Blockbuster changes prices and exchange policy

[katzdvd]

I still haven't received the email...My main issue here lately is that with TV series for example, they never seem to have "Season One" in stock. I can have it in my queue for months, & it still shows up as long wait.

What's up with that?!?!? They only have one copy of season one of everything & just loan that one out, I guess...

[Kabuchan]

I only have a problem getting the first disk in a season. The rest come immediately.

[jrowley]

Some are grandfathered - not me

Well, while most of you seem to be grandfathered under the new plan, I am not. I admit that I do make good use of the unlimited in store exchanges every Tuesday. This smells just like Netflix and their infamous throttling of heavy users.

Dear Jason,

We have introduced a new pricing structure for our lineup of subscription plans.

As a result, the price of your current monthly plan Unlimited DVDs up to 3 at a time with unlimited in-store exchanges each month for $17.99 will increase to $24.99, effective August 1, 2007.

We will not automatically renew your subscription on your next billing date.

If you choose to continue, please select a new plan.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="90" width="460"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td bgcolor="#e7f2fc">

Move to BLOCKBUSTER Total Accessâ„¢ Plan that includes Unlimited DVDs 3 at a time plus up to 5 free* in-store exchanges for $17.99/month

</td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>

OR

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="90" width="460"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td bgcolor="#e7f2fc" width="264">

See other subscription plans

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We appreciate your business and hope to continue meeting your movie and game rental needs at one of our neighborhood BLOCKBUSTER® stores.

[jamoskeag3]

jrowley,
How come you were not grandfathered at the old price?
Id call them up and complain. Tel: 866-692-2789.
I bet if you complain enuf, theyll let you keep the old price.

Katz and Kabu,
Depening on the particular series, have you tried "unlocking" the series, so they'll send you say the 2nd or third in the series. Not all TV series are sequential, such as say X -Files

[jm1647]

Well, while most of you seem to be grandfathered under the new plan, I am not. I admit that I do make good use of the unlimited in store exchanges every Tuesday. This smells just like Netflix and their infamous throttling of heavy users.

Dear Jason,

We have introduced a new pricing structure for our lineup of subscription plans.

As a result, the price of your current monthly plan Unlimited DVDs up to 3 at a time with unlimited in-store exchanges each month for $17.99 will increase to $24.99, effective August 1, 2007.

We will not automatically renew your subscription on your next billing date.

If you choose to continue, please select a new plan.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="90" width="460"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td bgcolor="#e7f2fc">

Move to BLOCKBUSTER Total Access™ Plan that includes Unlimited DVDs 3 at a time plus up to 5 free* in-store exchanges for $17.99/month

</td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>

OR

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="90" width="460"> <tbody><tr> <td colspan="4"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td bgcolor="#e7f2fc" width="264">

See other subscription plans

</td> <td></td> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>
We appreciate your business and hope to continue meeting your movie and game rental needs at one of our neighborhood BLOCKBUSTER® stores.

Yup a way for BB to get more money outta heavy users probably. I read that even though they signed up a bunch of new users that BB still lost $35,000,000 last quarter and have plans to close more B&M stores.

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid=%7B2AE08B0D%2D9F94%2D4B91%2DA02E%2D46D157F9256F%7D&siteid=rss

I renew on the 10th of the month and have not received an email yet. I've been with the TA program since it started, the 3@time for $17.99 is a great deal but @$24.99 I'd hafta think about it.

Edit and with the shipping problem I had after rexchanging 3 DVS at my store on Thursday I got 3 ecoupons Monday morning and 3 DVDs shipped Monday afternoon

Edit 2 ooops it was a $35,000, 000 loss and I added a link

[Kabuchan]

jKatz and Kabu,
Depening on the particular series, have you tried "unlocking" the series, so they'll send you say the 2nd or third in the series. Not all TV series are sequential, such as say X -Files

Thanks for the tip but they wouldn't let me unlock it till they sent out the first disk ...

I did finally get what I wanted, and it was worth the wait. Still would like to see the two movies that have been in my queue for months. I asked the guy at BB if he had seen Astronaut Farmer or Letters From Iwo Jima. He said he hasn't even seen the DVDs in the store, they are always out. I think I'm going to start frequenting my local Mom and Pop store.

[jm1647]

I found this explaining who might be grandfathered or not @ihateblockbuster.com where a bunch of BB employees post.

As for the customers not being grandfathered in... According to my DM, the customers who do not spend any money ever and are in the store several times a week exchanging are considered " not profitable" and will have their service plan changed. She said the change will affect 25% of TA customers.

http://www.ihateblockbuster.com/forum//showpost.php?p=245034&postcount=10

I ain't spent a dime in the store everything is too high, soda, candy, popcorn, and the prices on new releases at a BB B&M store are ridiculous

[copyless]

I might better look over mine again then, because I also never spend money at the store, other than maybe 2 paid rentals in the last 6 months. I also bought a couple of those candy cards they had for a while, I thought they were a good deal if you were able to get by the store often, which I am. You could get one free candy a day for 30 days with a paid rental, and the exchange counts as a paid rental, so instead of returning three at a time, I would return one a day and get candy, popcorn, soda, etc.

[jm1647]

I still haven't got an email yet, I don't renew until the 10th. The manager at the store I go to seems to think that new customers to TA will get the rate hike, not existing customers. Either way old or recently joining people should not get the rate hike. IMO only those who sign up after the rates went up should hafta pay the $24.99.

Hmmm has me wondering, maybe a Class Action thing like with NF for throttling might happen if they raise the rates for some existing customers and not others. There was nothing in the plan that said ya hadda buy stuff at the store when ya exchanged DVDs, al it said was unlimited online DVDs and ya could exchange them at a B&M BB store. Anybody know a good lawyer

That ihateblockbuser.com site is interesting, a lot of the BB employees let off steam there. I'd like to know if any of the employees from the store I go to post there, especially the ones that call BB customers "stupid"

[jamoskeag3]

jm1647,
I dont buy much at BB and I did get grandfathered at old price, so I think the BB employee you quoted was misinformed, so you are probably OK too.

[jm1647]

jm1647,
I dont buy much at BB and I did get grandfathered at old price, so I think the BB employee you quoted was misinformed, so you are probably OK too.

@jamos I haven't bought anything at all there so I'll see come renewal time. I have been using BB online over year and doing the TA thing since it started in November. There hasta be some criteria why they are not grandfatehering everybody like jrowley

@jrowley - how long were you on the 3@time plan and did you buy anything at the BB stores? Just wondering because you got the notice they were stopping the $17.99 unlimited exchange for you

[Aegmorgil]

Uh-oh...

Friend of mine has Netflix and he just got notified that his 3-movie plan will just got dropped in price by a buck. Not much, but NF dropping prices in the face of BB raising prices and playing damnfool games doesn't bode well for NF.

If BB jerks me around, I may have to go back to NF again. In-store exchange is all well and good, but not with too many strings attached, and certainly not with NF getting cheaper!!

[jamoskeag3]

jm1647,
I got my email notification about a week after my renewal date.
I suspect that you are fine and will be grandfathered at old rate.

[jm1647]

jm1647,
I got my email notification about a week after my renewal date.
I suspect that you are fine and will be grandfathered at old rate.

jamos, I'm still waiting to hear either way. I hear the emails starting going out July 26th.

[Kabuchan]

NF dropped their price to match BB's price ( the on-line only subscription).