# Breaking news on the Blockbuster Late Fees "Scandal" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 30, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856 "2005-03-30T00:21:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/61 "2005-04-02T02:48:58Z")
> [@racinchikki](#): > > If I wanted to, I could keep a Netflix movie for sixty-seven years. Yes, you could take three Netflix movies and keep them for 67 years. And it would cost you over 12 thousand dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/62 "2005-04-02T04:09:53Z")
> [@](#): > > But here’s the thing – the $1.25 is not a late fee. It’s a restocking fee. Funny how they only charge people the restocking fee to people who bring back a movie late. Lincoln used to ask a riddle to people, “How many legs would a mule have if you called its tail a leg?” People would answer “Well, if you call the tail a leg, a mule would have five legs.” And then Lincoln would say, “No, you can call the tail anything you want but a mule’s still only going to have four legs.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/63 "2005-04-02T04:18:22Z")
Many people have made the argument that common sense should have told customers that when Blockbuster said “no late fees ever” there had to be some kind of catch. But suppose Blockbuster had offered a lesser deal. Suppose they said that all movie rentals on Tuesdays were 25% off? Would you just assume it was a good bargain and an intelligent plan for Blockbuster to rent movies on a slow weeknight? Or would you have your attorney review the contract? Suppose you rented a couple of movies one Tuesday and then when you returned them the next day, you were informed that the 25% off price was only for “in-store rentals” - by taking the movies out of the store you incurred the “traveling rental” fee which was ten dollars more? Of course all of this was explained in a brochure that you could have asked to read if you had known it existed. It was right downstairs in the room with the “Beware of Leopard” sign. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/64 "2005-04-02T04:24:28Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > I don’t get the whole “assume it’s the same as Netflix” thing, either. > > Let’s say I’m Joe Customer, and I walk into Blockbuster, where they have a sign that says, “no more late fees”. I scratch my head and wonder what the details of that policy are. I say to myself, “Maybe it’s like Netflix, where you can keep it as long as you want but you can only keep one movie out at a time.” (At least that’s how it was described in this thread.) > > At what point do I go from “Maybe it’s like Netflix…” to “I’m going to ASSUME it’s like Netflix, not bother to ask, and just keep the film out as long as I feel like”, and why? > > Common-sense would tell you that you can’t just take out movies forever. If you know they have some sort of system in place to prevent that, why would you just _assume_ that it’s “like Netflix”? > > And BTW, can I really rent a DVD from Netflix for under $5 and keep it forever? Maybe the due date they tell you when you check out the movie might be a clue. Or the stuff printed on the movie box. Or on the receipt. Or on any one of the signs and brochures posted around the store. Or one of the actual Netflix like program advertised. Or you could ask the clerk, which is a prudent thing to do when you are renting someone else’s property and arn’t quite sure what the terms are. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/65 "2005-04-02T07:44:57Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I don’t know if they have an under $5.00 a month plan, but I can rent 3 DVDs from Netflix and keep them forever- as long as I keep paying my 17.99 a month. O.K., that’s what I suspected - you’re paying a hefty fee per month for the privilege. Surely people didn’t actually think Blockbuster was offering the same thing for nothing? > [@Little Nemo](#): > > Many people have made the argument that common sense should have told customers that when Blockbuster said “no late fees ever” there had to be some kind of catch. Not really “it has to be a catch”, but more “_obviously_ they don’t mean they’re giving away as many free movies as you want to keep forever for $3 each”. > [@](#): > > But suppose Blockbuster had offered a lesser deal. Suppose they said that all movie rentals on Tuesdays were 25% off? Yeah, but that’s completely different. _That’s_ a perfectly reasonable thing to do. If I thought they were giving 25% off, I wouldn’t think twice about it. But if I though they were giving away movies for $3 (or whatever the rental price is), and you _never_ have to bring them back, I would instantly think, “I must not be understanding this right” and I would _ask_. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/66 "2005-04-02T08:07:05Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > I don’t get the whole “assume it’s the same as Netflix” thing, either. > > \ > > At what point do I go from “Maybe it’s like Netflix…” to “I’m going to ASSUME it’s like Netflix, not bother to ask, and just keep the film out as long as I feel like”, and why? > > Common-sense would tell you that you can’t just take out movies forever. If you know they have some sort of system in place to prevent that, why would you just _assume_ that it’s “like Netflix”? Folks might assume it’s “like Netflix” because this change in Blockbuster policy was pretty clearly in response to Netflix’s success. Netflix has a ‘rent as long as you want’ policy (while paying your subscription fee, of course), which translates into “no late fees.” Wow, what a deal! So, Blockbuster comes up with its own no late fees plan. It seems understandable that a person would figure that, “gee, Netflix has no late fees if you’re a member, Blockbuster’s trying to compete with Netflix by doing the same thing.” Not a ridiculous assumption. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/67 "2005-04-02T08:56:16Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > It seems understandable that a person would figure that, “gee, Netflix has no late fees if you’re a member, Blockbuster’s trying to compete with Netflix by doing the same thing.” Not a ridiculous assumption. I don’t think you caught my drift. Not saying it’s ridiculous to think Blockbuster might be trying to compete with Netflix. I’m just not understanding why people would just _assume_ something without taking the extremely simple step of just asking the clerk when they rent the movie, especially given the fact that Netflix charges a monthly fee and Blockbuster doesn’t\*. I can see people thinking, “Hmmm…maybe it’s like Netflix.” But again, I don’t get the step where they say, “I will _act_ on the assumption that it is just like Netflix, without bothering to find out if it’s true.” \*If you’re stupid enough to keep one movie from Netflix and never give it back, you’re just paying the monthly fee for nothing, so they’d make a buttload off you. In fact, the only reason Netflix can allow you to keep movies indefinitely is because you’re _paying them money_ every month. As soon as you unsubcribe, you have to give the movies back. I mean, it’s common sense - you’re not gonna get a free lunch. From Netflix terms of service: > [@](#): > > Provided you continue to be a paying subscriber of our service, you may keep the DVDs delivered to you as long as you like. We do not impose any required return dates (other than upon cancellation of the service). Given that we have no required return dates, we do not charge any late fees. **You will be required to return the movies within 7 days following any cancellation of the service or be subject to charge for unreturned DVDs.** Also, you may be charged for movies that you lose. See, Netflix isn’t offering a free lunch _either_. I just don’t get the part where people say, "I’m going to _assume_ that Blockbuster is doing what Netflix does FOR A MONTHLY CHARGE, but is doing it for free, and just go ahead and act on that assumption. Again, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/68 "2005-04-02T09:30:17Z")
> [@Eonwe](#): > > Folks might assume it’s “like Netflix” because this change in Blockbuster policy was pretty clearly in response to Netflix’s success. Netflix has a ‘rent as long as you want’ policy (while paying your subscription fee, of course), which translates into “no late fees.” Wow, what a deal! So, Blockbuster comes up with its own no late fees plan. It seems understandable that a person would figure that, “gee, Netflix has no late fees if you’re a member, Blockbuster’s trying to compete with Netflix by doing the same thing.” Not a ridiculous assumption. I beg to differ. Netflix **does** have late fees, they just call it the “subscription fee”. As **spooje** pointed out, if **racinchikki** kept her three Netflix movies out for sixty-seven years she would pay many thousands of dollars for the privilege (hopefully this situation would not arise, and something tells me that **racinchikki** is fully aware of the math). Any time that one is not turning round one’s Netflix movies there is an equivalent “late fee”. So, is Netflix as guilty of false advertising as some would claim Blockbuster to be? It seems to me that anyone who would be misled by this so-called “Blockbuster deception” is the kind of person who would drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles just to fill up their gas tank, because everyone knows that gas is cheaper in LA than in SF. Way to stick it to Big Oil! ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/69 "2005-04-02T09:40:47Z")
[Followup to previous post] Sorry, **blowero** , for some reason I hadn’t seen your post on preview, and we’re largely covering the same ground but you’ve already put a lot of energy into this thread. I’m not trying to take your argument and claim it as my own, honest. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/70 "2005-04-02T20:45:19Z")
> [@Antonius Block](#): > > I’m not trying to take your argument and claim it as my own, honest No, actually I’m glad you posted, because you made a point I was thinking about too. > [@](#): > > Any time that one is not turning round one’s Netflix movies there is an equivalent “late fee”. So, is Netflix as guilty of false advertising as some would claim Blockbuster to be? By the logic outlined in this thread, Netflix is just as guilty as Blockbuster (actually MORE so), yet nobody seems to be complaining about Netflix. Not only do you have a good point about the monthly charge being the same as a late fee, clearly, the language I bolded in their service agreement, especially this part: **or be subject to charge for unreturned DVDs.** constitutes a “late fee” as well, IF one were to apply the same logic that’s being applied to Blockbuster. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/71 "2005-04-02T22:10:50Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > Funny how they only charge people the restocking fee to people who bring back a movie late. > > Lincoln used to ask a riddle to people, “How many legs would a mule have if you called its tail a leg?” People would answer “Well, if you call the tail a leg, a mule would have five legs.” And then Lincoln would say, “No, you can call the tail anything you want but a mule’s still only going to have four legs.” This works the opposite way as well, you realize. You can call a restocking fee a late fee all you want. Doesn’t necessarily mean it is. There’s a strong distinction, to my mind, between ‘You kept this DVD out longer than the contractually agreed period, so we’re going to charge you extra to recoup lost revenue’ and ‘You kept this movie out so long we cleared it out of our system already. We’ll take it back, but we’re going to deduct a little for the inconvenience.’ It’s a fine distinction, perhaps, but one that makes sense to me. Of course, if all you’re concerned about is ‘They’re taking money from me’, then yeah, a restocking fee might as well be a late fee. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/72 "2005-04-03T00:11:44Z")
**BayleDemon** , I love you. **Edward The Head** , \* in the very segment you quoted\*, I stated that us blueshirts were doing our damnedest to tell every single customer about the policy in person, so your statment that there were only commercials about the policy, is untrue. We even had a seminar at 7 AM on a Saturday to explain the policy in full to us, and teach us how to discuss it with clients in a way that was clear and accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/73 "2005-04-03T02:07:53Z")
> [@BayleDomon](#): > > There’s a strong distinction, to my mind, between ‘You kept this DVD out longer than the contractually agreed period, so we’re going to charge you extra to recoup lost revenue’ and ‘You kept this movie out so long we cleared it out of our system already. We’ll take it back, but we’re going to deduct a little for the inconvenience.’ This is an important point. At what point do you have to assume that a movie ain’t coming back? All of you who are angry about ‘late-fees’ or ‘restocking fees’ answer that for me. There is a due date. This date is on my rental receipt. Every time I have rented, it was also told to me, verbally. When can Blockbuster assume I have absconded with their property and try to recoup? Every day I have it past the due date is a day they can’t rent it to someone else, right? Or a day they can’t sell it outright. Whatever time frame is universally agreed upon is irrelevant. _Because some people are still gonna think that the rules DO NOT APPLY TO THEM._ They are gonna keep the movies longer than that and bitch up a storm when there are consequences. These people should be sterilized. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/74 "2005-04-03T02:42:21Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > Yes, you could take three Netflix movies and keep them for 67 years. And it would cost you over 12 thousand dollars. Man, this really puts the idea of joining netflix into perspective for me. I don’t think I would ever spend 12k on movie rentals for the rest of my life. But, think about how many other services we pay for and take those numbers over the next 40 years. You really get a perspective on these things. It seems like just a few buck a month, but think about it… cell phone: 30-50; 14,400 to 24,000. Not counting any overages. For the average American, this is one year of your working life. cable: 40-90; 19,200 to 43, 200. At the higher end, this is two years of your working life. internet: 10-40; 4,800 to 19,200. Maybe a half year of work for each of us. Think of all the other things you are just paying 5 (2400), 10 (4800) or 15 (7200) dollars a month for. The book nickled and dimed really makes a lot more sense now. If you asked me now, to work for the next year, without pay, just to have cable for the rest of my life, I would say “piss off”, but I am doing it. If you were to ask me to work 6 months, full time, for nothing but the right to get fucking movies on my DVD player for the rest of my life, I would laugh at you. But, we are all doing this, everyday. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/75 "2005-04-03T17:59:18Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > cell phone: 30-50; 14,400 to 24,000. Not counting any overages. For the average American, this is one year of your working life. > > cable: 40-90; 19,200 to 43, 200. At the higher end, this is two years of your working life. > > internet: 10-40; 4,800 to 19,200. Maybe a half year of work for each of us. > > If you asked me now, to work for the next year, without pay, just to have cable for the rest of my life, I would say “piss off”, but I am doing it. If you were to ask me to work 6 months, full time, for nothing but the right to get fucking movies on my DVD player for the rest of my life, I would laugh at you. But, we are all doing this, everyday. So basically, you’re going to ignore the **40 years** of cable, internet and cell phone service you’ve received in exchange for your money and bitch about how you’re throwing your money away? Are you stupid? Money is exchanged for goods and services that are then used by the people who have purchased them. It’s basic economics, if the Oppurtunity Cost of the service you are purchasing is not worth the quoted price, don’t buy it. Don’t bitch to us about how “we” waste our lives spending money on a service “we” but deem important. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/76 "2005-04-03T18:08:22Z")
OKay, just popping in to clear up something. BB does have a Netflix-like program. They’ve had it for longer than I’ve worked there (since Oct 04). They have the online $14.99 for 3 movies plan. In store, they have 1 at a time ($9.99 first month, $14.99 every month after that), 2 at a time ($14.99 to $14.99), and 3 at a time ($19.99 to $29.99). In my store, there are many, many signs explaining the no more late fees. On the entrance and exit doors, at the exit of the (what’s the word for the place you stand in line?), and two BIG posters on endcaps. Hard to miss. Also, on every receipt, for every movie, it says “Buy this movie for just $x.xx more on xx/xx!” On the other side of the folks who say that we’re defending BB because it’s a big business, well, maybe you’re just attacking it because it’s a big business. Some folks apparently have an instant distrust of any big business. Even having said all that, I do think the ads should have been clearer. As soon as I saw the first commercial I just kind of said, “Uh oh. This can’t end well.” ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Serpentine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@Silver\_Serpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Serpentine)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/77 "2005-04-03T18:12:03Z")
Ahem. The two at a time goes from $14.99 to $24.99. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/78 "2005-04-03T21:34:58Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Provided you continue to be a paying subscriber of our service, you may keep the DVDs delivered to you as long as you like. We do not impose any required return dates (other than upon cancellation of the service). Given that we have no required return dates, we do not charge any late fees. You will be required to return the movies within 7 days following any cancellation of the service or be subject to charge for unreturned DVDs. Also, you may be charged for movies that you lose. Wow. My head is spinning with the legalese. Why did you post the freakin’ Magna Carta here? And why is Netflix hiding this complex fine print in the basement behind a locked door that says “Beware of Tiger”? They said I could keep movies forever and now they want me to pay money for them or return them! The bastards! That’s why I’m sticking with Blockbuster. When they say “No Late Fees” at least I know I don’t have to pay for the same movies month after month. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/79 "2005-04-03T21:41:57Z")
> [@Foible](#): > > I don’t get the analogy here so for now I’ll ignore the part about my car. Let me explain then. Let’s say you buy a new car off the lot for $20,000. Six months later, some punk kid keys your car. You take it back to the dealer and ask them to repaint it. They want to charge you for it. Are you going to argue that the repainting was not part of the sticker price, therefore you should not have to pay it? > [@](#): > > For all of you voicing the “caveat emptor” argument, I wish every financial transaction of yours would have as many rules and as much fine print as a blockbuster agreement. Then you might understand why letting companies pull this crap is a bad idea. As I implied with sarcasm in my previous post, it’s not the Magna Carta. One does not need to study law for 4 years to understand the BB agreement. It’s on a half sheet of paper, in large type, in a friendly sans-serif font, in language any 4th grader could understand. And it’s on every counter in the store, at least where I shop. As I’ve said, if it’s not on the counter in your store, that’s a problem. But I wonder how many customers simply don’t see the policy sheets because they don’t _want_ to see the policy sheets. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2005, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856/80 "2005-04-03T22:26:01Z")
There are at least three issues being conflated here. 1.) Blockbuster’s new policy. (I think it’s a very fair and very reasonable one.) 2.) The fact that Blockbuster advertised this policy as “NO MORE LATE FEES! THE END OF LATE FEES!” when, in fact, you get charged a fee if you take the movie back late. (I think this is a dishonest, but unfortunately common, form of advertising.) 3.) The people who believe they are owed money because they took movies back late and got charged for it. (I have no sympathy for these folks–they should have clarified the policy before they rented the movies. But I also have little sympathy for Blockbuster, who should think twice next time before they make a bold claim based on a technical distinction.) > [@](#): > > Let me explain then. Let’s say you buy a new car off the lot for $20,000. Six months later, some punk kid keys your car. You take it back to the dealer and ask them to repaint it. They want to charge you for it. Are you going to argue that the repainting was not part of the sticker price, therefore you should not have to pay it? A better analogy would be if the car dealership advertises “FREE REGULAR SERVICE! NO CHARGE FOR REGULAR SERVICE! SERVICE IS ABSOLUTELY FREE!” And they don’t charge you for service, but they do charge $10/quart for the oil. Or they’ll rotate the tires for free, but there’s a $20 charge to put the car up on the lift (which they require to rotate the tires). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-on-the-blockbuster-late-fees-scandal/296856.md?page=5)