Dear Blockbuster, I hate you

from JoeUser Forums
Dear Blockbuster video franchise,

How do I hate you? Let me count the ways.

I hate the way your movies cost $4.10, whether it's a new release or an old release for five nights.

I hate the way you gave me a scratched DVD last time I was at my parents' place and my dad and I decided to have some Bond-ing time, if you know what I mean.

I hate the way you gave me $1 credit when I explained to you how we could not watch the Bond DVD.

I hate the way you put the movie we returned to you right back on the shelf so you could shaft someone else.

I hate the way you carry over fines, so that my rental that was five minutes late cost me an additional $4.10.

I hate the way my $1 credit is only available in the store at which you shafted me, and not the one I usually go to, and yet the $4.10 debit has no trouble carrying over.

I hate your fascist, money-grubbing outlook on consumers.

Sincerely,

Me.

(Next: Dear Netflix, I sort of love you)
11,756 views 29 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
the title made me laugh enough...I do miss the old neighborhood video store that had two movies for $2 tuesdays....that rocked.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
The same thing happened to me this weekend, except for the late part. I would love to borrow your letter and send it to my local BlockBuster.

Good Job!
The Political Machine 2024
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Nice post, and I identify.
Blockbuster is the bane of my existence as a movie watcher. I just need to watch new things, and in a small town like where I am from, sometimes the only option is Blockbuster. I hate their late fee policy. I hate almost everything about them, except the sheer numbers of movies that are available. Which of course, is why I continue to go. And pay extraordinary prices for instant gratification.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Oooh, Suspeckted, did we grow up in the same town? Our local store also had the two movies for $2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Awesome.

=> And there I've done it: officially reminiscing about the old days. Makes me old.

KellyW, don't use it--I'm actually sending a variation of it to them in the hopes that their granite pocketbooks will send a coupon my way.

Cheers.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Ahh, the beauty, I take a break from working on a web site, and I read this, thanks for the laugh.

adios
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
O.K. I won't use it but you have to! It is a great letter and don't change a thing in the title!
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm sorry for all your bad experiences. At my blockbuster, there are no late fees as long as it's returned within two weeks, and then it's just a $3 restocking charge. Also, all previous late fees have been removed. If you have a problem with a video, they give you a free movie and sometimes a couple if they're feeling nice; they try hard to keep customers happy. And of course, the selection is great.

We have good blockbusters.

~Dan
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
Dan,

I'm afraid you have unwittingly exposed yourself. You clearly must be writing from another galaxy because on the planet we call "Earth", no such Blockbuster exists.

Indeed, we'd all be lucky if the Blockbusters in Heaven were this generous.

(kidding Dan. Just keep it under wraps before Blockbuster Corporate finds out)

Schro
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
Dan, Could you send those workers my way?

Schro, I guess there *is* intelligent life out there, after all.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Wow! Seeing the title made my heart jump a bit.

You see, my actual name is "Blockbuster." I thought that you were writing a letter against me personally.

Fortunately, you meant the video store "Blockbuster."
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
Why reward them with your business? What incentive is there for them to change? Have you tried Netflix?
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
Blockbuster is the only video store in our town, except Safeway and the library (where I do go occasionally), and though I hate to admit it, Blockbuster has a pretty good selection. I've done Netflix but the fact is I just don't watch enough movies to make it worthwhile, plus no matter how many you order, they've honed their practice so that you still only get about 3-5 newer DVDs a month. I think it's cost-effective for them...seems like there was an article on slashdot about it awhile back. Netflix will give you as many older movies as you order, though, so that's nice, plus no late fees, which generally makes me super happy.

Kelly, I sent that letter to Blockbuster from their "contact us" thing on the web site. Whaddya know, they have a 1,000 character limit (so fascist in every way) which includes spaces, so I had to edit it a bit. I'd send a real letter but didn't readily find a mailing address for them, though I didn't look super hard. If I don't get a suitable reply I'll send a real letter, and another, and another....
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
Good luck changing your local blockbusters, sirs and ma'ams.

We need those workers here, Anglo:)

~Dan
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
Oh boy do I feel your pain! The part about putting the damaged DVD right back on the shelf really spoke to me. One word of advice, always keep your reciepts because they tried to stick me with an undo late fee a couple of times. The first time I didn't have my slip but the second time I did. They gave me one free rental for the mishap.

How hard is it for them to put damaged tapes and DVDs aside?! I hate that!

Good article and I appreciate that you wrote to them.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

Dan, don't you live in up north Michigan?  You really can't compare the treatment in stores up there to how most other places work (just travel around Michigan and you will see what I mean, most people aren't that "nice")

I don't rent movies from a store.  I have satellite TV which has pay per view.  They have $1 specials (what was on pay per view the previous weeks)  and $3 new releases (new released DVDs).  No late fees, and you can tape it (not like you are supposed to, though ) and most of the movies are an "all day" pass, so you can watch it again if you missed bits.  All digital all the time and most of them are in surround sound, too.

Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
I also hate blockbuster and have since cut up my member card.
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
Blockbuster can kiss my ass. I had so many problems with them it's unbelievable. I went in one day and the store manager was being extremely rude and unhelpful. I basically took out my pocketknife, cut my card in half and told him that I was moving to NetFlix in spite of what he said. I also told him that he could take me to collections for the late fees that they were trying to charge me, and that I was going to contact the BBB about their store. Two years later, I have set nary a foot inside a Blockbuster store.

Did you know that they also edit their movies for content in some cases? Go Disney, feh.

-- B
Reply #18 from JoeUser Forums Top
Could you get a job at Blockbuster?

Do you have the necessary love of weak action flicks and porn-that-isn't-really-porn?
Do you like wearing blue t-shirts?

Find out more at paper-jam.co.uk

or more specifically here
Reply #19 from JoeUser Forums Top
ahh, no links

have a look at:

http://www.paper-jam.co.uk/features.php?feat_ref=52
Reply #20 from JoeUser Forums Top
Our local Blockbuster has changed so much in the past month its damn near unrecognizable. Half the damn store is now dedicated to the buying and selling of games instead of movies, and another 1/4 of the floorspace is reserved for those movies they are trying to sell rather than rent. The rest is mostly new releases, they have to have a zillion copies of those, you know, god forbid anyone have to wait to see a movie, and there are VERY few older titles to rent. (Gotta save space to sell all those new releases when they arent new anymore, right?) They've also taken to approaching you the minute you enter, wearing an weirdly ultra cheerful and zombie like smile, to ask if youve heard of the new movie pass for 24.95 per month, which includes unlimited rentals and no extended viewing fees!!! This pitch is likely to repeated to you several times before you leave. Gimme a break.

I love the local library, though, the movies are FREE, (if returned within a week) they get plenty of new releases, though you may have to wait your turn to see them...(horrors!) and their selection of classic oldy but goodies is excellent. If they dont have what you want, chances are you can order it thru interlibrary loan. Yesterday, in preparation for our days off, I rented....A Beautiful Mind, My Cousin Vinny, Les Miserables, Fahrenheit 451, What about BoB, and the entire first season of Monte Python.

It didnt cost me a cent.
Reply #21 from JoeUser Forums Top
I love this post! It captures exactly the frustration I have felt many times. We've given up on blockbuster and have moved on to Hollywood Video. We generally don't rent, though. They always have a great deal going on previously viewed DVDs that I want to see. Usually 3 for $25. It's a great way to get the DVDs I wasn't willing to pick up right after they came out!

Still haven't given netflix a try, but we've been thinking about it.

Thanks for sharing this with me.
Reply #22 from JoeUser Forums Top
This is great, Angloesque . . . Blockbuster's almost the only game in town here, too. I don't know how many times we have gotten a scratched up DVD.

I can order movies off of my digital cable, but it takes several weeks for new releases to show up there and it's the same price as BB, so it's not that much help. Right now I have the Movie Pass, which is $30/mo and I can keep 3 movies out at a time and exchange them for other movies as many times as I want and keep them as long as I want. I am really digging that.
Reply #24 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yeah---has Netflix raised its prices? I thought they were up to $25 or something.

Unfortunately, we don't rent enough for Netflix to be worthwhile, but I roomed with a guy who got it and it was nice.

I haven't been to Blockbuster in months. Many months. I'd rather watch the DVDs I have over and over again than give them business. I notice now that they've taken a page from Netflix and are offereing DVD rentals through the mail....

-A.
Reply #25 from JoeUser Forums Top
Blockbuster threatened to sue me one time over a $2.13 late fee that I didn't even know I had. I have not gone to a f*****g Blockbuster since.