Gord is out of the game business now, too, as I understand it. A pity, I enjoyed his idiot-baiting. I particularly loved the way that he’d get out his red pen and correct his opponent’s statements/bluffs.
You were probably a nice guy. I’m WAY less likely to waive a fee if you’re a jerk about it. Part of the consideration, however, is how long it was at the library, etc. Again, if it’s out of the store, then OTHER customers can’t rent it. So if it’s something we have a waiting list on, or a hot new release–or you do this all the time and take that shit for granted, then your fees will be adjusted accordingly. But since our late fees are less than rental–theoretically we could be losing money even by charging you all the fees in full–blanket waivers for someone not currently sleeping with a staff member is unlikely.
My other favorite thing is when people finally bring back a video they’ve had for, say, 2 months, and I start the discussion by telling them the late fees are $90. Now, obviously, we rarely charge someone the full amount when it’s someone like that–only if they’re MAJOR assholes about it. But that’s the starting point of the discussion. I love it when people shoot through the roof and start screaming and swearing before I’ve had a chance to CONTINUE the discussion.
I wish I could calm those ones enough to ask them to explain their logic. What do you suggest, that late fees just suddenly STOP one day? Then what’s your incentive to bring it back at all? There HAS to be a better reason to bring it back today than tomorrow. Or the classic, I could’ve BOUGHT it for less than that! Yes, but you didn’t, did you? As if a rental disc is worth no more than its purchase price. I don’t know the math, but each disc has to bring in WAY more revenue in rentals than it’s sale value, or the business model just wouldn’t work. We have to “sell” it many, many times to keep the roof on. And if you have it for 2 months, but only want to pay for 3 days, I’m sorry but that’s just not how it works.
How many people would rent a car for a week, return it on the 8th day, and not expect to pay for an extra day?
I get it that mostly these people are mad at themselves for doing something that cost them extra money, but if you’re gonna take that shit out on me, you’re A) gonna get a nasty note on your account, and B) not gonna get as good a deal as you were hoping for.
I’ve only done this once (never returned a DVD and thus ended up purchasing it) and I had no problems with the theory behind it…$5 to rent it for a week, $30 to keep it. Clearly, Audrey, you’re not responsible enough to rent videos. :smack:
Perhaps the saddest thing is that I never watched it. I think I still have it somewhere. I don’t know why on earth I rented a movie I never watched, because I only rent movies about three times a year…thus you’d think my motivation to watch those few would be pretty high…
At any rate, count me in with the folks who were about to get pissed off while reading the OP, thinking it was the asinine customer who was writing it.
Obviously your store location isn’t close enough to a bar.
I work at a bar and you’d be surprised the number of people who come in on their breaks…
Yeah, no, I have to keep a bottle of vodka in the office, but I never really break that out till I’m closing. We’re in a hyperrich white neighborhood, and I was astonished to discover how many daytime drinkers there were in the hood. Cashmere, pearls, pearl-white Escalade–and runny red eyes and vodka breath. I just don’t want to play on their field while I’m arguing late fees with them.
We used to get this argument in the Library a lot. I would have to point out that the cost was for more than the book.
We had to pay someone’s wages to go through the catalogs and decide on books to purchase.
We had to pay someone’s wages to order the book.
We had to pay shipping and handling on the book.
We had to pay someone’s wages to catalog the book.
Last but not least we had to pay someone’s wages to stamp, bar code, tape and cover the book with stamps, bar codes, tape and covers we had to pay for.
Most people seemed to be surprised that Pixies didn’t just materialize the books on the shelves.
In our small town with only 2 video stores, the Library and video stores do a weekly exchange of all the dvds returned to the wrong place.
I think that’s what happens here, too. The video store is just down the street from the library. I’m sure they get each other’s stuff quite a bit. In fact, the video store guy said that returning it to the library is the ONLY time the fee is waived.
I return the movies on time. Now, if only I could get the video games back–and they’re more expensive when late! (it’s usually 2-3 days, not weeks).
I understand what you are saying, but I still can’t see how you would be able to collect (in court anyways) more money that what the property you lost was worth. The DVD is gone, you can replace it for $9.99, so the customer owes you $9.99.
For example, if someone hits your 1997 Ford Escort and totals it, then that person (or his insurance) owes you only the book value for a 1997 Ford Escort with the specs that your car has. It doesn’t matter if your buddy is renting it from you for $10/day and you are missing rental income, or if you spent 40 hours doing research before you bought it trying to find the best deal. The purpose of compensation is to make you whole; who is to say that the DVD wouldn’t have gone unrented for the month?
The customer signed a contract detailing late fees and replacement charges, and is thus liable for whatever fees he agreed to. The replacement value of the DVD isn’t really an issue, nor is how much it might have earned in rentals while the customer kept it. Courts don’t let you retrospectively decide what you think ought to be a fair deal - if you agreed terms, that’s it.
Pragmatically speaking, a rental company needs to discourage customers from using it as a three month try-before-you-buy service, and the only way it can do this is by setting the replacement fee above the high street price of the DVD. This is perfectly reasonable, as rentals don’t want constant uncertainty over whether their stock is ever coming back. And if the customer doesn’t want to pay over the odds for a DVD he decides not to return, he shouldn’t sign a contract saying he will.
Because that’s what the rental agreement you sign when you join up says.
This whole thread is really an endorsement for Netflix, isn’t it?
Are you at Scarecrow Video by any chance? Hell, does Scarecrow Video even still exist?
Dunno about that. I’ve always been treated quite well by independent video stores (not so much by Blockbuster, natch) and I hardly ever rent DVDs anyway. When I did, it was usually in connection with a date, and I always felt like wandering around a brick-and-mortar store was an essential part of that kinda date.
You can tell a lot about a person by what they want to (and don’t want to) watch.
Well, I just meant the part about people not wanting to pay all these fees. If someone is unwilling to, but they still want to rent movies, the most logical step is to go someplace where they don’t have to do that, no?
Based on the arguments I’ve heard while waiting in line at Avis… well, you can guess.
Hasn’t Blockbuster gotten rid of its late fees now? Or is that a scam?
I thought it was “We’ve gotten rid of our late fees now but after a month, you have the privilege of buying the movie for yourself.” All I know is that at Netflix, there is no late fees because there’s no due date.
We had a copy of Blood Diamond from Netflix for 9 months (!). We hadn’t lost it - it sat right on top of our entertainment center collecting dust: “do you want to watch that DiCaprio movie?” “meh - let’s watch MythBusters.”
We never did watch the damn thing (our only excuse it that it’s 2.5 hours long, and with 3 kids, it’s hard to find the time when they’re not around). And Netflix never charged us - they did send an email after month 6, asking if we still had it. We replied we did, and that was that.
Strictly speaking, they are charging you, every month. If you’re on an unlimited 2 discs at a time plan ($14/month), holding a disc for 9 months costs you $63. It’s a great deal for Netflix.
Late fees are only necessary when you pay up front for an agreed-upon amount of time. It’s just a different business model.