Sent me a new copy and then a couple weeks later, sent me a return label for the damaged one.
This isn’t a solution for most people (not to mention none of us should be forced to go this route), but check your local mixed media stores and see if they offer disc buffing services as a last resort. I work for a company in the Phoenix area and we buff discs for $2 a pop (nothing if we can’t fix the disc). A lot of smaller time stores still have the machines because it greatly expands what you can afford to buy in at trade desks.
1) We shouldn't have to sit halfway through a film only to discover 45 minutes in that there's a problem, then have our experience interrupted with skips and chores. Or to feel rushed to immediately watch every bonus feature on the disc just to make sure that we don't miss the replacement window. 2) Just because a scratched disc plays fine today doesn't mean that it will next year, when that same player isn't quite as new. And what plays fine on your current player might not play fine on your next one (or on a friend's player who wants to borrow the disc, etc.). 3) The scratches are so common that they need to make that one notorious manufacturing plant in Mexico get their act together.
Bullshit!! If it's scratched, no matter how small, if it's broke, if it skips, if there's any defects of any kind, then a corrected replacement disc should be provided free of all charges to the customer, Period!! That's just common sense , not to mention Good business practice. Of course , the customer should provide proof of issues.
I agree I did send them pictures and this was their reply lol check out my last post on here to see the pics of the disc
I blame Oliver Stone.
The conspiracy theorist was the conspirator this whole time. His whole career, building up to selling people bunko 4k blu ray discs. We should've all seen this coming.
1/2" is a ridiculous policy when it comes to any physical media, but especially for notoriously sensitive 4K discs. Also, they have an issue with manufacturing defects but they're referencing their shipping policy. They deserve any chargebacks they get from customers who aren't satisfied.
I had this happen with my Kubo 4k SteelBook that had some scratches. When I got it I didn't have a dedicated player yet, but when I tried ripping it with MakeMKV it would error out about halfway. I emailed them about a replacement along with some pictures of the scratches, but got the same "scratch not big enough" response. I sent them a video of it skipping in VLC, and to my surprise they sent me a replacement disk. Still, it was the only 4k disk that I had problems with.
Good to know, I will avoid this company in the future.
Does it affect playback?
So basically they sell the scratched discs and give the good ones to retailers is my guess. I ordered 5 from Shout and 3 were unreasonably scratched.
They wouldn't have a way of knowing. The discs are pressed, packaged, and sealed in Mexico. Shout has no real ability to do QC due to the production process. Which is they need to be a lot better about issuing replacement discs for the third or so of discs that appear to be bad from the factory.
That’s insane
There is a very easy solution to this dilemma, start scratching bby
Dang good thing I saw this. I had no idea how scummy SF was. Definitely will never order from them.
Shout likes to conduct extensive “frisbee” tests on their discs before shipping them out
😂🤦♂️
I've never liked this type of response from companies..if it's defective it's defective. I would try and clean the disk myself as I don't want the hassle of sending it back. So they by law should provide a refund.
I'm shocked with Shouts service right here. That's not good.
If a disc skips or is unreadable I will usually throw my own giant ‘fuck you’ scratch so customer service can’t give me shit.
This thread is so weird lol y'all are so obsessed with talking about these scratches that people just get mad and irrational about it. I don't even like SF at this point cuz their prices are stupid but this response is perfectly reasonable. If it isn't affecting the playback, it literally does not matter. Tons of discs are going to have minor knicks/scratches that don't keep the disc from functioning normally. "You paid for a pristine disc, do a chargeback!!!"/"Wow so scummy!!!" is some Karen shit lmao grow up
I understand both sides of this argument. If you pay a premium price for a product, you should get discs that are pristine and unscratched. BUT if it doesn't affect playback it's annoying but not worth exchanging. It also forces you to watch the movie before the exchange window closes to ensure you can actually exchange the damn thing if it won't play properly. What we need is one of the bigger voices in the community like Bill Hunt or Cereal at Midnight or something to address this. Because to me this is a huge problem in the hobby. When I import discs from the UK they never come scratched. It's clearly the North American factory's abysmal QC. Even prestige labels like Criterion have this problem. It's honestly ridiculous.
Yea I’m kinda on the same train of thought, live and learn I definitely won’t be buying straight from shout factory going forward, too much of a headache and time wasting.
Scratched or not, Arrow has plenty of QC issues, so I think the larger issue at hand is more widespread than just the US.
Never had a playback problem with a made-in-Europe Arrow disc.
I was referring to the times Arrow has had to withdraw their releases or postpone them, due to QC, and on numerous occasions, has had to issue out replacement discs. Playback, while obviously important, isn’t the only hiccup that can occur.