A week or so ago, I posted this DJ mix I made using M-Audio’s Torq Mixlab. To get some of those hot beats, I actually had to pay money for insanely hard-to-find white label DJ remixes, which I didn’t mind in the least bit. I used DJDownload.com, which has a fantastic selection of tracks, an nice UI, good prices, and unrestricted, DRM-free MP3 files.
Well yesterday, I couldn’t find a remix I was looking for. I ended up trying out a site called 7Digital.com. After deceiving me into thinking I was purchasing a 192Kbps DRM-free MP3 file, I paid the USD equivalent of one pound and went to download my track. Only after paying does 7Digital then mention that you’re getting a shit 192Kbps WMA file chock full o’ DRM. I was pissed, but I tried to make the best out of a situation. I went to playback the file so I could at least convert it to MP3 and hear what it sounded like. Guess what? It didn’t play, it still doesn’t play, and it will never play.
So I e-mailed 7Digital.com and asked them for a refund, noting that I would never use their incredibly deceptive website ever again. I got a response back that essentially told me that I was wrong, that I should update Windows Media Player, etc. etc. – just lines of BS. Well guess what. I’ve had it with them. They can keep the measly buck or two they made off me and in return, I’m warning all of you to NEVER EVER TO USE 7DIGITAL.COM. If you have a website, blog, or even elementary-school newspaper, be sure to repost this and inform people that they will take your money and will not deliver the goods. Play it safe and get the facts before downloading off new websites you don’t know about.
UPDATE: Those bastards knew they messed with the wrong dude and refunded me. Speaking out against crooks FTW.
Since when digital download stores sell WMA files? Wow. I didn’t know that. What a bunch of scumbags!
Funny ;) So, this must have been your first encounter with digital ‘major label’ content on the net? Napster and many others are WMA only. I checked that website… I mean… there’s an icon indicating the available formats of a download. Some are WMA only, others seem to be available in AAC and MP3. But I agree, it’s easy to overlook that. They should make it easier to recognize the different formats.
Hey Vince
Sorry for the hassles you had had buying from 7digital. It certainly wasn’t our intention to deceive or mislead.
We dislike DRM as much as you clearly do, but unfortunately deciding which tracks can only be sold with DRM is one not made by us – it’s made by the content owner. Wherever possible we like to sell tracks in MP3 and AAC as well (at 320kbps even) – and have done long before others music download providers saw DRM-free as a novel marketing opportunity.
We make sure that the product page lists the formats that each track is available in and are delighted that the market is moving away from DRM, and are in the process of converting more and more of our catalogue to MP3 format in light of the recent change in policy by EMI. The good news is that Mute is a subsidiary of EMI so is scheduled to be sold as MP3 soon.
As for the non-playability of the track, we do rarely sometimes get supplied faulty files, which is probably the case in this instance – we will make sure that if the file is bad it will be swiftly replaced.
Cheers
James
Thanks for this site!
hifue.info