Did Amazon Cash In Big On Oprah Viewers' Confusion?
from the mistaken-identity dept
theodp writes "In mid-December, the NY Post credited an endorsement from Oprah on her 'Favorite Things' show for making Planet Earth the best-selling DVD set on Amazon. And Amazon just reported that the $54.99 boxed set was one of its three best-selling DVDs this holiday season in terms of units sold. It'd be ironic if the huge sales numbers can be attributed to The Oprah Effect, since the David Attenborough-narrated version of Planet Earth sold by Amazon certainly wasn't the same as the Sigourney Weaver-narrated version sold by the Discovery Channel Store that was actually on Oprah's List. That the Amazon version wasn't just-what-the-Oprah-ordered wasn't evident from the Amazon web site, although some customers tried to warn potential buyers. Wasn't Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos all about warning customers that they're getting the wrong video, even at the expense of sales? Will breaking the don't-mess-with-Oprah rule come back to haunt Amazon in the form of refund requests?"
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Filed Under: favorite things, oprah, planet earth
Companies: amazon
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different versions
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The other is in a Discovery box with Discovery labeling and Sigourney Weaver narrating.
What's the big difference??? I'd probably rather have the BBC one anyway...
But I'll admit Amazon and eBay are both really really bad about crap like this, but in the end it's just another reason that it pays to not be an idiot consumer when buying things on the interwebs.
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I was actually hoping that TechDirt was...
(Sigh.)
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Re:
Though, I am not certain that you committed the logical fallacy ad hominem.
Also, you never explain why she is a vile person. Thus your persuasiveness is zero.
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What's the big deal?
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different versions
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How many people bought the wrong HD format of that box set?
Ps. Oprah is nothing special!
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retarded people
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Amazon did them them a favor
90 More Minutes of footage
Narrated by probably the most respected makers and presenters of nature documentarys in the world with over 50 years experience
US Edition
90 Minutes less footage
Narrated by a hollywood actress who is a minor player in the environmentalist who is more known for killing aliens than anything else.
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Amazon didn't do anything shady
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HD Quality
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Re: HD Quality
No such thing as "true" or "not true" 1080p in any case.
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Oprah
But the BBC version was WAY better than the US version, which is probably why few people have asked for refunds.
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Not Amazon's fault
Both video's were for sale before the Oprah endorsement. So it isn't like the one video was put out trying to capitalize on the popularity from the endorsement.
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Props.
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Re: Re:
I will pipe all the pollution I breath from your SUV into your house for you to enjoy.
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TechDirt nails it -- I was suckered into wrong ver
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Re: TechDirt nails it -- I was suckered into wrong
Are you frickin kidding me? I hope this was tounge in cheek, because I cant even believe you might stop shopping at a place because you made a mistake.
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Re: TechDirt nails it -- I was suckered into wrong ver
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Kind of off topic but....
Believe me, I work in a book store and we never saw so many people come in and leave mad and empty-handed (and many who purchased later returned) as when she recommended James Frey's 'Million Little Pieces', which is about a bunch of drug addicts. People see a cool item on Oprah's show, they pos def go look at it but it doesn't mean that buy it, keep it, and revere it because of Oprah. We're not all lemurs, yanno.
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Re: Kind of off topic but....
"I decided that Obama had my vote long before Oprah threw her support his way" - Congratulations, but many people are supporting him based on Oprah's recommendation. The country is now deciding on the presidency of the United States in much the same manner that we purchase books. Very sad indeed.
"Furthermore, I like Ben Affleck way better and I seem to recall that he supported the Clintons." – You like him way better? OMG, do you like him this much (outstretched arms)?! Liking Ben Affleck is your personal problem and is apropos of nothing.
" Believe me, I work in a book store and we never saw so many people come in and leave mad and empty-handed" - Really? People actually left "mad" because they did not like a book that the big O recommended? Views on literature (and art in general) are subjective and differ from person to person. No reason to get mad just because Oprah likes a book that you don't. The fact that they are mad just goes to show that they are placing too much importance on someone else’s ability to make decisions for them.
"…which is about a bunch of drug addicts" - Are you implying that the book is bad because of its subject matter? So a book about drug addicts cannot be good? That is an odd sentiment from someone who works in a book store, believe me, I shop in book stores.
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Re: Re: Kind of off topic but....
I JUST CAME
IN MY PANTS!!!111!ONE!ONE11
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Re: Re: Kind of off topic but....
And as a matter of fact, I own both 'Million Little Pieces' and it's sequel, 'My Friend Leonard' and (once again) I owned them both before Oprah had James Frey on the show. In addition, I didn't return them after he finally admitted that it was mainly (partially?) fiction.
And how would it be an odd sentiment from someone who works in a book store? Are you saying that people who work in book stores can't have any negative opinions about books or genres? That's kind of silly. Personally, I see zero merit in books about vampire sex, but they just fly off the shelves. Is that an odd sentiment, also?
In discussing a celebrity endorement, I mentioned another celebrity endorsement. How is that 'appropriate of nothing'? (By the way, I think you mean 'has nothing to do with this', since 'apropo' means 'appropriate' and the phrase 'appropriate of nothing' is semantically null.)
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Moron.
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If however Amazon had some marketing material on the site suggesting that it was "Oprah recommended" then shame on them but that wasn't the case. Either way I'm sure both are very good although I've only seen the Attenborough version.
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Fuller Disclosure vs. Boldface
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Mystery solved...
I should have guessed something like this.
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You've got this story back to front
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Re: You've got this story back to front
That is just hilarious....thank you
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you are all hilarious...but!
if oprah has forgotten to recommended the sigourney weaver version then she's done you all a great favour.
firstly you get to see the planet earth as it was intended,by the bbc (not discovery,who never made the series).
secondly you and your families get to hear the accent of a different country to your own,there by bettering your geographical worldly sense,which ironicly is exactly what the planet earth is all about.
and lastly you get to realize that not everything is made by the united states of america,and that sometimes,somewhere outside of your "tunnel visioned country" there are other film makers who are making productive,educational wild life series much,much better than your own discovery channel can handle.
so with this and oprah's blessing, i recommend you buy the amazon virsion and learn about world nature issues through the eye's of a neutral observer.as apposed the the blinkered view of the american goverment of late.
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