Blockbuster in trouble again! (1 Viewer)

[Rich Malloy]

First, I'm inclined to say anyone stupid enough to rent from Blockbuster deserves the shaft they get...

...and yet I remember those commercials, and I remember discovering that I was fooled by what they seemed to say and what Blockbuster's true policy was. One of the more obviously misleading advertising campaigns I've seen.

But to answer Clinton's original question: Blockbuster will never stop trying to screw over the public until the public decides to stop bending over and taking it. The good news: once, they were a near-Monopoly; now, they're struggling. We're learning.

 

[John Alvarez]

I'm actually offende by that statement. Your saying because I rent from Blockbuster I am stupid? I'm smart enough to never have late fees unless I choose to. I like the new setup because I drive to and from Miami a lot and rent videos. Now I don't have to woory about getting back in a certain window although i never have them longer than 9 days.

 

[TonyD]

sorry rich but that is over the line.
there is no reason to insult everyone who rents at bbv.

if people were responsible on there own then there wouldnt have to be late fees of any kind.

what about those who rent from hollywood.
or any other video store?
whats the difference really?
they are all trying to become the biggest there is.
movie gallery just bought hollywood or is about to.

so if they became bigger then bbv, does anyone who rents there become "stupid".

sheese. why not just say,
"i'm better then all of you because i dont rent from bbv."
can your nose be any higher.

bbv is less then a mile from my house.
thats why i rent there and 3 years ago when i quit my full time job started working there part time.
if another video store was there instead i would have been working there.
i like movies so instead of buying everyone because i cant i get free from bbv and just rent the rest.

if i want to own i just buy.
but working here i get to see virtually every new release and before street.

i cant believe anyone would say what you said. at least without an explanation.

 

[Jesse Skeen]

I'll stand up for the Blockbuster-bashing just because of their famous refusal to carry anything rated NC-17, which was one of the main reasons not many films were released with that rating (nowadays Wal-Mart is probably a bigger factor.) Apparently they don't have any problem carrying "unrated" movies now though even if the content would have been NC-17 if it was rated, but if it is rated NC-17 they won't carry it.
I don't know enough about this new policy to comment on it, but it sounds like either they aren't charging late fees, or they are. I haven't rented a movie anywhere in over 10 years, but I used to rent VHS all the time before I got my LD player and not once did I ever return anything late.

 

[TonyD]

i think what was wrong with this new late fee policy is they didnt do everything they could to inform people of the entire policy.

when we were being told how to inform the people of this, in the beginning we were told to NOT tell everyone everything unless they asked specifically about what hapens if they keep a movie past the 7 day grace period.

essentially they we saying to us it was "a dont ask , dont tell"
and only tell on a need to know basis.
of course no one other then the manager of the store agreed with that and we began telling people of the full policy right away.

and just this week we have started putting up signs that give a very detailed description of the policy.
oh and it has been appearing on receipts now also.

i agree this is deceptive and just plain wrong.
but that is bbv's fault.
not the people who rent there.
most people thought they were following the rules as they knew them.

and since this started, if someone came in and discovered fee for "restocking" that they didnt understand why it was there. we removed the fee.

 

[BrianW]

I agree that customers should read the agreements into which they enter, but I also agree that advertising "No Late Fees!" is false advertisement when a fee is charged for no other behavior than returning a video late. Calling it something else (a restocking fee) and creating an ad campaign around it is disingenuous at best.

Isn't Blockbuster the video-rental chain that lost a class-action lawsuit for charging rewind fees for DVDs and, when ordered by the judge to pay restitution, gave the DVD renters free coupons to rent only VHS tapes?

I got charged a rewind fee for a DVD rental years ago and never went back.

Cavity Emperor. (That's Latin for something.)

 

[TonyD]

yea right.
april fools

 

[Mike Voigt]

It's caveat emptor

 

[BrianW]

Gesundheit.

 

[Mike Voigt]

Gesundheit: technically a German word meaning "Health" or "Sate of Health", it is also used in German and English to indicate a wish for someone to be healthy again, such as after a sneeze...

Caveat Emptor: From Latin caveat emptor, let the buyer beware : caveat, third person singular present subjunctive of cavere, "to beware" + emptor, "buyer". Also heavily used in legalese...

Gotta love foreign languages... all those cases!!!

 

[Clinton McClure]