# Buying One CD, Getting a Different One **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2000, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034 "2000-12-04T23:00:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sulawesi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@sulawesi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sulawesi)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/1 "2000-12-04T23:00:17Z")
I bought a Soundgarden CD (_A-Sides_). I opened it, put it in my CD player and realized right off the bat that this was not Soundgarden. It was country music. Bad country music. It had a different number of tracks and everything. I took it out and looked at it. It said “Soundgarden / A-Sides.” I played it again. It definitely wasn’t Soundgarden. So what the hell? Has this happened to anyone else (especially anyone who has this particular CD)? How did it happen? Does this even make any sense? Thanks for listening. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DoperChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@DoperChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoperChic)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/2 "2000-12-04T23:08:12Z")
This might not be totally related, but here goes… I order from BMG a lot. On my very first order, I ordered a Dixie Chicks CD. They wound up sending me some Spanish CD instead. I couldn’t find any return address to ship it back. I didn’t try looking to hard, because even if I were to ship it back, it probably would’ve cost me an arm and a leg. I’ve never had the right CD play the wrong music. This is as close as I’ve gotten, Zero. ---
**Author:** ![slackergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@slackergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slackergirl)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/3 "2000-12-04T23:36:16Z")
This happened with a game CD from Hasbro a couple of years ago. A bunch of people tried to by Boggle (or something similar, I don’t remember anymore), but got Monopoly World Cup Soccer edition instead. If you contact the company chances are they are aware of the mistake by now and will replace it. ---
**Author:** ![slackergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@slackergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slackergirl)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/4 "2000-12-04T23:42:03Z")
Oh good grief. ‘buy Boggle’, except I just remembered that it was actually Mastermind. ---
**Author:** ![Palandine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/958977/32.png) [@Palandine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palandine)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/5 "2000-12-04T23:43:05Z")
I bought Public Image Limited’s “Cassette” a long time ago. Played it, and it was the Threepenny Opera, or something like that. Odd. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/6 "2000-12-04T23:44:02Z")
Probably both CD’s were pressed at the same plant and just got mixed up. Back in the mid-80’s, somebody bought Kate Bush’s _Hounds of Love_ and got a Beatles CD instead. The interesting part was that the Beatles CD wasn’t available yet. AND THE GUY RETURNED IT!! ---
**Author:** ![beakerxf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc79bd/32.png) [@beakerxf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beakerxf)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2000, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/7 "2000-12-04T23:52:53Z")
I’ve bought a CD only to open it and…no CD. I then looked at the wrapping and it wasn’t the usual cellophane. Most likely someone opened the case, stole the CD, and then rewrapped it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/8 "2000-12-05T13:20:23Z")
This happened to the CD of the Jesus Christ Superstar video. The first pressing had a computer program on it. Since it didn’t play, people returned them to the record store, the company was alerted, and they were recalled. However, word was out about the mistake, and collectors started begging the stores for them. I got a blank copy of it. After hearing the real thing, the blank one sounds better. I’d keep it. Those mistakes only increase in value. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/9 "2000-12-05T14:00:55Z")
I thought this was a thread about CD catalog companies sending consumers CDs other than the ones they ordered. This used to happen to me all the time several years ago before I abandoned CDs for Napster. Bothered me to no end, and it justified (in my mind) all those people who rip of BMG and others by changing their address or using fake names. ---
**Author:** ![doc\_miller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f05b48/32.png) [@doc\_miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doc_miller)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/10 "2000-12-05T14:14:04Z")
I’ve had this exact thing happen. I bought a copy of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, but the music was a trumpet concerto (don’t remember which one). Keep it as an oddity, or return for an exchange. Scott ---
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/11 "2000-12-05T19:26:54Z")
I bought The Beatle’s “Beatles For Sale” recently and the disc had Pink Floyd’s “Piper At The Gates Of Dawn” on it. The worst thing about this was that I discovered this when I was stoned out of my mind. I had plopped the disc into my 5-disc player, and started on another CD, sat down at the computer to do a little surfin’ on the net, lit up a big doobie, and proceeded to enjoy a nice little groove…until I realized I was listening to something I had absolutey never heard before. I started looking around, wondering what was the source of this strange music, and then I realized it was coming from my stereo :eek: !!! I walked over, opened the cd player…hhhhmmm the CDs in the player seemed in order…hhmmmm what is going on!!! Played each CD and got to “Beatles For Sale” and AHA!!! Laughed my stupid stoned ass off until I could laugh no more. Dope + CD Pressing Mixup = :wally ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/12 "2000-12-05T19:34:19Z")
The closest thing i’ve had happen is when my Let it Bleed CD had the tracks in the wrong order, but I don’t think it was just mine with that problem…and at least it had all the music. Just in a diff. order than it said on the back. Freaked me out when I first listened to it… ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/13 "2000-12-05T21:36:58Z")
Cassette stories: 1. Worked at a record store (early CD era). Customer wanted to return a Motley Crue cassette because it ‘sounded funny’. Popped it in the deck - it had the heavy drums and bass of a metal band, but the singing was country. Obviously two different songs, but when they meshed rhythmically, it was hysterical. Evidently two taped were dubbed onto one cassette (or one was dubbed and not fully erased). I bought the tape from the customer and kept it until it finallly broke. 2. Bought a copy of Strauss’ “Das Rosenkavalier” with Teresa Stratas, popped it in the tape deck. The whole thing played BACKWARDS. Yup, like it was backmasked. Still have that one. ---
**Author:** ![zyzzyva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@zyzzyva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zyzzyva)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2000, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-one-cd-getting-a-different-one/44034/14 "2000-12-05T22:19:38Z")
I first heard about this a few years ago. I think it might be an urban legend, but it’s still funny: > [@](#): > > **A major Christian radio network is alerting its member stations to check their latest shipments of religious compact discs before airing them. It seems that some of the CDs were mislabelled at the factory and shipped along with the religious ones. The mislabeled CDs were by THE DEAD KENNEDYS and include such songs as “I Kill Children.” The network says "some Christian listeners may not find these songs inspirational."** Just so you know, “I Kill Children” begins with a rather menacing voice saying, “God told me to skin you alive!” 😃