Comments on: Blockbuster Changes the deal

By: Adam

Adam — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:14:54 +0000

Good to know Gina, thanks for the input… Unfortunately for me, Blockbuster is closing stores in State College, PA, so I’ll stick to the Redbox… my new favorite movie acquisition device. And if that’s not good enough, then I may try out Netflix.

By: Gina H.

Gina H. — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:39:37 +0000

By the way, folks I am currently working at Blockbuster and they still do give out e-coupons but only to customers that “grandfathered”. I called and asked how this happened and they said corporate chose certain accounts to grandfather who even still pay their original plan price. I have several customers who still pay $19.99, with unlimited online exchanges and still get 2 free e-coupons.

By: siiiiiigh

siiiiiigh — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 21:42:03 +0000

i’m in the same boat as hornswaggled – if netflix wants to get rid of BB once and for all, they just need to start offering video games that are completely interchangeable with movies.

goodbye blockbuster, it was fun.

By: Hornswaggled

Hornswaggled — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 05:32:21 +0000

I am with Adam. I wouldnt mind just the increase in price, but dropping the ecoupon kills the deal for me. I used to be able to print the ecoupon from work and swing by BB for a movie before I got home. I would also occasionally use the coupon for a game on the weekends, now there is no option for free games.

I am going to cancel my plan and try out Netflix as they have a month free trial. I do like the idea of going to the store with the exchange and will miss that aspect but I feel shafted with this change. For a company that appears to be strugling as much as BB is you would expect them to show a little more gratitude/respect to its current customer base.

By: Adam

Adam — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:54:31 +0000

I definitely agree Dan, Blockbuster DOES have a very good service. We always had a super fast turn around. My problem with these changes isn’t because I want something for nothing, it’s because they both raised the cost and decreased the number of movies that we can have per month at the same time. I understand inflation and I understand that they are a business, but I just didn’t appreciate the way they made this change. Thanks for the input.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:21:21 +0000

Even with the changes Blockbuster is still a great deal compared to netflix. Netflix has a ridiculous throttle system, it would take a week for my movies to be sent out at one point. With Blockbuster I just order kids movies so they always have something new to watch and when I want a movie I pick an envelope and take it to the store. I’ve never had an issue with running over my limit and if I did i could handle paying $1.99 for it. All the complainers here just want something for free. Your paying on average $1.00 a movie, is that to much to handle?

By: defa

defa — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:42:29 +0000

I called C/S after going to a local BB store and they told me I should have E coupons on the 14.99 plan (2 out at a time with 3 instore exchanges), C/S told me they can’t give out their reasoning as to why some people on the 2 out at a time still get their e coupons and some dont?? I cancelled after they tried to get me to come back for 1/2 price for 3 months. It’s not worth it.

By: Cobra22nd

Cobra22nd — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 04:19:35 +0000

I also just had the instore notification experience. At first I thought it was another screw job by the local blockbuster franchisee (the reneged on the no late fees deal about a week after it started, and the previously viewed coupons the second time I tried to use one). I was on the 3 out/2 ecoupon deal since I signed up in 04 or 05. I, too had noticed it taking longer to get movies after turning them in at blockbuster. I never heard of throttling, I just chalked it up to another franchisee screw job (not a fan of the franchisee here). These last movies took a week to get here after I turned the previous set in. Anyway, I considered keeping it, as I compared netflix and blockbuster, then I checked the availability of the ecoupons. They are gone, so am I. I am not signing up with netflix, since I have now boned up on “throttling.” I end up buying a lot of movies used, anyway, so I guess I won’t be watching all the bs movies I used to get. I’ll just keep my $19+ a month (after taxes). That’s 2 extra used dvd’s a month assuming I can find something worth a crap to buy.

Thanks to you guys for posting your experiences, otherwise, I might have taken the sucker’s bet and “upgraded” to the unlimited plan ($8 extra for what I had last month). I really appreciate it!

By: Altonb1

Altonb1 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:29:16 +0000

I received an email today advising that my plan will be changing at the next billing cycle. This is the email i sent to them in response:

I selected Blockbuster over netflix specifically for the in-store rental option. Now, however, I received notice that you are raising the plan I currently have by $7!!!

I just received the email, so I’m not sure exactly how I am going to proceed, but more than likely, i will be terminating my service with Blockbuster and switching to Netflix. Also, since there are red box kiosks popping up all over, I will more than likely stop shopping in the Blockbuster stores, too. There are other rental stores that are more convenient to me than Blockbuster, but I made the extra trip so that I could exchange the movies for a free rental. (It is also worth noting…we have purchased used DVDs, snacks and merchandise from the stores during many of these exchanges.)

Overall, I have been mostly happy with my Blockbuster Online membership. Unfortunately, such a large increase in costs (or a sharp decrease in my exchange choices, depending on perspective) tarnishes that experience. in fact, until now, my only real disappointment with Blockbuster Online thus far has been the fact that the film listed as #1 in my queue has been listed as “short wait” (and still has yet to ship) for about 7-8 months or so.

I’m not sure your purpose in raising rates so much, and to be honest–i don’t know how many in-store exchanges I even average in a month to know how much of an impact the 5-exchange limit would really have on me; I do, however, know that I am perceiving this to be a huge change. I also have the perception that Netflix has a larger DVD library. Regardless, Blockbuster offered unlimited free in-store exchanges and THAT is what brought me in as a customer. I know of at least 2 other customers that signed up with your service based on my recommendations. One referral even cancelled service with Netflix because my satisfaction level was so high.

I wonder how many customers you will lose…. Was the price increase/exchange limit worth it? Probably not.

Sincerely,

By: Really Hot in Arizona

Really Hot in Arizona — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:35:19 +0000

Well I just had the “in store notification” experience…

I went to exchange the DVD’s and was asked “How would you like to pay for your rentals?” I said what are you talking about…and was told I was “over the limit”. I called customer service from the store and was smuggly told “THE PLAN THEY PICKED FOR ME…was limited to 5 movie exchanges per month.

I canceled the account on the spot.