Blockbuster completely shafted us (1 Viewer)

[AaronMK]

To expect Blockbuster to sacrifice revenue in the name of luring customers to the OAR side is irrational.

That might be true, but it is not irrational to ask that they carry both versions.


I am fortunate that the BB near me at school has always stocked OAR only when available. At home I am not so fortunate, but I have also made it known the the Hollywood Video every time I drove 4 times the distance and gave them my business because they stocked the OAR version and BB didn't.

 

[Aaron Cohen]

I haven't rented a dvd from Blockbuster since at least 1999. I have only bought dvd's since then, but recently I had considered going back to renting at Blockbuster since I have been purchasing dvd's at an incredibly high rate (I've got 316 now).... But no way.

I'll try to tell as many as possible not to rent from Blockbuster. Ugh, pan and scan crap.

 

[Gregory E]

The only choices I have to rent DVDs is either a local Blockbuster or a Movie Gallery. Both stock large amounts of full-screen DVDs. I may not like it, but I understand why they do it. Because they honestly believe that's what most of their customers want!!! That's the bottom line... money! If they thought they would bring in more profits by carrying widescreen DVDs, they would. Most of the feedback they get want full screen DVDs. I've been told this buy both stores. So, like I said...I might not like it, but I understand it.

Copied and pasted from one of my other posts:

You know, I'm pro-widescreen. And I don't like the fact that some places may rent or sell full screen only DVDs. But everybody on this forum is preaching to the choir. It doesn't do much good to complain to people who agree with you. Go spread the word amongst the non-believers.....

Instead of posting a gripe or complaint on this forum, why don't you go to a local Wal-Mart or Blockbuster and complain to the manager? JMO.

 

[George See]

I've tried complaining to the Manager She didn't seem very empowered to handle my complaint as she told me there was nothing she could do it wasn't her choice etc etc etc....

 

[TonyD]

i just got a part time shift at my local BBV. during the informal interview he asked if i had any questions. so i asked what i should say to people who want widescreen versions of dvd's like scooby doo and insomnia.

he shrugged his arms and didnt really have an answer. basically tell them it is a corporate decision. there isnt anything really that can be done at store level.

 

[Dean Kousoulas]

My Blockbuster always stocks widescreen only, unless it's a family title like Scooby Doo (although, if only they knew that Shaggy was a pothead...)

And if Blockbuster is complaining about customers being confused...why not EDUCATE THEM???

 

[streeter]

I haven't rented a dvd from Blockbuster since at least 1999. I have only bought dvd's since then, but recently I had considered going back to renting at Blockbuster since I have been purchasing dvd's at an incredibly high rate (I've got 316 now).... But no way.

Aaron, you could open your own store with your 316 discs and you'll rival BB's catalog title selection.

 

[Jean-Michel]

Interestingly (and thankfully), my local BB has no P&S copies of Insomnia. They only seem to stock P&S versions for "family" titles (i.e. Harry Potter), and even then about half the copies are widescreen. Pretty good, I think.

 

[Randy A Salas]

Keep in kind that there are corporate-owned Blockbusters and franchised ones. That's why people here are posting various feedback about what their local Blockbuster carries.

 

[Mark Philp]

I've never rented from Blockbuster and never will. I support a smaller regional chain and a couple of independents who listen to their customers. We use to have one of the greatest independents, in the country right here, I'm talking 20,000 videos and dvds, everything that was available in letterbox was stocked that way, and the staff educated customers about "those black bars". Blockbuster opened down the road, stocked 100 or more copies of each new title and had 16 year-old kids working who didn't know a letterbox from a breadbox. Within a couple of years the great store went bankrupt. When the BB first opened I went in to look around, and haven't set foot in one since.

 

[Seth Paxton]

That might be true, but it is not irrational to ask that they carry both versions.

Exactly, that's why this is a totally bullshit answer from BB.

Look, just walk in the store and count how many copies of some new film they have, then count how many copies of Duck Soup or Philadelphia Story they have.

Well, that's because the new release is going to be a lot more popular. BUT, they still have that copy of whatever older film you can name sitting on the shelf too.

You can be certain that at EVERY SINGLE BB (or Walmart,etc) there are SOME W/S customers. Stocking a SMALLER amount to satisfy them is what you do.

Its not like BB looks at the demographics and says "Well, majority of our members won't rent this title, so we just won't stock it. We will only stock the top 10 titles of this year because less people will rent the others." They bring in TONS of new titles every week, just to satisfy every customer (and suck out every last dollar they can get).

If they said "Sorry the W/S copy is out, we only get 1 for every 10 P&S because those are so much more popular," then there would be little you could say.

BUT, YOU are a customer, you wanted W/S, so there IS a demand.

DO NOT GO TO BB just to "send a message" by renting only W/S. It's still money FOR them and not for a more enthusiast friendly store/chain. If your local Hollywood is good about bringing in W/S then your money should go to them. No this will not kill BB, but that's not the goal. The goal is to create and maintain quality ALTERNATIVES to BB that the enthusiasts can go to.

Hand the BB over to the misguided masses (being kind) and take refuge with a better option. In my case that is now Netflix simply because I can rent Criterions, art films, etc and they will all be in W/S. I don't care what else they stock as long as they continue to provide the kind of stock that I prefer.

Just think if all the enthusiasts in your town only rented/bought from OAR friendly places. They wouldn't be BB or Walmart, but they wouldn't go out of business either. The DVD pie is so big now that even the smaller OAR piece is a nice chunk of change.

 

[SteveGon]

it wasn't her choice etc etc etc....

That's a crock. She's a MANAGER! She can make a few phone calls, talk to her immediate superior, etc. She just doesn't care enough to bother.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Yes the BB I frequent is a Franchise store and the manager carries the Widescreen versions. But this is totally different from the Policy of the corporate BB's.

 

[mike martin]

DO NOT GO TO BB just to "send a message" by renting only W/S. It's still money FOR them and not for a more enthusiast friendly store/chain. If your local Hollywood is good about bringing in W/S then your money should go to them. No this will not kill BB, but that's not the goal. The goal is to create and maintain quality ALTERNATIVES to BB that the enthusiasts can go to.

But we need to be clear about something here. There are some of us that don't have that local, family owned, enthusiast friendly store. Our local stores went away long before I started renting DVD's and when they closed I stopped going to them. We do have one local chain but their selection is terrible. Yes, worse than BB! To be sure Netflix is an option but I tried them for 6 months and things went from bad to worse. I have absolutely no idea how to create an alternative; but I suspect that if someone in this town decided to open an alternative rental store they simply couldn't make it. I'm not an economist and don't know the solution to this problem. But I do know that my best option for rentals at this point is BB so they will get my money.

The education issue is an interesting one. It seems that BB could put up some simple displays to help show what WS is all about. But I'm sure, in the end, that they don't see how this will help their sales. Not only that, it's clear that they have decided to cater to the FS viewer. Why do you want to tell your customer base that they have in fact chose the wrong way to watch their movies; or worse yet that they are too dumb to understand why those black bars are a godsend and not a nuisance? Some people get really defensive when you try to "explain" to the them why WS is better.

Believe me, I would love to give my money to a store that actually stocked "Y tu mamá también"; but at least BB stocks TV on DVD and has a selection of older DVD's greater than a handfull. Some of you have better options, use them.

 

[Robyn Young]

That's a crock. She's a MANAGER! She can make a few phone calls, talk to her immediate superior, etc. She just doesn't care enough to bother.

I'm not sure what you think managers can do, but realistically, big corporate entities listen more to external feedback then they do to employees. Not to say there is no imput--but it is very minimal. Pretty much we tell our district manager, who has to take it up the chain. I complain all the time, but really, I think that our complaints fall upon deaf ears. It may sound cold, but generally, customers mean way more than employees to the company.

robyn

 

[Dave Scarpa]

Mike, way too defensive for this topic !

 

[Yumbo]

here's empowerment.

start your own store.
stock what you want.

smiles.

 

[mike martin]

Mike, way too defensive for this topic !

Funny, I don't feel defensive.