Since late-September, Blockbuster has become more aggressive with one of their more cheesy throttling tactics. For some reason, the minds at Blockbuster have assumed they can get away with shipping fewer DVDs to subscribers by partially filling empty queue slots. Blockbuster may not ship all of the DVDs they are supposed to send to you, but they will at least send one or two, so you cannot accuse them of letting your account sit idle for days at the time.
Here is how Blockbuster's partial fulfillment works. On Monday, you have three empty queue slots, but nothing ships that day. On Tuesday or Wednesday, Blockbuster ships two DVDs to you. These DVDs have been sent from far enough away that they will almost never arrive until Thursday or Friday. If you are lucky, Blockbuster will ship the third DVD to you by Friday, but they might hold off on shipping until the following Monday or Tuesday.
Here is the important thing to realize: By trickling out partial shipments, Blockbuster will have the ability to claim--at almost any given time--they either recently shipped something to you or will be shipping something to you soon. At almost no point is Blockbuster living up to the terms of the subscription agreement you have with them. Blockbuster is perpetually leaving one to three of your queue slots empty while hiding behind the illusion they are shipping DVDs to you on a regular basis.
Now, here's the deal. If you have three empty queue slots on Monday morning, Blockbuster should ship three DVDs to you by Monday afternoon. If Blockbuster does anything else, they are cheating you out of your subscription benefits. Just because Blockbuster ships a DVD to you on Tuesday, it does not mean they are absolved from sending another DVD to you for the next few days.
Do not let Blockbuster trickle out DVDs to you and con you into thinking you are getting the subscription benefits for which you are paying. When you complain to Blockbuster about delays and they try to appease you by telling you they just shipped a DVD to you, fire back with, "Okay, congratulations for partially living up to our agreement. Now what about the other DVDs you should have sent to me days ago? What is Blockbuster going to do to compensate me for this delay?"
Showing posts with label slot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slot. Show all posts
10/16/2009
Blockbuster Shipping Delays Spanning Multiple Weeks
Blockbuster Online must have recently determined that throttling customers down to one set of DVDs per week was not profitable enough. It now appears Blockbuster is experimenting with a throttling tactic that allows subscribers' empty queue slots to sit idle for many days on end.
Under Blockbuster's regular system of throttling, Blockbuster would delay shipping until the later half of the week or simply ship DVDs at the beginning of the week from distant shipping centers, knowing they would not reach the subscribers until Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Regardless, throttled subscribers would not receive DVDs until the end of the week, which made it nearly impossible for the subscribers to get more than one set of DVDs per week.
During October, however, shipping has gotten slower on some accounts. Blockbuster has allowed queue slots to remain empty for extended periods, even for time periods that extend through weekends. For example, a throttled subscriber could have three empty queue slots on a Monday morning. Blockbuster might ship only one or two DVDs during the week, leaving one or two slots open through the weekend. The following week, Blockbuster might ship an additional DVD or two to fill the empty slot(s). Under this potential new system of throttling, subscribers could have to wait more than a week and a half to receive just one set of DVDs.
Blockbuster claims the October delays are due to a shipping center upgrade. At this point, it is unclear what sort of an upgrade actually slows shipping, but if Blockbuster is telling the truth, this problem should be over soon. Presumably, Blockbuster will then resume its standard throttling program, which effectively limits subscribers to one set of DVDs per week.
Watch your Blockbuster Online account closely, and make sure Blockbuster is not delaying your shipments for extended periods. If you find that Blockbuster is delaying your shipments, the best thing to do is contact them via email and phone to complain every day they fail to ship a DVD to you. If you contact Blockbuster enough, you will get free weeks of service, free store rental coupons, discounts, etc. You can call Blockbuster toll-free at (866) 692-2789.
Under Blockbuster's regular system of throttling, Blockbuster would delay shipping until the later half of the week or simply ship DVDs at the beginning of the week from distant shipping centers, knowing they would not reach the subscribers until Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Regardless, throttled subscribers would not receive DVDs until the end of the week, which made it nearly impossible for the subscribers to get more than one set of DVDs per week.
During October, however, shipping has gotten slower on some accounts. Blockbuster has allowed queue slots to remain empty for extended periods, even for time periods that extend through weekends. For example, a throttled subscriber could have three empty queue slots on a Monday morning. Blockbuster might ship only one or two DVDs during the week, leaving one or two slots open through the weekend. The following week, Blockbuster might ship an additional DVD or two to fill the empty slot(s). Under this potential new system of throttling, subscribers could have to wait more than a week and a half to receive just one set of DVDs.
Blockbuster claims the October delays are due to a shipping center upgrade. At this point, it is unclear what sort of an upgrade actually slows shipping, but if Blockbuster is telling the truth, this problem should be over soon. Presumably, Blockbuster will then resume its standard throttling program, which effectively limits subscribers to one set of DVDs per week.
Watch your Blockbuster Online account closely, and make sure Blockbuster is not delaying your shipments for extended periods. If you find that Blockbuster is delaying your shipments, the best thing to do is contact them via email and phone to complain every day they fail to ship a DVD to you. If you contact Blockbuster enough, you will get free weeks of service, free store rental coupons, discounts, etc. You can call Blockbuster toll-free at (866) 692-2789.
12/30/2008
Wednesday Shipping: Blockbuster Online’s Weapon of Choice for Delays
In September 2008, Blockbuster Underground reported an apparent trend at Blockbuster Online.
Since then, Blockbuster has shown signs of experimenting with multiple delay tactics, but the Wednesday shipping delay tactic seems to be emerging as one of Blockbuster’s favorites ways to limit the flow of DVDs to some subscribers.
It appears Blockbuster Online has decided to ship few or no DVDs to at least some subscribers on Mondays and Tuesdays regardless of whether or not the subscribers have open queue slots. This delay tactic makes Wednesday the first normal shipping day of the week for some Blockbuster Online subscribers. Therefore, an affected subscriber could have all of his or her online DVDs checked in by Blockbuster on a Friday afternoon and possibly not see any replacement DVDs shipped out until Wednesday of the following week. Because of transit times, the affected subscriber would not actually receive those DVDs until Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or later.
At this point it is unclear if Blockbuster uses its Wednesday shipping delay tactic on all subscribers or just the heavy users. Regardless, there is a clear trend that Blockbuster is not shipping DVDs to at least some subscribers on Mondays and Tuesdays even though those subscribers may have had multiple open slots in their queues for days.
This Wednesday shipping scheme is the most flagrant and egregious delay tactic employed by Blockbuster since the company began its DVD-by-mail service in 2004. Look for Blockbuster to take more shifty courses of action as it continues to squeeze profits from its shrinking customer base.
If you have had any experiences with Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday shipping at Blockbuster Online, please share your experiences here.
Since then, Blockbuster has shown signs of experimenting with multiple delay tactics, but the Wednesday shipping delay tactic seems to be emerging as one of Blockbuster’s favorites ways to limit the flow of DVDs to some subscribers.
It appears Blockbuster Online has decided to ship few or no DVDs to at least some subscribers on Mondays and Tuesdays regardless of whether or not the subscribers have open queue slots. This delay tactic makes Wednesday the first normal shipping day of the week for some Blockbuster Online subscribers. Therefore, an affected subscriber could have all of his or her online DVDs checked in by Blockbuster on a Friday afternoon and possibly not see any replacement DVDs shipped out until Wednesday of the following week. Because of transit times, the affected subscriber would not actually receive those DVDs until Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or later.
At this point it is unclear if Blockbuster uses its Wednesday shipping delay tactic on all subscribers or just the heavy users. Regardless, there is a clear trend that Blockbuster is not shipping DVDs to at least some subscribers on Mondays and Tuesdays even though those subscribers may have had multiple open slots in their queues for days.
This Wednesday shipping scheme is the most flagrant and egregious delay tactic employed by Blockbuster since the company began its DVD-by-mail service in 2004. Look for Blockbuster to take more shifty courses of action as it continues to squeeze profits from its shrinking customer base.
If you have had any experiences with Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday shipping at Blockbuster Online, please share your experiences here.
11/04/2008
DVD Rationing: Blockbuster's One-DVD-per-Day Tactic
During the last couple of weeks, a new trend seems to have begun at Blockbuster Online. Curiously, Blockbuster seems to be shipping one DVD per day to some subscribers, regardless of whether they have one, two, or three empty queue slots.
For example, Blockbuster Online subscriber, Bob returns all of his DVDs to a Blockbuster store on Monday night. Even though Bob will have three empty queue slots for Tuesday morning shipping, Blockbuster might ship just one DVD to him on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Bob will still have two empty queue slots, but Blockbuster may ship only one DVD to him on that day. Finally, on Thursday, Blockbuster may get around to shipping out a third DVD to Bob.
This is not how the Blockbuster shipping system is supposed to work. Blockbuster is supposed to ship DVDs to you the day after you return each DVD. Blockbuster is not supposed to let your queue slots sit vacant for days at the time. Just because they try to appease customers by trickling out DVDs one at a time, it does not mean Blockbuster is released from the obligation to fill empty queue slots.
This rationing of DVDs is yet another way Blockbuster is trying to deceive customers into believing the company is living up to the obligations of their plan. Do not fall for this trick. If you have returned all three of your DVDs, you have three empty queue slots, and Blockbuster is supposed to ship three DVDs to you the following day. Anything less is a potential breach of contract in the form of failure to deliver purchased services as agreed.
For example, Blockbuster Online subscriber, Bob returns all of his DVDs to a Blockbuster store on Monday night. Even though Bob will have three empty queue slots for Tuesday morning shipping, Blockbuster might ship just one DVD to him on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Bob will still have two empty queue slots, but Blockbuster may ship only one DVD to him on that day. Finally, on Thursday, Blockbuster may get around to shipping out a third DVD to Bob.
This is not how the Blockbuster shipping system is supposed to work. Blockbuster is supposed to ship DVDs to you the day after you return each DVD. Blockbuster is not supposed to let your queue slots sit vacant for days at the time. Just because they try to appease customers by trickling out DVDs one at a time, it does not mean Blockbuster is released from the obligation to fill empty queue slots.
This rationing of DVDs is yet another way Blockbuster is trying to deceive customers into believing the company is living up to the obligations of their plan. Do not fall for this trick. If you have returned all three of your DVDs, you have three empty queue slots, and Blockbuster is supposed to ship three DVDs to you the following day. Anything less is a potential breach of contract in the form of failure to deliver purchased services as agreed.
5/11/2008
Received at Store but Not in Cyberspace
When you return your Blockbuster Online DVD to a Blockbuster store, Blockbuster’s computer system is supposed to update your account immediately to record that you have returned an online DVD. Theoretically, as soon as a Blockbuster store employee scans your DVD into Blockbuster’s system, a queue slot should become available, and another DVD should ship in the near future.
The problem is, when you return a DVD at a store, you cannot always count on Blockbuster’s system to acknowledge the return. Even though you can stand at the counter at a Blockbuster store and watch a Blockbuster employee scan your returned online DVD into the system, sometimes the DVD’s status will not be updated in your queue. It would be fair to assume that, if your queue shows the DVD as not returned, one of your queue slots will remain occupied until the system is updated or the DVD is eventually scanned at a distribution center. This delay could last for days, meaning you will not be able to use your full subscriber benefits during that period.
To make certain Blockbuster’s system has recorded the return of your online DVD, check your queue after you return each online DVD to a store. If the system has recorded your return, a “Received at Store” tag should appear next to the DVD’s title in the “MOVIE(S) SHIPPED” section of your queue. If you have returned a DVD and you do not see the “Received at Store” tag, assume the system has not recorded your return. You will have to contact Blockbuster Online to resolve this problem or report it by clicking on the title’s “Report” link under the “DVD PROBLEM” column.
The problem is, when you return a DVD at a store, you cannot always count on Blockbuster’s system to acknowledge the return. Even though you can stand at the counter at a Blockbuster store and watch a Blockbuster employee scan your returned online DVD into the system, sometimes the DVD’s status will not be updated in your queue. It would be fair to assume that, if your queue shows the DVD as not returned, one of your queue slots will remain occupied until the system is updated or the DVD is eventually scanned at a distribution center. This delay could last for days, meaning you will not be able to use your full subscriber benefits during that period.
To make certain Blockbuster’s system has recorded the return of your online DVD, check your queue after you return each online DVD to a store. If the system has recorded your return, a “Received at Store” tag should appear next to the DVD’s title in the “MOVIE(S) SHIPPED” section of your queue. If you have returned a DVD and you do not see the “Received at Store” tag, assume the system has not recorded your return. You will have to contact Blockbuster Online to resolve this problem or report it by clicking on the title’s “Report” link under the “DVD PROBLEM” column.
2/11/2008
Monday Shipping Is Elusive at Blockbuster Online
A Blockbuster Underground test account began revealing some unusual activity in late 2007, and the problem has consistently persisted throughout early 2008. The problem is with the shipment of new DVDs on Mondays. Blockbuster used to almost always ship DVDs on Mondays. Now, however, it appears Blockbuster almost never ships out DVDs to at least some online accounts on Mondays.
The Blockbuster Underground test account commonly has multiple empty queue slots throughout most of each weekend and Monday. It has become standard that the earliest shipment of DVDs does not occur until Tuesday afternoon each week. This means that a queue slot may open on a Friday afternoon, and the replacement DVD will not arrive until Wednesday, Thursday, or later. This is a substantial delay. The absence of Monday shipping causes a significant decrease in the number of DVDs a customer can receive in a week. This delay must be very profitable for Blockbuster, but it is a substantial blow to the customer’s subscription benefits.
Are you experiencing similar problems with Monday shipping from Blockbuster Online? If so, please report it here. If this shipping trend is consistent, we may be on the verge of discovering a way that Blockbuster has managed to limit (or throttle) the flow of DVDs to some or all of its online customers.
The Blockbuster Underground test account commonly has multiple empty queue slots throughout most of each weekend and Monday. It has become standard that the earliest shipment of DVDs does not occur until Tuesday afternoon each week. This means that a queue slot may open on a Friday afternoon, and the replacement DVD will not arrive until Wednesday, Thursday, or later. This is a substantial delay. The absence of Monday shipping causes a significant decrease in the number of DVDs a customer can receive in a week. This delay must be very profitable for Blockbuster, but it is a substantial blow to the customer’s subscription benefits.
Are you experiencing similar problems with Monday shipping from Blockbuster Online? If so, please report it here. If this shipping trend is consistent, we may be on the verge of discovering a way that Blockbuster has managed to limit (or throttle) the flow of DVDs to some or all of its online customers.
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