From JONQC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU Mon Feb 20 11:41:19 EST 1995 Article: 16056 of rec.video.releases Path: casaba.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!paladin.american.edu!zombie.ncsc.mil!cs.umd.edu!newsfeed.gsfc.nasa.gov!ukma!news.cuny.edu!jonqc From: Newsgroups: rec.video.releases Subject: FAQ: Sight & Sound mail order Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 16:11:39 EST Organization: City University of New York/University Computer Center Lines: 289 Message-ID: <95047.161139JONQC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> NNTP-Posting-Host: cunyvm.cuny.edu Disclaimer: Author bears full responsibility for this post Each time I post the list of used LDs from Sight & Sound, I invariably get the same questions over and over again from fellow netters. So, I put this FAQ file together to head off the next batch of queries. DISCLAIMER: This is by no means the authoratative source of information regarding Sight & Sound. Consult their "Laser Flash" bulletin or call them for more info. All statements written in the first person are my opinion and should be treated as such. If you have any corrections or things to add, please E-mail your comments to me. Thanks to all who have sent their input so far. Jon Leong Not associated with S&S, JONQC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU just a regular customer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about Sight & Sound mail order: Sight & Sound 27 Jones Road Waltham, MA 02154 (617) 894-8633 Q: How often do you post the list of used LDs? A: I am a private individual who does not receive any funding, extra discounts, or special treatment from S&S for doing these postings. Since the toll call from my home in NYC to Waltham is expensive (especially with my crummy 2400 baud modem, even at night), I only download the list every 3 or 4 weeks. After perusing it myself, I post the list as part of my contribution to the Net; with the hope that S&S will take note and get connected themselves. Q: How up to date is the posted list of used LDs? A: S&S updates their list on LaserNet once a day. Since the LDs are on display in the main sales area of the store, you are competing with walk-in customers as well as phone-in customers. If you see something you want on the list, do not delay. Current titles move fast. A while ago, I tried to order a used copy of "Tokyo Decadence" for $22 but it was gone by the time I called. Other, less popular titles like "Lily in Love", starring Christopher Plummer, stay on the list for months. Q: What if the list got mangled, expired or otherwise lost for some reason... How can I get another copy? A: Mark Leone, at Carnagie Mellon University, informs me that has been archiving my postings and has generously made them available via ftp: ftp://ftp.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mleone/pub/movies/used-laserdiscs.txt ftp://ftp.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mleone/pub/movies /sight-and-sound-FAQ.txt For those of you who are not familiar with WWW or do not have access to World Wide Web tools, you can get the files via standard anonymous FTP: 1. ftp cs.cmu.edu 2. login: anonymous 3. password: 4. cd /afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mleone/pub/movies 5. get used-laserdiscs.txt 6. get sight-and-sound-FAQ.txt 7. close 8. quit NOTE: You should use the cd command shown above. You cannot cd/step through the directories one at a time. Only the bottom 2 directory levels are accessible to guests. However, you should poke around because there is some other neat stuff to look at while you're there. Q: What do some of the abbreviations in the used LD list mean? A: D.V. = DiscoVision M.V. = Magnetic Video IMP = Import P-O = Punch Out (hole in corner of jacket) DS = Digital Stereo HK = Hong Kong import NON-DS = Non Digital Stereo (implies the existence of a DS version) DiscoVision and Magnetic Video are 2 disc manufacturers who are now defunct. They made discs in the early to mid 80's that tended to suffer from laser rot. Although there are some collectors who are willing to buy several sets of the same title to get a complete movie in perfect condition (all discs in those days were CAV), most people tend to avoid these discs like the plague. Most of the time, IMP implies discs imported from Japan. The imported versions of non-Japanese movies usually have Japanese subtitles unless otherwise indicated. Imported versions of Japanese movies do not have any subtitles unless otherwise indicated. Q: Is Sight & Sound a reputable outfit? A: I first learned of Sight & Sound from discussions in rec.video.releases about 2 years ago. There were many recommendations for their services. Since that time, I have put in over three dozen orders and have never had a service problem. Q: Where do the used discs come from? A: S&S buys used LDs from their customers. For instance, I sent my old "Star Wars" trilogy to them for a credit towards the THX boxed set (before it was released). Other discs seem to come from store itself; probably rental surplus. Q: What condition are the used discs in? A: Some disks are exactly like new, some discs may have store inventory stickers on the disc label, some may be punch outs (they usually note the punch outs on the list). They do not guarantee the condition of the disc cover. As far as I can tell, they only make a superficial check of the used discs. They probably do not play them to inspect the picture quality. I have never received a disc from them that was cracked, chipped, scored, gouged or physically damaged in some obvious way. I have ordered over 60 used discs from S&S since they started publicizing them. Five of them had covers that were noticeably beat up but the discs were fine. Several discs arrived with fingerprints (which I was able to wash off). Some had minor scratches which did not effect the picture. Only three had picture defects (color specks) serious enough to warrant return. Q: What is your reference equipment? A: I play my discs on a Quasar LD700 (Panasonic LX-900 equivalent) which is directly connected to a 27" Proton 290S TV via the composite video jacks. Q: Is it okay to buy their used laser discs? A: According to their catalog, used discs are guaranteed against defects. So far, I've only had to return two new and three used discs because of picture defects; no problemo. Q: What is their policy on returns? A: New discs that are defective may be returned for exchange or credit (if no longer available). The warranty period for new discs is 60 days. Defective used discs must be returned within 30 days and may only be returned for credit. If you get a problem disc (new or used), you must call them to explain the problem and to get a return authorization number before sending it back. You must pay for the shipping & insurance to return the disc to S&S. In the case of new discs, they will pay to ship the replacement disc. Q: How much do they charge for shipping and handling? A: For used discs (and new discs that are in stock), the S&H fees are simple. They charge $3 for one disc or $4.50 for more than one. For orders involving discs that are not in stock (pre-orders or back orders) the S&H fees are somewhat more complicated to explain: There is a $3 charge for the first disc shipped and $1.50 charge for subsequent discs with a maximum of $4.50 per shipment. If you order 5 discs and they are all in stock, the total S&H fee is $4.50. If only 3 are in stock and the other 2 have to be back ordered, the S&H fees are $4.50 for the first shipment of 3 and $1.50 for each of the subsequent discs (total = $7.50). They do not hold discs. Discs are shipped whenever they are in stock. Q: Do they ship outside the U.S.? A: In their ad in the back of "Video" magazine, they state that they only ship to North America and APO/FPO addresses. I asked S&S about this, on behalf of someone from Switzerland who wanted to place an order, and they said that the customs and tariff laws are more trouble than it is worth for them to get involved with. If you live outside North America, you will have to get a trustworthy friend in North America or a nearby U.S. military base to receive and forward the shipment to you. Q: How do I get on their mailing list? A: Once a month they publish an informative news booklet/catalog called "Laser Flash" that they send out for free. According to Tina Lieu of S&S, "Regarding our mailing list, we send all new customers at least three months worth of 'Laser Flash'. Any account which is inactive after three or four months is dropped from the active mailing list to receive the 'Laser Flash'. However, we send accounts which have been active in the last year, a postcard from time to time with a list of our specials of the month." Call them and ask to be put on the mailing list but don't forget to mention that you heard about them on the Internet. Q: How do I get onto LaserNet (S&S's Bulletin Board Service)? A: S&S recently dropped their $10 (refundable) startup fee for LaserNet access. Now anyone with a PC/Mac can use it. Here are the details: Phone #: 617-894-5990 Modem Lines: 4 Modems: 14,400 baud Zoom Settings: Terminal type = NONE or ASCII Data bits = 8 Parity = NONE Stop bits = 1 FYI: The first couple of times I logged on, I had my terminal type set to VT100 (by default) and it was horrible. New users must register (type NEW at the Main Menu) and enter the following info: name, address, phone number, customer number (if any), type of computer you use (PC or Mac), date of birth, a user-ID (29 characters maximum, no numbers) and a password (9 characters maximum, using letters &/or numbers). According to "Laser Flash", they will send you a free guide when you sign up and believe me, you'll need it because the command set is as arcane as unix. To download the complete used LD list, at the Main Menu, type: FS/COMPLETE to access the "/COMPLETE" forum and then type: RS282D to bring up the downloading options. When done, enter X to eXit to the previous level. Repeat to eventually logoff. If you download the used LD list, please share it by posting it to the Net. Try to include the date of the download and delete any items that you have ordered. For the time being, S&S does not charge to access LaserNet but they warn that things may change after December 31, 1994. As with most BBSs, the connection to LaserNet requires a toll call. Q: Do they have an 800 number that I can use? A: No. That's why I've been campaigning for them to get connected to the Internet. Hopefully, my postings will generate enough business to show them that it would be worthwhile. Q: Are they going to get an Internet connection? A: Don't hold your breath. They have been investigating an Internet connection for some time now. Unfortunately, they are hampered by a lack of computer expertise on their staff. Hopefully, their recent set back hasn't discouraged them from proceeding. Q: Do they give discounts on new (not used) discs? A: Yes, their standard discount for all domestic titles is 10%. They regularly offer 15% to 20% discounts on pre-orders. Q: Do they handle imports and special orders? A: Yes, but they are not discounted. Some titles are listed in "Laser Flash"; most you have to call about. Q: Do they take back orders on used discs? A: No, only if the title was discontinued (see next item). Q: Do they take back orders on discontinued discs? A: Yes, they just introduced a new service to do this. There is a $10 non-refundable fee to register one title and a $5/title non-refundable fee for two or more (ordered at the same time). You get the disc(s) if and when they get it, at whatever price they would normally sell at. See "Laser Flash" for details. Q: Is S&S the best place for mail order? A: IMHO, it is one of the best; there are several good ones. See Bob Niland's FAQ file, LD14, for other suggestions. You can get all of Bob's laser video disc FAQ files via anonymous ftp from ftp.csn.org (128.138.213.22). Look in the Laserdisc subdirectory. Q: What does "WOK TALK, INC. DBA SIGHT & SOUND" mean? A: This cryptic message, which appears on their packages and letterhead, was the topic of discussion on the Net last year. "DBA" means Doing Business As. It seems that they were originally incorporated as "WOK TALK" but function under the business name: "Sight & Sound".