Blockbuster. Or _____Buster ?

[MegalosSkylaki]

Originally Posted by RobRich

I have not rented a movie from a brick-and-motar store in many years. Instead, I am more inclined to use television pay-per-view or an online service like CinemaNow.

I like the tactile feel of holding a film (and also checking for scratches at checkout).
Plus, flipping through older movies revives memories of films I want to see or see again.
In fact, I would prefer the B & M stores to hold on to the Older movies as I consider them a draw to flip through.
Also, you can "exchange notes" with other store patrons.

I will try downloading soon...I understand Qflix (sp?) DVD recorders allow
recording of some films...or am I wrong about this.

MegalosSkylaki

[MegalosSkylaki]

Let me give you some background, if I haven't already done so.....

Many years ago, while enrolled in a 3 Film at-a-time Monthly Plan, I was leaving town for several months. Not wishing to pay for something I wasn't using, I asked if I could cancel and be re-installed when I return. "Sure Can!" was the answer. Knowing that odd things happen in the BeeG Apple , I specifically queried if I could do so under the same terms ar I left. "Sure can!" was the reply.

Ah! but the DooG is , well, da DOOG so I specififically asked to speak to Manager about this, not wishing to have a single errant employee misinform me. Actually I asked several employees at different times the same questions with the "Sure can" answer. This was confirmed by Manager.

When I returned and tried to re-enroll was now told that Plan was no longer offerred and when specifically queried as to when it stopped being offerred, was informed several months (huh?) before my trying to put it on hold.

Ah! But a more Co$tly Plan was offerred --and only included TWO (not 3) Films.

---------

Shoot to Present:
Back to Blockbuster. Went back with a spanking new CC which was accepted. When I asked whether my Plan would receive a pro-rata refundfor time it was innactive, not of my doing, or whether that Plan would start from that date..Well Guess how the story turns.

Indeed! They "no longer offer that plan, but [i] could enroll for [higher Cost "combo Plan ["no Thank you," I said] or a higher Cost SAME Plan ["no thank you," I say. "I want the same Plan (2-films at a time/flat monthly charge)"

Counter person (FT employee) "can't do that" and I have "to speak to Customer Service" which repeatedly had promised that District Manager would call me back to solve a simple CC matter. A month ago. With no call backs.

DooGie does some digging.

Quote:

Tara of Kalispell MT (11/29/07)
I used to work at Blockbuster ......[Snipped]... and recomended movie passes to people that had late fees and I got in trouble ....[Snipped]..... To buy the pass its $29 or $25 for 2 or 3 movies a month [emphasis supplied] and you keep them for as long as you want with no late fees and exchange them as many times as you want and not get charged anything more.

Sounds like Blockbuster still had the 3-Film Plan which they many years ago stated to me no longer exists--or at least did so in Kalispell MT as late as '07.

Once again, cancellation, refusal to renew, and - Surprise! - lesser Plan for more money.

Will call Customer Service and report back.

MegalosSkylaki

[MegalosSkylaki]

This has been a difficult week for this American Republic, by which a simple problem with a Video Company seems small.

Yet, this is not a matter of simply being cancelled out of one Plan --and then, when a new CC card is pro-offered, the Plan is now "not existent" -- but a new, "Combo Plan" --no Surprise here is pro=offered --at a higher price.

There is an ethics to money.
Also, a Company whose Customer Service claims it is not empowered to solve s simple problem like this promises and promises I will be contacted by a "District Manager".

Has ____Buster built its Customer Service and the Company built its Business model around this practice?

Early this week I did contact Customer Service.

I spoke to a representative named "David" who was articulate, polite, and seemed to recognize that something was amiss here. Perhaps he wasn't supposed to and my words of praise can only get him into trouble.

I sometimes wonder if I send a letter complimenting some kindness by, say a Flight Attendant for some kindness rendered, and will only get them into trouble as the Airline may not want its Flight Attendants to offer that minor service.
Alas, that is the state of the real world --where Company Policy takes
precedence over common sense.

In any event, was again promised to hear from the D.M. (or them) regarding the status of my account. Yet no phone call has been received. Today, I visited the Blockbuster store.

I am not in the Plan I had been enrolled in, and had been canceled when VISA dropped my CC with many thousand others because the numbers were somehow compromised.

Blockbuster as of today is as suggested, Plan Buster.

MegalosSkylaki

Next time I write I will give you the telephone number that was told to call --and did, again and again.

Let me know of any good experiences with ____Buster.

[MegalosSkylaki]

and ask What's up?

Retail Store > "Call Customer Service at 800-406-6843 between 8AM and 8PM CST about getting you back in your Plan." > Customer Service >"We don't have any authority about x, y, or z or ... District Manager will call you" >
District Manager > [Silence, Silence, Silence, Silence, Silence, Silence, ] > Customer > Call Customer Service > "We don't have any authority about x, y, or z or ... District Manager will call you" > District Manager > [Silence, Silence, Silence, Silence, Silence, Silence, ]

Ah! Business Plan ???

MegalosSkylaki

Now maybe they are waiting for me to just go away...maybe decide not to give them my business..at least on a "Plan basis" as I was one of the "Plan users", rather than a 'pay-monthly-on-EFT-and-forget' Customer.

But then, Why should I inconvenience myself. Nope.

[MegalosSkylaki]

was given name and number of Operations Manager.
Called twice, got Voicemail, left messages with Case # and Phone #.

Again, three days now and no response.

DOOOOG

[lynniswayyamazin]

I had a problem with their "charge a dollar to my card without permission" polocy. I was there to rent a game. I have a debit card that is restricted. I signed a agreement not to charge anything to the card without money in the account. I went to pay for my game and let the employee know I would be paying with cash. He then looked up at me and said he needed a new credit card because mine was invalid. I again said no please don't charge anything to my credit card because I will get an overdraft fee. He then said that he alredy did and that it was manditory to charge a dollar to you card when renting games. I told him that this will cause a overdraft charge and I wish I was informed before he just charged my credit card. He stated there wouldn't be a overdraft charge.

I immediately went to the bank and checked my account and shure enought there was my lovely overdraft charge. I immediately called the manager. I was told that it is a part of the contract and if I am to stupid to read the contract than I deserved the charge. I requested to speak to her district manager. She gave me a number that was disconnected.

I got online and wrote to the company. they replied that it would not cause a overdraft. I rewrote them that it did and I can send them the paperwork. besides that I didn't deserve to be treated the way I was by the manager. They havn't wrote me back.

Because I am on a fixed income this one overdraft charge has caused my account to go way into the red. I have figured at the rate I'm paying it off I should have it paid off by July of next year. I am sickened by this and looking into a small claims case.

[MegalosSkylaki]

Because I am on a fixed income this one overdraft charge has caused my account to go way into the red. I have figured at the rate I'm paying it off I should have it paid off by July of next year. I am sickened by this and looking into a small claims case.

You shouldn't have to go to Small Claims Court,lynniswayyamazin, where a big Company will most likely ignore you, and you then have to go back to the Court to get an enforcible judgement, and even pay for a Marshall to execute it.

This seems to be part of their "business model", to Ignore any problems.
See if the Attorney General 's Office of your State has anything in progress with Plan Buster.

If you send me case number, I'll see if I can add your situation to my own case, that is, if I ever hear from this Company.

As things stand, after several calls to the District Manager at the 800 number that Customer "Unable-to-Do-Anything" Relations(CR) helplessly gave me, I was then told by CR that == you guessed it --they were unable to do anything about the non-response of the Operations Manager.

So they told me, that they would "send it to Corporative".

Also, that I should not expect as quick a response from Corperative as from District manager!

Ah! Odd that Corperative would be slower than total non-respnse District manager !

But da DOOOOG will not be denied !

What they do to one, they do to others: this is the "roach theory" of Customer Service.

[MegalosSkylaki]

it's costing --let's call them BUSTER --to "blow away" a simple problem like my Visa card was cancelled en masse due to a losing of CC numbers by VISA -
Certainly not my fault.

All they had to do--even at the Retail Store level --is to re-instate my PLAN when I received a new CC and brought it in.

Instead, their "policy" was to send me to Customer Relations --which claimed they could not re-instate my PLAN, as they didn't have that capability (huh?).

Then we get a round of unanswered and unreturened phone calls from District Manager/Operations and more calls back to Customer Relations.
Several more calls that need to be "looked into" --more Plan Buster money spent and more of my time wasted.

Like many "business models" of this typre --one can only suspect it's costing the Company more to ignore the problem than to fix it.

BlockBuster, has a new Prez, I believe. This is what he has inherited.

MegalosSkylaki

[MegalosSkylaki]

du Blockbuster?

Or Planbuster -- take your pick.

One Cellular Phone Company that finally got wise and used Customer Service to actually to solve the Customer's problem --at least they did so with me after some complaints-- and may have even tried to change over "Customer Service" from a Sales Force to, well, customer service.

Is Planbuster "Customer Service" just another Sales Force scam?

Or will it rise to the occasion and actually try to solve an overwhelmingly major problem --for them --of reinstating me in the same Plan I was is when my CC was cancelled due to stolen numebrs and a new card issued ?

Gee, Retail store couldn't solve it --they tried to get me to buy another and more expensive Plan I didn't need.
Customer Service couldn't solve it --they had to promise that the DM would call me. And promise. And promise..... Well, you get the picture.
Now the this , err, "Overwhelmingly major problem" has been "referred to Corporate".

WOW ! Must be real big to reinstate someone in the same Plan --especially when Retail told me that all I had to do is "bring in a new CC."

Unless Blockbuster converts Customer Service to, well, Customer Service, instead of Sales -- I suspect its future is assured. Maybe time for Shareholders to bail ?

MegalosSkylaki

Hey, not my idea!

[MegalosSkylaki]

Originally Posted by MegalosSkylaki

Like I said, Lets give Blockbuster the benefit of the doubt --until the District Manager calls me, as I was advised by Blockbuster Customer Service on August 29th he would do the next business day, September 2nd. Odd though, this was still within Business hours I called and Customer Service was still open, yet the District Manager was.err...gone for the day. Ah! Manager. Must have left the workers behind on the Friday before Labor Day to "solve"(?) problems...
~~~ SNIPPEd~~~
BB: "Sorry, we can't enroll you in that Plan...Ah! It no longer exists/it exists but at a higher price. How about that?”

So today with a spanking new Credit Card I went to Blockbuster. Guess what happened?

MegalosSkylaki

Still no contact from either DM or Operations.
I guess Block or PlanBuster is still "Doubtful".

MegalosSkylaki