| poppo 30.05.2010 03:05 |
Yesterday I won a Mad Bad-Cd on Ebay for only $8,99. Today another version was up again by the same seller (link. I think that these might be pirate copies. Does anyone here have any experience with this seller (stuck_inside)? |
| LuckyRocks 30.05.2010 04:41 |
Hello - sorry to tell you that but... it seems that ebay is flooded by pirated items from The Cross! This already was posted on the german fan club site (queenfcg.de)! Be aware buying Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know and Blue Rock. These are fake / counterfeit pressings very likely!!! The genuine editions went for much more money than the fake pressings. LuckyRocks |
| poppo 30.05.2010 05:30 |
I already thought so. I know that this CD normally sells for much more. I didn't pay yet, I first mailed the seller for an explanation. |
| Wiley 30.05.2010 11:06 |
I've been meaning to ask this in the last couple of weeks. I actually won TWO eBay auctions with Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know, both in around $20 USD. This happened just before you started seeing a million copies of these on eBay. Hopefully, mine (at least one) will be original, but I'm starting to doubt. :( Does anybody know how to tell the difference from an original CD and the pirate versions? |
| Penetration_Guru 30.05.2010 13:45 |
Well, I've got some genuine ones, so post some pics of the version you've got and I'll tell you! |
| Wiley 30.05.2010 21:48 |
Penetration_Guru wrote: Well, I've got some genuine ones, so post some pics of the version you've got and I'll tell you! Will do that. Thanks Guru! |
| Micrówave 31.05.2010 06:16 |
This sucks. But I kind of have to ask, why would anyone counterfeit this CD? Surely there's not gonna be that big of a market for these now. Wouldn't it make better sense to counterfeit the actual solo albums instead? |
| Saint Jiub 31.05.2010 13:50 |
Micrówave wrote: This sucks. But I kind of have to ask, why would anyone counterfeit this CD? Surely there's not gonna be that big of a market for these now. Wouldn't it make better sense to counterfeit the actual solo albums instead? Larger profit margin of course. MBaDtK is the most difficult queen related album to obtain. In the 1990's (before e-bay) it took me years to find it at a reasonable price whereas every other solo was easy for me to obtain. |
| Wiley 31.05.2010 14:15 |
I agree with the Larger margin comment, but why would they flood eBay with these pirate copies? I mean, sell many of them all roughly at the same time and only recently. I had looked for that CD along with Blue Rock for over a year now and they only appeared every month or so. Now, all of a sudden, there's 5 of each at any given time, many different sellers. Obviously, the first few went for 20-30 USD but now some are fetching less than 10 USD. Some do not sell at all. |
| Wiley 31.05.2010 18:35 |
I received both MBADTK CD's today. They are both identical, except one comes with a transparent tray and the other one has a black tray. I am attaching a scan of the booklet and the CD and I am already expecting the worst :S. The disc says Made in Switzerland. In the inner part of the disc I can see some letters and numbers (the matrix number, perhaps?). It says: ICM K013107 CDP 793924-2 1 1 3 0 1 0 1 Anybody who has the real deal (Guru?), can you please take me out of my misery and tell me if these are fake or not? Thanks! EDIT: There is some problem with the image loaded. Here is a link: link |
| Jjeroen 01.06.2010 05:45 |
Hmmm... the matrix number matches the original... BUT on mine, and on all the other originals I have seen, the disc itself is colour printed... It has the yellowish colour as on the booklet, although the text as in your picture is identical... |
| Holly2003 01.06.2010 06:20 |
Wow mine must be worth a fortune: it has Mad Bad and Dangerous and Blue Rock on the same CD! lol |
| Wiley 01.06.2010 14:50 |
Jeroen, Thanks for the comment. Is your CD made in Switzerland as well? Is there any possibility that the CD in the UK version is printed in color and the Swiss one is like the one I have? It is weird that the Matrix number is correct but the rest seems doubtful. Something about the disc doesn't look or feel right, though. I know there are other official-yet-obscure releases that have shady manufacture, print, etc. I hope this thread had been put in a forum where more people would read it, but I don't want to open other threads just to 'demand' an answer to my question. Any additional feedback will be appreciated. Hopefully, this will happen within the next 5 days or so, because I have to decide if I want to return the CDs or keep them. PS: By the way, one of the CDs I got I bought it from the same eBay seller that the Original poster mentions. The other CD I got it from someone else at eBay. |
| YourValentine 02.06.2010 03:04 |
I cannot open the attachment, can you send it to me via email, Jayce? |
| Jjeroen 02.06.2010 05:49 |
Wiley wrote: Jeroen, Thanks for the comment. Is your CD made in Switzerland as well? Is there any possibility that the CD in the UK version is printed in color and the Swiss one is like the one I have? It is weird that the Matrix number is correct but the rest seems doubtful. Something about the disc doesn't look or feel right, though. I know there are other official-yet-obscure releases that have shady manufacture, print, etc. I hope this thread had been put in a forum where more people would read it, but I don't want to open other threads just to 'demand' an answer to my question. Any additional feedback will be appreciated. Hopefully, this will happen within the next 5 days or so, because I have to decide if I want to return the CDs or keep them. PS: By the way, one of the CDs I got I bought it from the same eBay seller that the Original poster mentions. The other CD I got it from someone else at eBay. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wiley, yes, it's also a Swiss pressing. As I said: the text on the disc is identical - on the original it also has this weird thing of the line "P 1990 the copyright in this sound recording" on the right side, going into the copyright text along the edge of the disc... which looks weird - amateurish. I'm also a bit lost here. Never expected the matrix numbers to match.... Does your version have a full booklet? 12 pages, numbered, yellowish paper with lyrics. Could you upload a scan of the tray inlay? Maybe we'll find something there? What does you booklet smell like? ;-)) |
| poppo 02.06.2010 06:00 |
I mailed the seller with the question if it was an original pressing, since he offered another MAD BAD cd the day after I won the CD. He mailed me back saying that it was a normal factory pressed CD, not a CD-R, with artwork. He thought it was a reissue. I mailed him back that there are no reïssues of this album, so it must be a counterfeit and that I am not going to buy it. I didn't get an answer to that (I mailed him two days ago). |
| Wiley 02.06.2010 08:33 |
YourValentine wrote: I cannot open the attachment, can you send it to me via email, Jayce? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Barbara, the attachment didn't go well, for some reason, but you can click on this URL to see the image. link. I don't think I have your email at hand but I will look for it and send you the file later today. Jjeroen: The trays on both CDs are different. One is transparent and kinda looks good. The other one is black but REALLY BLACK, and not the dark gray-almost black trays most CDs have. It is glossy/shiny looking and not opaque, too. Looks cheap, though. The booklet looks good enough, actually. I will scan more of it when I get to the office in an hour or so. I contacted both sellers but neither has replied. I told them I suspected they were pirate/counterfeit editions and that I had 7 days to return the CDs per their own policies. The Return policy on one of the auctions says the seller covers for return shipping costs, while I have to pay for the return of the other. Thanks for your help!!! |
| Jjeroen 02.06.2010 11:22 |
Wiley wrote: Jjeroen: The trays on both CDs are different. One is transparent and kinda looks good. The other one is black but REALLY BLACK, and not the dark gray-almost black trays most CDs have. It is glossy/shiny looking and not opaque, too. Looks cheap, though. I meant the paper inlay on the back, hehe, the one behind the tray, not the tray itsself ;-) The paper that shows the titles, label-info and barcode... ;-) |
| Penetration_Guru 02.06.2010 15:10 |
I wouldn't worry about the tray - that could be damage replacement. Odd though - the disc I have is identical in every way - matrix number, layout of information, font, content...except one thing. Yours is printed onto the silver disc. Mine is a yellow label stuck to the disc. Now this in itself doesn't necessarily mean you have a pirate - it could just be a second pressing. BUT - there surely wasn't enough demand for a second pressing? AND wouldn't a second pressing have a matrix number ending in 2, or is that not how these things work? Final point....I've probably had about a dozen MBADTK CD's over the years. All had a yellow label. In short - I can't prove it's a pirate... |
| Wiley 02.06.2010 15:27 |
Guru... thanks very much for your very detailed feedback! For some reason, I knew you would have a lot of info (your nickname, perhaps?) :P So, it's still non-conclusive. Here's an additional clue: the back cover/tray print, as requested by Jjeroen. (Jjeroen: Of course you meant the back sleeve and NOT the tray, duh! hehe) link The print quality is lost on the scan. It looks MUCH better in real life. About this: Eventhough I've never had an original MBADTK CD in my hands, the print quality is VERY good. I happen to have a fake French Mr. Bad Guy CD and the print quality on the booklet and the back cover wasn't perfect. On that particular CD I had an extra clue... the matrix number didn't match, so 1+1 = fake. On this one, it's not that easy. Thank you all. |
| poppo 03.06.2010 05:15 |
The seller (stuck_inside) put another one on Ebay (link. Can't imagine he has a dozen official Mad Bad cd's. |
| Jjeroen 03.06.2010 07:41 |
Tsjah.... looked at the inlay scan and you guessed it: it's identical to the original..... Which means we will stay puzzled, I guess. As PG suggested, I indeed also never heard of a second pressing of this album... But I am 'glad' that PG confirms my thoughts about the yellow on the disc... Another thing I noticed, but now I am starting to look at rediciolous details, is that the staples in the booklet are in a slightly different place... A detail, but it does make it unlikely that your booklet was printed at the same time by the same machine... And indeed the fact that the seller has so many copies makes it more unlikely that this is genuine... That counterfeiting is getting so annoying - do we realy have to start looking at the position of staples now to see if something is genuine or not?! |
| Wiley 04.06.2010 08:59 |
Shameless bump :). I don't know. I guess I'll return one and keep the other. It is a good album after all and the CD looks and sounds good. Apparently nobody had seen this 'edition'. So, it's either THE BEST counterfeit/pirate copy ever or a NEVER BEFORE SEEN second/alternate print. Sadly, I know which one is more likely :S. |
| Penetration_Guru 04.06.2010 11:33 |
It's not that unusual to have more than one copy - I've probably got 4. Don't damn the seller on that basis... |
| Jjeroen 04.06.2010 11:49 |
Penetration_Guru wrote: It's not that unusual to have more than one copy - I've probably got 4. Don't damn the seller on that basis... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't - not on that alone. ;-) |
| Wiley 04.06.2010 11:50 |
One of the sellers I got one of the CD's from (fastdecision777) has another MBADTK for sale. He replied to me, said that the CD looked genuine for him and he hadn't seen the other edition (the authentic). He offered full refund for the CD including shipping, so it looks like he is honest. Also, this user has a 18813 grade in eBay so it must be a STORE and not an individual. It's not rare to get more than one identical CD if you're into that business, I guess. The other CD I got it from stuck_inside. Haven't heard from him, though. If I had paid $8.99 for these CDs I would keep one... hell, I would keep BOTH. But I paid $20 for EACH of them. $20 sounds like a very good (yet realistically possible) price for an original MBADTK, but not for a possible fake. |
| Wiley 11.06.2010 16:51 |
I am about to return BOTH CDs. Poppo, did you get your CD from this stuck_inside guy? He says he had never seen the Swiss CD before but he honestly thinks it's original. I have told him it is very likely those are pirate versions. Anybody else has comments about this? |
| poppo 12.06.2010 04:07 |
I didn't pay for the CD, so I also didn't receive it :-) |
| Wiley 12.06.2010 18:25 |
Well, I'm returning both CDs on Monday. Both sellers accepted the return right away and one of them will even pay for shipping back the item. Nothing gained, very little lost. I will continue my search for an original copy of MBADTK at a fair price. |
| Micrówave 14.06.2010 05:15 |
Please Wiley (or anyone else for that matter), don't take offense at this. You probably should have cleared that issue with the seller prior to bidding, as you've cost him (1) The amount he paid to ship the item to you, (2) the time he spent sending that to you, (3) the listing fee from ebay, and (4) the final sale commision charged by ebay. Kinda not fair to that seller... just a thought, looking at it from his point-of-view, but he's probably out $5 or so. |
| Wiley 14.06.2010 08:38 |
No offense taken, Micro, and I agree with your point. That's the seller's Return policy, though, which I knew up front. I didn't really ask him to make an exception or anything. Apparently, this guy owns a store (he has an eBay score in the thousands range) and I guess he wouldn't have that return policy if he couldn't afford it or if he wasn't very sure about customer satisfaction and the items he sells. I chatted with him over eBay messages and talked about the World Cup with him. He's a very nice person. I was lucky, just not lucky enough to get a MBADTK CD at a fair price (TWICE!), hehe :). |
| OwenSmith 19.06.2011 12:35 |
(This is a year later, sorry if that's a problem.) I've just bought a Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know on amazon.co.uk marketplace and it is exactly as per the pictures posted on this thread ie. the numbers in the inner ring on the CD are correct, the booklet and back inlay are both very well printed and look right. The CD is black lettering on a silver background as per the picture in this thread. One thing I noticed is that if you hold the disc up, it is semi transparent and you can easily see through it. It is clearly not a CD-R. Having looked at other CDs with a full printed picture label, I reckon they'd be see through as well (if the picture wasn't there) since you can see the back of the picture through them under strong lighting (halogen spotlamp). I think only the old black on silver CDs had a more opaque silver layer. The sound quality on the disc is perfect, I can't fault it at all (unlike the music, where the only good tracks are the small number that Roger wrote). It looks to me as if more discs were made, but for some reason they omitted the full printed background on the CD itself. Weird. I've got Blue Rock on the way, but I suspect I won't like it since even fewer of the tracks are written by Roger. I'm glad The Cross broke up on the evidence so far, because Roger's following solo album Happiness? is one of my favourite albums (I also really like Strange Frontier). |
| Wiley 30.06.2011 12:50 |
Another post in this thread after almost exactly a year! I returned both CDs but, sadly, only got a refund for one of them. Then I got another MBADTK CD off eBay and this one has the yellow label on it. I would kick myself to death if these "silver" CDs turn out to be originals and - gulp - RARE... I had two on my hands and ended up returning them. |
| catqueen 04.07.2011 13:40 |
That is such a pain :( |
