wednes | Blockbuster Discontinues Late Fees...and replaces them with ALL NEW FEES!!!

In-store Movie and Game Rental Terms (from Blockbuster.com)

Movie and game rentals are due back at the date and time stated on the transaction receipt.

There is no additional rental charge if a member keeps a rental item beyond the pre-paid rental period. However, if a member chooses to keep a rental item more than a week after the end of the rental period, BLOCKBUSTER® will automatically convert the rental to a sale on the eighth day after the end of the rental period. BLOCKBUSTER will charge the membership account the selling price for the item in effect at the time of the rental, which is either (1) the retail price charged by that BLOCKBUSTER store for the product if sold as new, if the product is not available for sale as previously rented product at that BLOCKBUSTER store at the time of rental, or (2) the selling price charged by that BLOCKBUSTER store for the product if sold as previously rented product, if the product is available for sale as previously rented product at that BLOCKBUSTER store at the time of rental.

The selling price will be discounted by the amount of the initial rental fee paid by the member at the time of rental. If the member returns the item within 30 days of the sale date, BLOCKBUSTER will credit back to the membership account the amount previously charged to the member's account or the member's credit card, as applicable, for the selling price of the item, but the member will be charged a restocking fee. All rental items must be returned to the proper BLOCKBUSTER store. These rental terms are subject to change without notice at any time. Rental terms and policies may vary in franchised locations. Additional membership rules apply for rentals. See store for full details.

Since Blockbuster is such a bunch of slippery bastards, I thought I'd post this to keep you's from getting caught unawares.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

My town's so small, we don't have Blockbuster.

I normally rent through Netflix, but with the holidays approaching, I knew they'd be slow, so I opened a Blockbuster account.

The guy told me that they would be getting rid of late fees. I said, "That doesn't make sense. Are you going to just sell customers late movies instead?"

He laughed and said, "Oh no. See, you get to keep the movies a week. Then you get a week grace period. Then, if you don't return the movies, you can keep them. Your account will be charged the value of the movie."

"So you're selling customers their late movies," I said.

"No, see, you get one week before your due date. Then, instead of a late fee, you get another week..."

I finished for him, "And then, if it's not turned in, you're charging the customer for the movie. Right?"

"Yes."

"So you're selling the customer their late movies."

"No! Well, maybe. I guess so."

Good that you posted this, though. It's unbelievably scammy. I'll stick with Netflix, thankyouverymuch.

The object lesson here is this: "return your movies on time as before"

I don't know what to say. I hope people weren't actually expecting Blockbuster to shrug off fees altogether because the reason for fees in the first place is to prevent people from keeping tapes as long as they want. If they did that, other customers wouldn't be able to rent the tapes - it wouldn't be fair. I guess when I worked at Hollywood it just pissed me off that we constantly erased fees just because people complained. I'm sorry but if people had returned the tapes on time in the first place they wouldn't have that problem. I am not perfect by any means and I've owed the library plenty of money for late tapes - but I pay them off. I don't know, maybe there's other really shitty stuff that Blockbuster does to people.

Good job on clarifying the "small print." I haven't given Blockbuster two nickels in the past five years, and this shoddy little promotion isn't about to change my renting habits.

Viva le Netflix!

Our local BBuster is pretty good, and I buy used DVD's from them all the time.

You do have to watch for scams. When I still worked there they did this deal where if you buy a 1-rental-per-week card, you'd get a "free" DVD player. But the card cost $200, more than the value of 52 rentals...plus if you missed a week, you lost the rental. So they were actually selling you a sub-par DVD player for $200 and telling you it was free, meanwhile they throw in a few rentals as almost no one uses even 1/4 of thier card rentals.

Yes, but you won't get charged a full fee for being a few hours late. Meanwhile, it will be damn near impossible to get new releases for the first few weeks. I daresay they aren't going to guarantee any rentals until after the first month of release.

Well, they do charge a full re-rental fee if your movie is more than 3 hours late. I just know that they are serious hard asses about fees, and make more money from fees than from actual rentals.

My sentiments are thus: I figured there had to be some hidden catch; as the saying goes, anything that sounds too good to be true, probably is. But then again, I also add my voice to the throng, in the cry, "VIVA LA NETFLIX!" :)

Yeah...I hear you.

Except in Nashville, where the Late fees stay in place.

It's just as well...what a scam!

I was very curious as to their new business model, considering that late fees was the basis of their old one.

Thanks for the heads up

Yep, and now ya know!

They are such bastards!

No prob, Silent Bob!

Snooch to the nooch.

I saw the ad for this new "miracle" the other evening and just knew there had to be something slimey going on. Not that there's a Blockbuster around here to worry over. Good to know my cynicism isn't going dull!

Ha, exactly!

Blockbuster Discontinues Late Fees...and replaces them with ALL NEW FEES!!!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject