Block Buster Online - Slow? Unreliable? AND Now New Higher PRICE!

Indiana

Indiana

CAGiversary!
I was curious what some other people's experience has been with Block Buster Online.

They are very slow compared to Netflix. I have also received one DVD a day later than the other 3 even though they were all mailed from BB at the same time. The most disturbing thing is that the one that arrived late was already opened! Do the mail people watch the movies?

Or is this just a strange occurance?
 
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My buddie's Blockbuster service was horribly slow, so I switched from Wal Mart to Netflix. Not like I had a choice, though.

Netflix is great for me.
 
The biggest drawback I found with BB was their lack of selection of TV DVD's. They didn't have The Lone Gunmen and a few others I wanted to rent. They also had a problem where they would send me movies way down on my list even though the stuff in the first few slots was available. Also not giving any release dates on newer stuff kinda bugged me too.
 
This is my 3rd month in Blockbuster now, and going to be my last. My first month was great. I was getting stuff on my list really fast. The 2nd month I hit a big slowdown, and on top of it I got a few damaged discs in the mail. This month has been HIDEOUS! I'm getting like one disc every 8 or 9 days, they are taking forever to acknowledge the ones I sent back and then they send me an email complaining about how I've had so many damaged discs. I am very careful with discs, they managed to send me 2 with cracks clean through them and one with a dent in it. How the hell do you dent a DVD?! I don't know but I have now seen it! Once my membership gets near the end of the month I'm dumping them and trying out Netflix.
 
Someone please direct me to a better service than Netflix or Blockbuster. Netflix is an idiot for doing "throttling" and they're being sued for it (I was contacted by a lawyer but didn't want to bother with being part of a class action suit). Blockbuster was great during the trial period, but sucks now that it's over. Movies come in at different times when I've sent them at the same time. Like others said, there are movies that are not available and it gets annoying waiting for them only to see it's available the one day, and by the time you get another movie in, it's back on a wait list. I guess I could try Walmart, but I'm hoping there's something better out there. Really, I don't care to much about price anymore. I just want my damn movies shipped when they're supposed to, and not have to wait for too many damn movies! Really, is that too much to ask?? sheesh *is fed up*
 
I've been using BBO for about 2 months now. Its been about an A right now. Only problem was Hotel Rwanda took 3 days. Everything else takes 2 days max, and most i get next day. My cousin uses NetFlix. Same difference. We both get them around next day. BBO is thumbs up from me
 
I have both at the moment. Block Buster and Netflix. Block Buster just opened a local shipping location here in Indy. However BB is still slow... I'm running a comparison to see who can get me the most movies in the same time period. So far for August..

Netflix 4 1 disc broken
BB 3 1 disc scratched and unreadable
 
[quote name='slidecage']i got in on stop netflix get blockbuster for 2 free months and Blockbuster went nuts on me.


i got 3 movies that wasnt even on my Q list. I got 2 copies of anchorman, 3 copies of Prom night 2-3 (2 movies on 1 disc) 2 copies of Hellraiser Deader

im on the plan 8 movies out at time and first week i had like 17 movies in my mail box in one day.[/QUOTE]

Huh? Got in on stop netflix? WTF? Dude you need to do less drugs.
 
[quote name='Indiana']Huh? Got in on stop netflix? WTF? Dude you need to do less drugs.[/QUOTE]


they had a plan. cancell your netflix and get 2 free months of Blockbuster. Well somehow the system put me in their system 3 times so i had 3 accounts. I found this out when 2 of the accounts were cancelled a day after they open and i got hit with a 300+ credit card bill for movies never returned. Its all fixxed now
 
bottom line is if you live in podunk america, both services will suck

if you live in a major market(nyc, la, cleveland, dallas etc etc) then you will have great service..
 
Anyone else get this note from Block Buster?

WTF? I was in the store and they were trying to get people to sign up for 3 movies a month for $9.99 now they are going to change the price to $17.99? I was paying $14.99...

This is a really shitty way to treat your customers.


We hope you are enjoying renting DVDs from BLOCKBUSTER Online™. In the year since we launched, we've had phenomenal growth thanks to people like you. We value you as a customer, and we hope you value our ongoing efforts to make BLOCKBUSTER Online the most convenient way to rent DVDs.

Beginning August 19, 2005, we will be raising the price of our BLOCKBUSTER Online rental plans.

Here is how your membership plan will be affected:

Your Current Plan: 3 at a time
Your New Monthly Price: $17.99 (plus tax)
The payment method you provided will be billed the above amount on: September 11, 2005
 
[quote name='Hodaka']Mine usually arrive pretty quickly.. i can't complain..

I've had one DVD arrive and be damaged.. They replaced it right away.

Another had only the address label arrive. The worst on it was that you have to wait a mandatory 3 days before you can report it to get a replacement sent.[/QUOTE]

See I had one with only the label arrive also... I emailed and called them they did it within 2 days not the full 3.

I am mixed. It did seem like they tried to impress me when it was free and since I have been paying I have been getting less and less movies each month. You can check total rented and its been going down.

Now I understand sometimes I dont watch them right away but I live 30 minutes from the lansing wharehouse and it has taken up to 4 days to get stuff. One time my movie shipped and then a day later 2 movies shipped I got the two movies and watched them before my first arrived.

Other times new releases like Coach Carter or Team America mysteriously never showed up. I think the mail clerk grabs them or something.. Or puts them in anothers mailbox and they keep the movies.

I am dont after the 13th of this month as I find it hard to really have a lengthy list of must see movies... maybe I will try netflix this winter..
 
[quote name='Indiana']I was curious what some other people's experience has been with Block Buster Online.

They are very slow compared to Netflix. I have also received one DVD a day later than the other 3 even though they were all mailed from BB at the same time. The most disturbing thing is that the one that arrived late was already opened! Do the mail people watch the movies?

Or is this just a strange occurance?[/QUOTE]


Not a good service... I quit after my 'free' 6 months were up... I complained so often they kept giving me free months... but it sucked. Really bad.
 
Uh 17.99 now!? Damn I was considering keeping the service beyond my trial (that free movie coupon they gave me this month was cool) but now for more money I must say "meh I'm done".
 
Blockbuster Online sucks ass. They always either took forever, sent me the wrong DVD, or sent a damaged one. I swear at least 75% of my DVDs had a problem. Hardly ever had a problem with Netflix.
 
I live in southern Indiana and they ship to me from Dallas, Texas. It takes 3 to 5 days for me to get movies. I've had to return the same movie 3 times. First time it was broken, next it had the wrong disk, finally, they sent the broken disk again. Now they want more money? Not gonna happen. Does anyone know a phone number so I can call and bitch at them? Doing it online isn't getting any results.
 
[quote name='soulwish2003']Not a good service... I quit after my 'free' 6 months were up...[/QUOTE]

Ah, only in America would someone get six months of movie rentals completely free of charge and yet still have the nerve to bitch and complain about it. It's not like it cost you anything. "You get what you pay for" so to speak. :D
 
Wow, it seems that I'm the only one that doesn't hate Blockbuster's Online service. I first tried NetFlix's free month trial in November of 2004, and I must say, the DVDs always came the next day. I consistently was able to get 6 DVDs a week with the 3 out at a time plan.

I ultimately decided to cancel and try Blockbuster's service because I am cheap and they had a month free trial. After the BBO's free month was up, I decided to stick with them instead of switching back to Netflix, even though it took BBO two days to get the movies to me versus 1 day with NetFlix. There's only 1 or 2 new release movies each week I really want to see, so that didn't bother me.

Two main reasons why I've been a member of BBO since December of 2004 is the price ($15) and the two free in-store coupons each month. Game rentals are $6, and those coupons saves me $12 a month.

In the past the DVDs have taken 2 days to arrive, but recently I've been getting them the very next day, so it has actually improved. But it's still not consistent. New release titles come the next day, but older titles take 2. I have always gotten new releases on Tuesday/Wednesday that were on my list, so I'm happy about that.

When I signed-up 7-8 months ago, they guaranteed me the monthly rate of $15 a month through January 2006. I knew that the $15/month was a special rate, so it was no surprise that they raised it. It used to be $19.99, and NetFlix was actually over $20 at some point (for 3 out at a time).

The only real complaint I have is BBO needs to add a 1 DVD out a time for $9.99 and 2 DVDs out at time for $15. If it weren't for the free in-store coupons, I'd switch over to NetFlix once BBO raises the price.
 
[quote name='MaxBiaggi2']Ah, only in America would someone get six months of movie rentals completely free of charge and yet still have the nerve to bitch and complain about it. It's not like it cost you anything. "You get what you pay for" so to speak. :D[/QUOTE]The purpose of a free trial is to allow you to evaluate the service before you buy an actual membership. They give you exactly the same service as they would give a paid member. Therefore, what you get in the trial is representative of what paid members get. If you find that they have shitty service, I don't see what the problem is with saying that you got shitty service, and therefore people that pay will also get shitty service. What's he supposed to say? "It took a long time, and they kept sending me the wrong DVDs or damaged ones. But it was free! Excellent service!!"
 
I can put a movie in the mailbox Monday and get a new one Wednesday or Thursday. And I somehow am on a plan where I get one movie at a time (no coupons though) for free, forever. So yay Blockbuster online!
 
[quote name='ragtop70']Does anyone know a phone number so I can call and bitch at them? Doing it online isn't getting any results.[/QUOTE]1-866-692-2789
 
well All the blockbuster computers went down T last hursday Meaning if your movie got to them Thursday they couldnt check it in to Friday and send the next movie out to saturday... I had 3 movies get their on Last thursday and didnt get my next 3 shipped out to Saturday. They said their computers were down and offered me 2 free E coupons. Would of rather had a free month
 
[quote name='slidecage']well All the blockbuster computers went down T last hursday Meaning if your movie got to them Thursday they couldnt check it in to Friday and send the next movie out to saturday... I had 3 movies get their on Last thursday and didnt get my next 3 shipped out to Saturday. They said their computers were down and offered me 2 free E coupons. Would of rather had a free month[/QUOTE]

Do they even work on Saturday.. I have sent movies in on Thursday and have them not checked in until Monday or Tuesday..

Now if I send in movies on Monday (like I did do totday) I will have two new movies on Wednesday..

I swear its slower if I send them in on friday then Monday.
 
The envelopes suck. I've had disks go back to BBO, while I get the flap with my address on it a couple days later. they are supposed to be getting new envelopes, but have to use up the old ones first.
Shipping time--no major complaints here. There's a distro center about 120 miles from me, I get most of my things from it in a day or two [assuming the envelope stays in one piece].
Their price goes up to match NF, but BBO still includes two instore rentals [I use it for games, which are now 7.99.]
They lost something like 50 million bucks last year, so they're trying to make some money [how dare they.]
I'm locked into my current price till Jan which is nice, but I'll stick with them. If they quit with the coupons, or if the service starts dropping, I'll go back to Netflix. Love competition.
Their inventory levels used to suck, but they've gotten better [although not as good as NF, I'll admit.]
I don't think I've ever received the wrong disk or a broken disk. A couple have been a little worn, required some wiping, but no actual damages.
 
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