Blockbuster changes prices and exchange policy

[Art Vandelay]

I Canada they have similar programs but the deal is terrible compared to the US deals. Is does look like the US desal isn't as good as it once was. I rent DVD's from the corner store for $2.00 tax included and they have all the new releases on the day they come out.

[jamoskeag3]

@jamos - I am on the 3@time plan

By the email they sent you in your first post it looks like they are hitting the 2@time people also.They list the 2@time plan now with only 3 in store exchanges per month for $14.99 and no mention of 2@time with unlimited in store exchanges. What price are they still charging you now?

JM,
I am still granfathered under the old plan and rates.
I still am only paying $14.99 per month for:
- 2 at a time
- unlimited mailings per month
- unlimited in store exchanges per month
plus, I still get one coupon per month!

[jm1647]

JM,
I am still granfathered under the old plan and rates.
I still am only paying $14.99 per month for:
- 2 at a time
- unlimited mailings per month
- unlimited in store exchanges per month
plus, I still get one coupon per month!

Thanks jamos! So they left you at the same price for the plan you had with no reduction in exchanges in the store and kept the ecoupon too. I'm glad for you So for the same price new comers get 2@time with only 3 instore exchanges

[briwnt6]

blockbuster email telling me they want to charge me more

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

As a result, the price of your current monthly plan, Unlimited Online DVDs up to 3 at a time plus unlimited in-store exchanges each month for $17.99, will increase to $24.99, effective August 31, 2007.

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

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

blockbusters explanation on why i am not grandfathered in even though i have been a member for over 2 years

Thank you for contacting Blockbuster Online Customer Care.

I sincerely apologize for any confusion in your account. Like all retail businesses, we must periodically review our pricing structure. In introducing a wider range of subscription plans, we considered a number of factors including the number of in-store exchanges on a given account. We’re giving our most frequent renters like yourself the option of either continuing with unlimited in-store exchanges at a higher price point or moving to a plan where the number of in-store exchanges is fixed if you'd like to continue with the same rate.

We feel we are still delivering a great consumer value and encourage you to continue your membership by selecting one of the new plans we offer. You can find the details of what is available via "My Account" in the "Subscription Plan" area. Please remember that if you do not select one of the new plans we have to offer before your next regular billing date, we will not be automatically renewing your membership. Thank you very much for your inquiry.

So since i have been using the service that they offered me at the price they asked im not as good as a customer as the next person

[jm1647]

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So since i have been using the service that they offered me at the price they asked im not as good as a customer as the next person

I feel the same way with this bullsh1t,we been with them 16 months and with TA since it started in November. It would have been nice to be grandfathered on the 3@time with unlimited exchanges like we started out with. But so far in what has been posted only 1 person has been grandfathered and that is on the 2@time plan. Anybody grandfathered on the 3@time plan?

Like you said we are being penalized for using an unlimited account the way we seen fit to use it. They coulda said hey your getting a lil too much so slow down or we will penalize you. It would have been nice to know a total magic number they had in there heads. A lot of the movies I swapped in for I woulda never got, I only got em because it was an unlimited account.

[copyless]

I spoke with BB Online and found out that the people (like myself) that do a lot of in-store exchanges are the ones being hit with price increases. So if you normally mail in your returns or otherwise only exchange a few at the store, you should have been kept at the old price. But if you exchange a lot of the mailers for movies at the store they hit you with the increase. This is why some were hit while others were not, it had nothing to do with how long you were or have been a member.

[jamoskeag3]

But it does seem to be hitting the 3 at a time folks more, which makes sense, in that if your getting 3, you can make more exchanges than people on other plans.

[NightTran]

I would think a law suit would file very soon

[briwnt6]

This is the first email i got from blockbuster asking if i was going to be grandgathered in and by this criteria their is a lot of us who should have been

The e-mail you received is a notice from us that there will be some changes in the usual service we give to the customers. This is to cater and attend all the needs of the growing family of Blockbuster.

Grandfather accounts are those who did not, in any way, change or cancel their subscription.

Again, thank you very much for writing to us. We take feedbacks and suggestion seriously. Blockbuster is open to all of that to help improve our service and to be able to give a better help to you, our customers.

We will do our best to resolve this matter. For the mean time, please smile and enjoy your day.


Always glad to be of help,

Germiniano
Customer Care Associate
BLOCKBUSTER Online

[jm1647]

I finally got around to calling a Action News Consumer Reporter in my area. I left a voice mail and contact info to get back to me. Left message about what BB is doing to some of it's TA unlimited online and unlimited instore exchange customers including me. And I did mention it looks like it is happening to 750,000 of BB 3,000,000 TA customers.

[katzdvd]

BB takes the cake...I decided I didn't want to continue the rental at the new rate. Let the plan "lapse", & they continue to send movies, at the old rate (17.99), but now I can't swap them out in the store for another. So okay, I decided to log in to properly cancel the account, & after spending a 1/2 hr. searching all over the place for a "cancel" button, I did manage to find it in a very convoluted search.

Then instead of being able to cancel, I was then directed thru another convoluted series of hoops advertising all their "new, improved" plans & why it is a better deal now than it ever was. Hmmm... I'm getting less, paying more, & it is now a better deal; well, I must have failed economics 101, because I couldn't see how the deal was better; unless they meant better for BB. Oh, that was it, I get it now!

Anyway, after all the hoop jumping, I am now 45 min. + into this little ordeal, I finally weeded thru all the crap, (please stay with us, we are great, blah, blah, blah) I finally get to a cancel button! Yay!!! I click with great anticipation, this is it, I have severed ties for good!!!


But alas....



BB, feel my wrath!!!!

P.S. - I hate "Big Business"

[jm1647]

They stopped sending me movies after August 28th even though I was paid til September 10th. I wound up getting an 11 day refund. No response from Action News.

NF and $1 rentals from redbox for me now.

[PrinceBytore]

When I signed up for the new program the shipping slowed to a crawl and they quit sending new releases and started sending crap from the bottom of my queue, so I cancelled also. To bad too, it was really good for awhile and if they hadn't screwed around with my shipments I may have stuck with them.

[BR7]

Thats what they did to me as well.Not to mention they called me a liar when I told them of all my problems.I will never ever use BB rental service or their store again

[katzdvd]

I called them yesterday to cancel over the phone; after a 20 min. or so wait, I talked to the guy, & he told me I am already canceled...Offered to "take me back" 'cause I am a valuable customer to them. Told them $$$ is too high, he offers the *cheaper* plans, tries to convince me it is a great deal, less money, etc.

I told him the plan I originally had was a great deal Can he offer me that??? No, he says, they had to change the plans to better accommodate the needs of their customers.

I let him blabber a bit, it's funny when they are feeding you a line & trying to convince you of something that they know is double talk. At one point I thought he was gonna cry; he just wouldn't get off the phone w/o getting me back into some kind of plan. Finally I grew tired of the silliness, & just said no, not interested; Stunned silence, then some more whimpering - *He's very sorry that I feel that way* *sob*

Don't get me wrong, it still may work out to a good deal, less than a dollar per, but the $7 rate hike all at once was a little hard to stomach, coupled with the fact that the selection at the local store is pretty lame. I need to get off the couch & spend more time outside, anyway..

Time to start cutting wood for the winter!