Blockbuster Can Kiss My Responsible Ass
Monday, April 17, 2006
I've never been a big fan of the behemoth chain that is Blockbuster video, but when they recently changed their late fee policy, I swore off them forever. First of all, Blockbuster rentals were always too expensive for their own good. It's bad enough that the good movies are always taken, but when I'd have to settle for my third or fourth rental choice and then have to shell out about $4 for the privelege of renting Caddyshack 2, I couldn't help but curse the fat cats at Blockbuster corporate. But when they changed over to the super-confusing and contradictory "no late fee" policy and raised their prices even more, I promised my inner movie lover I'd never deal with Blockbuster again. I've never had a problem returning videos on time-- why should I have to pay more for a rental just because a few people can't get it together and return their rentals in a timely fashion?
My new love is Hollywood video, as they've custom-made a rental structure for those of us who have never worried about late fees. You choose how long you want their videos and pay accordingly. This way, I can rent a just-released film for just $1.99 and have 2 days to watch it. At Blockbuster, a new film rental will cost you almost as much as two admission tickets at the Crest (and does not come with the big-screen theater experience OR the sweet smell of popcorn).