Bloockbuster has time and time again offered deals to get people in then changed the deal. They must figure that enough people will stay to make it worth their while. It has been going on for decades. In the 1980’s they decided that “three days” meant from store opening on day one till store closing on day 3. Actually less than 2.5 “days” as defined by law. They had to change it to “3 evenings” after a lawsuit. Then they had to refund hundreds of thousands of “late fees” because the “late fee” for half a day was greater than the rental price for “3 evenings”. Then they acted like they were being magnanimous by doing away with late fees! Some of the worst customer relations people in the business.
This time they had offered an online rental deal (to counter Netflix) that was 20 bucks a month two years ago. The deal was they send unlimited DVDs (3 DVDs at a time) and you could return them to the store for a free movie. When they recieved the Mailer you returned to the store, they send another. It was a good deal for 20 bucks.
Then within 6 months it was 25 bucks a month, then 30 then 35 – almost doubling over a two year period. Then this month they send an email that updates the terms. It’s one of those things like the license for software – about six thousands words of fluff that means nothing. But they throw in a sentence or two that says, “We’re gonna screw you, but you’re not supposed to notice.”
This one said that they won’t send out the next DVD until after you return the one you “get for free” from the store. Adding a day or more to the turnaround process and slicing the number of movies you get each month virtually in half.
This is the newest gimmick in retailing these days – The price of cereal hasn’t gone up in a year. But the boxes are getting smaller. Bloockbuster execs just figured they had suckered enough people away from netflix with their “in store exchange” and now they could cut that part of the deal right out from under their customers who are still paying nearly twice as much as Netflix patrons.
To top it off, BlockBuster stocks everything that The Asylum ever puts out! The Asylum only “produces” crappy knock offs with similar titles to actual movies that are being released in theaters. The cover art is impressive but when you hit Play you quickly realize you have been had. Since 1992 they have released almost 200 titles and Blockbuster carries almost every one. They go on BB shelves at the time when the original is advertising that it is in theaters. It is 100 percent a scheme to use the legitimate movie’s promos to sell horse dung. It was kinda funny when the movie was free. You say, “ahaa – it’s just a joke!” You take the movie back next time you go to BB and no harm done.
Now that your in-store “free movie” is like an online rental in that it puts a stop to your queue for a day or more, they are, in essence, stealing that time directly from you, the consumer.
Here’s a partial list of Asylum titles in the last couple of years that Blockbuster puts on it’s shelves when the original is in theaters:
Transmorphers 2 (not Transformers)
The Terminators (not Terminator)
The Day the Earth Stopped (not “stood still”)
Street Racer (looks a lot like like Death Race)
100 Million BC (not 10 million)
Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls (The cover pic is the spittin image of Indiana Jones)
War of the Worlds (not with Tom Cruise)
I Am Omega (not I am Legend – the remake of Omega Man)
30,000 Leagues Under the Sea (an extra 10,000 leagues)
Invasion of the Pod People (not “The Invasion” with Tom Cruise’s Ex)
Transmorphers (not Transformers)
The Apocalypse (when Apocalypto was in theaters)
The Hitchhiker (not The Hitcher)
Snakes on a Train (yeah – a TRAIN, a Mutha*****in’ TRAIN)
Call your local Blockbuster and complain to them before you call Blockbuster corporate (it’s hard to find the number on their website, so I’ll post it for you 866-692-2789 ) Blockbuster toll free number 866-692-2789. Make sure you have your BB account number or they won’t speak to you. When you go there don’t just cancel – hit the choice that says “other”. Make sure you get a human to whom you can voice your displeasure before demanding this months charge back. Then Cancel.