Blockbuster By Mail

While searching the internet for a video rental service last month, I came across Blockbuster's recently expanded service. Now, not only can you rent movies (both Blu-Ray and DVD), you can also rent games, all for the same low price.

Comparing them with their chief competitors, namely Netflix for videos and Game Fly for games, I found their prices to be quite competitive, especially against Game Fly. Their prices were the same as Netflix (2 discs at a time for $13.99 a month), but when you consider you can also rent games, I thought it was the better value. So I signed up for the free trial and began filling my queue with movies and games.

The first discs took a couple of days to get to me; not as quick as Netflix was when I had it previously, but not a big deal. The problems, however, began as I opened up my discs.

One of the movies that they sent me was from the bottom of my queue. The whole point of the queue is to list what you'd like to rent, in order, so that way when you send a disc back, you get the next disc on your queue that's available.  Not only was the disc from the bottom of my queue when several selections above it were available, but it was from the middle of a TV series, which I had in my queue in order.

Needless to say, this went back in the mail the next day. A couple of days later I received an email that they had received my disc, so the next morning I logged in to see what would be shipped to me next. Nothing shipped the next day, so I patiently waited for another day, still no shipment, and another, still no shipment. They had the disc back for 3 days now, and still haven't sent me another.

The next problem, which was also the biggest, was one that I unfortunately planted the seeds for.

I was in a hurry heading out of the house in the morning, and was ready to return my other disc. I reached for a disc, thinking it was the movie, put it in the envelope, sealed it, and took it to the post office after working out that morning. Later when I got home, I noticed that my new Madden NFL 11 for the PS3 was missing, and then I found the movie that I thought I sent back.

I had stuck the wrong disc in the envelope. D'oh!

Concerned about my disc, I called their customer service number the next morning to report the issue. Low and behold, they have outsourced customer service. To me, nothing screams indifference for your customers more than outsourced customer service, especially in the economic client we live in where so many Americans are out of work (I've been laid off six times myself), the fact that I'm talking to someone thousands of miles away on some other continent left an ill feeling in my stomach.

The lady was nice enough, said she made a note of the issue on my account and we ended the call there. A couple of days go by, and I call again, only to find out that the woman I talked to before left no notes on my account about the disc I erroneously returned. She assures me she made notes on the account about the disc, and we end the call there.

A couple of days later I receive email notification that the envelope with my disc in it has arrived. I was puzzled why it took nearly a week to return to a warehouse less than 100 miles from where I lived, but I waited until the next morning to call in again. I talked to a gentleman who assured me that they would email me as soon as they found my disc.

Now, let's be honest. Any of these companies inventory every disc that goes in and out of all of their warehouses. If you don't return a disc after cancelling service, you're going to get charged. You would think that an envelope showing up with the wrong disc in it would raise some red flags, wouldn't you?

Apparently not here. Another week goes by and still nothing. So I call back in again and before the woman can get her second word out I ask to speak to a manager. After a few minutes of holding I finally get a manager on the phone, and find out they don't even check the discs when they get them back at the warehouse, they just scan the barcode. Why couldn't I have found this out sooner, I could have sent back blanks and kept the movies! Just kidding, but come on, you don't check your discs. No wonder there are reports this company may be heading towards a bankruptcy filing.

The manager assures me he will call the distribution center himself and get back with me within 3 business days.

Three business days come and go, and no word so I call again and ask to speak to the manager again. I get put on hold for several minutes, and the lady comes back and says all managers are busy, and asks for my phone number. I kindly tell her I'll wait, so I get put on hold again. Several minutes later she comes back, saying she can't transfer my call because of a problem with their phone system. I tell her I'll wait till it's fixed, and get put on hold again.

Finally, I get a manager on the phone and explain my situation to her. it has now been three weeks, and I want my property back. I tell her I need my property back or the money to replace it, or I'm cancelling my service. She rudely tells me the problem is my fault. (which sending in the wrong disc was, but not being able to find it for three weeks speaks for either the ineptitude of the staff or how little they care about their customers, and right now they need everyone they can get) She said she would be happy to cancel my account. I got my confirmation number, hung up the phone, and resigned myself to the fact that I was going to have to shell out another $60 to replace my property which is lost somewhere within their abyss.

I wanted this to work so badly when I started, but with such callous customer service and incapable staff at the warehouses, the only person I could recommend this service to would be Bernie Madoff; after all, I hear he likes a good con job.