I just got a call from my local blockbuster saying that I have not returned a movie I checked out. I know I never checked it out because I haven’t been there for months. Unfortunately, my son is home from college and he has checked out movies but swears he never checked this particular one out (Dangerous Lives if anyone is interested). Anyway, I think it is likely that he really did but he is a very honest kid and I cannot be certain. My feeling is that I should pay for it (no, it is nowhere to be found) but want to minimize my outlay since there is a bit of doubt that I am responsible. What should I do, say or insist to keep my repayment to a minimum?
Pay them nothing. Those bastards charge $4.50 per video and have more than enough money as it is.
Well, first off, as a former Blockbuster Store Manager, I would suggest you go down and talk to the Store Manager or the Senior Asst. Manager rather than the CSR at the counter.
Blockbuster (BBV) policy is to always check for a photo I.D. every time someone rents. Of course, YMMV and it’s not a fail safe thing, but it’s worth checking out. They should be able to check the comment section to see who rented, or failing that, they should have at least a date and time the item was rented and they can check the security tape for a verification.
I worked in a store in a college town, and while I do not for one second question the honesty or integrity of your son, I (being a college student myself) know that it’s quite easy to lose track of which movies you’ve seen, what you rented, etc. It’s a very common scenario to call up the acct. holder and have them tell you they never heard of the movie they have checked out, but they do have a son/daughter who rents, etc. Please don’t feel like they’re being harsh, as they may have seen this scenario played out a thousand times before.
I had a guy I battled with for 6 months over 5 games he swore he never rented. We ended up charging him over $300 for the games + late fees. He even threatened to bring a lawyer into the picture. Finally, one day out of the blue the games show up in our drop box. I called him up to tell him I’d credit the charges for the price of the games and he sheepishly explained that he found them under the seat of his car when he took it in to be detailed. And yes, he did finally remember renting them. I’m not saying that this is your situation, but I am saying we’ve all seen it happen, and you’ve got a better shot of getting them to help you out if you do your own detective work first.
Also, I would ask when the last time they did inventory was. If it’s the store’s error (can happen – you’re checking in tapes, pull up an account to make a comment, get a customer coming to the register and forget to clear the account you have up so their tape gets scanned into the wrong account) they will almost definitely find the tape when they do inventory. Ask them to put a hold on your account until such time, and see if they’ll re-check the item or credit the late fees from the point you notify them to keep them from accruing further.
Forgot to add –
If it turns out you can’t figure out what happened, and they won’t credit it off for you and you need to pay for it – make sure you get them to sell it to you at the PVT (previously viewed tape) price. The only exception to this is if the title is a New Release. You may be in a sticky situation here, depending on which movie it is we’re talking about.
If it’s Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys you may be out of luck, as the price on that is likely around $70 or $80. If instead, you meant Dangerous Minds I think you should be able to pick it up for around $6.99, as long as it’s not on moratorium.
Also, if I didn’t state so before, make sure they comment your account when you make an initial attempt to discuss the matter. You should have them credit any late fees after that point, if possible.
Hope it works out for you!
How do I put this politely… THAT’S THE BIGGEST BUNCH OF BULLSHIT I’VE EVER HEARD! :eek: :eek: :eek:
My wife and children and I used to have an unwritten agreement. They would go to blockbuster anytime they wanted, check out as many videos/dvds/games as they wanted, and then play a secret game of “how long can we keep these before blockbuster wants to place a lein on my house”.
My response was simple. I went down to blockbuster and had them add a message to the screen that comes up when my account is pulled up. The message blinks and says “DO NOT RENT TO ANYONE EXCEPT ENRIGHT3. DO NOT RENT TO HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.” My wife and kids only had a problem renting there again maybe once or twice. They were almost always allowed to rent from there.
I went down to Blockbuster again, after getting the manager to waive my fees since he knew I likely didn’t rent Ya Ya Assholes, or some such shit. He then put a message on the screen that said “CONTACT MANAGER ON DUTY BEFORE RENTING VIDEOS”.
Guess What?
That didn’t help either.
I still deal with it on a weekly basis. The only good thing that can be said is that I have set a policy that they seem to be able to live with which is to not rent ‘red-cover’, only rent the 5-day.
On a related note, I couldn’t count how many times She’s (my wife) had gone into blockbuster and paid with my credit card, and even my checkbook THAT’S IN MY NAME ONLY. So what if her license shows the same last name! Hell she’s used my credit card and checkbook all over town and never even gets her ID checked. One of perks of being blonde with big tits, I guess. :mad:
Enright3
To sleeping: It doesn’t matter what they charge. If I agree to pay that price I am also responsible for any other reasonable rules they apply to the account.
To XjetgirlX: I take no offense in the idea that my son actually did check it out. That is a definate possibility.
This particular store NEVER asks for photo ID. I am intrigued by the possiblity of seeing who actually checked it out via the security camera. If it is my son I will pay without complaint.
A similar thing happened a few years ago and I was positive that I had returned the movie. They checked the shelf, said I was right, and reversed all charges. I actually asked them to check this time but after being on hold for about 5 minutes I was disconnected and didn’t call back. I’ll stop in in person in a day or two, when I get the time. I used to rent tons of movies from them and am a gold member (free of charge). Haven’t rented as many lately though.
Whoa there, boy. Settle down. Like I said, YMMV. My store was a franchise, not a corporate, so we were under tighter reigns in some areas than others. As for the comment about you being the sole renter allowed, I’ll agree that they probably have some dipshit workers who just ignore it to keep short fuses from going off. You’d be amazed at the attitudes we get when we ask for I.D. And then we have situations such as yours where it clearly pays to enforce policy. All’s I can assert for sure is that as of about a year ago when I last worked there, it was policy not to rent to anyone without photo I.D. Again, YMMV. Are we cool?
Try calling them on a Tuesday or Wednesday morning before 11AM. The people answering the phones are the same ones that check you out at the register – meaning that if the store’s busy, so are they, and you’re usually chained behind the counter if it’s a busy night.
Every morning an FOS (Found On Shelf) report is run. Any tape that is 1 day to 15 days late is on the report, and every morning an employee goes out to check on the shelf to see if any item on the list is there. Again, not fail safe, but usually quite effective. Find out how many days late the item is, and if it’s only a few, ask if the same employee has been running FOS each day. See if you can’t get a manager to go look in person.
As a former employee (and still happy/loyal to my previous employer) I’d like to thank you for your business!
As with all customer service issues, I’d suggest that you keep in mind that the store is not perfect, nor are the employees. There are many tools at the disposal of the manager when it comes to resolving disputes like this. Your best bet is to do as much detective work as you can – find out when it was rented, who the CSR was who checked it out, what time of day, etc. and make sure all your bases are covered. Then take your information, go directly to the Store Manager and let them know what you know and most importantly what you want them to do – i.e. do you refuse to pay the charge outright, do you want to pay for the item and settle the matter for a discounted price, or do you want to wait until their next inventory and see if it shows up.
However. While I hate to infer anything from your previous post, I can’t help but notice that you seem a little, well, irate. I understand that this is a hassle for you. I also understand that you may well have had to deal with the dumbest asshole on the planet with regards to that particular store. But. Please keep in mind that (most) people who work in service industries have had to deal with the wrath of all the assholes on the world combined, concentrated, and slammed right in their face at least ten times a day. Being mean may make you feel better, but it’s not going to help the situation. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be strong in your defense and assert your rights as a customer, just keep it in the realm of civility.
Again, hope everything works out well.
My apologies… we were never ‘un-cool’. I wasn’t calling Bullshit on you, it was more that I don’t think it’s a national BB policy to check IDs. I’ve never been checked for ID as long as I could whip out a Blockbuster card. This applies from Dallas, TX to Atlanta, GA.
When I moved to Memphis from Tidewater VA, I went from corporate to franchise BBs - the corporate BBs never asked for my ID. As soon as I started renting in Memphis, almost every time I’ve been asked for my ID (well, there’s one checkout girl that I almost always get at the closest BB to me who doesn’t bother to ask me any more 
) along with my BB Card, so it does appear to be a corporate/franchise thing
critter42
I wouldn’t reccomend this course of action. Sure it may be morally satisfying to declare “This is a mistake! Why should I deal with a company that overcharges me for the rentals in the first place, and then checks someone else’s movies out on my account and tries to stick me with their latefees? I’m never dealing with these people again!” but remember that they still have your application on file, including that nice legal agreement at the bottom that you signed, agreeing to.
It’s in your best interest to try to peacefully resolve the dispute, and taking a hardliner stance of “I’m paying you bastards NOTHING!” won’t get much cooperation from the gals and guys in the blue polo shirts. If you do choose to simply ignore the matter, and take your rental business elsewhere, there are the following consequences:
Once a rental is shown in the system as being out for a set amount of time past the due date (this was two weeks when I worked there, and I don’t think it would have changed since), the computers will automatically convert the rental to a sale at the new tape price, on top of any extended viewing fees that have accrued.
From there, a 180 day clock starts, during which time, attempts are made to collect on the balance in-store. After that, the corporation charges off the balance as an accounting writeoff, and turns it over to a collection agency, which can lead to negative consequences on one’s credit rating.
It’s best to just take the time out of your busy schedule, and stop by the store to speak with the Store Manager or Senior Assistant Manager. Be open and honest. Inquire about the points that Jetgirl listed. A sensible management team will see the value of getting one period’s worth of EVF and the tape’s PVT price and your continued business over taking the hard line. (And of course, as seems to be the standard disclaimer for this thread: YMMV as to the sensibility of your local management team).