Blockbuster being sued again over late fees. The plaintiffs are idiots.

[Philster]

Where is this fiasco taking place? Canada? I wonder how Michael Moore would explain that. Are the people of Canada fighting the evil American corporate gouger? Or would he say the people of Canada are behaving terribly because of the American influence?

Somehow, America is wrong, even though it’s the people of Canada who are acting like dopes.

Please note: This is the start of a trend around the globe. U.S. corporations - as they do biz elsewhere - will be sued into oblivion, especially via the class action process. Who in their right mind would think that an American company would win in any foreign country?

[Morelin]

@Waenara

Actually, I’m pretty sure the last time my roommate got movies from Blockbuster, the receipt did look like that - with a specific return time/date given for each rental. I live in Alberta, Canada. YMMV.

The receipts in Atlanta also clearly give due dates.

[Larry_Mudd]

Yes, but do they indicate how much the late fees are?

I don’t think anyone is saying that they didn’t know they had to return them on time, they’re complaining that the fees are higher than one might reasonably expect, aren’t they?

It’s a stupid suit, but if it says on the receipt “You will pay $5 per day for late returns,” or something similar, then it’s entirely without merit.

[Airman_Doors_USAF]

@Larry Mudd

Yes, but do they indicate how much the late fees are?

I don’t think anyone is saying that they didn’t know they had to return them on time, they’re complaining that the fees are higher than one might reasonably expect, aren’t they?

It’s a stupid suit, but if it says on the receipt “You will pay $5 per day for late returns,” or something similar, then it’s entirely without merit.

As cheap as movies are nowadays, I think we’re lucky that these rental places don’t just make us buy them if we return them late. There needs to be incentive for people to return them, and making it so that it’s actually cheaper to buy it outright rather than return them late or making them spend an arm and a leg for what is in effect stolen property is fine with me.

[World_Eater]

@Larry Mudd

It’s a stupid suit, but if it says on the receipt “You will pay $5 per day for late returns,” or something similar, then it’s entirely without merit.

I fail to see that it makes a difference. Why don’t we send them a reminder phone call the day before, so then it will be entirely*2 without merit.

[SciFiSam]

@World Eater

I knew this was coming.

Get a neighbor to return it, pay a kid down the hall $5 to return it, get a messenger service, have a family relative pick it up and return it, have a coworker pick it up and return it, etc, etc.

Where there’s a will there’s a way.

I don’t know any of my neighbours. My family is a long way from me, and none of my co-workers live nearby. Quite frankly, there’s no way I’d trust some kid to take my money and a free video and actually return it to the shop. Messenger services don’t exist here (London), and if they did, wouldn’t they cost more than the late fees? I do have friends of course, but one of the reasons I keep my friends is that I wouldn’t ask them to put themselves out to get over to my house just to take a video back, especially when, if I was sick, I wouldn’t be able to socialise with them.

None of this is uncommon. It is possible to take a rental movie back late, and still have a functioning brain.

I can’t believe I had to write that sentence :rolleyes:

[Intent]

I rent at blockbuster all the time. If I’m late in returning the movies, I pay $4, and keep it another day. What’s the big problem? I try to return them on time, sometimes I don’t, but I have yet to try and file a lawsuit because of it. If I’m late, it’s my fault. Morons.

When I was with my ex, I had his name on my blockbuster account. After we broke up, I had him removed. Bizarrely, a different blockbuster continued to let him rent, and he soon had $20 in late fees under my name. I told them what happened, and the fees were gone. Though I haven’t been back to the blockbuster he rented from since.

The only thing I was annoyed about was, a while ago they had a special where you bought a dvd, and got a special membership and $20 in late fee coupons. Which was cool. But their late fees are $4 each, and the coupons were in $5 denominations. That made me mad. Eventually, I got over it. Guess I shoulda filed a lawsuit against them instead.

[World_Eater]

@SciFiSam

I don’t know any of my neighbours. My family is a long way from me, and none of my co-workers live nearby. Quite frankly, there’s no way I’d trust some kid to take my money and a free video and actually return it to the shop. Messenger services don’t exist here (London), and if they did, wouldn’t they cost more than the late fees? I do have friends of course, but one of the reasons I keep my friends is that I wouldn’t ask them to put themselves out to get over to my house just to take a video back, especially when, if I was sick, I wouldn’t be able to socialise with them.

There are no messenger services in London? I’m going to call a huge load of bullshit on that one. As far as friends/co-worker go, how about “hey Jon, I’m sick as a dog, and I hate to ask, but I need a favor. I gotta return some movies or I’m going to get killed with these late fees. I you could do it, as soon as I get better, the drinks are on me.” If none of your friends would do you that simple favor, then you need some new fucking friends.

None of this is uncommon. It is possible to take a rental movie back late, and still have a functioning brain.

I’m sure your brain functions, you can still breathe right? you just aren’t a very responsible person, that’s all.

[Larry_Mudd]

@World Eater

I fail to see that it makes a difference.

Actually, you’re right-- looking closer I see that it doesn’t make a difference. Even if the customers were aware of the disproportionate “extended viewing charge,” the suit maintains that the penalties classify as “excessive gain” under Quebec’s consumer protection law – it doesn’t matter if they were aware of the terms of the contract.

It doesn’t matter that we’re talking about late fees, either.

It’s the same law that prevents unscrupulous salesmen from selling vacuum cleaners to little old ladies at a price which is in excess of the market value.

The consumer may demand the nullity of a contract or a deduction in his obligation where the disproportion between the respective obligations of the parties is so great as to amount to exploitation, or where obligation of consumer is excessive, harsh or unconscionable.

The complaint isn’t “We shouldn’t have to pay late fees,” it’s “These late fees are out of line with what is reasonable.” If it can be shown that Blockbuster’s charges are in excess of what is normally expected, then they’re just going to have to suck it up.

[smiling_bandit]

That logic breaks down, though when you consider that Blockbuster’s competitors charge reasonable late fees, so their selection should be substantially reduced, right?

From my personal experience, this is what happens. Other stores in my area with fewer late fees have poorer selection and more items out. BB has more tapes and more in at any one time.

Why can’t Blockbuster do something like that, plain, straightforward and easy, so that no one has to question when each item needs to be returned or what it will cost if they’re late?

I though it was pretty easy to comprehend: Your video has a time its due in and a rental fee. If you don’t return it by that time (and they are prompt about snanning things back in) you’ve checked it out again. Seems fair enough to me.

[Larry_Mudd]

@smiling bandit

If you don’t return it by that time (and they are prompt about scanning things back in) you’ve checked it out again. Seems fair enough to me.

Except that renting the movie for two nights costs $5, and keeping it another two nights costs $10. They are collecting twice as much as is “fair,” by that rationale.

[Rysto]

@Philster

Where is this fiasco taking place? Canada? I wonder how Michael Moore would explain that. Are the people of Canada fighting the evil American corporate gouger? Or would he say the people of Canada are behaving terribly because of the American influence?

Somehow, America is wrong, even though it’s the people of Canada who are acting like dopes.

Please note: This is the start of a trend around the globe. U.S. corporations - as they do biz elsewhere - will be sued into oblivion, especially via the class action process. Who in their right mind would think that an American company would win in any foreign country?

What the fuck are you blathering on about?

[partlycloudy]

Another Blockbuster employee checking in.

I work at a store in Louisiana, and the due dates are printed on the reciepts. The type of fee “we” charge is exactly the same as the rental price, for the same number of days… So if it’s a 2-day rental that cost $4, and it’s late 1 or 2 days, it’s another $4, late 3-4 days, it’s $8. **It’s as if you checked it back out. ** Now that seems reasonable to me. Especially on a Friday or Saturday night, when we have 200 copies of a title, and all of them are checked out, and 50 of them are late - people want that movie. Yes the people that keep them out are going to be charged “extended viewing fees.” That’s how this business works, and anyone with a brain who rents from BB/anywhere else KNOWS their going to have to pay a fee if they return a movie late!

That said, we CAN take the fees off. That doesn’t mean we WILL take the fees off (we can also get in trouble for taking the fees off). We will definitely not give a customer a break if he/she seems to feel “entitled” to a free ride. But I don’t think I’ve ever refused to take a small fee off (or at least split it in half) for a nice, sympathetic person who leans in and says, “listen, do you think there’s any way you could give me some sort of break this time?” (unless their account says specifically not to)

If it’s a more serious situation, i.e. death in family/hospitalization/snowstorm/etc. you can usually find a sympethetic employee who will try to help you out. If the fee is huge, you can take it to the district leader or higher up. If it’s a valid excuse, and especially if you have documentation, odds are you won’t have to pay that fee.

As for being misled about the due date, there are signs everywhere saying what day the movies are due, it’s on the movies themselves, and on the reciepts, PLUS we tell you when you walk out the door - of course you can even call the store if you forget, lots of people do this. All you have to do is PAY ATTENTION, and you’ll know when you’re movies are due back. And of course you don’t have to rent them if you can’t get them back by that date.

Also, sometimes people think these 2-day rentals are for 24 hours… let’s think about that. If you check a book out from the library at 5:47pm on Thursday, does that mean it will be due back at 5:47pm on the due date?? Nooo… If we did things like that at BB, it would be a madhouse and we would never be able to get anything done because we would be forever checking in movies. That’s just SILLY. Some places they’re due at midnight - BB videos used to be due at midnight. Yeah, some of you might remember the days of “due back tomorrow before close.” That was considered a “2-day rental.” (I do wish they would start calling them 2-night rentals or something, so the nitpickers would back off) So BB sees it like this: They’re actually giving you 12 EXTRA hours to get your movies in. And they are, really. (I think they mostly just had to keep up with the competition)

I agree that the fees in Canada sound a little exorbitant. (I’d hate to work at one of those stores!) If I were one of those people, I would learn to get my movies back on time!

Logan.

[Larry_Mudd]

@LoganDear

So if it’s a 2-day rental that cost $4, and it’s late 1 or 2 days, it’s another $4, late 3-4 days, it’s $8. It’s as if you checked it back out. Now that seems reasonable to me.

Of course that’s reasonable. Of course, nobody’s suing “your” Blockbuster over excessive charges, so it’s not terribly relevant.

I agree that the fees in Canada sound a little exorbitant. (I’d hate to work at one of those stores!) If I were one of those people, I would learn to get my movies back on time!

Even if you knew that local consumer protection laws invalidate contracts in which disproportionate obligations are required of the consumer?

Again, personally, I’d just choose to avoid doing business with Blockbuster and go somewhere more sensible. I can’t really muster a lot of ill-will against litigants who will end up forcing Blockbuster to bring their fees in line with every other video store in the province, though. Or even with Blockbuster in Louisinia, for that matter-- why should Acadian procrastinators pay twice as much as their Cajun cousins?

[partlycloudy]

@Larry Mudd

Of course that’s reasonable. Of course, nobody’s suing “your” Blockbuster over excessive charges, so it’s not terribly relevant.

Just making a comparison, that’s all.

Even if you knew that local consumer protection laws invalidate contracts in which disproportionate obligations are required of the consumer?

Ideally, the only obligation really “required” of the customer is that they bring their movies back on time (aside from the obligation of paying for the movie in the first place, duh). Since the movies are property of BB, I do think BB should be able to charge an appropriate fine. The problem with this Quebec thing seems to be that their fees border what some people consider “fair.” I can understand that people are upset about it. But really, they are “borrowing” the movies, and they rent from BB with full knowledge (again, if they’re paying attention, which they should be, since they signed the contract and all) that if they turn those movies in late, they will be charged these fees. (if they don’t know what the fees are, they need to find out if they plan on turning movies in late)

So, really, when you talk about obligation, you make it sound as if the consumer is required to pay these fees, when really, it’s more of a choice the consumer makes to turn the videos in late. A wise consumer would keep this in mind when he/she rents the video in the first place.

I’m not a lawyer though, and I don’t know the Canadian Consumer Laws - maybe these people will get BB to change their policy (which I agree would probably be wise on BBs part, especially if the fees are that high in Canada, otherwise they will lose out to their competition).

…why should Acadian procrastinators pay twice as much as their Cajun cousins?

Well, I certainly don’t think they should!

Logan.

[Cazzle]

@SciFiSam

Worldeater,

Don’t be silly. What if you fall sick, or your child falls sick, and you can’t leave the house? Sure, you still have to accept the late fees, but you’re not a ‘fucking idiot’ just for not getting a movie back on time.

What happens if you call the video store and explain that you’d like to check it out longer?

I recall doing that with the library. Sometimes I couldn’t get a book back on it’s due date, so I would ring and ask if I could borrow if for another week, and unless someone else had put a hold on it, they would do it.

I don’t know if video stores work the same way, but I can’t see why not. You’d still be paying, but only a regular rental fee instead of a late fee.

[lezlers]

Worldeater:

Are your comments directed towards those who occasionally return movies late and then complain about being charged late fees, or people who occasionally return movies late and pay the fees without complaint?

Because if it’s the former, I’m with you. If it’s the latter, however, you’re pretty much contradicting yourself. If someone returns a movie late for whatever reason and accepts the late fee, realizing it’s their punishment for returning said movie late, they are taking responsibility. If they’re taking responsibility for their actions, they’re in fact, responsible people.

Saying someone is irresponsible or that they’re going to end up collecting cans for a living for failing to return a movie on time and paying late fees is completely ridiculous.

As is hiring a freaking messenger service to return them. Considering a messenger service would most likely cost a great deal more than a day of late fees, I’d be more worried about the brain activity of someone who chose that option over just paying the damn late fee. If you’re only talking about returning it a day late, hiring a messenger service to return the movie seems highly illogical.

[ElwoodCuse]

Every Blockbuster I have ever been to merely charged you the same rental rate for the same period if you returned it late. Say you get a movie for 5 days for $3.99. You don’t have back in 5 days? You get charged another $3.99 and the due date is bumped back five more days. The only way I could see this being a problem is if people returned the stuff merely one day late and didn’t realize they could keep it a couple more days (probably a waste with a movie you’ve seen, but possibly a big deal if it’s a video game).

Also, maybe one of you Blockbuster employees can provide some more info, but I once heard the manager of my local store tell someone that the Noon return box isn’t emptied until 1:00 and no one is charged the additional fee unless their rental isn’t back by 3:00. That would make sense, because who rents movies/games between noon and 3, especially during the week?

[World_Eater]

@lezlers

Worldeater:

Are your comments directed towards those who occasionally return movies late and then complain about being charged late fees, or people who occasionally return movies late and pay the fees without complaint?

Because if it’s the former, I’m with you. If it’s the latter, however, you’re pretty much contradicting yourself. If someone returns a movie late for whatever reason and accepts the late fee, realizing it’s their punishment for returning said movie late, they are taking responsibility. If they’re taking responsibility for their actions, they’re in fact, responsible people.

Yep, I’m with you, just the former.

[SciFiSam]

OK then Worldeater, we have no argument, though that’s not the impression you gave with your first or subsequent comments.

After this thread, I had a nightmare about Blockbuster Video last night! :rolleyes: