Okay, not really but it sure seems like it. So Friday night my wife's friend had an extra ticket to go see Spam-A-Lot. This meant I was alone for the evening to eat whatever I wanted and to do whatever I wanted. So I did. Headed to Blockbuster to get a couole Xbox games and then out to Steak N' Shake for some grub. While at Blockbuster I was browsing their horror selection as I often do to see if anything cool came in. The place was packed to the rafters and they had this poor girl running around trying to let everyone know about their awesome Online service. I tried to avoid her because I really didn't want to be rude and tell her what I thought of the service.
Well she found me. I tried really hard to just say no and be done with it but she was pretty energetic and persistant. She asked me if I was okay. I said yes. She asked if she could help me find anything, I said no. She asked if I wanted to try something out that would get me a free rental in the store that night. I said, no thanks. She asked me to hear her out and I said that if it had to do with BB Online, I am not interested as i just canceled my account the past week. I hoped we could leave it at that but she was astounded that someone could cancel such an awesome service. She asked me why and I really didn't want to explain. There were people all around us and I just didn't feel like explaining it to her so that all could here making it harder for her to approach everyone else after hearing my true and disheartening story. But she kept digging. I explained that I can never get my movies that I request even if they are available and she said she had a great answer for that. Of course it was the standard answer I got from everyone else at Corporate so she offered no hope. She kept telling me how she would get all her movies and I told her that she was lucky. I also added that the movies I want are probably not the same movies she wants. She kept telling me about the Total Access where you drop your Online movies off at the store and choose more but I again told her that neither the store nor the online program carried my movies so there wasn't anything that would work for me.
She eventually gave in and let me go but you could tell she felt like a failure. She had been getting people to sign up all night and she decided to go toe to toe with a non-believer and lost. Sorry lady. I tried to let you off easy.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
It's been awhile but I have stuff to rant about!
So I have been pretty quiet on here lately. I apologize to the 2 people who may be reading this blog. Today I have two things that I have gone through the last month that I want to rant about. One of them I forgot till I received an email yesterday. So let us begin the ranting!
Blockbuster Online
We were enjoying our subscription to Blockbuster Online, for about a month. Then, for reasons that are still unknown, things went sour. I had placed all the movies we wanted to see in our queue and each time they sent a new one out it would be the one that was like 15th in the queue. Nothing at the top of our queue, which were the movies we were really wanting to see, would ever show up. Yes, they all said "Available" in case you were wondering to yourself. Early on I sent an email out to ask why I was not getting things in my queue in order. I was told that "available" does not always mean "available" and then was given a coupon for in store use. Great. That makes me happy. Not.
I let it go and then things just didn't get better. I would send a movie and they would take 4 days to get me another one, sometimes a week, and still ignoring the top 10 movies in my queue. Then they created their new Total Access promo. This is where you can drop off your online DVD's in store and they will send them back for you and you can pick out replacements right there on the spot. Sounds good. But the problem is that we got the Online subscription because out store doesn't carry a lot of titles we are looking for. We want to see Seasons 3 and 4 of Scrubs. Our store only carries Season 1. There are a bunch of horror flicks I want to see but my local store does and will not carry them. So this new feature is pointless. If I want to get a new release then maybe but I want to see off the beaten path type movies.
So I email them one day a couple weeks ago.
I have had this issue before but now my patience is wearing thin. I got the reply last time that Available does not mean it is actually available and then got a coupon. Okay, well now everything that I have had in my queue at the top has been available yet I get movies 15 places down on my queue. Every time. Is it because the movie is available but my warehouse doesn't have it? Will it ever have it? Are there movies that I will just never be able to get? I like the ease now of having the ability to go to my local store and drop off and pick up but the problem is that my store doesn't carry the majority of the titles I want to see. I want to see Scrubs seasons 3 and 4. My store only carries Season 1. I want to see Supernatural, my store won't carry it. I want to watch a bunch of classic horror flicks that my local store does not carry. Sleepaway Camp 1,2,and 3 have been "Available" the day I put them on the list. Yet 2 is the only one I have ever received, which is dumb since it is the middle movie of the trilogy. So I return that in hopes that one day I will get the first one and then I will add 2 back on my list and try again. But it should not be this way. Sorry to say, but we didn't have this problem when we used Netflix. I don't want to go to Netflix for other reasons, but if I am actually never going to get to see the movies I want to see even when they state "available" for weeks on end, I will have to leave and go there.
Their wonderful response;
Hello Steve,
Thanks for contacting BLOCKBUSTER Online Customer Care.
I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you, Steve, on sending additional titles to you. I have checked and verified your record in our customer database and found out that you have not enough queue slots for additional shipment. I would like to follow up on the movies "Before Sunrise", "Shopgirl", and "Ichi the Killer."
You can always view your rental list by signing in to your account and going to "My Account" and clicking on "View Rental History", which will show your current list of shipped movies as well as what has been returned and checked back in.
I hope this information helps, Steve. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Always here to help,
Aileen
Customer Care Associate
BLOCKBUSTER Online
Wow, that has nothing at all do to with anything I asked.
My reply back;
Okay, you totally missed the point there. This isn't an issue of what movies I currently have. I never stated that as an issue. My issue is that movies I have in my queue that are listed as "Available" never get sent. Ever. Sleepaway Camp has said "available" for over a month or 2 and yet it has NEVER been sent to me. If I send back the 3 movies I have out right now, I suspect I will get movies that are like 10th,13th, and 15th on my list. I want to know why that continues to happen. Please feel free to reread my int ital complaint as it is clearly stated there. What is the point of having an order in the queue if you are randomly sending me movies? You may as well get rid of the queue and just send me what you feel like sending me since you haven't followed my queue order since...forever.
Her reply;
Hello Steve,
I'm sorry to learn we haven't shipped the DVD you've requested, Steve. Our goal is to ship your movies as quickly as possible in order to meet the expectation of 1-3 business days for delivery. We review all "Available" titles in your Queue, and determine which movies are in stock at your nearest distribution center that can be delivered in about 2 days. If your requests are outside the 2-day shipping window, they will be skipped over for other DVDs further on your list.
Unfortunately, we won't always be able to send your movies in the exact order you specify in your Queue. When we're ready to ship your next selection, we consider your Queue priorities and our current inventory. If your top picks are not in stock, we will send something else so that there are no service interruptions. Even though some of your selections may have longer waits than others, I suggest keeping your movies in the order you would like for them to be shipped.
I understand it's frustrating when we don't send your first choices, Steve. We're currently reviewing this process in order to improve in this area. I appreciate your patience as we work to provide you with the best service possible. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and I'll be happy to help if I can.
Always happy to help,
Aileen
Customer Care Associate
BLOCKBUSTER Online
Okay, that seems like a poor way to run this kind of business. My response;
You say "we won't always". How about saying "if you have something in your queue and regardless if it says available for months, we probably really don't have it so you will never get it." With what you are telling me compared to the service I have received I think you guys have a problem that needs to be fixed ASAP. You never really answered my question or you can't because they won't even give you the actual answer but it seems many movies I wanted to see, (THAT SAID "AVAILABLE") were what, not at my
distribution center? Will it ever be? Do I need to wait 3 yrs? I waited 2 months or so, that is quite the wait. Not a wait I would expect from a business like this.
I really want to let it go but I just can't believe that I have wasted money for this product. I have had to wait over a week for titles, I have had to send back titles because you wouldn't send me the first one in the series. Just horrible.
My account has been closed. Before Sunrise, Ichi, and Shop Girl are already on their way. I opened a trail Netflix account yesterday. Funny thing was is that I put the top three movies I have in my BB queue that said available and put them at the top of the Netflix queue and they were also available there. They had this one shot to win me over. Come into work this morning and open my email and there they are, all three movies are shipped. Just like that. I will tell everyone I know how your system works. I suggest letting someone know that they need to figure this out and figure it out fast.
And that was true. Since signing up to Netflix I have received everything I have asked for that BB would not send me. On top of that, I sent 2 DVD's back Monday morning and got my replacements from Netflix in the mail Wednesday. That is beating Blockbuster by 3 days.
Well she got tired of me and had Regina take her shot;
Hello Steve,
I understand how frustrating it may be not to receive the movie that you have prioritized the most, Steve. Please know that movies are shipped based on several factors other than Queue priority, such as the number of copies in our inventory, the number of distribution centers provided with the copies, your proximity to these distribution centers, the demand for the same titles, the rate that the discs are being returned in good condition, and the postal service’s schedule and performance. Thank you for your understanding regarding this matter.
I am very sorry to know you have chosen to cancel your subscription. I have reviewed our customer database, and your account has already been successfully canceled as of December 7, 2006. Please remember that if you wish to avoid further charges to your credit card, BLOCKBUSTER Online must receive your movies no later than 30 days past your membership end date.
We value you as a customer, so I'd like to offer you some other plans I think you might be interested in:
* 2 at-a-time, unlimited rentals plus one e-coupon good for free in-store movie rentals for only $14.99 plus tax per month. If you agree to try it today, we'll give you 50% off the first two months!
* 1 at-a-time, unlimited rentals plus one e-coupon (2-day rentals not included) good for free in-store movie rentals for only $9.99 plus tax per month. If you agree to try it today, we'll give you 50% off the first two months!
Remember that all of our plans now automatically include our new Total Access program free of charge! Click on the link below to learn more if you are not familiar with this spectacular offer.
http://www.blockbuster.com/totalaccess
If any of these plans interest you, please let me know and I'll reactivate your account with the new subscription starting on your next billing cycle. If not, then I'm sorry to see you go and hope you reconsider in the future!
Always here to help,
Regina
Customer Care Associate
BLOCKBUSTER Online
Those deals are crap and not anything an upset customer is going to go for. Give me a break. So I canceled and I though all was good to go. But they keep hounding me. I got this email last night,
Dear Steve,
We received your request to cancel your BLOCKBUSTER Total Access™ membership.
But before you go, we hope you'll check out five great reasons other members are staying with BLOCKBUSTER Online®.
Reason #1: Never Be Without a Movie
The next time you change your mind or change your plans, you can get a new movie – FREE – right away. With BLOCKBUSTER Total Access, you simply place an online DVD in a return mailer and exchange it for a free in-store movie rental* at one of our 5,000 participating BLOCKBUSTER® stores – talk about immediate gratification!
Except your stores don't carry what I want to see.
Reason #2: Way More Movies, Same Low Price
Free in-store movie rentals are in addition to the number of movies allowed out at a time on your plan, giving you more movies at the same low monthly price.
Still not worth it since I can't get the movies I want to see through you or the store.
Reason #3: No More Waiting! Movies Arrive Faster
With BLOCKBUSTER Total Access, as soon as you return a movie in-store, your Queue frees up and your next available DVD ships right away.
No. The time I send a movie back and the time I get one averaged 4-5 days where Netflix is taking 2 days, plus they are sending me what I want
Reason #4: Coupons Good for FREE In-Store Rentals
Each month you receive e-coupons good for FREE in-store rentals – something you can't get anywhere else!
Funny, I get free rental coupons from mailers and from my Rewards card
Reason #5: Access to In-Store Special Promotions and Coupons
BLOCKBUSTER Online members are always the first to know about special offers and promotions, such as these in-store holiday prices at your local, participating BLOCKBUSTER store:
* Popcorn singles: Get two for $1.49
* $5 Gift Card: FREE with $50 Gift Card purchase
* Previously viewed DVDs: Buy 2 for $20 and 4 for $20 (select titles)
* Pre-owned games: Take 25% off
* Games: Rent two for $10 (PS2, PSP, Xbox and Game Cube)
No coupon required. Special prices good through December 31, 2006.
Click here for additional terms and conditions.
What advantage is there to knowing that. They have had the 2 for $20.4 for $20 deal running for over a year at my store and I never saw an email about it while a member of the online junk. This is lame.
If you'd still like to cancel your membership, do nothing. But if you'd like to give BLOCKBUSTER Total Access another try, re-activate your membership now and we'll send out your next movie right away!
No you want. It will take 4-5 days and it will be a move you decide to send.
So, don't join Blockbuster Online unless you only watch new releases.
Blockbuster Online
We were enjoying our subscription to Blockbuster Online, for about a month. Then, for reasons that are still unknown, things went sour. I had placed all the movies we wanted to see in our queue and each time they sent a new one out it would be the one that was like 15th in the queue. Nothing at the top of our queue, which were the movies we were really wanting to see, would ever show up. Yes, they all said "Available" in case you were wondering to yourself. Early on I sent an email out to ask why I was not getting things in my queue in order. I was told that "available" does not always mean "available" and then was given a coupon for in store use. Great. That makes me happy. Not.
I let it go and then things just didn't get better. I would send a movie and they would take 4 days to get me another one, sometimes a week, and still ignoring the top 10 movies in my queue. Then they created their new Total Access promo. This is where you can drop off your online DVD's in store and they will send them back for you and you can pick out replacements right there on the spot. Sounds good. But the problem is that we got the Online subscription because out store doesn't carry a lot of titles we are looking for. We want to see Seasons 3 and 4 of Scrubs. Our store only carries Season 1. There are a bunch of horror flicks I want to see but my local store does and will not carry them. So this new feature is pointless. If I want to get a new release then maybe but I want to see off the beaten path type movies.
So I email them one day a couple weeks ago.
I have had this issue before but now my patience is wearing thin. I got the reply last time that Available does not mean it is actually available and then got a coupon. Okay, well now everything that I have had in my queue at the top has been available yet I get movies 15 places down on my queue. Every time. Is it because the movie is available but my warehouse doesn't have it? Will it ever have it? Are there movies that I will just never be able to get? I like the ease now of having the ability to go to my local store and drop off and pick up but the problem is that my store doesn't carry the majority of the titles I want to see. I want to see Scrubs seasons 3 and 4. My store only carries Season 1. I want to see Supernatural, my store won't carry it. I want to watch a bunch of classic horror flicks that my local store does not carry. Sleepaway Camp 1,2,and 3 have been "Available" the day I put them on the list. Yet 2 is the only one I have ever received, which is dumb since it is the middle movie of the trilogy. So I return that in hopes that one day I will get the first one and then I will add 2 back on my list and try again. But it should not be this way. Sorry to say, but we didn't have this problem when we used Netflix. I don't want to go to Netflix for other reasons, but if I am actually never going to get to see the movies I want to see even when they state "available" for weeks on end, I will have to leave and go there.
Their wonderful response;
Hello Steve,
Thanks for contacting BLOCKBUSTER Online Customer Care.
I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you, Steve, on sending additional titles to you. I have checked and verified your record in our customer database and found out that you have not enough queue slots for additional shipment. I would like to follow up on the movies "Before Sunrise", "Shopgirl", and "Ichi the Killer."
You can always view your rental list by signing in to your account and going to "My Account" and clicking on "View Rental History", which will show your current list of shipped movies as well as what has been returned and checked back in.
I hope this information helps, Steve. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Always here to help,
Aileen
Customer Care Associate
BLOCKBUSTER Online
Wow, that has nothing at all do to with anything I asked.
My reply back;
Okay, you totally missed the point there. This isn't an issue of what movies I currently have. I never stated that as an issue. My issue is that movies I have in my queue that are listed as "Available" never get sent. Ever. Sleepaway Camp has said "available" for over a month or 2 and yet it has NEVER been sent to me. If I send back the 3 movies I have out right now, I suspect I will get movies that are like 10th,13th, and 15th on my list. I want to know why that continues to happen. Please feel free to reread my int ital complaint as it is clearly stated there. What is the point of having an order in the queue if you are randomly sending me movies? You may as well get rid of the queue and just send me what you feel like sending me since you haven't followed my queue order since...forever.
Her reply;
Hello Steve,
I'm sorry to learn we haven't shipped the DVD you've requested, Steve. Our goal is to ship your movies as quickly as possible in order to meet the expectation of 1-3 business days for delivery. We review all "Available" titles in your Queue, and determine which movies are in stock at your nearest distribution center that can be delivered in about 2 days. If your requests are outside the 2-day shipping window, they will be skipped over for other DVDs further on your list.
Unfortunately, we won't always be able to send your movies in the exact order you specify in your Queue. When we're ready to ship your next selection, we consider your Queue priorities and our current inventory. If your top picks are not in stock, we will send something else so that there are no service interruptions. Even though some of your selections may have longer waits than others, I suggest keeping your movies in the order you would like for them to be shipped.
I understand it's frustrating when we don't send your first choices, Steve. We're currently reviewing this process in order to improve in this area. I appreciate your patience as we work to provide you with the best service possible. Please let me know if you have any additional questions, and I'll be happy to help if I can.
Always happy to help,
Aileen
Customer Care Associate
BLOCKBUSTER Online
Okay, that seems like a poor way to run this kind of business. My response;
You say "we won't always". How about saying "if you have something in your queue and regardless if it says available for months, we probably really don't have it so you will never get it." With what you are telling me compared to the service I have received I think you guys have a problem that needs to be fixed ASAP. You never really answered my question or you can't because they won't even give you the actual answer but it seems many movies I wanted to see, (THAT SAID "AVAILABLE") were what, not at my
distribution center? Will it ever be? Do I need to wait 3 yrs? I waited 2 months or so, that is quite the wait. Not a wait I would expect from a business like this.
I really want to let it go but I just can't believe that I have wasted money for this product. I have had to wait over a week for titles, I have had to send back titles because you wouldn't send me the first one in the series. Just horrible.
My account has been closed. Before Sunrise, Ichi, and Shop Girl are already on their way. I opened a trail Netflix account yesterday. Funny thing was is that I put the top three movies I have in my BB queue that said available and put them at the top of the Netflix queue and they were also available there. They had this one shot to win me over. Come into work this morning and open my email and there they are, all three movies are shipped. Just like that. I will tell everyone I know how your system works. I suggest letting someone know that they need to figure this out and figure it out fast.
And that was true. Since signing up to Netflix I have received everything I have asked for that BB would not send me. On top of that, I sent 2 DVD's back Monday morning and got my replacements from Netflix in the mail Wednesday. That is beating Blockbuster by 3 days.
Well she got tired of me and had Regina take her shot;
Hello Steve,
I understand how frustrating it may be not to receive the movie that you have prioritized the most, Steve. Please know that movies are shipped based on several factors other than Queue priority, such as the number of copies in our inventory, the number of distribution centers provided with the copies, your proximity to these distribution centers, the demand for the same titles, the rate that the discs are being returned in good condition, and the postal service’s schedule and performance. Thank you for your understanding regarding this matter.
I am very sorry to know you have chosen to cancel your subscription. I have reviewed our customer database, and your account has already been successfully canceled as of December 7, 2006. Please remember that if you wish to avoid further charges to your credit card, BLOCKBUSTER Online must receive your movies no later than 30 days past your membership end date.
We value you as a customer, so I'd like to offer you some other plans I think you might be interested in:
* 2 at-a-time, unlimited rentals plus one e-coupon good for free in-store movie rentals for only $14.99 plus tax per month. If you agree to try it today, we'll give you 50% off the first two months!
* 1 at-a-time, unlimited rentals plus one e-coupon (2-day rentals not included) good for free in-store movie rentals for only $9.99 plus tax per month. If you agree to try it today, we'll give you 50% off the first two months!
Remember that all of our plans now automatically include our new Total Access program free of charge! Click on the link below to learn more if you are not familiar with this spectacular offer.
http://www.blockbuster.com/totalaccess
If any of these plans interest you, please let me know and I'll reactivate your account with the new subscription starting on your next billing cycle. If not, then I'm sorry to see you go and hope you reconsider in the future!
Always here to help,
Regina
Customer Care Associate
BLOCKBUSTER Online
Those deals are crap and not anything an upset customer is going to go for. Give me a break. So I canceled and I though all was good to go. But they keep hounding me. I got this email last night,
Dear Steve,
We received your request to cancel your BLOCKBUSTER Total Access™ membership.
But before you go, we hope you'll check out five great reasons other members are staying with BLOCKBUSTER Online®.
Reason #1: Never Be Without a Movie
The next time you change your mind or change your plans, you can get a new movie – FREE – right away. With BLOCKBUSTER Total Access, you simply place an online DVD in a return mailer and exchange it for a free in-store movie rental* at one of our 5,000 participating BLOCKBUSTER® stores – talk about immediate gratification!
Except your stores don't carry what I want to see.
Reason #2: Way More Movies, Same Low Price
Free in-store movie rentals are in addition to the number of movies allowed out at a time on your plan, giving you more movies at the same low monthly price.
Still not worth it since I can't get the movies I want to see through you or the store.
Reason #3: No More Waiting! Movies Arrive Faster
With BLOCKBUSTER Total Access, as soon as you return a movie in-store, your Queue frees up and your next available DVD ships right away.
No. The time I send a movie back and the time I get one averaged 4-5 days where Netflix is taking 2 days, plus they are sending me what I want
Reason #4: Coupons Good for FREE In-Store Rentals
Each month you receive e-coupons good for FREE in-store rentals – something you can't get anywhere else!
Funny, I get free rental coupons from mailers and from my Rewards card
Reason #5: Access to In-Store Special Promotions and Coupons
BLOCKBUSTER Online members are always the first to know about special offers and promotions, such as these in-store holiday prices at your local, participating BLOCKBUSTER store:
* Popcorn singles: Get two for $1.49
* $5 Gift Card: FREE with $50 Gift Card purchase
* Previously viewed DVDs: Buy 2 for $20 and 4 for $20 (select titles)
* Pre-owned games: Take 25% off
* Games: Rent two for $10 (PS2, PSP, Xbox and Game Cube)
No coupon required. Special prices good through December 31, 2006.
Click here for additional terms and conditions.
What advantage is there to knowing that. They have had the 2 for $20.4 for $20 deal running for over a year at my store and I never saw an email about it while a member of the online junk. This is lame.
If you'd still like to cancel your membership, do nothing. But if you'd like to give BLOCKBUSTER Total Access another try, re-activate your membership now and we'll send out your next movie right away!
No you want. It will take 4-5 days and it will be a move you decide to send.
So, don't join Blockbuster Online unless you only watch new releases.
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