Movie-rent chain (Blockbuster) OKs fee refunds

[question everything]

Movie-rent chain OKs fee refunds

Blockbuster to fix ads on late charges

By David Koenig
ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 30, 2005

DALLAS – Blockbuster Inc. agreed to make refunds to consumers after officials in 47 states charged that the nation's largest movie-rental chain deceived the public with advertisements that proclaimed the end of late fees.

Dallas-based Blockbuster also agreed to pay the states about $630,000 to reimburse them for the costs of their investigations into consumer complaints and said it would change the advertising of its late-fee policy.

Blockbuster, however, said it would not scrap the fees – only do a better job of disclosing them.

More..

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050330/news_1b30video.html

[chelsea0011]

1. I seldom use Blockbuster but the last time I was in the store

I thought I was reading the message incorrect. How can you abolish late fees but charge someone for the cost of the movie if it's not returned in 8 days? I quess they didn't tell us the fine print.

[Dover]

2. Now I'm really confused!

So my local Blockbuster has been telling people that the stated due date is really just a formality and that it's fine if you bring the video back within a 'reasonable' time. It's really confusing to know what they mean. I returned a video 4 days after the due date and they didn't charge me extra. During those 4 days I got an automated phone call informing me the video was due.

So what ARE the rules?

[Corgigal]

3. No one knows

I asked the clerk at blockbuster what the rules were months ago and she told me, well I wouldn't keep it out for a month or so. My 13 year old daughter took out a movie and I forgot to return it until day 8 and was charged a 1.25 which I did pay but I now get netflicks.
You guys might want to look into it.

[Dover]

4. I just called my store and they said that the rules are that

there IS a due date AND a grace period of 7 days. After that point you are considered a buyer and automatic 'owner' of the video which will be charged to you at some fee (but not as much as the original purchase price). Occording to this article they must now spell this all out for people and let them know what the purchase price will be for a given video if they fail to have it back in 7 days.

They have been resistant to spelling it out because they know that if it is, people will automatically keep videos for the full grace period (7 days) instead of returning them in 1 or 2 days. Hence the cryptic rules. Apparently if everyone kept the videos for that long they would probably not have as many on hand for rental, or some such thing.

[LeftyMom]

5. They print the day you own the movie and the price on your reciept

don't know when that started but I noticed it last weekend.

[Corgigal]

7. True

Now they know what they are doing. I'm talking the week the look "No Late Fees" begun. That's when I got dinged. It's just not worth it to me. I can get a movie really without late fees somewhere else.

[Iowa]

6. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

This has got to be the dumbest marketing ploy in the history of advertising. What kind of a person would dream this up, and how could any management team go along with it?

You know what? This country would be far better off if every manager, supervisor, CEO, Board Member, Legislator, Bishop, Politician, and any other "leader" was immediately put to work doing something of value. A large portion of everything annoying, dangerous, destructive, evil, and just plain dumb is caused by self-serving, weaselly, management types. Dilbert isn't fiction.

As far as Blockbuster is concerned, go with Netflix. Netflix contributed (I believe) 100% to the Democratic party in the last election.

[_testify_]

8. you wouldn't believe how many of my co-workers STILL don't

believe me when I try to explain that there's a catch. They're such robotic consumers they get all defensive like I shouldn't be speaking so poorly of Viacom.

[Renew Deal]

9. This is very dumb of Blockbuster

and it could have been avoided. I knew this was going to happen because it was so obvious. It wasn't the "end of late fees." They just didn't call them late fees. :banghead:

[_testify_]

10. introducing "the end of us referring to late fees as late fees!" n/t