Hassle of "no late fees"

[RTSDaddy2]

So our Blockbuster decided to go with this "no late fee" thing...and guess what? We've been bombarded daily with calls reminding us to turn the movies back in, and we've still got 3 - 4 days before they're actually due back according to the "no late fee" details.

This is service? Phbbbbbbbt!!  I'd just as soon have the late fees back for this!

Anyone else experienced this with the company?

RTSDaddy2

[missioncontrol]

I usually just buy pre-viewed movies from there.....

But, the last few times that I've been there there there is allways someone complaining to the employees behind the desk about being charged for the price of the movie after it has been late over a certain period of time..........

[Stingray]

I usually just buy pre-viewed movies from there.....

Ditto.

-S

[ChadTower]

I use their online/mail service and it is great.

[pointdablame]

I use their Movie Pass.  $20/month gets me 2 movies out at a time as many times as I want in a month and no hassle at all with late fees.  I can bring them back whenever I want within that month.

That's the best thing to do IMHO if you rent more than twice a month.  Renting 2 movies is about 11 bux for new releases now... so I think the pass is worth it.

[ChadTower]

It's not $20, it's like $15 IIRC...

[chasmosis]

I started using netflix 2 years ago and never looked back.  The 3 dvd's out at a time plan is (I think) $17.99 these days.  Never been harassed for anything by netflix.  I've even had a couple dvd's show up broken in the mail, simply notified netflix they were broken, sent them back, and Netflix sent me another copy of the movie.

[whammoed]

I do the blockbuster mail thing too.  Its only like 15 or 16 bucks and you get 3 movies out like netflix but its cheaper and you get coupons for 2 instore rentals each month.
But when I was getting rentals from the store I never got any calls about movies being due.

[ChadTower]

I used Netflix for about 6 months before I went with Blockbuster.  Netflix was constantly sending unviewable discs, broken discs, and bootlegs.  What good is 3 out at a time if 1 is always in transit unused because it was bad?  Plus they had raised the price to over $20 at that point.

[SirPoonga]

I use their Movie Pass.  $20/month gets me 2 movies out at a time as many times as I want in a month and no hassle at all with late fees.  I can bring them back whenever I want within that month.

That's the best thing to do IMHO if you rent more than twice a month.  Renting 2 movies is about 11 bux for new releases now... so I think the pass is worth it.

Like the others say, 2 movies at a time?  My blockbuster online is 3 movies at a time plus the 2 in store free rental coupons a month.

I love the online service.

[DarkKobold]

I prefer Hollywood Video's 3 for 25 deal. 8 bucks for a movie, and then I can trade it back at Gamestop for 2-3 bucks, making it 5-6 bucks to rent. Expensive? Kind of, but usually I buy 1 movie I know I will keep, and then figure that the others are just a bonus.

[SirPoonga]

I prefer Hollywood Video's 3 for 25 deal. 8 bucks for a movie, and then I can trade it back at Gamestop for 2-3 bucks, making it 5-6 bucks to rent. Expensive? Kind of, but usually I buy 1 movie I know I will keep, and then figure that the others are just a bonus.

That's why they invented DVD burners   hehe....

[whammoed]

Speaking of DVDs, has anybody seen the little "movie" about downloading or buying pirated movies being stealing that runs before the movie starts?  If I am fastforwarding when it ends my rca dvd player will actually turn off!  How did they manage that I wonder?  I still fast forward through it, I just hit play before it ends.

[SirPoonga]

doesn't do that on my dvd player (an old toshiba).  The only movie I have that has that is the fast and the furious.  It might be specific to the movie you tried with.

[whammoed]

doesn't do that on my dvd player (an old toshiba).

[Stingray]

I don't recall haveing ever seen that warning.

-S

[ChadTower]

That's why they invented DVD burners   hehe....

Eh, I've found doing that turns out DVDs that are a total PIA to get to play in many regular DVD players.  I have yet to find a DVD player that just plays them all that isn't a DVD recorder.

[SirPoonga]

What format do you use?  I found out my dvd player can handle -R but not +R.

[DarkKobold]

That's why they invented DVD burners

[pointdablame]

my original post was about the in-store deal, not the blockbuster online service.  My local blockbuster is VERY close, so it's easier for me to just go there.

Its $15 your first month for 2 at a time, then $20 after that first month.  $25 for 3 out at a time.... that's at my store anyway.

I prefer it this way since I can bring back movies the same day if I wind up not liking them or decide on something else.

[shmokes]

I usually just buy pre-viewed movies from there.....

Why would you pay full-price for a pre-viewed movie?  Blockbuster/Hollywood Video are good for renting.  Buying used stuff from them is a rip-off.  Get your movies from www.deepdiscountdvd.com .  These guys are usually cheaper than anyone else and their shipping is lightning fast.  They are the NewEgg of DVD sales.

But hell, just get your DVD's at WalMart and you'll pay less than at the video rental store.  And they'll be new.

[shmokes]

All that said, I'm an off-and-on Netflix subscriber.  I'll subscribe for about six months at a time, but I get to the point where I'm sometimes going three weeks before I watch a movie so I cancel it.  Then about a year later I get the bug cos there's so many movies I haven't seen and I'll subscribe again and become a hardcore movie watcher again.

...err....I mean....I become hardcore about watching movies again.  The rate at which I watch hardcore movies remains pretty constant.   

But now I'm just ripping the DVD's into DIVX files and sending them back so I don't usually have the discs for more than a couple days, a week if I'm super busy.  Then I can just watch it when I get around to it.  I'll cancel in a few months and have about 20 or 30 movies waiting to be watched on my hard drive.   

...and I'm going to be a lawyer, lmao

[ChadTower]

What format do you use?

[rchadd]

i'm in the uk and use lovefilm.com a very good mail based DVD service

[pointdablame]

DVD shrink works great.  The secret to great burns in my experiences (when you have finnicky players) is to burn slowwwwwwww.

2x... 4x max.  It really does make a difference.  I've never had a problem with my backups (and for once I honestly do mean BACKUPS ) and I've played them in a number of players.  Maybe I just don't have anything that picky???

[ChadTower]

Hrm... my burner probably burns at 8x.  I suppose I could give 2x a shot.

[pointdablame]

Hrm... my burner probably burns at 8x.  I suppose I could give 2x a shot.

I'd at least give it a try.  You may just have a player that doesn't like to read burned discs, which I have heard is possible.  I've yet to come across one myself though.

* pointdablame shrugs

[SirPoonga]

You know, I was actually hardcore into this for a while. I prefer the real thing now. If you figure the costs:
4 bucks to rent
50c per 9.4 gig dvd
50c per dvd case
1.00 to print the case and paper, and dvd label
+Infinity - the time it takes to set all that up
6 bucks and time, and you still have something that is bootleg and looks junky...

First, where do you get 9.4gig dvds for $0.50?
If you want a label and such too

Plus I am on that blockbuster online thing.  I go thorugh about 12 dvds a month.  $1.25 per rental then.
Then if you don't care about nice looking dvd cases it's only 10 minutes of compress and burn time.

Looks junky?  oyu mean the artwork?  Not the movie, that's for sure.

Anway, I still prefer the real thing because of all the special features.  "backup" copies tend to only have the movie.

[ChadTower]

I don't care about how they look.  I get the disc, burn a copy, write the title on it, and stick it in a book.  Then I watch it later and half the time just throw the thing away.  The only reason I make the backup at all is because most of the time it takes me 3 days to watch the movie.

[missioncontrol]

I usually just buy pre-viewed movies from there.....

Why would you pay full-price for a pre-viewed movie?

[RTSDaddy2]

Being a relatively new father, I'm always looking for deals...and Wal-Mart (at least here around us), has some real deals on classic cartoons right now.  My sister went out and bought them for a $1 a DVD, I believe - I'll check on that price but pretty sure that's correct.

[joshbr7257]

2 words- "dvd burner" 

[joshbr7257]

That's why they invented DVD burners

[joshbr7257]

Anway, I still prefer the real thing because of all the special features.

[paigeoliver]

The library rents them to me for free, and they are closer than the video store, and they have EVERYTHING.

[General Zod]

What format do you use?

[ChadTower]

It's probably not the app at all. What kind of media are you using? Not every mfgr. uses the same dye, so some discs are inferior to others.

Chances are that might be your issue.

It has been happening across the board, but it has started happening with commercial discs too now.  It must be the DVD player.  I'll have to replace it.

[cholin]

I do the rent and burn thing.  Theres a little crappy corner store across the street that rents movies for a few bucks.  I run DVD Shrink on them, compresses them into a 4.7 DVD, then burn it quickly with Nero.  Never had a problem.  Now though, theres a Rogers Video RIGHT across the street, so I get PS2 games from them and give 'em a rip too   Not a bad way to get some cash when youre in high school...selling games for 5 bucks usually gets people attention, especially when youve got 30 copies of it.

[ChadTower]

That's WAY over the line... renting and copying for your own use (I do that) is one thing, renting, copying, and selling is so much worse.

[missioncontrol]

That's WAY over the line... renting and copying for your own use (I do that) is one thing, renting, copying, and selling is so much worse.

I agree.... trying to profit from pirated movies is just wrong.....


even if it is for a couple dollars here and there........