Keep Commercials off DVD! Sign linked Petition in Post #76 (1 Viewer)

[MarkHastings]

I would LOVE to find out who was responsible for this 'forced' commercial. Then I would follow them to every restaurant they visit...When their meal came to the table, I'd jump out and give a 2 minute sales pitch (while their food sat on the serving tray). I'd love to do this EVERY time they ate out. Do you think they'd get the point then??

 

[doug zdanivsky]

I got a reply to my follow-up email from the customer service girl, Kerry-Anne..

Basically a smiling-through-gritted-teeth reply that she would be sure to pass along any petitions on to the appropriate USA affiliates..

I'm down in Vancouver, now.. I'll dip a toe in the Blockbuster and Future Shop waters about a written petition in their stores.. I'll let you know how it goes..

 

[doug zdanivsky]

PS, we're up to 77 on the petition..

Still haven't heard anything from the Digital Bits.. I wonder if this is their polite way of telling me to go screw.. :frowning:

I'm sure they get plenty of emails.. Dare I hope they had let BOTH of my emails slip through the cracks?

I'll try them again..

And no follow up from Entertainment Weekly beyond that initial reply that said they'd mention it in their DVD news column..

I'll try THEM again, too..

 

[doug zdanivsky]

Up to 85 on the petition!

You'd think out of 55,000 HTF'ers this would be easier..

Thanks to all that have signed thus far!

 

[Marc Colella]

I think part of the reason there's only been 85 signatures is due to this effecting (so far) only some Canadian DVDs.

If this had been done on any DVD released in the US, there'd be a bigger uproar and ALOT more signatures.

 

[Terry H]

I think most people believe that internet petitions are ineffective. Maybe they're right. I only know that I will never knowingly buy a dvd with a product commercial on it. I may have to give up pre-orders. :frowning: Oh well, I will manage to avoid them whatever it takes.

 

[Scott-S]

Can Americans sign this petition? Or, since it is going to be given to a Canadian company, will the US signatures not count?

I'll definitely sign it if you don't mind US signatures.

 

[MarkHastings]

That's most likely the real reason. I can't imagine any petition ever making any kind of effect. I would say that inundating them with phone calls is the best method.

 

[doug zdanivsky]

Of course.. There are people signing from Europe..

The issue affects us all, not just Canadians..

I will be trying to get written petitions going in Vancouver, again, when I go down in May.. I got shut down at the Future Shop and Blockbuster locations I tried.. There are other locations, other venues.

Here's another phone number, in addition to those other ones posted on this thread:

Victoria at Alliance/Atlantis - (416) 934-6986

Please DO call and voice your displeasure, as I have done.

As for online petitions being ineffective, they sure are if nobody signs them, thinking they'll do no good...

 

[Rolando]

I think everyone should sign. If our American neighbours sign it would send the message to US distributors not to even think about it.

It would be nice to show solidarity. If Miramax or New line did that with a US release and the Canadian version removed the ad I would sign the pettion for the US version not to have an ad.

 

[Christian Preischl]

That's because many Europeans import from Canadian etailers, who tend to be noticably cheaper in most cases.

Chris

 

[CraigF]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm sure nobody is surprised that when something is done with DVD's to piss people off, AA will be in the forefront. They are the poster children for consumer unfriendliness. They have been behaving recently, and now this. I'll certainly never buy this product, nor the advertised product. It's bad enough that some movies and TV are just continual running ads in the guise of entertainment. It's bad enough that movies have 20 mins. of advertising you have to sit through because you never really know the time the real movie starts. Don't they get it that many of us buy DVD's because we're pissed off with the theater experience? It's a sign of desperation or greed that theaters or distributors (AA) have to resort to this type of thing. And of course, GM *is* desperate...nothing like annoying potential customers. I'd say better to complain to GM, marginally more customer-oriented than AA, and it's their money that caused this.

 

[doug zdanivsky]

Amen, Craig..

I hate going to the movies now, until the movie actually starts that is..

And that's what they count on, that apathy, and the feeling that we can't do anything about it.. Everybody just puts up with it.. We piss and moan, then try to forget about it and watch the movie.. :frowning:

They all know we HATE this type of advertising.. Comics make up whole routines about it, for crying out loud.. But they mistakenly think, "ah, if we get 1 guy out of 100, it'll be worth it"..

 

[doug zdanivsky]

82 signitures so far..

I had to delete some repeat signitures..

C'mon, guys! Please? 100 signitures, at least? :frowning: