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........

[DrewKaree]

2 words- "dvd burner" 

5 words - "READ THREADS BEFORE YOU REPLY!"

SERIOUSLY, is it some defect you have that requires you to post before you read the thread?  Before you threw your comment in there, scads of people are already talking about it.  Did you think you were giving something original that no one else would think of?

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

not with theprogram i use? i get every thing

The program you probably use and has been talked about over and over again (figured I'd let you know since you can't be bothered to read and find this out) is likely called DVD Shrink, and while you certainly CAN get everything on your disc, people generally will prefer a QUALITY DVD instead of a crappy-compression jam-everything-on-there, which will often require you to only record the movie without all the extras.

Thanks for playing, please come read again.


Kobold, is that a typo, or do you actually have a source for 9.4 Gig discs at that price?  Sam's has started selling the dual-layer discs @ $47/9-pack, and the prices in the regular stores are really starting to drop rapidly

[monkeybomb]

I recommend a DVD burner.

[DrewKaree]

I recommend a DVD burner.

* DrewKaree punches monkeybomb in the shoulder for being a jag

but that WAS funny

[RTSDaddy2]

Good grief!  Boy I opened up a strange can of worms didn't I?

How'd this get to copying DVD's?   

This isn't a thread about that, just so everyone knows.  I was just surprised the other day to get the "your rental is late" call and was curious if this was something going on across the country with their new plan, or just where I live.  If it is just my area, I was just thinking they haven't updated all their systems yet or something.

[ChadTower]

A thread is about what the participants decide it is about.

[nipsmg]

Blockbuster is really really really scummy about the whole "No late fees" thing.

In BIG BOLD PRINT they basically tell you that there's no late fees, but after a week they'll charge you for the price of the movie and it's yours, you keep it.  That's what the sales reps tell you, that's what everyone tells you.  However, I saw on a commercial really quickly some fine print, so I rewinded it (Thanks Tivo!), and it says in fine print that if you return it within 30 days they won't charge you the price of the movie, and that they'll charge you a $1.25 "Restocking fee" or something like that.

So when I went to the store, I looked at one of the signs, and there it was, in MICROSCOPIC fine print.  How many people do you think they scammed using this?  I was just about to throw my arms up and accept that I had "bought" a movie I rented (a really bad one too) till I saw this.

--NipsMG

[ChadTower]

When I last went there, when they first started it, it was not in fine print, it was in regular print.  It just didn't have happy shiny fun font and required that you read more than 4 sentences to get to it.  I read it, didn't miss it, and didn't get any of those fees.

It's the lazy, stupid, nonreading the terms people who got 'screwed'.  Sure, the ad campaign was misleading, but stop acting like the terms were in Mandarin.  They were there for anyone who wanted to read them.

[nipsmg]

When I last went there, when they first started it, it was not in fine print, it was in regular print.  It just didn't have happy shiny fun font and required that you read more than 4 sentences to get to it.  I read it, didn't miss it, and didn't get any of those fees.

It's the lazy, stupid, nonreading the terms people who got 'screwed'.  Sure, the ad campaign was misleading, but stop acting like the terms were in Mandarin.  They were there for anyone who wanted to read them.

The ad campaign WAS misleading.  The sales associates SPECIFICALLY STATE TO YOU that when you rent the movie and you don't return in within 7 days, you own it.  They say NOTHING about the fact that you can still bring it back.  They also don't point you to any literature that spells out the plan in black and white.. I don't know about your store, but mine merely had posters in the window, but no informational stand or kiosk. 

Of course you can go hunt down the information yourself, but when you ask an associate to explain it to you and they "accidentally leave out" the part about being able to return it after 7 days, it's scummy.

I'm not the only person with this experience.  This happens in almost every store that I've been in, and I've specifically asked other people who had NO IDEA about the $1.25 restocking fee and ability to return after 7 days.  Nobody did, and no, they're all not morons, or lazy, or stupid.

Blockbuster, in general, has scummy practices regarding late fees.  They even got sued over it, and lost.  Don't act like they're angels.  I'm sure this was done SPECIFICALLY to mislead people into purchasing movies they didn't intend to purchase.  If not, they wouldn't have done this $1.25 late f.. oh .. ahem.. I mean.. "Restocking fee" thing.. (We can't call it a late fee because we just said "NO MORE LATE FEES", so that'd be false advertising!  It's not a late fee, it's a Restocking fee, and it's necessary because we charge that when you normally rent a movie .. oh wait.. we don't... oh well, maybe they won't notice.)

[ChadTower]

When I have a paid membership, and they make a radical change in fee structure/rules, I seek out the new terms and make sure I understand them.  It is the intelligent thing to do, just in case the new terms are no good.  That is what I did.

Their website has always had the full rules, so it was never hard to find them.  Most people were just too damn lazy and took their ad campaign at face value.  Shouldn't "you pay the full price for the DVD if you don't bring it back in 7 days" be enough to make them bring it back anyway?

I'm not defending Blockbuster, but I am saying that nearly 99% of the people who claim to have been wronged were just too damn lazy to read their new memebership terms.

[nipsmg]

I see your point.

However, what I did, was ask someone at the store to explain the new terms to me (sure I could have read them, but I asked instead, and no I never got a mailer about it).  Some people also have a hard time reading the ultra fine print they use on membership details, and some people also have trouble with the really verbose wording they tend to use.  When an employee of the company intentionally leaves out the part I've been talking about after you ask them to help you understand it, it's really kind of rediculous.

---

On another note, to whoever listed deepdiscountdvd.com:

Amazon seems to be $1 cheaper on every new release that I Compared, just FYI.

[ChadTower]

Well, there is also not depending on minimum wage monkeys to explain things to you.  In that situation, always ask for the terms in print.  A monkey can leave things out, but if they leave them out of the printed terms, the company is accountable.  I doubt it was left out intentionally.  They probably left it out because they either didn't know their own rules or didn't care whether or not you learned them.

[monkeybomb]

On another note, to whoever listed deepdiscountdvd.com:

Amazon seems to be $1 cheaper on every new release that I Compared, just FYI.

Is it still cheaper after shipping?

[RTSDaddy2]

Chad, thanks for straightening me out on the thread thing....seriously.  I'm still new to this whole "message board" thing, so my apologies if I offended anyone by saying we'd gotten off topic.

I also agree with you on the fact that if I get in a mess because I didn't read the fine print, it's no one's fault but mine.  I need to check all that out again when I go back.

[SirPoonga]

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

not with theprogram i use? i get every thing

Not if you don't want 50% compression   basically you get below 70-75 percent compression artifacting becomes really noticable.

[ChadTower]

That's all very dependent on the invidual movie.  Some don't require any compression, some have to get to 70% with just the movie.  I usually cut out special features and any non English or French language tracks and do pretty well.