Comments on: Blockbuster Total Access: In Store and Online Movie Rentals in One

By: Jared Conley

Jared Conley — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:21:21 +0000

It Really Comes Down to Just One Thing:

And that’s whether or not you like the convenience of in store returns. BB has made it very easy for in store renters to try out the occasional online rental. Netflix edges them out in most online rental areas (except the throttling of new releases), but can’t compete with the physical locations of BB. I’ve used both and am a current Netflix user, but finding myself at Redbox a couple times per month when I really want to see a movie.

Found another good overview here:

http://www.joefission.com/2008/02/movie-rental-death-match-blockbuster-online-vs-netflix/

I’d love to see an alliance between Netflix and Redbox. I’ve used both BB and Netflix and am a current Netflix user. But BB has recognized their strength and their newest plans cater to folks who are primarily instore renters, and might dabble online. I love Netflix, but often find myself at Redbox for rentals. Netflix with any kind of physical presence could be the nail in the coffin.

ROCKIN’ THEME, BY THE WAY!

:-)

By: Markus

Markus — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:01:48 +0000

In case anyone wants to know how much blockbuster and netflix plans cost, here's a price comparison chart: http://www.moviesmailed.com/compare-online-dvd-rental-services/

By: Rogue

Rogue — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:37:01 +0000

I am looking for as many ways as possible to complain online about Blockbuster’s bait-and-switch tactics with their Total Access program. I figure it’s Buyer Beware, so we have to help each other beware.

I even emailed Blockbuster to give them a chance to try to make things right, asking how they expected me to stay with them after they had decided BOTH to give me LESS and to charge me MORE within 3 months of each other.

I even mentioned that, to make matters worse, all of the Blockbuster stores around me are closing, thus making the in-store exchanges even more difficult.

For anyone interested, here is the horseshit they fed me on my way out the door back to Netflix:

Thanks for contacting BLOCKBUSTER Online Customer Care.

“I apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused. We previously sent out an e-mail communication informing you of the recent changes to our subscription plans. Perhaps this e-mail was automatically routed to a SPAM/Junk folder or possibly overlooked.

We’ve reviewed our pricing structure and found that to get a better balance of providing great value for Total Access subscribers while still making it affordable for us, as of December 27, 2007, we have restructured the prices of our Total Access subscription plans.

The vast majority of our Total Access customers will only have a $2 increase in their plans. We believe that even with this price change, we’re offering an excellent value for customers who prefer the convenience of in-store or on-line Total Access, while striking the right balance between providing great value to our subscribers and getting a fair return for the company and our shareholders. Plus, the price adjustment enables us to bring our online subscription plans more in line with our in-store subscription pricing.

You’ll still continue to get the same great benefits and value from Total Access such as free in-store movie exchanges valid on DVD rentals, including HD-DVD, Blu-ray, and even $4.99 game rental discounts with an online envelope.”

By: Al

Al — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 21:56:23 +0000

Well, thanks to all of these “pointless comments,” I have now learned that I’m not the only one experiencing this apparent scam. I’ve been a BB Total Access member for 6 months now and it was great up until these past few weeks. We’re on the one-at-a-time-unlimited plan and were getting 10-12 titles per month between mailers and in-store exchanges, which was great. But suddenly the flow has reduced to a trickle for no apparent reason. Titles showing as “available” are being skipped over for titles waaaay down the list on my queue (up til now I ALWAYS got something in the top 3 without fail), and instead of being shipped right away they are shipping 5-6 days later (before, it was always next day or no later than 3 days if the weekend overlapped). I realize this is nothing compared to some of the other posts I’ve read, but at least now I know it’s not just me and that something is definitely wrong here. I also noticed that Blockbuster is altering the agreement for new members…seems they’re limiting the amount of in-store exchanges per month, or forcing new customers to pay more for unlimited exchanges. Thankfully (knock on wood) it seems that this is applying only to new (and not previously existing) customers. I understand the business side of of all this (after all, my average per-title fee is less than a buck), but still–at deal’s a deal. Live up to your end of it, Blockbuster!

By: Tom A.

Tom A. — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 19:35:34 +0000

I have to agree with others that something is going on with Blockbuster slowing down shipments. The problem with canceling is that the other games in town, such as Netflix, which I have tried, do the same thing, and blatantly so. So, if both Netflix and Blockbuster are throttling in various ways, Blockbuster is still better because of Total Access…at least you can get free movies exchanged at a local store, in effect doubling whatever amount of movies you get shipped to you each month.
That said, it still is false advertisement. I’ve begun to experience the same problems with delays and the same excuses when I e-mail Blockbuster, and I’ve only been with them 3 months now. I am a heavy user to be sure. I’ve also received the e-coupons for a free movie (sometimes 2) for my “inconvenience”, but it doesn’t shut me up and in fact, I’ve asked them not to give me coupons but instead to fix their problem.
I rent tv shows on dvd very heavily, so the coupons don’t help me much in that respect since the stores carry few shows.
With Total Access I wouldn’t even mind paying a few bucks more each month for their 3-out plan, as it would still be a great value compared to Netflix.
I just don’t understand the problem with the online rental services. Somewhere I read that Netflix tries to get the equivalent of $2 per dvd rented to make a profit. On a 3-Out plan that means they’d start losing money (or make less profit) after the 9th dvd is shipped out, and the throttling starts before that is reached. Considering movies are $3-4 per rental at a store, why they don’t just charge based on around $2 a dvd and call it good I don’t know….then they can forget about throttling and people won’t complain. And it’d still be cheaper than renting from a store all around. The throttling from ALL the services just makes for more ill-will.

By: Jayme

Jayme — Fri, 04 May 2007 22:13:29 +0000

If you don’t like the service, you should cancel your membership, not post pointless comments. Its plain and simple.

By: Sean

Sean — Thu, 03 May 2007 04:14:04 +0000

I would agree to a lawsuit, it’s b.s. is what it is. They make a mistake, they offer u e-coupons to shut u up. They tell me a movie stating: Available Now means it’s available nationwide. I find that they skip my movies and give me other ones in my list. Jay, u have your first suer for BB.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 02 May 2007 13:36:09 +0000

The remedy for this may have to be a class-action lawsuit against Blockbuster for consumer fraud. There seems to be plenty of evidence about. Is anyone here interested in participating? You must have a “paper trail,” a written record over some period of time, listing what movie arrived when, the date it was scanned in at the store, when the next movie was shipped, when it arrived, etc.

Comments on this would be welcomed.

By: Markus

Markus — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 02:26:46 +0000

Thanks for sharing your experiences. It does sound like they have a delaying system in place for “too many returned movies” to control costs, but the fact that they don’t disclose it IS shady.

By: Renee

Renee — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 23:45:31 +0000

Just wanted to point out, I received the whole…. “computer glitch” excuse too. This was back during the first week in feburary. It is march 30th. It should have been fixed long before this. Yet the same person I called today told me this same excuse. So when I read and forwarded the previous emails, I was finally told that, that is what they are being told to tell the customers. That he had no further knowledge of what was going on. But they have had a lot of complaints lately. And they are unable to go further into details.

To me, it sounds like they are trying to delay shipping because they feel people are renting too many movies. I notice that if I take a while to return a movie, I get the next one shipped immediantly. But if I go over 5 or 6 a month, then all of a sudden the service slows down and it takes days and days to get a movie sent out.

Now granted, I sound bitter, but that is because I am tired of being lied to. I just want the service that they promise. Their site says they will mail a movie out the same or next business day after it is scanned in with the total access plan. Yet it is taking upwards of 4-8 days to get a movie shipped out. That is not what they promised when I subscribed to it. It is false advertisement.