Photo surprise for DVD buyer

A Dick Smith shopper got a bit of a shock when she stumbled across someone's private photos on a recently bought DVD.

Masterton woman Catherine Cockeram said she purchased a five-pack of DVDs from Masterton's Dick Smith a couple of weeks ago, and when she went to copy her own photographs on to one she discovered it contained 40 photographs of a wedding, which looked like it was held in the 1960s, in Christchurch.

The DVD also had photos of what appeared to be the couple's honeymoon, or first home.

"I was just having a little browse, as you do, and thought these are cool, really old-school," she said.

They were packaged in a cardboard slip, with a security tag, and cost $7.50. There was no sticker advising they were used goods.

As a wedding photographer herself, with an interest in old-fashioned clothing, she said it was ironic the photos came to her and she had "coat envy" looking through them.

Mrs Cockeram wants to find the owner of the "mysterious" DVD and avoid destroying the images.

"One of my friends said 'It's lucky that it's gone to you and not someone that just wants to throw it away, if it does end up being quite a precious thing'.

"I just want to find out whose they are because if they were my photos I'd want them back."

Dick Smith operations manager Carl Whiteman said it was "concerning" the DVD had been re-sold as something personal, like photographs, should have been destroyed by the store.

"It's not ideal. We'd never want anything with someone else's information or memories being sold to someone else," Mr Whiteman said.

The company followed a stringent process when it came to returned goods. "It is against the law obviously to sell used goods. Generally we put a not new sticker on it and we check it". The original owner may have thought the DVDs did not work so returned them. Mr Whiteman said Dick Smith would happily replace the pack.

The photos appear to be scanned so it is likely the owner still has the originals.