Showing posts with label subscriber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label subscriber. Show all posts
7/03/2012
Bad Blockbuster Service in July
According to a Blockbuster employee whose name will not be published here, the current problems with Blockbuster's systems are so bad the service issues could potentially extend into mid- to late-July. It is simply baffling that Blockbuster is not getting out in front of this and communicating with subscribers. It is almost like Blockbuster wants all of its online subscribers to cancel in anger.
9/20/2011
The Dish on Blockbuster Online Under Dish Network
When Blockbuster first got into the DVD-by-mail business in 2004, the service was largely a joke for the first several months. Blockbuster Online would ship incorrect DVDs, takes days to ship DVDs, etc. Blockbuster was having a hard time getting their online business going, and it was obvious.
Blockbuster Online improved in 2005 and eventually was a pretty good value. The Blockbuster Online service continued to be a pretty good value through most of 2006 and 2007. The real problems did not begin until late-2007 when Blockbuster began throttling the flow of DVDs to customers using a wide, ever-changing array of delay tactics.
Through much of 2008, 2009, and 2010, Blockbuster engaged in all sorts of bizarre and unsavory behavior such as rarely shipping DVDs on certain days, taking days to process DVDs, making subscribers stack the tops of their queues with "Available" DVDs, failing to register in-store returns, etc. In short, Blockbuster Online was back to being a joke--only this time, the joke wasn't funny. The service was just awful, absolutely awful. It was a horrible value, a major headache for consumers, and it was probably one of the main reasons Blockbuster wound up finally going bankrupt in 2010. Blockbuster not only deserved to go bankrupt, the company was out-of-control, and it needed to go bankrupt.
In April 2011, Dish Network bought Blockbuster at auction, and that was when things began to turn around a little. Here we are a few months later, and there is little to no evidence of Blockbuster Online blatantly throttling customers. Yes, Blockbuster Online has some substantial problems with availability, but the throttling is minimal or non-existent. For now, it appears Blockbuster Online is basically shipping DVDs when they should and not playing a lot of obvious, sleazy games with customers. This is most likely because Dish Network cannot afford to mistreat whatever few Blockbuster subscribers are left. In order to remain in the DVD rental business, Dish Network has probably decided to do nothing to trigger more customer defections from what is already a dangerously weak customer base.
Now, Blockbuster Online deserves no praise for shipping DVDs to subscribers as agreed. Blockbuster is just doing what they should have been doing all along. Since, however, Blockbuster Underground has been intensely critical of Blockbuster for at least a few years now, it is fair to make it clear that Blockbuster's DVD-by-mail service has improved remarkably since Dish Network took the reins of that deeply troubled company.
Please do not read this article as an endorsement of Blockbuster or any of its services. The Blockbuster name has been severely--perhaps permanently--tarnished by years and years of bad customer service in the stores and online. Millions of people hate the Blockbuster brand, and they have every right to do so. It will take years to rebuild trust among millions of alienated consumers.
Maybe the new Blockbuster is going to be a good company under Dish Network, but it is also possible Blockbuster could suddenly revert to its old ways. Only time will tell. If Blockbuster starts messing around again and begins taking advantage of customers, Blockbuster Underground will go right back to exposing every single wrong thing Blockbuster does. For now, on Blockbuster Underground, Dish Network is going to get a fair chance to prove they can and will deliver on what they promise to Blockbuster customers. Stay tuned.
Blockbuster Online improved in 2005 and eventually was a pretty good value. The Blockbuster Online service continued to be a pretty good value through most of 2006 and 2007. The real problems did not begin until late-2007 when Blockbuster began throttling the flow of DVDs to customers using a wide, ever-changing array of delay tactics.
Through much of 2008, 2009, and 2010, Blockbuster engaged in all sorts of bizarre and unsavory behavior such as rarely shipping DVDs on certain days, taking days to process DVDs, making subscribers stack the tops of their queues with "Available" DVDs, failing to register in-store returns, etc. In short, Blockbuster Online was back to being a joke--only this time, the joke wasn't funny. The service was just awful, absolutely awful. It was a horrible value, a major headache for consumers, and it was probably one of the main reasons Blockbuster wound up finally going bankrupt in 2010. Blockbuster not only deserved to go bankrupt, the company was out-of-control, and it needed to go bankrupt.
In April 2011, Dish Network bought Blockbuster at auction, and that was when things began to turn around a little. Here we are a few months later, and there is little to no evidence of Blockbuster Online blatantly throttling customers. Yes, Blockbuster Online has some substantial problems with availability, but the throttling is minimal or non-existent. For now, it appears Blockbuster Online is basically shipping DVDs when they should and not playing a lot of obvious, sleazy games with customers. This is most likely because Dish Network cannot afford to mistreat whatever few Blockbuster subscribers are left. In order to remain in the DVD rental business, Dish Network has probably decided to do nothing to trigger more customer defections from what is already a dangerously weak customer base.
Now, Blockbuster Online deserves no praise for shipping DVDs to subscribers as agreed. Blockbuster is just doing what they should have been doing all along. Since, however, Blockbuster Underground has been intensely critical of Blockbuster for at least a few years now, it is fair to make it clear that Blockbuster's DVD-by-mail service has improved remarkably since Dish Network took the reins of that deeply troubled company.
Please do not read this article as an endorsement of Blockbuster or any of its services. The Blockbuster name has been severely--perhaps permanently--tarnished by years and years of bad customer service in the stores and online. Millions of people hate the Blockbuster brand, and they have every right to do so. It will take years to rebuild trust among millions of alienated consumers.
Maybe the new Blockbuster is going to be a good company under Dish Network, but it is also possible Blockbuster could suddenly revert to its old ways. Only time will tell. If Blockbuster starts messing around again and begins taking advantage of customers, Blockbuster Underground will go right back to exposing every single wrong thing Blockbuster does. For now, on Blockbuster Underground, Dish Network is going to get a fair chance to prove they can and will deliver on what they promise to Blockbuster customers. Stay tuned.
12/04/2009
How Blockbuster Is Throttling You to One Set of DVDs per Week
If you are a Blockbuster Online subscriber, you may have noticed a curious pattern of delays on your account. Sometimes, you will return a DVD to a Blockbuster store, and it will take a surprisingly long time to clear your queue. Often, you will have DVDs--that are apparently being processed--sitting in your queue for multiple days. Frequently, your DVDs will take days longer to arrive than they should have.
If these strange events are routinely occurring on your Blockbuster account, you are not just a random, unfortunate Blockbuster customer. You are most likely a victim of throttling. Blockbuster may be systemically limiting the number of DVDs you receive by employing a combination of delay tactics against your account.
Below is a summary of Blockbuster Online's more common throttling tactics. Each tactic creates only a small delay, but when Blockbuster uses two or more of these tactics together, they can easily place tight limits on the number of DVDs you can receive in any given month.
Delayed Store Check-In
If you are being throttled by Blockbuster, you may have noticed you can return a store DVD to a Blockbuster store, but it might not clear your queue for hours (or days). You may have noticed the returned store DVD almost never clears your queue in time for another DVD to ship that same day--even if you returned the store DVD as soon as the store opened. Blockbuster can use this delayed store check-in tactic to slow down your DVDs by at least one extra day.
Processing Delays
One of Blockbuster's favorite throttling techniques is the processing delay. Blockbuster may indicate they are processing your DVD for shipment, but they will actually not ship it out until the following day. Blockbuster just claims to be processing your DVD so you will be less likely to complain. If you do complain, they will just defend themselves by saying, "We are processing your next DVD. We will ship it as soon as possible."
How long does it take to process a DVD anyway? How could it possibly take a full day or more to turnaround a DVD? There is no legitimate reason for this type of delay. The purpose is to slow down your shipments by an extra day or an entire weekend, therefore decreasing the number of DVDs you can watch for your monthly subscription fee.
Long-Distance Shipping
If you are being throttled by Blockbuster, you may have noticed, when Blockbuster ships a DVD to you on a Monday or Tuesday, that DVD takes an extra couple of days to arrive. This is because Blockbuster is shipping DVDs to you from shipping centers far from your house. Blockbuster could be intentionally exploiting USPS transit times to ensure that your DVD takes longer to arrive at your house. Blockbuster pays the same whether they ship a DVD to you from down the street or 3,000 miles away. By shipping DVDs from remote shipping centers, Blockbuster can add days to your turnaround time and then blame USPS for the delay.
What This Means for You
By using a devious combination of multiple throttling techniques, Blockbuster has made it nearly impossible for throttled subscribers to get more than one set of DVDs in any given week. If you are being throttled by Blockbuster, expect to be hit with a variety of delays. No matter how quickly you watch and return your DVDs, it appears Blockbuster has stacked the deck against you. Blockbuster is simply not going to send as many DVDs to you as they should.
If you are a Blockbuster subscriber, know that you are dealing with a shady company that is willing to take your monthly subscription fee while providing very limited benefits. This is just what Blockbuster is doing to subscribers now. Imagine what other sorts of unscrupulous business practices Blockbuster will be employing in the future as this increasingly irrelevant company continues to lose market share to its competitors and finds it more difficult to generate enough profits to sustain its outdated and bloated business model. For Blockbuster subscribers, things are bound to only get worse from here on out.
If these strange events are routinely occurring on your Blockbuster account, you are not just a random, unfortunate Blockbuster customer. You are most likely a victim of throttling. Blockbuster may be systemically limiting the number of DVDs you receive by employing a combination of delay tactics against your account.
Below is a summary of Blockbuster Online's more common throttling tactics. Each tactic creates only a small delay, but when Blockbuster uses two or more of these tactics together, they can easily place tight limits on the number of DVDs you can receive in any given month.
Delayed Store Check-In
If you are being throttled by Blockbuster, you may have noticed you can return a store DVD to a Blockbuster store, but it might not clear your queue for hours (or days). You may have noticed the returned store DVD almost never clears your queue in time for another DVD to ship that same day--even if you returned the store DVD as soon as the store opened. Blockbuster can use this delayed store check-in tactic to slow down your DVDs by at least one extra day.
Processing Delays
One of Blockbuster's favorite throttling techniques is the processing delay. Blockbuster may indicate they are processing your DVD for shipment, but they will actually not ship it out until the following day. Blockbuster just claims to be processing your DVD so you will be less likely to complain. If you do complain, they will just defend themselves by saying, "We are processing your next DVD. We will ship it as soon as possible."
How long does it take to process a DVD anyway? How could it possibly take a full day or more to turnaround a DVD? There is no legitimate reason for this type of delay. The purpose is to slow down your shipments by an extra day or an entire weekend, therefore decreasing the number of DVDs you can watch for your monthly subscription fee.
Long-Distance Shipping
If you are being throttled by Blockbuster, you may have noticed, when Blockbuster ships a DVD to you on a Monday or Tuesday, that DVD takes an extra couple of days to arrive. This is because Blockbuster is shipping DVDs to you from shipping centers far from your house. Blockbuster could be intentionally exploiting USPS transit times to ensure that your DVD takes longer to arrive at your house. Blockbuster pays the same whether they ship a DVD to you from down the street or 3,000 miles away. By shipping DVDs from remote shipping centers, Blockbuster can add days to your turnaround time and then blame USPS for the delay.
What This Means for You
By using a devious combination of multiple throttling techniques, Blockbuster has made it nearly impossible for throttled subscribers to get more than one set of DVDs in any given week. If you are being throttled by Blockbuster, expect to be hit with a variety of delays. No matter how quickly you watch and return your DVDs, it appears Blockbuster has stacked the deck against you. Blockbuster is simply not going to send as many DVDs to you as they should.
If you are a Blockbuster subscriber, know that you are dealing with a shady company that is willing to take your monthly subscription fee while providing very limited benefits. This is just what Blockbuster is doing to subscribers now. Imagine what other sorts of unscrupulous business practices Blockbuster will be employing in the future as this increasingly irrelevant company continues to lose market share to its competitors and finds it more difficult to generate enough profits to sustain its outdated and bloated business model. For Blockbuster subscribers, things are bound to only get worse from here on out.
2/25/2009
Blockbuster Spins Massive Reduction in TotalAccess Benefits
Click here to see Blockbuster's official statement about the massive reduction in TotalAccess benefits. This is basically what Blockbuster Underground previously reported. The humorous difference is how Blockbuster is pathetically trying to spin this subscription benefit cut as a plan enhancement. Blockbuster is trying to trick TotalAccess subscribers into thinking they are now getting some sort of an improvement to their service when the reality is that TotalAccess subscribers are about to get far fewer DVDs for their subscription price.
Why did Blockbuster not just come out and say,
“Congratulations! Because you have been a loyal TotalAccess subscriber, Blockbuster is rewarding you with far fewer DVDs per month for the same price you have been paying. Lucky dog! Now you have much more time to watch glorified teenage karaoke shows on primetime television. Enjoy!”
Why did Blockbuster not just come out and say,
“Congratulations! Because you have been a loyal TotalAccess subscriber, Blockbuster is rewarding you with far fewer DVDs per month for the same price you have been paying. Lucky dog! Now you have much more time to watch glorified teenage karaoke shows on primetime television. Enjoy!”
2/22/2009
Blockbuster TotalAccess Is Getting Worse, Much Worse
Blockbuster has found yet another way to slap TotalAccess subscribers across the face. According to Anders Bylund of Motley Fool, in-store exchanges might be changing in a big way. In the past, if you were a Blockbuster TotalAccess subscriber, you could exchange some or all of your online rentals at a Blockbuster store for free in-store rentals. As soon as the counter clerk scanned in your online rentals, slots would open in your queue allowing additional online DVDs to ship. You could return the in-store rentals any time before the due date at no cost. Under this system, on a three-out plan, you could actually have six DVDs (three online and three in-store) at your house at a time.
The new TotalAccess system--currently being tested--is far worse. Under the new system, your in-store exchanges will count against your plan limits. For example, if you are on a three-out plan, your plan will not permit you to have more than three Blockbuster DVDs in your possession at a time. You might exchange all three of your online rentals at a store, but Blockbuster Online will not ship another online DVD to you until you return an in-store rental to the store. Therefore, if you have three in-store rentals and you do not make it back to your Blockbuster store for a few days, those in-store rentals are going to delay shipment of your online rentals by the same amount of time. Under this new system, will you have to return those in-store rentals as soon as you possibly can or face significant delays on your online account.
This plan modification will be another major reduction in TotalAccess subscriber benefits. Isn’t it ironic that ever since Blockbuster adopted the TotalAccess name, subscribers have been hit with increasingly deeper reductions in subscriber benefits? Perhaps, Blockbuster LimitedAccess is a more accurate name for the plan, but that honest approach might not sell many subscriptions. It looks like Blockbuster is a flailing company that cannot figure out a way to be profitable without misleading and mistreating customers. When Blockbuster finally goes bankrupt, is anyone really going to feel sorry for them?
The new TotalAccess system--currently being tested--is far worse. Under the new system, your in-store exchanges will count against your plan limits. For example, if you are on a three-out plan, your plan will not permit you to have more than three Blockbuster DVDs in your possession at a time. You might exchange all three of your online rentals at a store, but Blockbuster Online will not ship another online DVD to you until you return an in-store rental to the store. Therefore, if you have three in-store rentals and you do not make it back to your Blockbuster store for a few days, those in-store rentals are going to delay shipment of your online rentals by the same amount of time. Under this new system, will you have to return those in-store rentals as soon as you possibly can or face significant delays on your online account.
This plan modification will be another major reduction in TotalAccess subscriber benefits. Isn’t it ironic that ever since Blockbuster adopted the TotalAccess name, subscribers have been hit with increasingly deeper reductions in subscriber benefits? Perhaps, Blockbuster LimitedAccess is a more accurate name for the plan, but that honest approach might not sell many subscriptions. It looks like Blockbuster is a flailing company that cannot figure out a way to be profitable without misleading and mistreating customers. When Blockbuster finally goes bankrupt, is anyone really going to feel sorry for them?
7/19/2008
Preparing for a Blockbuster Lawsuit
With Blockbuster raising prices, cutting back on subscriber benefits, expanding shipping times, etc., customers are bound to become outraged at some point. Hundreds of thousands of outraged customers are going to create a hostile consumer environment, which is almost certainly going to lead to lawsuits against Blockbuster.
If you do not trust Blockbuster to deliver the unlimited DVD rental service for which you are paying, you will want to prepare for the possibility that you, one day, will be furious with Blockbuster and want some justice. A little bit of effort on your part now will help you build your case against Blockbuster should you need to take action in the future.
The most important thing you can do to build your case against Blockbuster is to keep track of each Blockbuster DVD you receive. As Blockbuster sends each DVD, make a note of the title, the date Blockbuster shipped it, the date you received it, the date you returned it, the date Blockbuster acknowledged receipt, and the date Blockbuster shipped the next title. You can record this information on paper or digitally. The easiest way to record this data is in a spreadsheet.
Recording all of this Blockbuster shipping data may seem like overkill, but if you think there is even a remote chance you may want to sue Blockbuster, participate in a class action lawsuit, or have Blockbuster investigated for fraud, this data will be very useful to the attorney or investigators. If you do not have this data available, the only source for the data will be Blockbuster. They, of course, will be reluctant to provide it and may not do so without a subpoena. If you record the data yourself, you will have it readily available, and it can eventually be used to crosscheck and verify the accuracy of whatever data Blockbuster releases.
Also, keep track of all of your communication with Blockbuster. Keep copies of every letter, email, etc. If you call Blockbuster, make a quick note about when you called and what was discussed. This information will be valuable later when you need to establish you have been a responsible, concerned, and proactive consumer.
Lastly, log in to your Blockbuster account and copy your entire rental history. It is important you do this as soon as possible, because Blockbuster controls this information and has the power to remove it at any moment.
To copy your rental history, follow the steps below.
In summary, you can protect yourself as a consumer by taking a few simple actions. By tracking your rentals, recording your correspondence, and copying your account history, you can build an arsenal of information, which will become useful if you should ever need to sue Blockbuster or have them investigated by a government agency.
If you do not trust Blockbuster to deliver the unlimited DVD rental service for which you are paying, you will want to prepare for the possibility that you, one day, will be furious with Blockbuster and want some justice. A little bit of effort on your part now will help you build your case against Blockbuster should you need to take action in the future.
The most important thing you can do to build your case against Blockbuster is to keep track of each Blockbuster DVD you receive. As Blockbuster sends each DVD, make a note of the title, the date Blockbuster shipped it, the date you received it, the date you returned it, the date Blockbuster acknowledged receipt, and the date Blockbuster shipped the next title. You can record this information on paper or digitally. The easiest way to record this data is in a spreadsheet.
Recording all of this Blockbuster shipping data may seem like overkill, but if you think there is even a remote chance you may want to sue Blockbuster, participate in a class action lawsuit, or have Blockbuster investigated for fraud, this data will be very useful to the attorney or investigators. If you do not have this data available, the only source for the data will be Blockbuster. They, of course, will be reluctant to provide it and may not do so without a subpoena. If you record the data yourself, you will have it readily available, and it can eventually be used to crosscheck and verify the accuracy of whatever data Blockbuster releases.
Also, keep track of all of your communication with Blockbuster. Keep copies of every letter, email, etc. If you call Blockbuster, make a quick note about when you called and what was discussed. This information will be valuable later when you need to establish you have been a responsible, concerned, and proactive consumer.
Lastly, log in to your Blockbuster account and copy your entire rental history. It is important you do this as soon as possible, because Blockbuster controls this information and has the power to remove it at any moment.
To copy your rental history, follow the steps below.
- Click on My Account on Blockbuster.com.
- Verify your login information.
- On the My Account page, click on View Rental History.
- The My Rental History page will appear.
- With your mouse, highlight all of the titles and dates. (Note: Speed up the process by setting the Results Per Page to 100.)
- Copy the data by pressing [Ctrl + C] on your keyboard.
- Paste the data into a document or spreadsheet by opening the desired application and pressing [Ctrl + V].
- Make sure to save the data.
In summary, you can protect yourself as a consumer by taking a few simple actions. By tracking your rentals, recording your correspondence, and copying your account history, you can build an arsenal of information, which will become useful if you should ever need to sue Blockbuster or have them investigated by a government agency.
6/18/2008
Blockbuster Keeps Finding New and Exciting Ways to Suck
At first, Blockbuster Online was breathtakingly amazing at sucking. When Blockbuster Online first became available in 2004, it was an absolutely horrible service. The unstable Web site was a flashback to 1996. DVDs were limited. They took too long to ship. They took too long to arrive, and when they finally did arrive, they were often the wrong discs in the right envelope. The service was so unbearably bad that subscribers were practically tripping over each other to cancel. The subscriber cancellation problem was so severe Blockbuster had to beg subscribers not to quit. Many disgruntled customers got discounts, free months, and other benefits in exchange for being patient with the hapless new online service.
As time went on, the Blockbuster Online team got their act together. Service gradually got better with each passing month. Eventually, Blockbuster Online subscriptions became pretty good values. Subscribers began to enjoy the service, people were getting all the movies they could want, and the party lasted for a while.
Apparently, Blockbuster determined that offering a good value may make customers happy but does not necessarily translate into a profitable business model. Suspiciously, as if it were planned, service began to gradually decline at Blockbuster Online.
The first thing to start sucking was online customer service. Whereas online customer service used to be tolerable and a reasonable avenue for pursing resolutions to account problems, online service soon became ridiculous. Subscribers in need were greeted with delays, form letters, and boilerplate solutions. Online customer service became mindless. To this day, it seems like the average online service representative does not understand the most basic customer inquiries. Don’t you just love it when you fill out Blockbuster’s online support form to ask why a title has been sitting at the top of your queue for six months and you get a reply telling you to add more titles to your queue?
A new nasty surprise came in the summer of 2006 when Blockbuster quietly eliminated all weekend DVD processing. This was an unwelcome turn that considerably reduced subscriber benefits by increasing turnaround times. USPS works weekends. Why can’t Blockbuster be at least as good as their carrier?
In the summer of 2007, Blockbuster found an absolutely spectacular new way to suck by dramatically raising prices and limiting in-store exchanges for many online customers. Blockbuster basically, turned their standard plan into TotalAccess Premium and then created a lesser plan, which was then presented as Blockbuster’s new standard plan: Total Access. What sort of company does something this outrageous?
Toward the end of 2007, the most egregious of Blockbuster’s sucking initiatives came in the form of tremendous cutbacks on Monday shipping. With the new reduction in shipping days, Blockbuster decreased its normal (full) shipping days to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. That’s nearly half the week! The limited shipping days make it extremely difficult for subscribers to get two sets of DVDs in a week. Way to go, Blockbuster. Not only is this an excellent way to suck, it’s a bit sleazy too.
Within the last few weeks, Blockbuster found yet another fun new way to suck by eliminating in-store rental e-coupons for many subscribers. Even those who were getting two coupons per month, got downgraded to one per month. This is just the latest in a series of declines in Blockbuster Online subscription benefits.
When it comes to delivering bad service, Blockbuster has spared no creativity in finding new and exciting ways to suck. What’s next? How much worse can Blockbuster Online get? In the near future, maybe Blockbuster will start limiting online customers to selecting movies from the remnants of Blockbuster’s pan and scan VHS collection. Don’t be surprised when you look into your mailbox and see a thick yellow and blue envelope containing a severely worn tape of Beverly Hills Cop 3 (Full Screen Edition). Oh, and by the way, it will probably arrive postage due.
As time went on, the Blockbuster Online team got their act together. Service gradually got better with each passing month. Eventually, Blockbuster Online subscriptions became pretty good values. Subscribers began to enjoy the service, people were getting all the movies they could want, and the party lasted for a while.
Apparently, Blockbuster determined that offering a good value may make customers happy but does not necessarily translate into a profitable business model. Suspiciously, as if it were planned, service began to gradually decline at Blockbuster Online.
The first thing to start sucking was online customer service. Whereas online customer service used to be tolerable and a reasonable avenue for pursing resolutions to account problems, online service soon became ridiculous. Subscribers in need were greeted with delays, form letters, and boilerplate solutions. Online customer service became mindless. To this day, it seems like the average online service representative does not understand the most basic customer inquiries. Don’t you just love it when you fill out Blockbuster’s online support form to ask why a title has been sitting at the top of your queue for six months and you get a reply telling you to add more titles to your queue?
A new nasty surprise came in the summer of 2006 when Blockbuster quietly eliminated all weekend DVD processing. This was an unwelcome turn that considerably reduced subscriber benefits by increasing turnaround times. USPS works weekends. Why can’t Blockbuster be at least as good as their carrier?
In the summer of 2007, Blockbuster found an absolutely spectacular new way to suck by dramatically raising prices and limiting in-store exchanges for many online customers. Blockbuster basically, turned their standard plan into TotalAccess Premium and then created a lesser plan, which was then presented as Blockbuster’s new standard plan: Total Access. What sort of company does something this outrageous?
Toward the end of 2007, the most egregious of Blockbuster’s sucking initiatives came in the form of tremendous cutbacks on Monday shipping. With the new reduction in shipping days, Blockbuster decreased its normal (full) shipping days to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. That’s nearly half the week! The limited shipping days make it extremely difficult for subscribers to get two sets of DVDs in a week. Way to go, Blockbuster. Not only is this an excellent way to suck, it’s a bit sleazy too.
Within the last few weeks, Blockbuster found yet another fun new way to suck by eliminating in-store rental e-coupons for many subscribers. Even those who were getting two coupons per month, got downgraded to one per month. This is just the latest in a series of declines in Blockbuster Online subscription benefits.
When it comes to delivering bad service, Blockbuster has spared no creativity in finding new and exciting ways to suck. What’s next? How much worse can Blockbuster Online get? In the near future, maybe Blockbuster will start limiting online customers to selecting movies from the remnants of Blockbuster’s pan and scan VHS collection. Don’t be surprised when you look into your mailbox and see a thick yellow and blue envelope containing a severely worn tape of Beverly Hills Cop 3 (Full Screen Edition). Oh, and by the way, it will probably arrive postage due.
4/26/2008
Blockbuster’s Availability Excuse Is Ridiculous
When Blockbuster fails to ship a DVD to you, their favorite excuse is that you do not have enough “Available” titles in your queue. This is a ridiculous and insulting argument. Title availability is clearly an inventory issue, making it Blockbuster’s responsibility. As a customer, Blockbuster’s lack of DVDs should not be your burden. You have no control over how many copies of a title Blockbuster has in stock. As a paying customer, you should be making the demands and Blockbuster should be supplying those demands.
If Blockbuster offers a title and a lot of people want to see it, Blockbuster should not skirt around the problem by making subscribers wait for weeks or months. Blockbuster should simply purchase more copies of that popular title. What’s the problem with that? Blockbuster can easily use queue data to gauge subscriber demand. If people are waiting months to see a particular title, is it not reasonable to assume this is a title that interests a significant number of subscribers? Shouldn’t Blockbuster be focusing on stocking the titles their customers want to see?
The next time you complain to Blockbuster about failure to ship a DVD to you and Blockbuster tries to put the blame on you for not having enough “Available” DVDs in your queue, tell them availability is Blockbuster’s problem not yours. Tell the customer service representative to go upstairs and wake up the people in the Purchasing Department so they can take care of Blockbuster’s ridiculous inventory problems, which happen to be limiting the subscriber benefits for which you are paying.
If Blockbuster offers a title and a lot of people want to see it, Blockbuster should not skirt around the problem by making subscribers wait for weeks or months. Blockbuster should simply purchase more copies of that popular title. What’s the problem with that? Blockbuster can easily use queue data to gauge subscriber demand. If people are waiting months to see a particular title, is it not reasonable to assume this is a title that interests a significant number of subscribers? Shouldn’t Blockbuster be focusing on stocking the titles their customers want to see?
The next time you complain to Blockbuster about failure to ship a DVD to you and Blockbuster tries to put the blame on you for not having enough “Available” DVDs in your queue, tell them availability is Blockbuster’s problem not yours. Tell the customer service representative to go upstairs and wake up the people in the Purchasing Department so they can take care of Blockbuster’s ridiculous inventory problems, which happen to be limiting the subscriber benefits for which you are paying.
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