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Blockbuster frustrations (1 Viewer)

RyanCai

Grip
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Mar 7, 2004
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Ok i just got finish arguing with a blockbuster manager...

Here's what happened. I have one of those freedom pass which allows me to rent out unlimited movies for 1 month. Anyway, i was told when renting out a movie/game you should bring your returns with you to the counter so you can rent out your items faster. Ok i did that for two weeks, all is smooth. Anyway, i got a call today saying that while they were trying to rent out a movie, they found out there was no movie, it was an empty box & that i was the last person to rent it. They told me check around the house to see if its there. I do that for almost an hour & i can't find it. I return the call back saying i can't find it. I tell them i always make sure i have everything before returning my rentals. I told them that i went to the counter and returned my items & i rented out 2 more movies. She then tells me that, maybe the employee didn't check inside the box when they checked it in & returned it back to the shelf. I then told them, i returned the movie, you guys checked it in, its been a few days already, i don't see how i'm responsible for it now. She then says that i'm responsible cause i was the last one to rent it out. They say they are going to check the "Security tape" & if it shows that the employee did not check that i will have to pay for the DVD. Am i really responsible for this? I don't feel i should pay for something i don't have.

Anyway, i'm pretty frustrated right now. I mean the movie is freaken Timeline who would want to keep that? Anyone else have problems with blockbuster?
 

Bob clamer

Supporting Actor
Joined
May 12, 2003
Messages
651
I've run into this with "Video Update". Called me a week later and said they didn't receive a return. Like you, racking my brain and turning the house upside down and not finding it, I called the manager back and was told "oh, we found it, employee never checked it in". Gee, after all that you'd think they'd offer a free rental? Yea, right!
 

Bryan Ri

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I've had nothing but poor experiences at Blockbuster; mysterious late fees that pop up that they never mention occurs frequently
 

ChrisBEA

Screenwriter
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Jul 19, 2003
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It's reasons like this that I don't rent. I haven't rented anything since I started my DVD addiction.
I used to work for a rental chain and remember things like these happening. On the other side, I remember a guy returning a few movies a few months late. He then said he returned them on time, when I watched him drop them in the box and drive away. late fees were something like $700. don't know what happened though....
 

Harold Wazzu

Supporting Actor
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Oct 1, 2003
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885
I have never had a problem with BB in the 5+ years I have rented from them but lately I haven't rented that much from them. Hoping they will keep sending those 99 cent coupons out.
 

Lev-S

Second Unit
Joined
Jun 29, 2003
Messages
324
this exact situation happened with a copy of Project Gotham Racing that I rented. The only difference was that we used the drop off box. We checked back often to see if it had turned up and eventually they just let it go. probably some punk employee! :angry:
 

JohnRice

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Ryan, that has absolutely nothing to do with renting and it really doesn't have anything to do with Blockbuster either. That is definitely not their policy and it's pretty absurd for people to take an incident like this and use it as a reason not to rent. I'll never understand that logic.

Do you live in the US? If you do, there is absolutely no way they can hold you responsible for their employees' incompetence. I mean, get real. If they could get away with this they could just claim movies that were returned actually weren't returned. Once an employee logs in that movie, you are relieved. If they disagree, call your State Attorney General's office. I am absolutely serious about that. Things like this are exactly what State Attorney Generals are here for. You could also contact some TV consumer advocate, if there is one in the area. That manager needs to be fired, so you might also try to get ahold of the Blockbuster District manager.
 

Glenn Overholt

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I am sure that it would be noticed right away if anyone just picked up an empty case, including yourself. Think about it, how could you pick up an empty case and think that it weighed the same as one with a tape in it?

The same would go for them. They would notice it immediately, if not before that!

Glenn
 

Ben_@

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
217
Though you may feel that you aren't responsible for this error in their records of transactions, it is still probably your responsibility under your rental agreement with BB. With movie rentals, you're generally guilty until proven innocent.

A similar thing happened to me, only I used the drop box. BB forgot to scan the box. They called telling me that it was a month late. They didn't bother to check their own shelves. Even though I told them over the phone that I had returned it promptly, it still took another trip to the store for them to actually check their shelves. Would have been nice if they offered a little apology deal. I've rented less from them since then.
 

JohnRice

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Dropping a movie in the drop box is a completely different deal from handing it to an employee and having the movie scanned in and logged as returned.
 

Jim Dalton

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Similar thing happened with a James Bond movie I rented a few years back at Blockbuster. I returned it but a few days later I got a call telling me I'm overdue. I tried explaining over the phone but like all of you, they didn't believe me.

The long and short of it is that I DID return it but the DVD was put in the wrong place by their professional sales associate and I never got an apology of any sort. That was the last time I rented from them.

I value where my money goes.
 

Yumbo

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interesting.

it can happen, and we check immediately in drawers (sleeves), and all cases. usually resolved ASAP.

If we have to call customer, we ask them when they returned it, and go from there. No hassles.
 

Mike.B

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Nov 9, 2003
Messages
185
Why is anybody still going to Blockbuster to begin with???

It's already been said, but deserves another mention:

NETFLIX!

I haven't been inside a video store in over three years since I joined. Couldn't be happier.
 

Scott_F_S

Second Unit
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Jun 15, 2002
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408
I stopped using Blockbuster years ago when they began charging a late fee for about every third movie I returned on time.
 

Todd K

Second Unit
Joined
Oct 21, 2001
Messages
477
Netflix doesn't work for everyone. Sometimes I rent one movie a month, sometimes 5, sometimes 10. Assuming Netflix is $20 a month, that's $240 a year. I don't come close to spending that much at Blockbuster, since I'm a member of their Rewards club. It cost $9.95 to sign up (like 25 cents more than the rental of 2 DVDs), and they give you two free rentals on the spot. They send you 12 free rental coupons a year, after you rent 5 you get one free, and every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is rent-one-get-one-free. It's also instantaneous exchange, no waiting for them to get the DVD back and then waiting for the next one to come.

And I've only ever had one problem with the "you never returned this DVD" routine, but miraculously they believed me and dropped the charge.
 

RyanCai

Grip
Joined
Mar 7, 2004
Messages
24
Going to talk to the Manager face to face today. Hopefully i'm going to get everything resolve in a civil matter. Going to cancel my account also...

As for you guys recommending netflix, i've tried it before, don't like waiting for my movies in the mail, i get to frustrated if i don't receive them by the 3rd day.

Good thing about Blockbuster i can rent as many movies i want with up to 2 DVD's out for $25 a month. This would have been perfect 3 years ago when i had no life, no wife, no baby, & no job. I could rent movies all day all night. hehe

Anyway, I was planning to do this only for month, not much of selection in terms of foreign films.

BTW thanks all for the helpful replies
 

Jon Martin

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Sep 19, 2002
Messages
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First, about Blockbuster, if they checked the DVD in, I'd say you are in the clear. No matter what they say, legally (although I'm not a lawyer) I would say that you couldn't be found at fault since they processed the return. Even if you didn't return the DVD (and I believe you did), it was their fault for not finding it when it was returned. Someone behind the counter could have let it fall out of the box on the way to the shelf, someone could have stolen the DVD out of the box while it was on the floor etc.

As far as "checking the tape", I don't think their tape goes back that far. They may have been trying to scare you.

I've had them try to charge me for overdue DVDs, that were actually returned early so they aren't always to be trusted.

As for Netflix, it probably isn't for light renters. But if you do rent more than three a month, it is definitely a better deal than Blockbuster. You can get the 2 at a time plan for $15.
 

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