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Blockbuster Video Late Fee Complaints
Discussion Board
- The Complaint. With the rest of America, I read the headlines in December of 2004: "Blockbuster Inc. announced Tuesday it is abolishing late fees on all its video tapes, DVDs and video games as of Jan. 1." Link. Out front at all Blockbuster stores big banners were hung reading, "No More Late Fee". I rejoiced. Hallelujah. Thank the maker. Everything was cool and I stopped worrying about rushing my videos back to Blockbuster to avoid late fees. Although I signed up for Netflicks late in 2006, I still occasionally rented videos at Blockbuster when the urge hit myself or my wife to watch a flick other than the current titles we had in the house from Netflicks. Then a funny thing occurred last month (April 2007): after a movie from Blockbuster had been in our house for a week, we received a recorded message on our answering service that Blockbuster had charged my credit card for the full purchase price of the video at my house. According to the message, as the movie was late, Blockbuster was converting the rental to a purchase. Say what? Since when did the "no late fee" policy change? Now, if I am late with a movie, I get charged for purchase of the movie? What a bunch of garbage. The message stated that, when I return the movie, the purchase price will be refunded. I have yet to receive a credit card bill showing a credit from Blockbuster so we shall see how it goes down.
Joseph Raymond
St. Louis, MO
5-6-2007
- The new policy. "Blockbuster stores in several states are quietly resuming late fees for customers who keep movies too long, rejecting the video-rental chain's national advertising of 'No Late Fees!' because they can no longer keep popular movies on their shelves. * * * Blockbuster last winter said it would drop late fees, but its fine print said the company would charge consumers the cost of the video if they kept the movies too long. If the movie was subsequently returned, the charge would be refunded but there would be a $1.25 restocking fee. In March, the Dallas-based company settled complaints heard in 47 states and authorized refunds for offended customers." USAToday Article, 12-15-2005. Way to spread the word Blockbuster, today is the first I have heard of a new company-wide policy on late fees.
- Other complaints on the net. Others have made the same complaint on the web: "Bill of Huntsville AL (12/10/05)--I went to Blockbuster tonight to rent a movie and was told that I owed a 2 day late fee for a recent rental. I explained that I thought that Blockbuster had no late fees. The employee explained that the company had rescinded the "no late fee" policy. I explained that I was not notified of this when I rented my last movie and that changing the rules without properly notifying your customer was not ethical. The employee offered to half the late fee with me, but I declined. I turned in my Blockbuster card, canceled my account and left the store. I can do business elsewhere." Link.
User Comments
The below comments were authored by users of this web site who are responsible for its content. MedLawPlus.com, Inc. has not verified the accuracy of the comments - complaints appearing on this page. Click here to add your comment to this thread.
From: D
State:California
Posted: 10/27/2009
Subject: The giant is falling
Comment: There is obviously an internal issue going on with Blockbuster. My experience has increasingly gotten worse with each passing day. Lately I get either wrong DVD's, cracked DVD's and now they decide what they want to ship ... Read More
From: Michelle
State:Pa
Posted: 08/07/2009
Subject: Dan's Comment
Comment: As I said I have no problem with their policy of charging the fee to your credit card if you are late. I am totally fine with that. I read that on my receipt and yes I fully understood what that meant. My problem is they ... Read More
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From: Michelle
State:Pennsylvania
Posted: 08/07/2009
Subject: Blockbuster no communication
Comment: My complaint with blockbuster is not the fees they charge for lateness, but the fact that they didn't bother to notify me that I owed anything. I would have even been fine with them charging my credit card they had on fi ... Read More
From: Jennifer
State:California
Posted: 07/09/2009
Subject: Blockbuster Late Fees
Comment: I have also had this problem. Initially, I actually reported it as fraud because the blockbuster store I normally rent from said that I had no charges on my account from them. Since then the all but one of the funds ha ... Read More
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From: karin
State:ky
Posted: 06/25/2009
Subject: late fees taken out of my account without notification
Comment: i viewed my checking account online this morning to find blockbuster took, without notifying me, 23.31 out of my account for a movie that is 3 days late. The manager of my bank said they have recieved numerous complaint ... Read More
From: Donna
State:Washington
Posted: 06/20/2009
Subject: Blockbuster
Comment: Same here, I got a message a movie was late, returned it the same night(tuesday)friday they charged my account for the movie. So I own the movie, but they have it. But how do you prove it?
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From: Eric James
State:Florida
Posted: 05/14/2009
Subject: Blockbuster billing
Comment: Clearly they will be out of business soon. Blockbuster is now just a huge rip off. We returned a game last week in the drop box. Then we rented a movie last night and while checking out, the cashier reached under the cou ... Read More
From: no
State:oceanside
Posted: 05/05/2009
Subject: read receipt lol
Comment: Im sorry but yess i am a customer and this policy has been stated on every single receipt that is printed in every few states i have been to lol. what is wrongwith reading receipts? this exactly!!
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From: Kathryn
State:Florida
Posted: 04/21/2009
Subject: Late fees are BAAACCCKKK
Comment: I have just opened a letter from National Action Financial Services(a blockbuster corporate collection agency). Letting me know that I owe blockbuster 22 dollars for late fees I accrued from the first and now come to see ... Read More
From: Joe
State:Missouri
Posted: 04/10/2009
Subject: Road to extinction
Comment: Blockbuster must be on a mission to go out of existence as a company. That is the only explanation for preying upon long-term repeat customers with what appear to me to be deceptive business practices. That's fine with ... Read More
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From: Noreen
State:CA
Posted: 04/10/2009
Subject: Late Fees
Comment: It appears this issue has happened to several consumers. I was unaware of the so-called policy on my receipt. Yes, I admittted the movies were late, however, they charged me $85 without my knowledge. When I inquired a ... Read More
From: John
State:California
Posted: 04/02/2009
Subject: Bogus late billing
Comment: Kept a game rental for two weeks and was charged $60 (after the game was returned). Store told me they were unwilling to remove the charge and that I should just come down and pickup the game as I owned it now. When I ... Read More
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From: dan
State:ill
Posted: 03/30/2009
Subject:
Comment: when you sign up for your membership account at blockbuster if you bothered to read the terms and conditions of your membership you would notice you do authorize the company to charge you the price of the product if not ... Read More
From: Diane
State:Florida
Posted: 03/30/2009
Subject:
Comment: It is illegal for anyone to charge anything to your bank account unless you have signed a permission letter or form giving them permission to do so. Wel I got news for you blockbuster thinks they can do whatever they wa ... Read More
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From: laura
State:california
Posted: 03/28/2009
Subject: law suit
Comment: I will also be happy to join in on a law suit. I know MANY, MANY people who would as well, we just need to know how to go about it. I know of a previous law suit that passed for the same reason, clearly the company did ... Read More
From: Daniel
State:Arkansas
Posted: 03/26/2009
Subject: Blockbuster Late Fees
Comment: I was furious when i saw Blockbuster had taken money out my bank account for late fees that i didn't authorize. After seeing this website, I noticed that i was in the same boat. They are a Rip off, $17.00 dollars for 2 m ... Read More
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From: Jeremy
State:Texas
Posted: 03/19/2009
Subject: Blockbuster late fees
Comment: I was charged $16 for late fees. I returned the movies 5 days late. I was under the impression that if you returned the rentals within 7 days after the due date no action would be taken. So when I seen the charge on my b ... Read More
From: Candace
State:California
Posted: 03/19/2009
Subject: Blockbuster will not honor their rental terms and conditions
Comment: Blockbuster charged me $67.39 for keeping the rental too long. I returned the videos within 30 days. The terms and conditions stated if I returned the merchandise within 30 day, I will see a credit back on my credit card ... Read More
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From: John
State:Oregon
Posted: 02/23/2009
Subject:
Comment: Block buster charged me nearly 66 dollars for two movies!! I rented 2 movies exactly on Christmas 10/25/08. and i returned them the next day immediately because they were a 2 day rental. I even remember how horrible the ... Read More
From: tito
State:Georgia
Posted: 02/13/2009
Subject: Quit Complaining
Comment: If you would bring your movies or games back within 7 days of the original due date, there would be no problem what so ever, and no charge. The way it is right now, you can take your credit card off of your account, kee ... Read More
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From: ADELE
State:NEW YORK
Posted: 02/11/2009
Subject: LATE FEE
Comment: I GOT A CALL ON MY ANSWERING MACHINE YESTERDAY, FROM OUR LOCAL BLOCKBUSTER SAYING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE CHARGING US A SALE ON THE 2 MOVIES WE RENTED THE PREVIOUS WEEK BECAUSE WE DID NOT RETURN THEM.
WE HAD WATCH ... Read More
From: Debra Wilson
State:Texas
Posted: 02/06/2009
Subject: Blockbuster Video
Comment: Like many others I have read on this page, I rented three movies from Blockbuster recently. I was late returning the movies & they charged me the "daily rate." The charge on my credit card was $45.27 for one week late. < ... Read More
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From: debbie
State:hawthorne nj
Posted: 02/03/2009
Subject: paided for a movie because it was too late
Comment: i rented a movie and i moved so when i was unpacken and found the movies so i called blockbuster and they told me i have to buy it because it was 30 days late so i said can i returne it and he said no because i was l ... Read More
From: kiki
State:mo
Posted: 11/04/2008
Subject: blockbuster late fees/price increases
Comment: As an ex-employee of BB, I can tell you that the company is "bringing" back late fees in many markets, quietly, eg: not informing customers except for a sign placed somewhere on the front counter ( among so much clutter, ... Read More
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From: Ashley
State:Virginia
Posted: 11/03/2008
Subject:
Comment: I have been renting from Blockbuster for some years and have never had a problem. I have paid late fees when I had them prior to Blockbuster changing the policy on "No Late Fees". I have now dealt with two issues within ... Read More
From: Leslie
State:Florida
Posted: 10/31/2008
Subject: Restocking Fee
Comment: I was looking at my account online and noticed a charge of $19.07 from Blockbuster, i hadn't gone to blockbuster in almost 2 wks. So i called and they said that they were charging me that amount for keeping the movie too ... Read More
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From: Erica
State:Indiana
Posted: 10/24/2008
Subject: New Grace Period Rules as of Aug 2008
Comment: Customer BEWARE!!! A sampling of Blockbuster stores has recently changed the late policy. Since 2005, the policy has stated that if a movie is returned within 30 days after due date that the customer movie sale charge wi ... Read More
From: Jen
State:North Carolina
Posted: 10/17/2008
Subject: New Blockbuster late-fee changes
Comment: I just discovered a $7.92 Blockbuster charge on my credit card. When I called the store to ask what it was for, they told me it was late fees. Now, I know Blockbuster had eliminated late fees awhile back -- they would st ... Read More
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From: Pedro
State:NY
Posted: 10/14/2008
Subject: Horrible customer service
Comment: I was a Blockbuster customer for many years and as with other companies that had no competition, I put up with their incredibly long lines excessive rental fees and late fees. But when Netflix came into the picture I sa ... Read More
From: Janine
State:California
Posted: 09/22/2008
Subject: Late fees/Charges
Comment: I have had the same experience with Hollywood Video some years ago. I returned a movie via the drop off slot, and then was told it was never returned. Of course, there was no way to prove I had returned it, but I refuse ... Read More
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From: Darlene Dixon
State:Georgia
Posted: 09/17/2008
Subject: Blockbuster Video unauthorized debits
Comment: I also had a movie I chose to turn in late so I could still watch it, have done this before and settled late fees with them when I return it. This time however, I noticed they have charged my checking account with a debi ... Read More
From: Frank
State:Arkansas
Posted: 09/02/2008
Subject: Reply to Jane
Comment: I never disputed that I had a late fee. I am only saying that I never authorized them to remove it from my bank account. I understand turning to collection agencies and the fact that if I never returned the video that ... Read More
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From: Bryan
State:FL
Posted: 09/01/2008
Subject: The Block Buster Deception
Comment: I have been a Block Buster customer for 15 years now. For the most part I have been some what satisfied with the selection and service. I do feel however that the Block Buster billing practices though legal, are decievin ... Read More
From: Joe
State:Missouri
Posted: 08/23/2008
Subject: reply to Jane
Comment: Jane, Jane, from whence has thou ignorance sprang? Surely your name is not Jane. More likely Ted or Bob. And very likely you are a PR drone hired to flame honest individuals reporting their complaints about your corpo ... Read More
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From: Jane
State:PA
Posted: 08/23/2008
Subject: Hard to believe
Comment: I have never ever had such issues with blockbuster. I even returned a movie a day late and nothing came of it. Blockbuster rocks...I use them at least 3x a week. Sounds like many here are either twisting the truth by n ... Read More
From: Frank
State:Arkansas
Posted: 08/12/2008
Subject: In Store Late Fees Auto Withdrawn
Comment: I have a new issue I guess. I had a late fee that I was told I could pay next time I rent. I guess Blockbuster wants me renting every week because they didn't wait and without sending a collection notice or any kind of ... Read More
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From: Angela
State:Oregon
Posted: 08/10/2008
Subject: Blockbuster Late Fees...
Comment: OMG I HATE Blockbuster. Several years ago I rented a movie from them and yes, it was a day or so late, I turned it in and the next week I recieved a collections notice from my movie that was one or two days late. (App ... Read More
From: katy
State:sydney
Posted: 06/04/2008
Subject: aussie blockbuster
Comment: we've got a good system in australia, you get charged a $1 late fee per dvd, per day late and NEVER to your credit card, also if you pay the fees when you bring the movie/s back they halve the late fees, always very frie ... Read More
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From: Joel
State:Massachusetts
Posted: 05/02/2008
Subject: Blockbuster lies about late fees
Comment: I recently returned two DVDs on time to my local Blockbuster in Walpole Massachusetts. A week later, I was told that I had late fees pending because the DVDs were returned 5 hours late. This was a blatant lie. Blockb ... Read More
From: Ned
State:MA
Posted: 04/12/2008
Subject: Blockbuster
Comment: Just informed BBI I am through doing business there. My son was a day late getting two movies back. I went in to rent 4 movies. I am told I need to pony up $36.00 to buy the late movies before I could rent my 4 movies. H ... Read More
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From: Christopher
State:MI
Posted: 04/02/2008
Subject: blockbuster contract
Comment: What Blockbuster fails to mention in their receipt contract. Is that they will give you a store credit, not a cash refund. The receipt simply says credit. They loosely used the term credit, but require that the store sta ... Read More
From: Jack
State:VA
Posted: 03/27/2008
Subject: Blockbuster bill of sale contractual agreement
Comment: Now I know late fees are bad, and no one likes them, and for a time Blockbuster did advertise this policy, however they don't anymore. As per the back of the receipt, which serves as a legally binding contract upon whic ... Read More
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From: MArgo
State:Alabama
Posted: 01/31/2008
Subject: Blockbuster
Comment: My husband and I was was paying for a nice meal at a restaurant when our card was rejected. Why? Because Blockbuster had a charge "pending" apparently my 7 day grace period was over and they charged me $43 for two video ... Read More
From: Joe
State:Missouri
Posted: 01/19/2008
Subject: credit card issue
Comment: Tim, If I were you, I would cancel that credit card. Who knows what others places the card is on file with where your wife has access? It would be a smart precaution.
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From: Tim
State:Hawaii
Posted: 01/19/2008
Subject: Blockbuster charges my credit card for other's late fees
Comment: I naively used my credit to pay for rentals on my soon to be ex-wife's Blockbuster account. Now the wife and I are separated and Blockbuster late charges are regularly appearing on my credit card. I told the Kihei Ma ... Read More
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