Free 6-Month Blockbuster Total Access

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I'm not very familiar with Total Access, but I learned about this promotion over at NeoGaf.


You signup here:

https://t.co/s3I4dXMR

It will ask for a form of payment, and you can check the expiration date in your account, which will probably be in January 2013.

The NeoGaf thread will likely answer some questions you may have. It's one game or movie at a time. The selection seems very limited, but hey, a 6-month trial is very good.


UPDATE:

Okay, the deal originally stated that we would get unlimited rentals for six months after we sign up. Unfortunately, the service seems to have limited this deal to two rentals per mail and two instore exchanges per month. Some CAGs have said they contacted customer service about this, and I still haven't gotten my third shipment, so it looks like it may be true. It's a bummer, but at least we still get to use the service for the six months.
 
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Yeah, this is getting more and more sketchy. Account info still shows my next billing date until January 2013, but the other in-store exchange summaries show my next billing date as August.

The worst company.
 
[quote name='io']Wow, really confusing... Well, I've already gotten 2 by mail, and according to them my billing month ends Aug. 15th. So if I don't get another by then, given that I have 6 or 7 things "available" in my queue now, then we'll know for sure. They've already acknowledged receiving my second disc back. I'm really anxious to get the next one because it was the 3rd of a 4-disc set and they seemed to have no way of selecting individual dics out of a set - I had really wanted the 3rd and 4th ones and not so much the first 2.[/QUOTE]


There is a way to do it, but nothing with them is ever simple or works right. Once you add the tv show (I'm assuming) to your queue, you'll see a little padlock icon. to the left of the name of the show. you have to click that icon to unlock it. You'll get a pop-up that says "This will break up this set/series, do you want to proceed?" choose yes. Then you can delete the disc(s) that you do not want.

BUT, since the set is no longer locked, if you were only wanting the 3rd and 4th discs, there is no guarantee they won't send Disc 4 before they send Disc 3, which if it's an episodic show does you no good. The best way is to do what I said, but remove all the discs except for the one you want to watch first. If that's Disc 3 and they actually send it to you, then go through the steps again leaving only Disc 4.
 
[quote name='specialist']Yeah, this is getting more and more sketchy. Account info still shows my next billing date until January 2013, but the other in-store exchange summaries show my next billing date as August.

The worst company.[/QUOTE]
Mine reads:
Next Billing Date: January 18,2013

In Store Exchanges Balance This Month:
1 Used | 1 Remaining through Aug 17, 2012

So, I don't believe you'll be charged in August, but that they'll allow more instore exchanges after that date.
 
I have two next billing dates -- one is in January, when I under "my account." The second is where someone else posted, as I'm looking at my queue, which is sometime in August.
 
[quote name='howard']There is a way to do it, but nothing with them is ever simple or works right. Once you add the tv show (I'm assuming) to your queue, you'll see a little padlock icon. to the left of the name of the show. you have to click that icon to unlock it. You'll get a pop-up that says "This will break up this set/series, do you want to proceed?" choose yes. Then you can delete the disc(s) that you do not want.

BUT, since the set is no longer locked, if you were only wanting the 3rd and 4th discs, there is no guarantee they won't send Disc 4 before they send Disc 3, which if it's an episodic show does you no good. The best way is to do what I said, but remove all the discs except for the one you want to watch first. If that's Disc 3 and they actually send it to you, then go through the steps again leaving only Disc 4.[/QUOTE]

Thanks - it wouldn't have mattered what order they came in this case as the discs are independent things. I just had already seen 1 and 2. So maybe I wasted my only 2 rentals till mid-Aug on things I already saw :lol:. Oh well...

But I'll keep that in mind in the future as I have a few other sets I was thinking of trying out.
 
[quote name='specialist']The worst company.[/QUOTE]

But it's freeeeeeee. Blockbuster can do whatever they want and it's okay. :roll:
 
[quote name='eXiON']Yeah, this wasn't up there before so they definitely just added this in a few days ago.

But right below that:

As io mentioned, you would be lead to believe this means that you are only limited on how many in-store exchanges you can do, yet it contradicts itself. After all, there's several movies that might have a long wait/unavailable online but available in-store (must be a participating Total Access store). Maybe it's referring to games only?

Has anyone been able to rent over 3 movies/games already? I'm on my 2nd movie at the moment, so I can't attest to see if it's actually true or not on that 2 limit per month dealio.[/QUOTE]

I just called them because they hadn't shipped me anything after i returned a store rental and i was told this "promotion" is limited to 2 in-store rentals and 2 by mail rentals (per month) and that their IT department has been notified to fix the account details.

I think they are just changing it due to so many people signing up for the promotion and since its free they wont really lose any customers over it...

Seriously, Blockbuster sucks, but i cant complain since this is free...

Edit: I have already received 2 by mail rentals and 2 in-store, however the system says i have used only 1 of my 2 in store... but it also doesn't list my last in store as returned so its all screwed up.
 
[quote name='fellfrosch']I
I think they are just changing it due to so many people signing up for the promotion and since its free they wont really lose any customers over it...[/QUOTE]

It has got to be this...

So, yeah, that kind of sucks - means I won't get anything until mid-August. Oh well... So 12 free rentals (over 6 months) for free is nice. But I'll tell you one thing - had they sent me all the stuff in my queue in a timely fashion (2 day turnaround would be OK, though not as good as Netflix's 1-day) I might have actually considered staying signed up once the free trial ended. Now, there's no way...

It's not like it would have been a ton more than 2 the way it has been going. It is taking about a week turnaround for each rental. They seem to take 2-3 days to send stuff out even when available. Then 2 days shipment. Then, I'll keep it 1 night, and it is 2 more days to get back to them. So that's about a week. So I had lowered my expectations to 4 per month vs. 2 per week from Netflix. And now it is just 2 per month :lol:

And of course, had I know this before I sent my second disc back in, I would have done a store exchange instead. I guess with the store exchange you can get 4 per month. But I hadn't considered the store before since the remaining ones are so far away. But that isn't as big a deal when it doesn't have to be returned very quickly.
 
[quote name='TheRainCoat']I am on my third movie

First - Citizen Kane
Second -Alien
Third - They just sent me city of lost children.



All within a month:bouncy:[/QUOTE]

This would seem to contradict everything that has been stated. Unless you are including in store exchanges, which would give you a total of 4 rentals per month...
 
I too am growing confused. My account page says I have unlimited online mailings and unlimited store exchanges, but then further down in my account summary, it says I only have 2. So it contradicts itself in 6 lines of text. It says nothing about a limit on mailings per month. So we all know this is free, and even at just 2 per month it's still better than a kick to the nuts, but is anyone trying to figure out how it is legal to change the terms of a contract with no notice or acceptance?

I fucking hate Blockbuster so much. I used to have their mailing thingy until they raised prices 3 times in 6 months and removed multiple features. This shitty chain can't die fast enough.
 
[quote name='berzirk']I too am growing confused. My account page says I have unlimited online mailings and unlimited store exchanges, but then further down in my account summary, it says I only have 2. So it contradicts itself in 6 lines of text. It says nothing about a limit on mailings per month. So we all know this is free, and even at just 2 per month it's still better than a kick to the nuts, but is anyone trying to figure out how it is legal to change the terms of a contract with no notice or acceptance?

I fucking hate Blockbuster so much. I used to have their mailing thingy until they raised prices 3 times in 6 months and removed multiple features. This shitty chain can't die fast enough.[/QUOTE]
yeah, I had blockbuster once Netflix raised their prices. It was awesome...at first. Only because there was a store on my way to work so exchanges were easy and despite the slow mailings the store exchanges made up for it.
Well the store closed and now it just sucks. It is too bad because Netflix pissed me off for the huge price hikes and instant watch has mostly stuff that is old and not updated with decent stuff quick enough.
Oh stupid blockbuster, you could have killed it.
 
They sent me LoTR: War in the North. They sent me an email saying that I can keep it for the low, low price of....$41.24.

InksN.gif
 
Finally received Batman Arkham Asylum. Took about 10 days, which I found extremely strange since it shipped from one state over, but free is free I guess.
 
Blockbuster's envelopes could be laced with anthrax and the people playing the game or watching the movie would die after a day. What will their last words be? Well at least it was free.
 
[quote name='MastrMeatWad']and instant watch has mostly stuff that is old and not updated with decent stuff quick enough.
Oh stupid blockbuster, you could have killed it.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, seriously, the streaming on Netflix is utter crap now. We only keep it because there are some kids shows that my 4 year-old likes (Rugrats, etc). But otherwise, my daughter and I browse through it on the PS3 every so often just to laugh at all the obscure garbage on their so-called "new" releases.

And even their disc selection has somehow gotten worse - then add the 30-day exclusion of new stuff. On top of that, even middling movies are "very long wait". I've had fucking John Carter on my list for weeks and it hasn't budged from "very long wait" the whole time. And I'm not even that interested in it - there just wasn't much else to choose from. Secret World of Arriety (which I really do want to see) has also been jammed at "very long wait" for a very long time...

Meanwhile Blockbuster has some stuff Netflix doesn't even have available at any kind of wait - but now, apparently, I'll have to wait till after mid-August just to get 2 of those things... I'd have jumped completely over to Blockbuster with the $14.99 combo pass by now if they had kept my local store open. I had just started it when they decided to close the store last December - got to use it for like 2 things.

They definitely had an opportunity there but they blew it.
 
I never understood why people don't use their public libraries more often for movies and games. A lot of libraries allow you to get a card and check out things if you go to school or work in that city, not just live there.

I'd assume just about every library carries DVD's and gets new stuff weekly, mine just started carrying Blu-Ray's. And some even carry games. Yes the game selection isn't going to be very big and most won't have anything rated M, but just as an example my library carries about 15% of the released Xbox 360 games.
 
I worked for blockbuster about 5 years ago. Every store was losing so much money back then, imagine how much they are losing now. They wouldn't have "killed it" by staying open, they really just couldn't afford to keep throwing money down the drain.
 
[quote name='io']Yeah, seriously, the streaming on Netflix is utter crap now. We only keep it because there are some kids shows that my 4 year-old likes (Rugrats, etc). But otherwise, my daughter and I browse through it on the PS3 every so often just to laugh at all the obscure garbage on their so-called "new" releases.

And even their disc selection has somehow gotten worse - then add the 30-day exclusion of new stuff. On top of that, even middling movies are "very long wait". I've had fucking John Carter on my list for weeks and it hasn't budged from "very long wait" the whole time. And I'm not even that interested in it - there just wasn't much else to choose from. Secret World of Arriety (which I really do want to see) has also been jammed at "very long wait" for a very long time...

They definitely had an opportunity there but they blew it.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. Netflix streaming is a joke now. If they did not raise their prices i would not have cancelled and complained so much.
with all the money they are rolling in you would think they would pay the to keep up rights. Oh well.

[quote name='howard']I never understood why people don't use their public libraries more often for movies and games. A lot of libraries allow you to get a card and check out things if you go to school or work in that city, not just live there.

I'd assume just about every library carries DVD's and gets new stuff weekly, mine just started carrying Blu-Ray's. And some even carry games. Yes the game selection isn't going to be very big and most won't have anything rated M, but just as an example my library carries about 15% of the released Xbox 360 games.[/QUOTE]
the library in my area does carry DVD however if you want a new release do not bother. they either a) do not carry, or b) the wait is 500 plus.
 
^ It isn't whining, it is being astounded at how Netflix opened the door wide open for Blockbuster to take over the disc-by-mail business but BBV utterly failed to do so.

[quote name='howard']I never understood why people don't use their public libraries more often for movies and games. A lot of libraries allow you to get a card and check out things if you go to school or work in that city, not just live there.

I'd assume just about every library carries DVD's and gets new stuff weekly, mine just started carrying Blu-Ray's. And some even carry games. Yes the game selection isn't going to be very big and most won't have anything rated M, but just as an example my library carries about 15% of the released Xbox 360 games.[/QUOTE]

Wow, you must have a library with some awesome funding. I think ours might have some VHS from the 80's. ;)
 
[quote name='io']^ It isn't whining, it is being astounded at how Netflix opened the door wide open for Blockbuster to take over the disc-by-mail business but BBV utterly failed to do so.



Wow, you must have a library with some awesome funding. I think ours might have some VHS from the 80's. ;)[/QUOTE]

BB is bankrupt so i highly doubt they even had the money to even complete with netflix
 
[quote name='io']^ It isn't whining, it is being astounded at how Netflix opened the door wide open for Blockbuster to take over the disc-by-mail business but BBV utterly failed to do so.[/QUOTE]

Blockbuster has always been second place to Netflix, except when Walmart had their DVD service and then Blockbuster was third.

Blockbuster Online has a huge history of mistakes. Off the top of my head they used to give everyone a coupon for a free movie or game rental in store each month (this was pre-Total Access) then stopped doing that rather abruptly without much notice even though it got people into the stores, got rid of the plans for 4-8 discs at a time, their customer service is atrocious, discs aren't inspected and the number of broken discs leads me to believe it's not a USPS issue. Title availability has always been not so great. Back in the earlier days of their service I'd routinely get mismatching discs and sleeves. If I was supposed to get Season 4 Disc 6 of a show, I'd get the correct sleeve but Season 6 Disc 4. It happened often, even when I held onto the stuff and waited for the replacement so they couldn't mail the same thing right back to me.

When they started renting games combined with not charging extra for BD's and Netflix's screw ups last year they could have taken the lead (granted they were way behind Netflix even then) but they managed to get worse, which I didn't think was possible.
 
#-o The game I want (actually one my son really wanted) is sitting "available" right at the top of my queue with 2 DVDs right below it that I also really want. But it definitely appears the 2 per month thing is active as I returned my last disc end of last week and they have not shipped anything.

Meanwhile, Netflix did finally come through with John Carter. Now if I can just get anyone in my family to watch it with me ;).
 
[quote name='howard']I never understood why people don't use their public libraries more often for movies and games. A lot of libraries allow you to get a card and check out things if you go to school or work in that city, not just live there.

I'd assume just about every library carries DVD's and gets new stuff weekly, mine just started carrying Blu-Ray's. And some even carry games. Yes the game selection isn't going to be very big and most won't have anything rated M, but just as an example my library carries about 15% of the released Xbox 360 games.[/QUOTE]

Your library carries games?! Wow you're lucky. My library have DVD's but its a bunch of donated old stuff so you can forget about watching anything new & when you finally find something decent....the disc barely plays because of all the scratches,lol. So yea, not really a good option unless if you cant afford Netflix.

As for Netflix, if people didn't overreact to the price hike we would be able to rent video games from them. Gamefly type service + Netflix's 1-day shipping = Huge smile on my face......but now that idea is dead. I'm still mad about that.
 
[quote name='howard']I never understood why people don't use their public libraries more often for movies and games. A lot of libraries allow you to get a card and check out things if you go to school or work in that city, not just live there.

I'd assume just about every library carries DVD's and gets new stuff weekly, mine just started carrying Blu-Ray's. And some even carry games. Yes the game selection isn't going to be very big and most won't have anything rated M, but just as an example my library carries about 15% of the released Xbox 360 games.[/QUOTE]

I have so much stuff waiting for me at the library that I can't ever finish it! Currently have the wire season 1 waiting for me to pick it up. The library is a great resource!
 
[quote name='mrniceguy8']Finally received Batman Arkham Asylum. Took about 10 days, which I found extremely strange since it shipped from one state over, but free is free I guess.[/QUOTE]


I sent DVD back on Monday, received confirmation email on Tuesday, they shipped game on Wednesday, might receive today?

So a week per item, but like everyone says, it's free.....

Wow, Netflix has us pampered with one day turn around.

But that's true of every company that excels at something.


  • I expect all car rental agencies to let me by-pass the counter and just walk out to the lot and get in a car.
  • I expect every hotel to put my receipt under my door on the morning of my checkout
if only.....:bouncy:


TMG
 
[quote name='HitmanPham']We should really consider creating a sister site called WAG..[/QUOTE]

Would that be the deal site for dogs?
 
I received an envelope that was badly damaged, i don't feel comfortable sending a disk in it. Can i just put 2 game sleeves in 1 return envelope or do i need to get blockbuster to send me another return envelope?
 
[quote name='macontosh2000']I received an envelope that was badly damaged, i don't feel comfortable sending a disk in it. Can i just put 2 game sleeves in 1 return envelope or do i need to get blockbuster to send me another return envelope?[/QUOTE]

I believe so.... can't remember exactly where it says you can, should be in either the sleeve or the envelope.
 
[quote name='macontosh2000']I received an envelope that was badly damaged, i don't feel comfortable sending a disk in it. Can i just put 2 game sleeves in 1 return envelope or do i need to get blockbuster to send me another return envelope?[/QUOTE]

Never. Trust. Blockbuster. Even if it's free...
 
Damn now I remember why I hate disc lending programs. Got the three stooges and it Fd up 20 minutes in on both my xbox and bluray player. Damn movie just came out less than 2 weeks ago. It was a horrible movie anyways and I would have probably stopped it after another 10 minutes.
 
[quote name='sleepydumbdude']Damn now I remember why I hate disc lending programs. Got the three stooges and it Fd up 20 minutes in on both my xbox and bluray player. Damn movie just came out less than 2 weeks ago. It was a horrible movie anyways and I would have probably stopped it after another 10 minutes.[/QUOTE]
If you have a BR player you should ask for BR movies; 99% BR works.

[quote name='iNFiNiTE HORiZON']"You have 2 exchanges remaining until 08/17/2012, which is your next billing date."
does this mean I'm gonna get charged this month??[/QUOTE]
No, I believe it means you can still exchange 2 items in store.
 
[quote name='matrix9280']Blockbuster's envelopes could be laced with anthrax and the people playing the game or watching the movie would die after a day. What will their last words be? Well at least it was free.[/QUOTE]




Man sends anthrax laced envelope -----Blockbuster receives it and opens it----------Blockbuster mails it to you
 
[quote name='TheRainCoat']Man sends anthrax laced envelope -----Blockbuster receives it and opens it----------Blockbuster mails it to you[/QUOTE]

Unlikely. I already used up my two rentals for the month. It's freeeeeeeeeeeee.
 
I'd be careful doing this. I only had a previous 2 month free trial before and Blockbuster changed my first bill date twice along with sending me games that I removed from my queue 3 weeks later. Blockbuster is poorly organized, to say the least.
 
[quote name='No.']I'd be careful doing this. I only had a previous 2 month free trial before and Blockbuster changed my first bill date twice along with sending me games that I removed from my queue 3 weeks later. Blockbuster is poorly organized, to say the least.[/QUOTE]

I keep a pre-paid credit card around with a couple of bucks on it for stuff like this. Works out great. They try to screw me or I forget to cancel, it's no big deal.
 
So, does this mean it's 2-a-month in a calender month (ie: I started on 7/13 and have already rented 2) so I won't be eligible to rent again until 8/13?
 
[quote name='JohnnyS5']So, does this mean it's 2-a-month in a calender month (ie: I started on 7/13 and have already rented 2) so I won't be eligible to rent again until 8/13?[/QUOTE]

Yes indeed. This is horseshit.

I emailed them asking why nothing was shipping and they said that I only get two per month and would need to wait until the 18th of August before any more get sent out. She made no reference to my concern that they changed the terms of the offer with no notice, and even mentioned "our IT team is hard at work to reflect this on the website"...so they were able to change the service and the backend that manages it instantaneously, but finding an intern to correctly add text that covers their updated service is taking weeks. That sounds reasonable.

I'm going to say a littler prayer before bedtime every night that the next day Blockbuster just dies, and finally goes bankrupt. Worst service-related company on the planet. Die, DIE!!!
 
[quote name='berzirk']Yes indeed. This is horseshit.

I emailed them asking why nothing was shipping and they said that I only get two per month and would need to wait until the 18th of August before any more get sent out. She made no reference to my concern that they changed the terms of the offer with no notice, and even mentioned "our IT team is hard at work to reflect this on the website"...so they were able to change the service and the backend that manages it instantaneously, but finding an intern to correctly add text that covers their updated service is taking weeks. That sounds reasonable.

I'm going to say a littler prayer before bedtime every night that the next day Blockbuster just dies, and finally goes bankrupt. Worst service-related company on the planet. Die, DIE!!![/QUOTE]

Not too excessive for something that's free?
 
[quote name='mrsilkunderwear']Not too excessive for something that's free?[/QUOTE]

Yet another CAG that has self entitlement syndrome.....it's sad really...

We are getting a free service for six months and people still try to abuse the system. I hate these type of assholes with a passion.
 
Any of you guys know how the queue system works? I have four games all in Very Long Wait, but if the game at the bottom of the list becomes available, will it still ship before the others?
 
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