Blockbuster rant

[calbear2000]

Last Saturday, I go to rent a movie at Blockbuster and they claimed I owed them $7 in late fees. I denied the charge since they couldn't even tell me which video it was for!

So they said I either pay it, or not rent. So I walked out and went to the local Mom and Pop's video store down the street to rent.

Today, I find they took out $7 from my debit card! Are they even allowed to do this without my permission!?

 

[jlee]

Read their fine print. When you signed for your card, I'm fairly sure that you authorized them to charge unpaid fees to the card you listed on the application. If they can't even tell you what it was for, go to the manager and complain.

 

[calbear2000]

What sucks is that it was probably the store's manager that charged my card. I complained at the store, and this 20 year old kid manager rudely told me that I either pay it or not rent. The rentals were over 6 months ago, and so they claimed they didn't have a record of which videos they were

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: calbear2000
What sucks is that it was probably the store's manager that charged my card. I complained at the store, and this 20 year old kid manager rudely told me that I either pay it or not rent. The rentals were over 6 months ago, and so they claimed they didn't have a record of which videos they were

They should have a record anyways. Tell this 20yo kid manager that you want to see his manager, and see what happens...

Have you rented anything in the last six months? If so, ask why you weren't informed of these late charges before.

 

[calbear2000]

I don't rent movies often from Blockbuster, so 6 months was probably the amount of time since my last rental from them.

Its only $7, but I'm insulted at what they did.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: calbear2000
I don't rent movies often from Blockbuster, so 6 months was probably the amount of time since my last rental from them.

Its only $7, but I'm insulted at what they did.

$7 is a late fee for what...three days? Unless your last rental was returned late, I don't see why you weren't told earlier.

I still say go talk to a manager...I think they should be able to tell you what it was for.

 

[guyver01]

go to their webpage and contact BLOCKBUSTER CORPORATE about the issue.

I went in a week ago to my local store to rent movies... i saw they had HUNTER: THE GATHERING as a guaranteed in stock video game. I asked about it... 2 clerks told me it was behind the counter. When I went up front.... the register clerk said they had none in stock. When I told him it was a guarantee title... he started to give me the raincheck.. when the manager said ... "its not guaranteed.. you cant get a raincheck" ... i showed him the shelf with the guarantee... he then told me it wasnt true... some kids must have been playing around. I asked him why 3 clerks didnt tell me this... he said he didnt know but that he wasn't going to give me a raincheck.

well... yesterday i got a call from corporate, telling me they credited me for a weeks worth of rentals.... 7 days worth of game rental fees, and that the issue of good customer service was addressed with the manager.

 

[pulse8]

Originally posted by: calbear2000
I don't rent movies often from Blockbuster, so 6 months was probably the amount of time since my last rental from them.

Its only $7, but I'm insulted at what they did.

They were completely within their rights to charge your card. It's part of the agreement you signed when you got your membership.

 

[AmigaMan]

Netflix.com is your friend! No late fees, keep up to 3 movies out as long as you want, rent as many as you can watch and return in a month, all for $20 a month. I always got screwed with the Blockbuster late fees that I had had enough. So far the only bad thing is I can't get movies "on demand" I have to wait until they get shipped here. Usually takes three days, one time it took four days. Not a big deal since I don't watch them all at once.

 

[AdamDuritz99]

I have worked for blockbuster before. Let me tell you, blockbuster is the "RIAA" of video stores. They will screw you 7 ways before you leave the store. But anyways, they do have a record of what you rented and they can tell you. In fact, they have to tell you if you ask. I would talk to the manager, and if he is a piece of sh!t, ask for his area manager.

Good Luck

peace
sean

 

[calbear2000]

Appreciate your feedback

Its not worth my time to go down to the store. But I may give them a call this afternoon.

Sad that a business would rather make a quick buck over customer orientation.

 

[DAM]

I got charged too for a late fee that I did owe, however I went to complain and told them not do that again, and they removed that setting from my account, now they can't charge me without my permission. BTW, blockbuster usually sends little cards that remind you of what you owe, if you got no cards, bring this up to the manager, and they should have a record or what movie they are charging you for.




dam()

 

[MrDingleDangle]

i went home for like 3 days like 5 months ago and rented an X-Box game...they now claim that I owe like $6 or $7 in late fees...

it was a 5 day rental...i was in maryland for 4 days (if u count the morning i woke up and went to the airport)...how the hell could i return it late????

so i have yet to be back to blockbuster

 

[calbear2000]

I would be completely ok with paying a valid late charge. But this Blockbuster (in San Francisco) couldn't even tell me which movie it was!!

So I walked out, planning to stop being a patron. And then they cowardly and conveniently charge me behind my back. Wonderful. No charge or late return card in the mail in the past 6 months, and all of a sudden the kid manager decides to charge me now.

Ok I got my rant out. Thanks

 

[dman]

Agree w/ others, they should be able to show what it was you rented, although you'd have a hard time disputing a rental that is 6mo's old. In my experience, they usually forgive you a late fee w/ low hassle if you complain. It helps if you are a steady customer.

Of course, one time I had returned a movie at <12:05pm (right about the time it was due). The next time I went to rent a movie they had a $4.24 late fee on my account. I verified it was the movie in question and complained that I had returned it (By my watch before 12pm) and that it was on time. The Mgr (a woman this time) said that she personally checked in the movies and that she doesn't charge a late fee on the 12pm due dates until after 1pm. She was standing her ground. I said I was positive I'd returned it AT 12 and NO LATER than 12:05pm because I'd purposely rushed over to return the movie at 11:45am that morning. She waived the late fee but had that look on her face like I was a liar.

[edit]

Oh, and it's certainly not like they are perfect-- on 2 separate times at 2 different blockbusters I've gotten an automated call saying a movie I had rented was not returned yet. I knew that I had returned it in both cases and both times they had to go search the shelves to find that they had actually put it back without checking it back in. Of course, they have to give ME the second degree each time like -- "Did you check <pick a place to store movies>?" "Did you return it to the wrong store." I'm sure enough people do that so I didn't get angry at the worker bee-- but it still made me angry. :|

 

[Gaard]

I was told one day that I owed late charges for a particular movie. I was pretty pissed because the girl that told me that was the same girl who took the returned movie from the box (I could see her through the window as I put it in the slot). When I told her that she was the one who received the returned movie she denied it. She had already put all of the returns back on the shelf so I went and grabbed every movie of that title and brought them up to the counter. She scanned every box till she found the right one. I can't stand incompetence.