That only leaves litigation, and that become an exercise in frustration when you consider that the money lost is around $15, while the costs can become quite step, even in small claims court.
Return them for being goods not as described. If they won't take them, threaten to sue. You bought an audio CD, taken to mean a disc as per the red book specification, and what you got wasn't that, so you're entitled to a refund.
That might work in theory, but have you ever tried to explain red book/ blue book to a Best Buy PHB? More often than not they clam up and scream "STORE POLICY" like they were perfomring an exorcism. That only leaves litigation, and that become an exercise in frustration when you consider that the money lost is around $15, while the costs can become quite step, even in small claims court.
Terms of a contract strike you as unfair? Don't agree to it!
Two counterpoints, if I may.
First, most DRM encrusted products that are purchased by the consumer(cd's, DVD's, etc.) do not have the "contract" (EULA) printed on the case. So the consumer is usually not aware of this "contract" until it pops up on their screen after purchasing and opening the product.
Second, most big box stores (Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart, etc.) have a policy that does not allow consumers to return opened items of the types that are most commonly afflicted with DRM software.
So a consumer can easliy find themselves in the position of purchasing a product and not being able to use it if they will not accept the terms of the "contract" being offered, but they cannot return the product because the store will not accept returns on opened items of this type. It is not so much the "contract" itself that is the issue, but the conditions under which the "contract" is offered.
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That only leaves litigation, and that become an exercise in frustration when you consider that the money lost is around $15, while the costs can become quite step, even in small claims court.
I mean steep. (Ealry morning posting)
Return them for being goods not as described. If they won't take them, threaten to sue. You bought an audio CD, taken to mean a disc as per the red book specification, and what you got wasn't that, so you're entitled to a refund.
That might work in theory, but have you ever tried to explain red book/ blue book to a Best Buy PHB? More often than not they clam up and scream "STORE POLICY" like they were perfomring an exorcism. That only leaves litigation, and that become an exercise in frustration when you consider that the money lost is around $15, while the costs can become quite step, even in small claims court.
Terms of a contract strike you as unfair? Don't agree to it!
Two counterpoints, if I may.
First, most DRM encrusted products that are purchased by the consumer(cd's, DVD's, etc.) do not have the "contract" (EULA) printed on the case. So the consumer is usually not aware of this "contract" until it pops up on their screen after purchasing and opening the product.
Second, most big box stores (Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart, etc.) have a policy that does not allow consumers to return opened items of the types that are most commonly afflicted with DRM software.
So a consumer can easliy find themselves in the position of purchasing a product and not being able to use it if they will not accept the terms of the "contract" being offered, but they cannot return the product because the store will not accept returns on opened items of this type. It is not so much the "contract" itself that is the issue, but the conditions under which the "contract" is offered.