DVD Technical Support

[Nala]

I'm not sure if this is the correct place or not. Disney DVD Technical Support only allows you to register 100 DVDs and then you have to start a new account. It's so frustrating as I have over 100 Disney DVDs and had to open a new account so I could register more. Does anyone else find this frustrating. I even e-mailed them about this and they said I'd have to create a new account to register more.

[Kram Nebuer]

Really? That really stinks! I didn't really like the system to begin with. It's not very reassuring when you simply just type in the titles and the website doesn't even confirm if it's a valid title. You can essentially write in whatever you want and pretend you own it. I don't know why anyone would do that, but it doesn't feel very secure and seems very primitive for a service put in place to replace malfunctioning/damaged DVDs. When I first started buying Disney DVDs back in 2001, I started to register them in case something happened to the discs. I eventually forgot to keep registering them until recently when I finally ran into a problem.

I bought a used DVD copy of Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: Friendship Edition from MovieStop. I've had very little problems with used DVDs and even the scratched ones had little trouble playing on my DVD players and computer. Sometimes I'd have incredible luck, e.g. my Rescuers DVD was sold as used, but when I opened the shrink wrap made by MovieStop, the original shrink wrap from Disney was still there! I was not so lucky with Pooh. The disc was immaculate, and it didn't even look like anyone touched it, let alone scratched it. Unfortunately, the DVD would not play. It would go to the WDHE logo and freeze and stop playing the DVD; sometimes if I hit skip repeatedly on my remote it would play it scrambled and freeze during the scrambled previews and if I kept hitting skip it would finally go to the menu, which worked fine, but the move would scramble. It wasn't until I played it on 4 different players and my laptop and getting the same or worse issues that I realized there must be something wrong with the playback and programming of the DVD itself.

I e-mailed Tech Support and here was their somewhat helpful, but ultimately disappointing reply:

Thank you for the e-mail regarding your Winnie the Pooh DVD. We are concerned about your inquiry and would like an opportunity to address this issue with greater detail. Since the disc was given to you second hand, we are unable to send out a replacement copy. There are a couple of options that you can try to get the DVD to play. First, try to reset your DVD player by unplugging the power cord on your DVD player for 10-15 minutes. While the DVD player is unplugged try to wipe the DVD off with a soft cloth, and verify that there are no scratches or fingerprints on the DVD. Then plug the player back in and load the DVD.

If the disc is still not working you can take advantage of our DVD replacement program. You can send in your damaged DVD and $6.95 to our Consumer Relations Department for a replacement copy of the same title. To take advantage of this great offer, please send your damaged DVD only. Please keep all original packaging. A check or money order should be sent made payable to:

WDHE Consumer Relations
DVD Replacement Program
PO Box 3100
Neenah, WI 54957-3100

If you need further information or have any other questions please contact us at 1-800-723-4763, Mondays 9:30-7:30 and Tuesday through Friday 9:30-6:30 CST.

Thank you,

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Technical Support

The tips on resetting my DVD player didn't work and I know there definitely were no scratches of smudges on the disc. MovieStop ensures the used discs are clean (though I guess they don't play them to make sure they work). They said they'll replace it if it still doesn't work, but since I got it used, I still have to pay for a new disc. I'm really annoyed that I have to pay at all because first of all, it wasn't the previous owner's fault for it not playing; it was the programming done by the DVD makers! BUT I must admit that it's ultimately my responsibility to pay for a new disc since I do assume that risk in buying a used DVD. I'm mostly annoyed with the previous owner b/c they most likely had the same problem playing it and instead of getting a free replacement through Disney DVD, they sell their problem to a Used DVD retailer for someone else to deal with. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Getting back on topic, the thing I noticed about their response was that they said NOTHING about registering the DVD title on their website. On the DVD inserts in the fine print it says you have to register the title to be eligible for the disc replacement program. Keep in mind, I hadn't updated my registered titles in a long time. I think Lion King 1 1/2 or Mulan Special Edition was the last time I registered titles. It kind of makes it seem pointless in a sense to register them when it seems like they're not even checking. Then again, how would they have any way of checking? You don't have to log in to the website to make a claim or complaint. You just provide your e-mail. I highly doubt Disney DVD would go to the trouble to cross check the e-mail with any accounts registered to Disney's websites and then see if the account had registered the DVD title in question and then not even awknowledge that the DVD had or had not been registered yet. I feel like this whole registering thing is just a gimmick to make you feel safe about replacing discs.

In short, Nala, I don't think it's worth it to get frustrated with their DVD registering website since it seems to serve little purpose. I prefer www.dvdaf.com because it's a much easier way to keep an online record of legitimate DVD titles you own, not limited to Disney. ETA: I see that you use Invelos.com. That site looks great!! I like all the information it gives about each DVD title you own. Hmm, maybe I shall start an account there, too!

If anyone has had any good experiences or had benefited from registering their DVD titles with WDSHE, PLEASE let us know!

[Nala]

I use DVD Profiler for all my DVDs but I use technical support to register Disney DVDs and I have more than 100 so I had to start a new account to register more Disney DVDs for the disc replacement program.