No "Throttling" for Blockbusters Customers

[jm1647]

@PA - I'm glad it is working out for ya now

[katzdvd]

Thanks for the info., PA. I will try to get a manager on the phone. Right now, I have a "case worker" (lol) that I am supposed to converse with via. email. She gave me 3 ecoupons after I grumbled a bit, & is assuring me that I am not being throttled...yeah right.

A free month of service would sweeten the deal, I will have to hit them up for that in the near future, as I am sure this situation is not over. Actually, I was to receive 2 in the mail today, & they didn't show up

I will threaten them with NF & Hollywood

[doctorhardware]

My wife and I, have been looking at NF and TA. I am in the Chicago land area. We are trying to decide which service is better. I know that the turn around time for NF can be longer due to not having any BM locations. But on the other hand I see people that are having problems with TA and their BM locations with the reporting of returned DVD on timly fashion, and getting the next title on their queue list shipped promptly and in the proper order.

[jm1647]

My wife and I, have been looking at NF and TA. I am in the Chicago land area. We are trying to decide which service is better. I know that the turn around time for NF can be longer due to not having any BM locations. But on the other hand I see people that are having problems with TA and their BM locations with the reporting of returned DVD on timly fashion, and getting the next title on their queue list shipped promptly and in the proper order.

They both have free trial periods, try them both and see which one works best for you. I am still using both .Each has some DVDs I want to see that the other doesn't.

NF started out great for me a year ago and then I started to get fewer and fewer DVDs each month. They came right out and told me I was a high volume renter and had a lower priority in shipping than those that received fewer DVDS than me. So I joined BB and consistently received more DVDs than I did from NF even without TA.

Then in November TA kicked in and I was getting more than double, almost triple what I was getting from NF. Even with the few troubles in the last few weeks I still get more from BB than NF due to TA and swapping at the store. In the last few weeks BB has gotten more than 700,000 new signups because of TA and I am sure they will resolve whatever problems they are having.

Like the old car rental commercial, they are #2 and hafta try harder

[doctorhardware]

Oh hell I guess I can try TA, I have a BM store that is with in walking distance when the weather is warm and no rain. Hopefully being that I am in the chicagoland area maybe service might to some what faster for shipping from the queue list.

[jm1647]

From the current NF Terms Of Service (and they state they can change the TOS without notifying you):

In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we may utilize many different factors, including without limitation, the number and type of DVDs you rent through our service, the subscription plan you select, as well as other uses of our service by you. For example, if all other factors are the same, we give priority to those members who receive the fewest DVDs through our service. The type, number, mix and weighting of the various factors impacting shipping and inventory allocation will change from time to time and will be made in our sole and absolute discretion. As a result of your viewing habits and our operational practices, the actual number of DVDs you rent in any month may vary, and you may experience differentiated service during the course of your membership. Also, such service may be different from the service we provide to other members on the same membership plan. The type of differentiated service you may experience includes, without limitation, (i) the shipment of your next available DVD occurring at least one business day following return of your previously viewed movie, (ii) delivery taking longer, as the shipments may not be sent from your local distribution center and (iii) the movies you receive coming from lower in your queue more often than our other subscribers. These effects will not occur unless we are faced with limited inventory at your local distribution center or when the number of shipments to be processed by that distribution center on that day is exceeded. In our unlimited plans, we do not establish a monthly limit on the number of DVDs you can rent

[volfann]

I don't consider myself a Power User like some,but I have to say the TA plan is working out very well for me. I generally get my 3 new releases on Tuesday or Wednesday and then swap them at local store for 3 movies that I typically wouldn't bother with if I had to pay to rent them. This way I don't have to worry about mailing the movies back and them not being received in time to get the following Tuesdays new releases. So I'm getting 24 movies a month for $19.65. At less than a buck apiece, I can't complain..

[jm1647]

I don't consider myself a Power User like some,but I have to say the TA plan is working out very well for me. I generally get my 3 new releases on Tuesday or Wednesday and then swap them at local store for 3 movies that I typically wouldn't bother with if I had to pay to rent them. This way I don't have to worry about mailing the movies back and them not being received in time to get the following Tuesdays new releases. So I'm getting 24 movies a month for $19.65. At less than a buck apiece, I can't complain..

If I had to pay regular instore prices for the movies I rented I wouldn't rent all that I do. And with TA it cuts the trips to a B&M store in half, and if ya don't wanna go to a store you don't hafta. Like you said volfann TA has its advantages.

Returning online DVDs to a B&M store should trigger the shipping of a movie from your queue the next business day.

[jm1647]

I swapped 2 DVDs on the 16th and 1 on the 18th just checked my queue on BB. It looks like the shipping has picked back up for me

[BR7]

I just got this email.

Beginning next week, you'll notice something new from BLOCKBUSTER® – a brand-new look for our online DVD mailing envelopes. The yellow envelopes that you're used to seeing will soon be replaced by bright blue envelopes that include some great new features.

Return envelope = FREE movie
With BLOCKBUSTER Total Access™, your return envelope works just like an e-coupon. Place any online DVD inside the envelope and take it to your local participating BLOCKBUSTER store to exchange it for a free in-store movie rental*, just like that.

Special offers, coupons and more
Check the inside flap of the envelope for special promotions, announcements, coupons and great deals from our partners. You never know what you might find inside.

Look for our new envelopes to arrive in your mailbox starting next week.

[jm1647]

I just got this email.

Me too, I wonder who their partners are gonna be

[photo_angel2004]

Me too, I wonder who their partners are gonna be

Popcorn and soda coupons

Well I just went to print out my ONE E-coupon for ONE free rental that you get once per month.

I found this to be disurbing:

No Printing.
No Expiration Dates.
Way more movies.



If you've got a mailer, you've got a movie E-Coupon. And if you don't you still get at least one E-Coupon good for either a movie or game each month, just in case. Good News! You can now use your return envelope to get free movie rentals* at your participating BLOCKBUSTER Store. We've moved the barcode to the return envelope so you no longer have to print your coupons. Instead, take any DVD - sealed in its return envelope - to your local participating BLOCKBUSTER Store and exchange it for a free in-store movie rental. Click here for more information.

* In-store rentals are subject to regular rental terms and conditions including due dates and charges which may apply to product kept beyond the due date. A separate, complimentary, in-store membership is required. In-store rentals must be returned to the store where rented. See your local, participating BLOCKBUSTER store for complete rental terms.

So what they are saying is you dont need to print out that ONE extra FREE movie or game rental each month you can use your online return envolops...... D'AH!

That just ripps you off that ONE FREE rental per month if you dont print that ONE e-coupon.

I wonder how many people will stop printing it out.

[BR7]

That just ripps you off that ONE FREE rental per month if you don't print that ONE e-coupon.

How much more do you want? You get 3 or more free ones each week

[jm1647]

And in November when TA started I used the 4 weekly e-coupons which went to 1 in December

[photo_angel2004]

How much more do you want? You get 3 or more free ones each week

LOL,

Well that is part of the plan 1 online printable coupon per month. If you dont print it out you dont get it.



Here is another trick I learned,

If you are being throttled and not getting many movies there is a way to free instore rentals.

I noticed that if you get a bad disc one that arrives damaged and unplayable.

you can report DVD issues if you click to report a DVD as damaged and ask for the SAME movie to replace that damaged one, they will ship one out the next day "the same movie" still works for the instore freebe though.


I found that out when a disc arrived cracked, they had a new one out to me the next day unlike the movies in my queue, LOL

Then I got one that was chipped and they sent a new one out the next day for that too.