Blockbuster sucks bollocks
Sun, 16 Jan 2005 23:51:21 -0600The End of Late Fees! Big advertising blitz! Rejoicing in the streets! All hail!
So I asked the young woman at the counter what the details of this are.
Joshua: Could you tell me the details of the new program?
Employee: You still have a due date, but you have seven days from the due date to bring it back.
Joshua: And then what?
Employee: And then we sell it to you automatically, and it’s yours to keep.
Joshua: You what?
Employee: We charge you for the video, and you don’t have to bring it back.
Joshua: That’s pretty sneaky.
Employee: You have 30 days from when we charge you to return it for credit.
But hey, that’s not a late fee, I guess.
I almost want to let them do that to me once so that I can make a tidy profit when the inevitable class action lawsuit goes through.
Oh, and the “refund” you get? “You will be charged a restocking fee plus applicable taxes.” Why? “BLOCKBUSTER incurs processing, administrative and other costs when we have to convert rental product to a sale, as well as when you return the product after that sale. The restocking fee helps to cover that cost.” Poor buggers. You almost feel sorry for them, don’t you? Pitiful bastards with their administrative costs when the big mean customer makes them take a video back.
I almost left my purchases sitting on the counter and walked out, but I didn’t want to be confrontational with the employee who, despite complicity by having no intentions of informing me of the new policy without my asking, couldn’t seem to care less. And I really wanted to see Life of Brian tonight. But I had no idea how mad I’d end up.
The address, if you want to cut up your card and mail it with a nasty letter, is
Blockbuster Inc.
1201 Elm Street
Dallas, TX 75270
This company is so going to tank. Divest now.

















