DVD security locks...

Ficheall · 20-12-2010 2:18pm #1

Don't know if this is in the right forum, and it's not really a complaint... but we bought a couple of dvds in Tesco last night, and the cashier guy didn't remove the "safety tags" or whatever they're called. (He also charged me 7euro for a dvd that was marked 5euro, but anyway..) A couple of alarms did go off as we exited, but nobody stopped us, we just assumed it was a faulty alarm, as often happens.
So we got home and tried to open the dvds.
Those 'safety locks' are remarkably difficult to open. We had to break one of the boxes into five or six pieces before we could get the dvd out, and the 'lock' was still intact. It's a very impressive piece of technology for a dvd which is only worth a fiver.

Does anyone know how exactly the machine the cashier has is supposed to open the safety locks? Is it a small electromagnetic charge?
Or is it all done with mirrors?

jor el · 20-12-2010 2:58pm

Why didn't you bring them back to be unlocked? Or even have them remove the locks when you were there, if you knew it was on when you weren't stopped going out. Smashing it open was a stupid thing to do.

Ficheall · 20-12-2010 3:52pm

I didn't know the lock was still on when we were leaving. I would, of course, have gone back if I'd known. But we didn't find out until we'd made it home which is a good half hour's walk from Tesco, and it was bloody cold out last night.

dudara · 20-12-2010 4:18pm

Do you mean that you took the DVD home in those plastic boxes that Tesco use to protect their DVDs?

Ficheall · 20-12-2010 4:26pm

No - that would be rather unforgiveable, I suppose

There's a little red tag that sticks on the inside. Here' the product actually.. or something very similar.
http://www.thevideostoreshopper.com/store/products/BLACK_RED_TAG_CASE_100_PCS-1517-26.html

dudara · 20-12-2010 4:30pm

Hmm - that's a new one to me. Back to Tesco to get them removed is what I'd suggest.

Ficheall · 20-12-2010 4:47pm

Too late now - the boxes have been forced open (with great difficulty). I'm not overly bothered - just thought they were an interesting little device...

wmpdd3 · 20-12-2010 5:02pm

if you call the store giving them the numbers on the bottom of your receipt, they may drop you out replacement dvds and take the 1s you opened, thats the usual where i work.

dotsman · 20-12-2010 9:43pm

Same thing happened to me in Dunnes. Bought them at the self-checkouts, so no "de-tagging" available. When I went through the security scanner it went off. I showed the dvd's to the security guard, as they were obviously the only thing in my shopping that would have set it off. He assured me that they were fine and that Dunnes didn't need to do anything.

After nearly doing serious damage to myself opening the first one (resulting the box being broken into many pieces), I found that a heavy duty scissors to be the best war to but the dvd case open.

Lesson learned. Don't buy dvds from Dunnes/Tesco again.

Stinicker · 21-12-2010 5:22am

Tesco are ridiculous with these locks, it is not just DVD's they have got several items including Condoms in these secuirity locks and there is practically never anyone to unlock them at the self service checkout. The op was right to smash them open I think.

castie · 21-12-2010 5:30am

Stinicker wrote: »

Tesco are ridiculous with these locks, it is not just DVD's they have got several items including Condoms in these secuirity locks and there is practically never anyone to unlock them at the self service checkout. The op was right to smash them open I think.

Completely different lock!

rubadub · 21-12-2010 10:30am

Ficheall wrote: »

A couple of alarms did go off as we exited,

Ficheall wrote: »

I didn't know the lock was still on when we were leaving..

Alarm bells should have gone off in your head!

Ficheall wrote: »

(He also charged me 7euro for a dvd that was marked 5euro, but anyway..)

You missed out on a free DVD so, using tescos overcharge policy you would have been refunded the 7euro and got to keep the DVD. You might be able to still go back.

Ficheall wrote: »

Does anyone know how exactly the machine the cashier has is supposed to open the safety locks?

Usually its a mating device which might push a pin inside some mechanism.

Tea_Bag · 21-12-2010 5:59pm

you can open them with a strong magnet.

fichillie · 21-12-2010 6:09pm

I got the same lock in a DVD bought in HMV. But the security lock was inside the outer plastic covering of the DVD. So ripped off the plastic when I got home and found it nearly impossible to open the actual DVD.Got it open eventually, but not without breaking the box slightly.
So it it the manufacturer or the store themselves using these locks?

P. Breathnach · 21-12-2010 6:26pm

Stinicker wrote: »

Tesco are ridiculous with these locks, it is not just DVD's they have got several items including Condoms in these secuirity locks ...

There are so many things I might say, but I don't really want to be banned from this forum.

Tea_Bag · 21-12-2010 6:26pm

fichillie wrote: »

I got the same lock in a DVD bought in HMV. But the security lock was inside the outer plastic covering of the DVD. So ripped off the plastic when I got home and found it nearly impossible to open the actual DVD.Got it open eventually, but not without breaking the box slightly.
So it it the manufacturer or the store themselves using these locks?

the store. i used to be the guy who put them in. horrible job.

oh and concider yourself lucky, they are designed to break the DVD in half if you try forcing the box open.

wmpdd3 · 21-12-2010 11:18pm

Stinicker wrote: »

Tesco are ridiculous with these locks, it is not just DVD's they have got several items including Condoms in these secuirity locks and there is practically never anyone to unlock them at the self service checkout. The op was right to smash them open I think.

I do agree, its hard to know you have to get your item untagged at the self service. My mum has walked a few times with different things still in safer cases.

But it is part of the job of the self-service attendant to remove all tags, that's why they won't escort you off to where the muffin cases are!

Seriously thought condoms have to be in cases, I put them out once without cases, customers filled condoms from 1 box into another and bought that or just opened every pack and had a look at them and then bought a sealed pack. After 3 hrs on the shelf there was €100 worth of damaged packs left!

People steal the contents of medicine packs, rob memory sticks from the packs, rob expensive face cream if not in a case. Razors....blades.....Basically if its not tagged its robbed!

Seriously OP if you had called the store, you could have gotten you stuff for free, as long as the dvd wasn't in the wrong place.

Ficheall · 22-12-2010 2:47am

Would using a strong magnet not **** up the dvd?

P. Breathnach wrote: »

There are so many things I might say, but I don't really want to be banned from this forum.

Aragh, go for it. It's not like your contributions would be missed

aidan_walsh · 22-12-2010 2:56am

DVDs are "printed", they're not magnetic.

wmpdd3 · 22-12-2010 7:21pm

Ficheall wrote: »

Would using a strong magnet not **** up the dvd?

Aragh, go for it. It's not like your contributions would be missed

The magnet is just at the opening:

http://www.retailsecurityworld.co.uk/Red-Tag-Detacher-Pre-Owned

Ste.phen · 22-12-2010 11:34pm

The self service checkouts have / had a sensor for the security tag and aren't supposed to let you finish paying until a staff member comes over to release the tag, Tesco fail

meoklmrk91 · 23-12-2010 2:22am

Bought a DVD in tesco a few weeks ago, same thing happened. I broke the thing open but then the DVD wouldn't work. I didn't bother going back cause tesco have **** customer service, my mother bought a dvd for me in the same one last christmas, she bought the wrong one so she went to take it back, they refused to refund her money because the plastic wrapping was not on the DVD, it wasn't on it when she bought it, we tried explaining that to the manager but she was a bad mannered b****, i wouldnt have let her run a bath nevermind the shop. I really wouldn't mind if it wasn't for the fact that there were plenty of dvd's on the shelves with no wrapper on them. If they won't take them back like that then they shouldn't be selling them like that.

stripysocks85 · 23-12-2010 1:37pm

Eh no. Just make sure the security lock is removed.

I've never had any issues with either Dunnes or Tesco in this regard.

wmpdd3 · 24-12-2010 12:36am

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

Bought a DVD in tesco a few weeks ago, same thing happened. I broke the thing open but then the DVD wouldn't work. I didn't bother going back cause tesco have **** customer service, my mother bought a dvd for me in the same one last christmas, she bought the wrong one so she went to take it back, they refused to refund her money because the plastic wrapping was not on the DVD, it wasn't on it when she bought it, we tried explaining that to the manager but she was a bad mannered b****, i wouldnt have let her run a bath nevermind the shop. I really wouldn't mind if it wasn't for the fact that there were plenty of dvd's on the shelves with no wrapper on them. If they won't take them back like that then they shouldn't be selling them like that.

Who in their right mind would offer change of mind on a dvd, the shop would be out of business in a week! Plastic or no plastic.

meoklmrk91 · 24-12-2010 4:04am

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Who in their right mind would offer change of mind on a dvd, the shop would be out of business in a week! Plastic or no plastic.

It wasn't a change of mind it was simply the wrong one.

wmpdd3 · 24-12-2010 4:52am

'change of mind' means a non fualty return,

rubadub · 24-12-2010 10:50am

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Who in their right mind would offer change of mind on a dvd, the shop would be out of business in a week! Plastic or no plastic.

HMV do it and are still in business! I think you get 21 days, I would sometimes gladly pay a few euro more for an item since they have this policy.

DVD security locks...

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