So Hot Out Of The Box: DVDs Cheap As Chips

DVD collections from this online company are about as cheap as they come.

CHEAP + GOOD | Shopping online is such big business that it feels pretty safe. Still it’s a leap of faith to buy from companies you’ve never heard of that do not have a gargantuan brick and mortar setup like Staples or a solid online presence like Shopbop.com.

My friend Debbi admits to having felt slight misgivings when she ordered all five seasons (60 episodes) of The Wire from DVD Collects, an online company she had never heard of with DVD prices that were cheap as chips.

“I had tried to rent The Wire at my local video store,” she says, “but the experience was always frustrating. Either they didn’t have the episodes I wanted, or I got the episodes and didn’t have time to watch them before they had to go back.” Debbi says she could have downloaded episodes over the Internet but didn’t want to watch them on her computer and didn’t know anyone who could “rip” a DVD.

Clearly, purchasing the boxed set was the way to go. Debbi checked first on Amazon.ca where the five-season set sells new for $149. Then she looked on DVD Collects where the same set was $43.99. Both sites charged shipping and handling, and DVD Collects also charged duty. Even at that, DVD Collects was still so much cheaper than Amazon she decided to go for it.

“There is always a risk when you buy online from a company you don’t know,” she says. “You have to be prepared to lose your money. In this case, the financial risk wasn’t that great.”

And the reward? “I can’t remember now—it was a few months ago—but the turnaround time was quick. And the quality of the discs was excellent—as good as anything I’ve gotten anywhere else. Not like the copy of Borat I bought for $5 several years ago on subway platform in Manhattan.”

Which brings up the subject of pirated discs. With prices this good—Friends, seasons 1-10,  $53.99; Grey’s Anatomy, seasons 1-6, $52.99; Project Runway, seasons 1-6, $49.99—some Internet complainers feel that DVD Collects products can’t be legit.

“It’s pure speculation at this point,” says Debbi. “This company has been around on the Internet since 2007, and they’re still here. You’d think if there were problems, they’d be gone by now. I’ll definitely order from them again.”—C. Rule

To learn more about DVD Collects, visit their website dvdcollects.com

Photo: C. Phaisalakani