WTF: Hollywood Video charging insurance for each DVD?

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
New scam from Hollywood.

I may return all four of these discs 'cat-eaten'.

I was not asked about it and I have never in about 1000 rentals have damaged a disc and only 2 I have rented have been bad from the store.

There is a rumor the money goes to charity, but it's just a rumor.

Å
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Far as I know they're not supposed to charge you that unless you want it.

They seem to have a lot of faith in people's honesty. A dishonest person would just say it was scratched by the person who rented it before them, or they'd just return it and not say anything. They don't check the movies when you return them (except to make sure they're there)
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Are there lots of people returning damaged discs that I don't know about? Seems pretty simple... finish watching movie, put it in the case, return it. Even if you sat on the case in the car by mistake, it would probably be fine as long as you didn't jump onto the seat or something.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Are there lots of people returning damaged discs that I don't know about? Seems pretty simple... finish watching movie, put it in the case, return it. Even if you sat on the case in the car by mistake, it would probably be fine as long as you didn't jump onto the seat or something.

Children
 

GoingUp

Lifer
Jul 31, 2002
16,720
1
71
Yea, they fed me that same line when I went to rent a video game from them. I'm never going back.

Ballbuster here I come.
 

AgaBoogaBoo

Lifer
Feb 16, 2003
26,108
5
81
Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Yea, they fed me that same line when I went to rent a video game from them. I'm never going back.

Ballbuster here I come.
All you have to do is refuse it though, right?
 

Synomenon

Lifer
Dec 25, 2004
10,547
6
81
Blockbuster is no better. When Gears first became available at my local Blockbuster, you had to put down $60 or however much it cost to buy the game + the cost of new game rentals. They'd return the $60 though when you returned the game.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Yea, they fed me that same line when I went to rent a video game from them. I'm never going back.

Ballbuster here I come.
All you have to do is refuse it though, right?

Yeah, that doesn't make sense to stop going to a store because of that. :confused:

 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Yea, they fed me that same line when I went to rent a video game from them. I'm never going back.

Ballbuster here I come.
All you have to do is refuse it though, right?

I was never asked.

I noticed it when I placed the receipt into my debit list.
 

vetteguy

Diamond Member
Sep 12, 2001
3,183
0
0
At my Hollywood video they have started doing this, but they do ask first. However, they changed their game rental prices. No longer can you rent one for $5.99 for 5 days, now it's $1.99 per day, and you can't say "I want it for 3 days" at time of rental. If you want it longer, you either have to bring it back and re-rent it, or keep it and pay the extra charges as late fees. I asked them WTF they would do this (it's now $10 freaking dollars to have a game out 5 days), and they said it was to "better serve the customer".

Oh yeah, they also charged me a late fee on a game I never rented. Unfortunately, they are one of only 2 video stores in my town, and the other (Family Video) has about 15 360 games total.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: vetteguy
At my Hollywood video they have started doing this, but they do ask first. However, they changed their game rental prices. No longer can you rent one for $5.99 for 5 days, now it's $1.99 per day, and you can't say "I want it for 3 days" at time of rental. If you want it longer, you either have to bring it back and re-rent it, or keep it and pay the extra charges as late fees. I asked them WTF they would do this (it's now $10 freaking dollars to have a game out 5 days), and they said it was to "better serve the customer".

Oh yeah, they also charged me a late fee on a game I never rented. Unfortunately, they are one of only 2 video stores in my town, and the other (Family Video) has about 15 360 games total.

That's interesting, I didn't know they changed their game rentals like that... I wonder if it's company-wide. It could potentially benefit customers. If I want to rent a game just to see if I want to buy it, it sucks to pay $8 (which is what Blockbuster charges for current-generation games) to rent it - that's 20% of the cost of the game! I can decide in one day if I want to buy the game.

On the other hand, if you don't want to buy the game it sucks to pay $2 a day to rent it. Although that's pretty comparable to Blockbuster's $8 for 5 days.