New BlockBuster Online Instore Deal. "Total Access" Starts Nov 2nd!

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GizmoGC

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Starting Nov. 2nd BBOnline will change in a very awesome way.

You will now be able to drop off movies sent to your door at any local Blockbuster instead of mailing it in. Once BB checks them in (right in front of you might I add), you're online quene will be updated and you're next movie will be sent out. However, it gets better. You will be able to get ANY movie in the store right then and there for FREE. So what it means is you are essentially getting two-three times more of rentals each month!

Stores will also be receiving laptops to allow new members to join BBOnline and even cancel their NetFlix account.

To summarize:
1. Return BBOnline movie inside Envelope mailer to any BB location.
2. You're online quene gets updated and you're next movie is sent out.
3. You get a free rental in store right away as an extra bonus for dropping off you're movie.
 
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[quote name='Swift900']Damn, that is awfully enticing. This is just for Movies and NOT video games correct?[/QUOTE]

Correct. BBOnline does rent HD and BR titles though.
 
I must say i have always thought of Blockbuster as a business that isn't very well run. They seem to be one upping netflix on this online rental business though. Not sure if they are technically "leading" netflix but they seem to have the upper hand with the in-store stuff also.
 
I was about to switch back to netflix, but i may stick around to see how this goes. My only problem with BB is that they don't have enough stock. Online, I am always waiting for odd things like season 5 of star trek. In the store they don't have a lot, such as seasons of battlestar galactica. The amount of time it takes for BB to acknowledge a return is variable as well, I have mailed two dvds at the same time and they are marked as recieved up to 5 days apart. This in store return would solve that problem though.

T
 
Very nice, I always thought that this is one major feature BBV could offer that Netflix just can't duplicate. (Unless they partner with some 3rd party company with a large B&M presence, but I doubt it's worth the hassle and expense of setting it all up.)

The free in store rental is just icing on the cake. I wonder how long they'll offer that bonus, or is it only a first time thing? (Probably unknown at this point.)
 
oh man, Blockbuster just cancelled the FREE game and movie rental to just a FREE movie rental so I was about to switch to someone that rents games and movies like Gameznflix. With this whole new set up though it might just be worth it to stick around for a while.
 
Just some comments on this.

If you rent a movie from the store with this deal, it does not get dropped from your que.

Also, this means you no longer get the free coupon a week thing, sucks for those who were using them for the game rentals. Late fees and such still apply to these rentals.
 
Late fees still apply. However unless you wait 14 days to return a movie you are in the clear.

The 1 Free rental a week was never a big deal for me. It used WAY too much of my ink anyway.

Also stores will be receiving more movies in anticipation of this.
 
Wait so if I have 3 movies out and return 3 could I then get 3 movie rentals in store? Or could I return 1 at a time and grab 1 rental each time I return a movie?
 
So is this essentially unlimited rentals, or just one free rental everytime you return a movie you got from BB online? In other words, once I return a movie in store, they give me a free rental. When I return that one, can I get another film or wait until the next movie in my list shows up?
 
Its not all too hard to understand.

When you return you're BBOnline Mailer (the one that gets mailed to your house) to an actual BB store, you will receive one free IN-STORE rental at that time. BB will check in you're BBOnline Mailer, and you're quene will update itself as if it was returned though the mail.

Returning an actual BB movie rented from a store will not allow another free rental. You get 1 instore rental for every BBOnline Mailer w/disc inside that you return to get 'checked' in
 
If you go to blockbuster.com/trial and put in 55067 for your gift/promo code you'll get a month for free. If you do it this week or next week you'll get 3-4 weeks of
Total Access instead of the two week free trial they'll give away when it starts.
 
This is a sweet deal. I'm still actually getting FREE GAME rental coupons with my BBonline account, since I was grandfathered in ;)

I may switch to ONE out at a time now, since saving money is nice and this would essentially give you unlimited rentals so it seems.
 
where can i get more information on this? i do not see anything about this on blockbuster's website. this is definitely HOT if it is going to happen in my area.
 
It was taking upwards of 1 week(for narnia, 1 month+ after its release and some other titles) to recieve rentals from blockbuster in seattle, WA. This seems like a good deal, but the netflix turns around lightning fast(with accurate in-tsock information too), and their center is 40 miles away. Just letting people in seattle/tacoma area know, still a great deal.
 
[quote name='K-LOC']where can i get more information on this? i do not see anything about this on blockbuster's website. this is definitely HOT if it is going to happen in my area.[/QUOTE]

No where right now. Its not official until November 2nd (Thursday).
 
personally i still find netflix to be much better in terms of selection and speed but this is nice. Forget getting new releases via mail, you can just use the free rentals to get them.Now if blockbuster ever gets a decent anime selection i'd be real happy.
 
are you sure this is nationwide cause i know right now its in some cities. Are you sure this isnt just your city cause i just called Blockbuster locally and they said they are years away from doing instore returns since their store isnt set up to handle them.

i person i talked to is the same person who told me about in store returns 2 years ago in the plan stages so i think if this was nationwide i think they would of knew

also i got a question

Say your on the 3 movie plan

You get 3 movies in mail and watch them

you return all 3 movies to blockbuster and you get 3 movies in store

NOW do you have to wait till you return those 3 In store movies before the next 3 ship out to you or do they ship out 3 more movies even though you might have those 3 in store still rented

seeems too good to be true since 3 at a time plan you can get around 12 movies delivered to your house a month. then another 12 instore = 24 movies per month for 18 bucks. thats less then a buck per new release
 
[quote name='slidecage']are you sure this is nationwide cause i know right now its in some cities. Are you sure this isnt just your city cause i just called Blockbuster locally and they said they are years away from doing instore returns since their store isnt set up to handle them.

i person i talked to is the same person who told me about in store returns 2 years ago in the plan stages so i think if this was nationwide i think they would of knew

also i got a question

Say your on the 3 movie plan

You get 3 movies in mail and watch them

you return all 3 movies to blockbuster and you get 3 movies in store

NOW do you have to wait till you return those 3 In store movies before the next 3 ship out to you or do they ship out 3 more movies even though you might have those 3 in store still rented

seeems too good to be true since 3 at a time plan you can get around 12 movies delivered to your house a month. then another 12 instore = 24 movies per month for 18 bucks. thats less then a buck per new release[/quote]

No slidecage, that is not how it works. What is so hard about this for you to understand?
 
Slidecage,

The stores are not allowed to tell you about this plan. Think of it as Fight Club until Nov. 2nd. The OP must work at BB :)

Here's how it works, in pure basic english.

Join BBOnline with 3 at a time.

Take the discs in their envelopes and take them to your local Blockbuster.

They will scan them and BBonline registers them as recieved and mail your new ones out

Now you can go and rent as many movies as you returned, for free.

Late fees and stuff apply to these and you can not return these for more free rentals.
 
For those who don't understand why Blockbuster is doing this..

They're hoping on people forgetting to return them or being behind, that they'll end up with late rental fees.

The average family likely won't be able to watch 24 movies in a month. And with so many videos out at once, it can easily confuse some when they're due back.
 
[quote name='csidegamer']Slidecage described it as I thought it worked.

What is wrong with his explanation?[/QUOTE]


This question of his....

"NOW do you have to wait till you return those 3 In store movies before the next 3 ship out to you or do they ship out 3 more movies even though you might have those 3 in store still rented

seeems too good to be true since 3 at a time plan you can get around 12 movies delivered to your house a month. then another 12 instore = 24 movies per month for 18 bucks. thats less then a buck per new release"


So I made it all as simple sounding as possible. Not meant to offend him.
 
i sort of shocked blockbuster would do this. This mostly kills the INSTORE rental plans they got going.

i wonder if they will slow down shipping times.

dont know if i will try it. I got around 20 free coupons from hollywood video that needs used up every month and the NOV and DEC coupons have to be used in 2006
 
EVERY BB store will do this (except a few of the franchise stores obviously). Feel free to goto www.ihateblockbuster.com and check out the threads. Numberous BB employees and managers are discussing this.

I'm still shocked that some people are having a hard time understanding this.

Return a BBOnline movie to a BB store and receive 1 free INSTORE rental.
Thats about it. Instead of mailing it in you can drop it off at any BB store and as an extra 'bonus' you get to chose a free rental right then and there. It does not effect you're online quene at all (except for the fact you're movie will be checked in and the next movie on you're list will be sent in).

All NORMAL latefees still apply, but since there is virtually no late fees for 10-14 days, you should have no problem returning it unless you are a moron.
 
[quote name='lowenbotten']No slidecage, that is not how it works. What is so hard about this for you to understand?[/QUOTE]

Read some of his posts and you will see why. If someone posts a thread 'Free Tacos at Taco Bell' he will still have a million questions.
 
As it seems many have quickly figured out, this seems like a really great deal by blockbuster. The reason for it seems to be two-fold. The first is to address the problem of long delays between when you send your movie back and when you get your next one in the mailbox (usually 5-7 days). Now you've got something to tide you over in the meantime. The second reason for this new program is to try and win over even more people from Netflix.

For those of you who are already with the online and are thinking about cancelling, definitely give it one more month and see if the new program addresses your qualms. If not, then hey... at least we (Blockbuster) tried. For anyone thinking about signing up, my suggestion to you is to do so before November 2nd. Currently the free trial program is for 1 month. However, anyone who signs up on/after Nov. 2 will only get a 2 week trial. By signing up now, you get the 1 month trial and when Nov. 2 rolls around, you will still have the remainder of your trial period PLUS the benefits of the Total Access program.

Lastly,

[quote name='DAJ1211981']If you go to blockbuster.com/trial and put in xxxxx for your gift/promo code you'll get a month for free.[/quote]

I do not suggest you type in the code provided by DAJ. Instead, for those of you who have a Blockbuster nearby, please give them a visit and ask them for their online flyer. It will have that particular store's code which you can use as your promo code. If you have more than one Blockbuster nearby, get the flyer from the store you like the most (most friendly employees, best title selection, best location, best hours, whatever). This way, not only do you enjoy the benefits online, but you also help out your local Blockbuster as opposed to a random Blockbuster in Timbuktu that you will probably never visit.


PS- Hey gizmo, quick question. What are the laptops going to be used for? Is it for customers to use to sign up for BBOnline or is it going to be used by the staff for something?
 
They've been doing this at select stores. I always return my movies to the BB instead of the Post Office.

I don't get that "rental when you return movies" thing... that's not the "One free rental per week" is it? Cause all members get 4 instore rentals , one per week.

Will the "You get a free rental in store right away as an extra bonus for dropping off you're movie" be in addition to the 4 monthly free instore rentals?
 
went into a store today and they told me all about it. They had to have around 20 boxes on the floor (dont know if these were computers or what)

One stupid thing the person said was though

You could just push them though the return slot (get nothing)
or
Bring them into the store and get up to 3 instore rentals (per 1 movie)

why wouldnt you take the free in store rentals.

ALSO

they said the IN STORE COUPONS are not going away . you will get 1 coupon INstead of 4
 
[quote name='umcthomas']I was about to switch back to netflix, but i may stick around to see how this goes. [/QUOTE]


me sentiments exactly. This potentially could be really great.
 
[quote name='slidecage']went into a store today and they told me all about it. They had to have around 20 boxes on the floor (dont know if these were computers or what)

One stupid thing the person said was though

You could just push them though the return slot (get nothing)
or
Bring them into the store and get up to 3 instore rentals (per 1 movie)

why wouldnt you take the free in store rentals.

ALSO

they said the IN STORE COUPONS are not going away . you will get 1 coupon INstead of 4[/QUOTE]

People are lazy, that's why.

This may sound like a great deal, but it's still Blockbuster. They will find a way to fuck this up people, it's guaranteed. Don't count on ANY of the franchise stores to do this, if your location does, consider yourself lucky. Most franchise owners are all about the bottom dollar, and could give a fuck if the customer is happy.

As someone who worked for that shithole, trust me.
 
[quote name='Warner1281']
PS- Hey gizmo, quick question. What are the laptops going to be used for? Is it for customers to use to sign up for BBOnline or is it going to be used by the staff for something?[/QUOTE]

Laptops will be for joining BBOnline and canceling NetFlix only. Infact, most other websites will be blocked.
 
There's free tacos at Taco Bell? I'm there.

Anyway, it's probably a 'suck Netflix customers away' deal.
I cancelled my BBO about three months back, I just wasn't using it. Their instore selections aren't that great, but I like the returns-as-coupons more than the print-your-own coupons. I'm with Netflix again for a free month, going to blitz through as many HDDVDs as I can, then I might go back to BBO with one of their cheapy plans.
 
[quote name='slidecage']

You could just push them though the return slot (get nothing)
or
Bring them into the store and get up to 3 instore rentals (per 1 movie)

why wouldnt you take the free in store rentals.
[/QUOTE]

This is brilliant. You've just uncovered the real reason why they are doing this.

Blockbuster knows that a certain percentage of their revenue is from people who walk into the store and make impulse buys, whether it be pre-viewed movies, or candy/soda/popcorn, or magazines, or video game accessories (especially if they are with kids). When people get DVDs by mail they don't make impulse buys. This new plan gets people into stores, and increases the potential for those impulse buys. I read an article that for places like Blockbuster there is a huge profit on the candy for instance (just like movie theatres). A box is like $2.50 for the same amount you can get for $0.99 at 7-11.

I think that's a much larger source of revenue than the folks who incur the "late fees" for forgetting the due dates.

Wal-Mart and other big box stores use the same principles. It's why you 2 cents off per gallon of walmart gas if you use a walmart gift card. They want you go re-charge your card in the store in the hopes that you'll buy a soda and snickers while you're there.
 
Also, if you're spending half your time watching movies that you rented (free) in the store, you'll most likely be getting fewer movies online, which will decrease what they have to pay in shipping. A nice bonus for them.
 
[quote name='techstar25']This is brilliant. You've just uncovered the real reason why they are doing this.

Blockbuster knows that a certain percentage of their revenue is from people who walk into the store and make impulse buys, whether it be pre-viewed movies, or candy/soda/popcorn, or magazines, or video game accessories (especially if they are with kids). When people get DVDs by mail they don't make impulse buys. This new plan gets people into stores, and increases the potential for those impulse buys. I read an article that for places like Blockbuster there is a huge profit on the candy for instance (just like movie theatres). A box is like $2.50 for the same amount you can get for $0.99 at 7-11.

I think that's a much larger source of revenue than the folks who incur the "late fees" for forgetting the due dates.

Wal-Mart and other big box stores use the same principles. It's why you 2 cents off per gallon of walmart gas if you use a walmart gift card. They want you go re-charge your card in the store in the hopes that you'll buy a soda and snickers while you're there.[/QUOTE]


Very good point. When I worked there, the biggest profits were on:
-PP Movies
-Candy
-Drinks

In that order. Something on the lines of 75% profit on confections, 88% on PP movies, if my memory serves me correctly.
 
[quote name='NeoFrank1']Also, if you're spending half your time watching movies that you rented (free) in the store, you'll most likely be getting fewer movies online, which will decrease what they have to pay in shipping. A nice bonus for them.[/QUOTE]


not for those who have burners : )

movies ship monday
YOu get the movies weds or thursday
You burn those movies or watch them Return to store on Friday

Get 3 movies from Store on friday (store should scan those movies in and new movies should ship saturday or monday right??)

start all over again


so instead of up to 3 movies we have on the weekend we now will have 6

im going to open up an account monday
 
I'll probably open up an account for 2 at a time too. I use netflix for anime since blockbuster sucks as far as anime goes. I'd love a good source of new movies too.
 
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