More Info on Changes at Blockbuster

"The Blockbuster Video Guy" sent me some additional rumors, er, information on the changes at Blockbuster.

When you rent a movie after January 1st, you have a one-week grace period before they charge you for the movie, less the rental price. If you return the movie before 30 days have passed, you will be issued a credit less a restocking fee of $1.25. After 30 days, no refund will be issued.

He noted that while they used to send outstanding balances to collection agencies, they did not report them to the credit bureaus. They will now be reporting to the major credit bureaus, so you could find that a small late fee might prevent you from getting the best rate on a car or house loan.

If you pay off your outstanding balance, you might be able to get a coupon for one free rental. If you're finally getting around to paying that late fee balance, be sure to ask if there are any perks for coming clean (after January 1st).

He is also confirming that guaranteed in stock rentals are gone for good, so arrive early on Friday to get your new releases for the weekend. New Releases usually come out on Tuesday, so keep that in mind if you absolutely must see a movie the first day.

Comments

[davidg]

Way to go, Blockbuster! You successfully made a bunch of crappy changes!

ahahah this is the most stupid "program" ever developed which will guaranteed to lower guest satisfaction and make more people go to hollywood video.

[Lawilson]

People who can't pay thier debts due to being lazy bums should be reported to the bureaus. Maybe they'll wake up and realize that they should be more responsible. I don't agree with this new program though; I thought the current one was just fine. If you're late, you pay. That's life. :)

[Blockbuster Sucks]

This is a really dumb program. Just make all movies 3-day or 7-day rentals! If people don't return it after 7 days, they aren't going to return it after 30 days. The problem with BB isn't the late fees. It's long lines, $5/movie rentals, and no inventory. Netflix beats BB in all 3 of these critical categories.

[Aron]

Just go to charging 2$ + 1$/day for a rental and say keep it as long as you want. No due dates. No late fees. Simple.

I think Blockbuster wants to get some attention as a company that wants your business back. They are getting the attention. Without the intangible marketing value of the plan though I'm really left puzzled. I definately think the majority of customers will consider it a net positive. But I don't think it was worth the expense to Blockbuster (or their best option).

Who knows though. They've clearly tested it. Sometimes you get really surprising, non-predictable results. They appear to be valuing foot traffic in the store much like a .com might value page views. Tearing down the old negative brand image and rebuilding a new better Blockbuster is one of those potentially magic transformations that has people saying "man that Antioco flew in the face of naysayers and pulled off a coup."

I'm not betting on it turning out well just yet ;) It's fun watching from the sidelines. Where's the popcorn?

[Blockbuster Sucks]

"Sure, tardy Blockbuster members won't be hit with a $4 late fee if they're remiss in returning a rental. But if they keep the video 7 days past its assigned due date, they'll be charged for the movie in full at the going rate for that day. If customers don't want to own the Freaky Friday that Junior rented, they have 30 days to return it for store credit -- not cash -- minus the rental fee and a $1.25 "restocking" fee. "

You think I'd rather have a $9.99 movie which I paid $5 to rent be charged to my credit card at BB's suggested price (probably $25+) rather than being stuck with a late fee? You only get a CREDIT back even if you do decide to return it 3 weeks later. What am I going to do with a $25 credit at BB? No thought at all put into this plan. Like I said: long lines, $5/movie rentals, and no inventory. That's what people care about!

Get your facts straight smarty pants. BB's charging the previously viewed price and will give you a refund of your money - not just store credit. Read the other posts around and you'll get the facts.

There was "no thought at all put into" your posting.

Personally, I think it's great. I can keep the movie for over a month for about 6 bucks instead of 25.

[BOB]

Let me pass along a few words of wisdom on my Blockbuster experience. I joined Blockbuster the day they opened service last August, but kept my Netflix account running. I was not unhappy with Netflix, I just wanted to see how Blockbuster performed.

I found their service times far slower in my area (LA, CA). Netflix is 1-day-out-1-day-back here; Blockbuster never hit that level. I decided to kill the Blockbuster account 30 days in.

As a Netflix customer, you know that you are billed for your subscription on the same calendar day every month. Blockbuster tried billing me one day early, just as I was killing my subscription (9/28). I had to get them to credit the next month’s price.

Here comes the fun part: One of the reasons I killed it was because they kept losing my returned DVD’s in their Santa Ana, CA receiving facility. I had to use the “lost in the mail” feature several times.

So I made sure that I mailed all my remaining DVD’s several days before I killed the subscription.

On 10/09, I got two e-mails, stating they hadn’t received two titles; “Roxanne” and “Rodger Dodger”. The emails then stated they were going to charge me $21.44 PER DISC (!) for those missing titles. The message also stated that if they did get them back, they were still going to keep $2.99 of that as a “restocking fee”.

Now, Roxanne is a $14.98 LIST PRICE title that they were trying to stick me for $21.44. Remembering how Blockbuster had a class-action lawsuit against them a few years back? Well, I think this will be grounds for another one in the future (any enterprising ambulance chasers reading this?).

But, wait, it gets better. On 10/21 and 11/04, I received another two automated receipt messages for two other titles (“Shampoo” & Desert Bloom”) that I had shipped back EARLIER than Roxanne/Roger, but that they had never received, AND, never billed me as being overdue!

Then, on 10/28 and 11/04, Roxanne and Roger finally showed up in their system.

All this time, I was calling their “customer service” number and getting a busy signal. Finally, I called my VISA card company to dispute the charges.

In early November, I finally got thru on the CS phone line, waited half and hour, and explained the situation. The woman I spoke to agreed to refund the charges, including all the restock fees.

All of this is evidence that Blockbuster is just stretched to the limit in terms of resources. With that billion+ dollar quarterly loss announced two months ago, and the lowering of their price to $14.99, it just can't get any better anytime soon.

Also, I tried Wal-Mart last summer. Don't get me started on them, they are HORRENDOUS. Best example: They actually sent me a defective "Bull Durham" disc, for which thay have no return proceedure on their site. I returned the disc with the envelope markerd "defective", re-ordered it and they sent the SAME EXACT defective disc back to me!

My advice: For all their foilbles, Netflix is the only way to go right now.

FUCK NETFLIX H HAA

I LOVED HOLLYWOOD VIDEOS RENTAL ONLINE THE BEST EVEN THOUGH THERE STILL IN THERE BETA TESTING MODE CANNOT WAIT FOR THE REAL DEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hayabusa]

Wow you guys are really stupid. If you get your new releases tues, but keep them until the following monday, you dont have any late fees. and about going to hollywood video? sorry but Blockbuster is buying them now :). Net flix sucks. When i want to rent a movie I usually want it that day. Anyways Blockbuster online is cheaper than netflix, and blockbuster online give you 2 free in store rentals a week. Why do people hate Blockbuster? It's definately the best deal.

[kepp]

You people are idiots. What do you like to pay late fees. Quit your bitching. If you dumb ass keeps the movie forever you should have to pay. The reason blockbuster doesnt have anything good in stock because morons like you all keep them for 3 fucking weeks. If you kept a 2 day rental for 3 weeks before you would have like a 20 dollar late fee. Now you will only be charged a 1.25 restocking fee and you all are still bitching about that. Cheap asses. I would rather keep a movie for a while and pay 1.00 then to give anyone 20 bucks and have nothing to show for it. You people are fucking idiots if you dont think this program is a good deal. better yet. How about your cheap asses rent from hollywood because blockbuster doesnt need any fucking morons renting from them anyway. Besides, blockbuster is a BILLION dollar company for some reason. It for sure not from any of you tight wad assholes