blockbuster is a joke

[rk237]

Drac called it.

Heatheranderson, it is most likely that you (and your husband) misunderstood the employee since there is no interest for him to lie. To be fair, the employee probably thought you were wanted the brief answer rather than the lengthy one, which involves the explanation about selling movies we presume to have lost and buying them back for the price sold minus $1.50. That rarely would occur since movies are, of course, due on the due date and customers are expected to bring them back on time.

The phone call you received was an advisement that you will be purchasing the movies if the movies are not returned by a certain time (probably a day or so after the call was sent -- which is well after the due date).

I don't really see (beyond your expectation of a more detailed explanation from the clerk) where the problem is. Paying you the extra $1.50 when the company bought back your movies would be a nice gesture, but unnecessary when the totals are added, and it would only indulge your existing misconception of the restocking fee's existence at all (that it is a late fee -- it is instead the residue of repurchasing the sold product from you at a slightly reduced price to accommodate the costs incurred by the store in trying to replace its lost inventory through BB's distributor). Considering the tone of your post, I am left wondering if you would have gotten the simple solution you sought had you approached the store with your problem by treating the individuals with dignity instead of disdain.

[DavidNewlySL]

I think everyone is misreading the post...we aren't sure if this customer was misinformed either, they could have willingly paid the 9.95 rewards membership because of the benefits and possibly got a free rental...so the thought of someone paying for the membership is out the door, but they did seem naive enough to do so...

Secondly, I am pretty sure...95% sure even that the employee did not tell this customer they could keep it as long as they want, most customers say that...and as for late fees, it is not a late fee, a late fee would be a full charge for an item with accruing interest look it up on dictionary.com douche ...

[DavidNewlySL]

A late fee, also known as a late fine or a past due fee, is a charge levied against a client by a company or organization for not paying a bill or returning a rented or borrowed item by its due date. Its use is most commonly associated with businesses like creditors, video rental outlets and libraries. Late fees are generally calculated on a per day, per item basis.

Please read the last line...calculated on per day, per item basis, we do not charge u per day or per item, we charge 1.25 cents for 29 days of an item...I really hate customers who complain about a 1.25 cent restocking fee, that pays for the reminder calls and the damn letters we have to send to your house to remind your dumb asses.

[johnlow71]

also it could be that employee we just had. the slow surfer pothead employee. gotta love these employee's. if shes had this type of guy explaining things then it could be a bad employee. im so glad he no longer works for us.

[BBVcasualposter]

Originally Posted by Wrong Heaven

Isn't that always the way? No one takes responsibility for themselves.

I know nothing is ever my fault.

[OzMan]

Originally Posted by DavidNewlySL

Late fees are generally calculated on a per day, per item basis.

Please read the last line...calculated on per day, per item basis,

Do we REALLY need to go over the meaning of "generally"?? And I don't mean the guy who lost the Civil War (General Lee)........

And I don't believe I am going to go over this AGAIN!!!! First of all, we in the video industry have done ourselves a disservice by calling these things "late fees" from the beginning..... it is the cost of re-renting a product. If we charged an amount in ADDITION to the cost of renting the item, THEN it would be a late fee. And, in most cases, we would be completely in our rights to do so.

BBI actually did something right when the stopped calling them late fees and started calling them extended viewing fees (personally, I prefer re-rental fees). But when BBI did away with them, they suddenly started calling them "late fees" again. Funny how they did that.

Now, I'm not arguing the fairness of the $1.25. Personally, I think it's too low. But I think the logic displayed in arguing it is just painful to watch. It's to cover the cost of getting the item returned? Hell, what do you think the money that Family Video or Dingo Video collects is for?

The fact is, someone is late, you charge them $1.25. Sure, it's a pitifully low amount. Sure, it's only charged against someone taking advantage of the system. But if you put a pig in a dress, it doesn't matter how pretty the dress, it doesn't matter how much lipstick you use.... the pig is still a pig.....

And, as I said before...... since it's not REALLY a late fee when Dingo Video charges $3 anymore than it's a late fee when BBI charges $1.25, and we did all the damage to ourselves..... it doesn't matter what BBI calls it.... what matters is how the public perceives it..... and, as we see time and time again.....

[DraconianSM]

Oz,

What IS a re-stocking fee then? When you return an item you purchased
(like,from Circuit City), and you return it...they may charge re-stocking fees.

When people return a "sold" rental- it's no longer a "rental".

[MissHailstorm]

Originally Posted by DraconianSM

Oz,

What IS a re-stocking fee then? When you return an item you purchased
(like,from Circuit City), and you return it...they may charge re-stocking fees.

When people return a "sold" rental- it's no longer a "rental".

I think the post Oz is trying to make is that, no matter what we call it, no matter what it "is", it is how the majority view it. Some will view it as a "late fee". The success of the system depends on how many fall into that category.

[zooworker]

Originally Posted by MissHailstorm

I think the post Oz is trying to make is that, no matter what we call it, no matter what it "is", it is how the majority view it. Some will view it as a "late fee". The success of the system depends on how many fall into that category.

Unfortunately most customers fall into the idiot catagory..........

[brantheman]

Hmmm. The customer and the employee both seem to be at fault here...at least that's all I can tell from what little information we've been given on the situation. I'm willing to bet that the OP and her husband weren't using common sense, asked if they had late fees, and the employee simply said "no" without further explanation. I'm also willing to bet that the employee let the customer think they were actually paying for a membership when they were actually paying for the Rewards (I think this because i've seen other employees do it before - I wrote one up for it).

Bottom line, the employee probably should have been doing his or her job better. Whenever I sign up a new member, I tell them just about everything. I tell them how the EOLF program works along with the consequences, I give them a quick tour of the store, and I tell them what programs we have available, all in under three minutes. That's something every employee should be doing.

On the other hand, though, I'm still agreeing with whoever said earlier that the customer needs to take responsibility. The employee might not have been doing their job 100% correctly, but the customer still shouldn't be signing anything without actually skimming through it first. I'm more inclined to believe "the customer is always right" when they actually know where they screwed up, too.