- Report: #132261
Complaint Review: Blockbuster Video - Hazel Crest Illinois
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Blockbuster Video
3450 W 183rd St Hazel Crest, 60429 Illinois, U.S.A.
Phone:
708-7984941
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Blockbuster Video ripoff - deceptive advertising charged my bank account and caused insufficient fund charges refused to return my calls Hazel Crest Illinois
I saw the new blockbuster ads showing no more late fees. It never occured to me that I would be charged for the movies if I kept them late. I was not informed that I would be charged for the movies and a restocking fee if I kept the movies past a certain time. I normally keep movies past the time and just pay the late fees. I received a card in the mail Jan 18th dated Jan 17th telling me I would be charged for the movies if I kept them 7 days past the due date. The due date was Jan 8th. I was already charged before the notice was sent out. Because I did not expect someone to automatically charge me it caused my bank account to be overdrawn. It also almost caused my auto debit of my monthly mortgage payment to bounce. I added extra funds to cover it just in time.
When I spoke to the clerks in the store they told me they knew charging people without posting that information was going to cause problems they were going to have to deal with. I was given a refund on the charges and charged a restocking fees on the movies. I called the district manager reginald weekly at 18009402232 mailbox1539 and he never returned my call. I was looking to resolve this peacefully but it seems I will need a legal remedy.
Tony
country club, Illinois
U.S.A.
When I spoke to the clerks in the store they told me they knew charging people without posting that information was going to cause problems they were going to have to deal with. I was given a refund on the charges and charged a restocking fees on the movies. I called the district manager reginald weekly at 18009402232 mailbox1539 and he never returned my call. I was looking to resolve this peacefully but it seems I will need a legal remedy.
Tony
country club, Illinois
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
B
Seattle,Washington,
U.S.A.
This is their new policy...
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, February 25, 2005
...but Blockbuster is doing a poor job making the "fine print" known to their customers. They've only made a big advertising fuss about the fact that they are no longer charging late fees, but it's not that simple. If it was, Blockbuster would be out of business in a few months. The "good news" is that the NJ Attorney General (and probably others) has already filed a lawsuit against Blockbuster for false/misleading advertising of their new "no late fees policy." If I understood your issue correctly, you got a refund of the charge for the cost of the movie? If so, then you were fortunate, because the actual new policy of Blockbuster's is to issue only a store credit, not a refund. This is primarily why the NJ Attorney General filed its lawsuit (that and Blockbuster's apparent lack of making all its customers fully informed of the consequences of keeping movies beyond the "grace period"). There is a big difference between a refund and a store credit, and Blockbuster would make a lot more money with less fuss under its new policy, as opposed to haggling with customers over late fees. Once you have kept a movie beyond its due date, you are first supposed to receive a phone call, then a post card. The post card (I've received one) explains what will happen if you don't return the movie within 30 days, but it doesn't (at least mine didn't) state how much you will be charged for the movie. One of the other disputes with Blockbuster is about how much they charge for the movie -- it's supposed to be equal to that of a "previously viewed" movie, NOT a brand new one. Legally, I don't know if there is anything more you can do; perhaps check with your state Attorney General to find out if they have plans to file a similar lawsuit. Otherwise, make sure you have movies returned to Blockbuster within their "grace period" (ask the store clerk; they have to tell you), or else expect to be charged for the cost of the movie again. But next time, you might only get a store credit... Personally, I would find some other place to rent from, if that's possible. I did.
