I sell a lot of DVDs, and have a few thoughts to share with you -
Yes, it is possible some people are either just "renting" the movie (that is, buying it, watching, returning). Additionally, they could be copying it or using the physical disc to then purchase a streaming Ultraviolet copy to keep, then returning. But both those options are alot of effort for (as someone else mentioned) what are normally pretty low cost items to begin with.
Are you selling just DVDs, or Blu-ray's as well? New or used?
Some tips I have offered to buyers having trouble playing a title are:
- If selling Blu-ray or HD-DVD format discs, make sure the buyer is aware that these formats won't play on a standard DVD player. I've had some buyers not understand the difference.
- If they have an older player, ask them to check if their firmware for the player is up-to-date. Usually this can be found in the player's settings menu and would require an internet connection, but this has helped a few of my buyers and avoided a return. This is more of an issue with Blu-ray format discs.
- If selling used discs that may have some small scratches or smudges on the surface, the buyer can try gently cleaning the surface with a clean microfiber cloth. I would suggest this only as a last resort, because if done improperly they could actually do more damage to the disc. Also, some DVD players may read/handle scratched parts of the disc differently. So it may play ok on one, but be unreadable on another.
I know those suggestions sound pretty generic, but they have actually helped with some of my buyers in the past and avoided having the return. Hope it helps.
