Blockbuster Online

[rasbneon]

So now I am officially part of the I Hate Blockbuster Club. My husband and I were part of the Total Access Online Membership and I guess from what we found out today were actually considered "Preferred Members" whatever that means since they apparently treat everyone like crap. A few months ago my husband recieved notification that his debit card had been compromised and the number would be changed. We got an email from Blockbuster not long after that saying that our card had been declined for the monthly membership fee and our account would be on hold until we entered the new information. This did not seem to be a problem. We simply logged in to our account and followed the prompts and entered our new account information. Our debit card was charged $1 and we kept checking back online only to see that it still showed the account being on hold. I read the FAQ to see how long it would take to reactivate the account and it had no helpful information simply saying the account would be reactivated at the time that they charged the card and there was really no set number of days it could take etc. We could not find the phone # to call so we waited. When time passed and nothing happened we logged in a couple more times and tried to enter the information again same $1 charge and nothing else. I even got an email from Blockbuster asking us to renew our membership and we would recieve a free movie so I tried again with the same results. We asked at the store a couple of times and were told there was nothing they could do since they are not connected to the online membership and we would just have to log in and keep trying. Finally today my husband went in to the store and asked to speak to a manager and was finally given a phone number to call. He called and spoke to a rep and a manager and got the same response. They can start us on a new plan but to get the same plan we had before would cost us $30 more a month!!!! We asked why we couldn't just renew the plan we had and they said that we would have had to do that within 30 days of our card being declined. We told them that we attempted it several times and they acknowledged that they do see the authorizations but there is nothing they can do. We asked if the same thing would happen everytime a credit card expires and they basically said yes. We were told we really should have called sooner. I can tell they are very eager to help when they refuse to provide a phone number and when they finally do it is just too late. I really feel like they do this on purpose everytime someone has a credit card expire so that they can charge them a higher rate. It is amazing that they expect people to pay $50 a month when they can get Netflix for $17. We told them to cancel our account which they did right away and now we are setting up an account with Netflix. I really wonder how much longer Blockbuster will remain in business with Customer Service like that. :mad:

[The Omen]

1.) try using paragraphs unstead of one run on sentence

2.) try reading other posts first before you post

thanks

[AbandonedDreams]

BBO and BBV are not connected. You are lucky someone in the store actually had the number to give to you, otherwise you'd still be fucked. And if your plan was originally $30, why didn't you switch to Netflix sooner?

[DavidNewlySL]

So now I am officially part of the I Hate Blockbuster Club. My husband and I were part of the Total Access Online Membership and I guess from what we found out today were actually considered "Preferred Members" whatever that means since they apparently treat everyone like crap. A few months ago my husband recieved notification that his debit card had been compromised and the number would be changed. We got an email from Blockbuster not long after that saying that our card had been declined for the monthly membership fee and our account would be on hold until we entered the new information. This did not seem to be a problem. We simply logged in to our account and followed the prompts and entered our new account information. Our debit card was charged $1 and we kept checking back online only to see that it still showed the account being on hold. I read the FAQ to see how long it would take to reactivate the account and it had no helpful information simply saying the account would be reactivated at the time that they charged the card and there was really no set number of days it could take etc. We could not find the phone # to call so we waited. When time passed and nothing happened we logged in a couple more times and tried to enter the information again same $1 charge and nothing else. I even got an email from Blockbuster asking us to renew our membership and we would recieve a free movie so I tried again with the same results. We asked at the store a couple of times and were told there was nothing they could do since they are not connected to the online membership and we would just have to log in and keep trying. Finally today my husband went in to the store and asked to speak to a manager and was finally given a phone number to call. He called and spoke to a rep and a manager and got the same response. They can start us on a new plan but to get the same plan we had before would cost us $30 more a month!!!! We asked why we couldn't just renew the plan we had and they said that we would have had to do that within 30 days of our card being declined. We told them that we attempted it several times and they acknowledged that they do see the authorizations but there is nothing they can do. We asked if the same thing would happen everytime a credit card expires and they basically said yes. We were told we really should have called sooner. I can tell they are very eager to help when they refuse to provide a phone number and when they finally do it is just too late. I really feel like they do this on purpose everytime someone has a credit card expire so that they can charge them a higher rate. It is amazing that they expect people to pay $50 a month when they can get Netflix for $17. We told them to cancel our account which they did right away and now we are setting up an account with Netflix. I really wonder how much longer Blockbuster will remain in business with Customer Service like that. :mad:

Just a few things, A) the store is not the online but they still could have helped..All u gotta do is go under membership cancel, then they will ask u to stay and give u an alternate offer, Say no, then go back into it, re-activate the account, (with new card), and they will give u the plan u were on, very simple.

[Ninja]

1.) try using paragraphs unstead of one run on sentence

2.) try reading other posts first before you post

thanks

You just saved me a few lines of typing.

I would like to add...
Yeah, the store and online...we can't do anything because we aren't connected, nor are we made to sign up so when you have a question, yeah, we have a hard time answering.

I had signed up last year and had my account saved, I use it and have a good price...when my card number had a problem, I just waited it out...they weren't charging me, and I wasn't getting my movies, big deal.
If I canceled, I would have lost my good deal with the low price, so...I was patient.

I really wish people who had problems with the online Total Access wouldn't come into the store and rip off the CSR and manager's heads because in all honesty, we know nothing about it.

[URBAN_COWBOY]

1.) try using paragraphs unstead of one run on sentence

2.) try reading other posts first before you post

thanksI'll give you point one, but how would reading other posts first have changed what this person had to say? this was a legitimate topic that deserved it's own thread. Don't attempt to flame just to look cool. thanks.

[The Omen]

I'll give you point one, but how would reading other posts first have changed what this person had to say? this was a legitimate topic that deserved it's own thread. Don't attempt to flame just to look cool. thanks.

DAMMIT, if I can't look cool here than there is no hope!

[Lomithrandel]

DAMMIT, if I can't look cool here than there is no hope!
you have an uphill battle with that avatar of yours alone :p :D

[orbitdvd]

you have an uphill battle with that avatar of yours alone :p :D

Got a problem with Donald?

[sar94pga]

So now I am officially part of the I Hate Blockbuster Club. My husband and I were part of the Total Access Online Membership and I guess from what we found out today were actually considered "Preferred Members" whatever that means since they apparently treat everyone like crap. A few months ago my husband recieved notification that his debit card had been compromised and the number would be changed. We got an email from Blockbuster not long after that saying that our card had been declined for the monthly membership fee and our account would be on hold until we entered the new information. This did not seem to be a problem. We simply logged in to our account and followed the prompts and entered our new account information. Our debit card was charged $1 and we kept checking back online only to see that it still showed the account being on hold. I read the FAQ to see how long it would take to reactivate the account and it had no helpful information simply saying the account would be reactivated at the time that they charged the card and there was really no set number of days it could take etc. We could not find the phone # to call so we waited. When time passed and nothing happened we logged in a couple more times and tried to enter the information again same $1 charge and nothing else. I even got an email from Blockbuster asking us to renew our membership and we would recieve a free movie so I tried again with the same results. We asked at the store a couple of times and were told there was nothing they could do since they are not connected to the online membership and we would just have to log in and keep trying. Finally today my husband went in to the store and asked to speak to a manager and was finally given a phone number to call. He called and spoke to a rep and a manager and got the same response. They can start us on a new plan but to get the same plan we had before would cost us $30 more a month!!!! We asked why we couldn't just renew the plan we had and they said that we would have had to do that within 30 days of our card being declined. We told them that we attempted it several times and they acknowledged that they do see the authorizations but there is nothing they can do. We asked if the same thing would happen everytime a credit card expires and they basically said yes. We were told we really should have called sooner. I can tell they are very eager to help when they refuse to provide a phone number and when they finally do it is just too late. I really feel like they do this on purpose everytime someone has a credit card expire so that they can charge them a higher rate. It is amazing that they expect people to pay $50 a month when they can get Netflix for $17. We told them to cancel our account which they did right away and now we are setting up an account with Netflix. I really wonder how much longer Blockbuster will remain in business with Customer Service like that. :mad:

to echo everyone else..yeah paragraphs would have been great.

ok. so. I, personally wait for nothing. I handle things as they come. Had this happened to me, especially with anything having to do with my credit card and the internet, it would have been taken care of that day.

now, because I am a blockbuster STORE employee, i cant even begin to tell you what the issue was. and why your plan didnt renew when you changed over your credit card info. but as a STORE employee, and a manager, i have the number to blockbuster online POSTED right next to each phone.

we don't withhold that phone number from anyone, because to us, it really makes no difference. Because 9 times out of 10, we can't help you anyway, because we dont have access to any online account info. As STORE employee's alls we can do is aplogize for your inconvience and give you the number.

But blockbuster online has its policies they need to follow as well. So the point, that they are making, is you had a month to correct the issue, and you didnt. There isnt some magical button that they just push and it makes it all better. No retail establishment has that.

And just to be clear....you were probably paying the 29.99 total access premuim rate. 3 and a time completely unlimited. and yeah, go ahead, switch to netflix. you may only be paying 17 bucks a month...but you will have just as many issues with them as you did with us. what you don't know about netflix, is they throttle more than any other online renter. Once you start costing THEM money, they halt your renting. so, yeah, have fun with that.

So, yeah what happened to you was unfortunate, but just remember, the grass isnt exactly always greener on the otherside. and no one person or company is perfect.

[HardcoreKeith]

I'm sorry you had a negative experience with BBO. It seems unreasonable that they wouldn't take your account off hold within perhaps a couple days max.

Please keep in mind that the BBV store employees do not work for BBO and know very little about its inner workings.

[JackSM]

Just a point I wanted to mention to the op, did you at anytime attempt to contact BB Online via email? Sorry if I missed it in your post but it seems to me your biggest gripe was that you could not contact them by phone.

Well I hate to point it out to you but thats how online businesses work. You pay less and get more because online businesses don't have the overheads of things such as customer service operators standing by waiting for calls.
Think about how many thousands of customers BB online has, now imagine all of them calling up everyday to ask redundant questions like "what did you think of the new Denzel Washington movie?" now imagine how many people would need to be hired to deal with said calls, now imagine how much more expensive your bill would be because BB have to pay out so much more in overheads.

Yes when things go wrong with an online business they invaribly take longer to sort out then in a retail store, but thats the point, you the customer are taking advantage of the savings and convenience of not having to deal with an actual person but ultimately have to accept the consequences of the same.

[zooworker]

I really wonder how much longer Blockbuster will remain in business with Customer Service like that. :mad:
About as long as Wal Mart:D