You can see a beta version of what is presumably the new Blockbuster Online site at http://beta.blockbuster.com.
What do you think of the new design?
Note: If Blockbuster wants to hide this beta site from the public, they may deactivate this URL at any moment.
7/21/2006
7/15/2006
Blockbuster Eliminates Weekend Shipping
One of the nicest things about Blockbuster was that they used to process DVDs on weekends. This was a benefit because you could watch a DVD on Thursday, mail it back to Blockbuster on Friday, have a new DVD shipped on Saturday, and receive that new DVD on Monday.
This was a particularly nice feature for those old or rare DVDs that often ship from remote distribution centers. Even though, USPS does not deliver mail on Sundays, they do transport mail 24/7. On a Saturday, Blockbuster could ship one DVD from your local distribution center and another DVD from a remote shipping center, and both DVDs could arrive on Monday. With Saturday shipping, Sunday was like a free transit day for those long distance shipments.
Unfortunately, the benefits of weekend processing no longer exist. Presumably to save on postage, payroll, DVDs, envelopes, and other overhead expenses, Blockbuster has stopped processing DVDs on weekends. They now ship only Monday through Friday.
What does the end off weekend processing mean for you? The answer is your turnaround times will increase in some situations, and Blockbuster has reduced the maximum number of DVDs you can watch for your subscription fee. Essentially, Blockbuster subscribers are now paying the same price for less service. Do not be surprised if Blockbuster continues to cut subscriber benefits in order to boost profit margins.
This was a particularly nice feature for those old or rare DVDs that often ship from remote distribution centers. Even though, USPS does not deliver mail on Sundays, they do transport mail 24/7. On a Saturday, Blockbuster could ship one DVD from your local distribution center and another DVD from a remote shipping center, and both DVDs could arrive on Monday. With Saturday shipping, Sunday was like a free transit day for those long distance shipments.
Unfortunately, the benefits of weekend processing no longer exist. Presumably to save on postage, payroll, DVDs, envelopes, and other overhead expenses, Blockbuster has stopped processing DVDs on weekends. They now ship only Monday through Friday.
What does the end off weekend processing mean for you? The answer is your turnaround times will increase in some situations, and Blockbuster has reduced the maximum number of DVDs you can watch for your subscription fee. Essentially, Blockbuster subscribers are now paying the same price for less service. Do not be surprised if Blockbuster continues to cut subscriber benefits in order to boost profit margins.
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