Within the last 2 weeks I have noticed that Blockbuster seems to be throttling the queues. When you exchange an online envelope for an in-store rental, it shows up in your queue within a few hours. When you return that movie to the store, it won't clear your queue for at least 2 days.
I returned a movie on Monday evening well before the store closed, and it has yet to clear my queue (today being Thursday). On my rental history it shows rentals being returned to the store 2 days later than normal. And there isn't really anything I can do. The store has checked it in, and when I go to report a problem on their website, it says since it's an in-store rental, I have to contact the store.
What's surprising about this is the 2 day delay is for a movie Robert rented from the store's physical inventory, then returned to the store. Imagine if you'd rented a movie from Blockbuster and turned it in, and the store refused to acknowledge it on your account for at least 48 hours—and wouldn't release that rental slot so you can get another movie in the meantime. That's what Robert's experiencing.
He pointed us to Blockbuster Underground, a blog that describes catching Blockbuster at some of the same tricks. That blog notes,
Even if you personally return a store DVD to a Blockbuster store and call the manager of the Blockbuster store to confirm the DVD has been scanned into the system, the DVD can still sit in your queue and occupy a shipping slot indefinitely. Every day a returned DVD incorrectly remains in the At Home section of your queue is a day you are not able to fully benefit from your subscription. Please note that Blockbuster will continue to charge you the full subscription fee even if unnecessary shipping delays of this nature are Blockbuster's fault.
The best thing is to call Blockbuster at the first sign of any shipping delay. You can reach Blockbuster toll-free at (866) 692-2789. Blockbuster may ask you to wait twenty-four hours before reporting a delay, but this is a ridiculous request. Blockbuster's system should be able to update at least hourly. If their system updates less than that, they need to fix it.
Your other alternative: see if there's a Redbox, and make the switch to Netflix.
Blockbuster Underground
(Photo: sunshinecity)
Two movies I put in the slot yesterday afternoon still hadn't cleared as of this morning, the movie I watched them scan at 10:30 p.m. cleared within a few minutes.
When I was returning the movie at 10:30 I had them check on the earlier returns, and they did show up as returned on their computers, it wasn't just that they hadn't scanned the drop box all day. But they didn't show online, and apparently didn't show in the system that authorizes a send-out. I guess the system is in some different mode for bulk-scanning the drop boxes?
Another thing that really makes me mad is that they have "holes" in many of their TV series collections. Having received seasons 1-4 of the X-Files from them without incident I've now been waiting OVER SIX MONTHS for the first disk of season 5. Babylon 5 had a similar hole that took several months to fill, as did Farscape.
]]>I previously used Netflix but thought I'd try out Blockbuster Total Access. With Netflix it was always 2 business days turnaround on movies (1 day back and 1 day to receive the next one). Blockbuster began the same way but after 1 month it has regularly become 5 days (3 days for them to "receive" it and 2 days to receive the next one in my queue). Moreover, the Netflix facility was in the next county over while Blockbuster's receiving facility is 3 miles away.
Coincidence?
I've gone back to Netflix and would urge anyone else on the fence to do so as well.
]]>They should call themselves Cockbuster. That would be more appropriate.
]]>@jwissick: Yeah, I've had a huge problem with getting scratched discs from Netflix. Some of these things look like someone took a Brillo pad to them. @_@
]]>netflix throttles also. do a google search sometime.
]]>Long story short, I had 3 at a time, unlimited in stores for 19.99 (when exchanging in store just meant you got your next movie sent - you could have quite a few movies out at a time doing this). I started seeing throttling - even though I had already returned my in store exchange (which had nothing to do with the process then - remember, new movies shipped on checking in of your online rental), new movies still weren't shipping and the old were showing as out.
So the store manager turned me on to a feature where I could report a movie returned in store (which Richard apparently can't as the system is different). I used this system any time a movie was still list as out to me 24 hours after an in store exchange.
I got my account canceled for it. Magically, there's no way to talk to the department responsible for those decisions...the CSR's "don't have the number"
]]>What I believe throttling is, is the slowing down of sending you ANYTHING. They are at least sending you a DVD.
]]>I received five of the six in my first two shipments to the new account.
]]>They really are on the way out.
]]>I don't plan it way ahead of time. I just put them on my list. Half the time I forget what I put on there, so it's a surprise when I get the envelope.
I do like to run in the store and grab a movie every once in a while, though. :)
]]>I meant BLOCKBUSTER is within walking distance of my house! D'OH!
]]>By the way everyone I'm all caught up now. Well almost anyway, I never backed up Kangaroo Jack, but that was intentional...
]]>@Easton21: I doubt it's legal, but in that case, I don't fault you. Sorry about the theft.
Out of curiousity, why didn't you go with one of the really large Netflix plans? It would have been cheaper than 2 3 at a time plans.
]]>It's not that I AM going to watch them all, but that I am interested in doing so. In the last year, I've watched around 100 movies...no where near my queue size, but I've also added much fewer, because I now only need to look for what's coming out.
I originally went Blockbuster because Netflix was taking too long. (At the time, Netflix to Nebraska came out of Minneapolis, and Blockbuster out of Kansas City, so it was just faster). As I understand it, Netflix has a closer location now, but I still don't see a huge reason to jump back. The price difference isn't big enough to make it a must do. I don't want to buy new hardware just to use streaming (and I do not want to watch things on my computer).
]]>That PPC Mac thing really gets my goat too. They're basically removing the majority of the Mac using population by not offering support. The only reason I can use Netflix instant streaming now is because of the Xbox 360 I bought. Fuck MS, Silverlight, and anyone that uses it and then uses the excuse that they have to keep their data secure. Bah
]]>Blockbuster uses a crazy system to determine whether or not to send you a movie. On Monday it checks only the first 3 positions in your queue, and if none are currently available then it sends 0 movies. On Tuesday it checks the first 6 positions, on Wednesday the first 9, and so on until on Friday it checks the first 15. It is therefore critical that you ensure you have nothing but currently available titles in the first 15 positions.
Netflix doesn't do this. It goes happily down your queue until it finds an available movie, then it sends it. Like it should work.
]]>So basically, you stole movies from BB. Awesome, way to go.
]]>I bet at least a few of those 500 are on Netflix instant streaming, meaning you would never have to wait for it provided you have something that can use it. You'd be surprised at what's in there: full seasons of the office, weeds, heroes, the most dangerous catch...
I'm also confused as to why you need more than 500 dvds in your queue. If you are able to get 6 dvds a week, you're still looking at 312 movies a year. In all likelihood, that's not going to happen, simply because like you said, you're getting a lot of tv series. Unless you're instantly ripping those dvds and returning them, you'll never get 6 dvds a week (at least from the mail-ins), meaning that it will probably take you around 2 years to even go through an entire 500 dvd queue if you actually attempted to have a high turnover rate. I guess if you rented from the store as well, then you might be able to get more (but you were talking about queue, so that's what I went with, and besides, the B&Ms have a fairly limited selection). Just sayin' is all.
I <3 U, Netflix
]]>Fuck everyone!
P.S. In my eyes, you did nothing wrong.
]]>+1 for Lone Wolf and Cub. There is no way that Blockbuster would ever carry anything like that. I doubt they carry half of the criterion collection. I also highly doubt that they even have Shogun Assassin, which is the American version of Lone Wolf and Cub. The closest you're likely to get at Blockbuster is Road to Perdition.
]]>That's probably illegal, or at least the MPAA will say it is, but knowing them, they'd probably say that memorizing lines from your favorite movie is illegal too.
I don't think there's moral ambiguity here: you paid for it, it was stolen, and no insurance company ever pays for small items like that, so really, they're trying to rob you again after you've already been robbed. Actually, it's triple robbed if you include the premiums you paid for insurance. Actually, it's kind of quadruple robbed; you paid insurance premiums and they didn't pay for your stolen items, you paid the storage rental place and they didn't do anything to protect your items but took your rental $$, you got physically robbed of all your belongings, and now the MPAA wants to rob you again by making you purchase new copies.
Fuck the MPAA and fuck insurance. Also, fuck your storage place. What a bunch of pricks.
@bravo369: You say Lackluster always carried movies you want, but odds are you're talking solely about current releases or big hits from back catalogs.
For those who want small releases, foreign films or unusual fare, Lackluster is a wasteland. A person who wants to see "Lone Wolf And Cub", "Surf Nazis Must Die!" and "Six String Samurai" is not snooty or elitist.
]]>@HogwartsAlum: Netflix is fine for those who:
(a) have a credit card, and
(b) plan their movie watching days ahead of time
I'm the sort who says, "Eh, I'll pick up a movie on the way home tonight." I never plan my rentals.
]]>I haven't had any problems. Maybe it's because it takes me a while to get the movie watched and returned.
]]>Hollywood Video was great too, but alas, I think it's gone here. I bought lots of movies there too, previously viewed and new.
I still go to BB sometimes when something comes out that I want to see right away, and I don't feel like waiting for Netflix. But overall Netflix is the best. It's also close to my house. I could walk if I had to.
]]>How's that? :)
]]>@Easton21: Morally and legally ambiguous at best, but I'm no better.
]]>Now I just watch less TV!
]]>The streaming does rock, but it'd be nice to get more newer movies.
]]>@nakedscience: I hear this complaint about selection from time to time. Please tell me what movies you are looking for that blockbuster does not have. In 20 years, I have never found that blockbuster did not carry a movie. Sure, sometimes it wasn't in stock but they still had it available when it was returned.
]]>@lilyHaze: It is in Netflix's TOS that they can throttle, deliver your DVDs from centers that aren't your closest one, and so on.
If you spend too much time below $2 per rental, you can expect them to start slowing you down after awhile.
]]>If it gets worse, I'll just try Netflix. It's not like it's hard to make the switch.
]]>And even if BB didn't they still seem to have less selection and less new title availability.
There is at least some consequence, it appears to be a large reason the Netflix is doing better.
]]>@nakedscience: People still go to Lackluster because for those who don't live in overlapping markets, it's unfortunately the only game in town. Mom and Pop rentals no longer exist, and Hollywood Video is shadow of its former self.
I used to live where there was a Video Update, and they had reasonable prices, factual information on renting ("2 days" means 48 hours, not "next day until midnight"), VU doesn't censor movies, and it carries a good foreign film selection, among other things. Sadly, there isn't one where I live now or I'd still be a customer.
]]>Left for the same reason. Now use Redbox for 1/5 of the cost.
]]>@Ouze: I used to rent a LOT, and was never really throttled. And they've always been pretty honest about it (at least now).
And they have online viewing, which Blockbuster doesn't have. And they have a MUCH larger selection than Blockbuster does.
]]>@diasdiem: ikr, what a fucking complaint.
]]>It appears that throttling will be a standard practice with no consequence. : (
I actually subscribed to both in the past(netflix first, then moved to BB) but canceled when BB decided to hike up its rates and put a cap on in-store returns at the same time.
]]>@Ouze: Do they still throttle though? They definitely did that to me in 2005 when I used Netflix exclusively for about 6 months. But I moved and Netflix wasn't as convenient for me and haven't used it since.
]]>but, they actually had a major class action lawsuit over it:
and, that class action led to one of the worst settlements - ever:
]]>I have dealt with both Blockbuster and Netflix, and I switched from Netflix to Blockbuster because Netflix was throttling movies. The biggest advantage Blockbuster has over Netflix, is that if you go to the store on Tuesday when the movie comes out, you are guaranteed to get a new rental, there is no way to throttle you. Granted, my rentals take 1 day to get shipped. With Blockbuster changing their system to prevent people from renting more movies, I will probably switch it up again.
]]>There is absolutely no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Blockbuster throttles.
I had them for about a year after feeling that Netflix was throttling me. How naive I was!
I had 3 out at a time and would almost never have a DVD more than two days. In other words, I was a heavy user. Everything was fine for about 6 months or so, then I noticed short delays every now and then. Things got progressively worst as I went along, capping in one FULL week passing without a single DVD being shipped, even though I had at least one open spot every day and 3, THREE! open spots Wed-Fri. I complained multiple times and would often receive coupons for free in-store rentals. But eventually, this started to defeat the purpose of DVD rental-by-mail and they lost me when I went back to Netflix. I like Blockbuster's site and selection better, plus that you can get free in-store rentals, but when they constantly mess up for (or worse yet, screw over) their customers, they lose any appeal.
]]>@jonthomasdesigns: I used to have Blockbuster T.A. & Netflix, three at-a-time plans for both, and over the course of three months, this is how it broke down:
Netflix: 81 Movies received
Blockbuster: A puny 49 movies received
Note that when each movie was delivered, it was always taken to the dropbox for same-day pickup later that evening. Netflix had a two-day turnaround (one day to send back, then another to receive a new one). Blockbuster on the other hand was able to turn it around in FOUR days at the quickest, and I live in downtown Chicago. Sometimes it would take five or six days after sending movies back before they would show up as received.
I'm 100% sure that this is intentional. The more movies I rented, the slower they got.
Btw, if you're wondering what I was doing with them, I had all my DVDs stolen from a storage unit, and I was using these to make backups. It's legal since I originally purchased the titles... I think.
]]>Netflix does this to me too sometimes. I have weeks where I get a DVD, watch it and return it the same day. I always find they take an extra day or two when I'm quick with my returns.
]]>What I did was switch to BB, then after getting throttled by them and the loss of the free in store exchange, switching back to Netflix. Now they don't throttle so here I stay.
Blue Ray people complain about a $4 premium per month at Netflix, but as least at Netflix you actually get your movies. Seems like if you want Blue Ray $1 a week is worth it.
]]>I thought Netflix used to throttle my movies too. If I returned my movies right away within one day of watching them, the next movies in my queue didn't arrive for another 5 days or so. There was a processing center in town and I know it don't take more than 1 day for the movie to get returned. For my monthly average, I couldn't get more than 12 movies a month with the 3 movies out at a time plan.
]]>Co-incidence?
'tard
]]>I had one of the early plans also but went back to Netflix since they have a faster turnaround time. Blockbuster changing their in-store rental policy nullified their advantage in my opinion.
]]>Also, NetFlix supports Indie movie makers/movies. Blockbuster sucks.
]]>@catskyfire: Netflix has always had reasonable prices. Even the price rasing has been minimal. AND they offer free streaming.
]]>I will remind the wavers of the Netflix forever flag that when Blockbuster does go under, Netflix's prices will rise again.
]]>@Chadams28: If you're going to do their non-in-store rental plan, why not just use Netflix? Blockbuster's selection sucks.
]]>@John Henschen: "but it's good". Nothing about blockbuster is good.
]]>@jonthomasdesigns: I've never had them shut my service off, and I've reported lost movies here and there. Are you reporting a lot of lost dvds?
]]>WHY do people use Blockbuster? Their selection SUCKS, their service SUCKS.
]]>I was a Blockbuster loyalist until last month, mostly because I liked how the in-store returns meant that I could practically get unlimited movies. (Plus, I'd joined right when it began, so I was grandfathered into their best monthly plans.) But the new policy of not mailing movies until the in-store was returned was the breaking point for me, along with rates that kept going up and up despite my charter member status. Also, have you noticed that the website has very few new releases?
I thought that I couldn't get a Netflix account because I'd had one years ago, forgot to return a movie, and never cancelled the account even when switching credit card numbers. (Yes, I was stupid and naive.) I finally set up a trial membership last month, got the previous mess sorted out, and have been very happy since then. So much faster! Better selection! And I LOVE the new feature that lets me add movies to my queue and watch them instantly on my TiVo.
]]>After a few weeks of waiting 5+ days per movie I canceled my membership. I think I'll join netflix, but so far redbox has been cheaper and a better fit.
]]>When I started (I'm fairly sure it still applies), the in-store exchange price was comparable to or lower than Netflix's unlimited rentals/month deal. I didn't have a problem with their in-store rental exchange program except for the fact that it added to the number of DVDs I had waiting at home for me to watch.
I would suggest trying their non-in-store rental plan. I haven't had any problems with it and find that the website/mailing side's customer service is really efficient (way more than some dude in a store who doesn't care about scanning your envelope as returned).
Not trying to stick up for them, but just saying that I've been satisfied with their out-of-store crew. That, and I hate the non-chalant/smug attitude of my nearest Blockbuster's manager. I bet he's not even a real film snob...
]]>Yes I never ever considered going to Blockbuster. Ihave been using netflix since it's inception and have been very happy. Sure some times they lose a disk and they take care of it right away.
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