Blockbuster vs Netflix for DVD/BD rentals - Page 2

Originally Posted by jamieva

The one you pick in store is yours to keep for unlimited time just as if you got it in the mail. When you are done with the one you picked up in store, you take it back to the store, and when they scan it in as returned, that triggers them to mail you another one.

Originally Posted by Slordak

Thanks for the details. I gather this is how they prevent weird inventory problems with stores, in that any disk you get from a physical store has to go back to that store.

Anyhow, it sounds like you're required to make at least 2 trips to the store then? One to make the initial exchange, and then the movie you get from the store has to be returned back to that store? Do you have the option of repeating this process, i.e. exchanging the "received from store" movie for another movie from the store instead of having the return trigger the next movie mailing? Or is it limited to 1 in-store exchange per pending mail return?

In either case, this isn't quite as nice as I was originally speculating. After watching a by-mail movie, it can be dropped in the mail anywhere (even in the outgoing mail at work), whereas the local Blockbuster isn't necessarily on one's way to work. Yet, you're required to revisit it to resume your normal mail movie processing, since that movie must go back to that store. I suppose that's the price one pays for being able to get a new movie outside of the normal sequence, so it's certainly better than nothing.

Originally Posted by joeschmoe007

Apparently there are 2 distribution centers around here: Queens and Edison, NJ. I opened trial membership and will report how it goes.

Originally Posted by Slordak

Can anyone explain the in-store exchange option? I assume you take the movie you received in the mail to the store, select a new movie, and then exchange the two at the desk (for free)? And then when you're done watching the new movie, you mail it back to Blockbuster in the original envelope rather than taking it back to the store? One would think that might cause some weird inventory shifting for stores.

As far as doing the exchange, do you have to have a Blockbuster card? Do you have to present a credit card, membership card, or show ID? I ask because the "Total Access" service might be in the name of one person (say, my name), but the person doing the exchange might be someone else (say, my wife). Ideally she would be able to perform the exchange without me having to be present.

Originally Posted by tsantanni

I am in the Mpls/St Paul area. I assume there is a distribution center here so I'll get discs next day. How do I confirm this, is there is a list? Thanks

Originally Posted by Cygnus2112

Looks like Dish will be closing more blockbuster locationgs this year.

Originally Posted by Kalani

I think our discs are received at the Santa Ana shipping location (if you mail it), but I think they're sent out to us from the Texas distribution center, this is one reason why it's so slow.

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I can't them setting up distribution centers to receive discs only. They would have to forward all of the discs to Texas before they could be sent back out. I see the Dallas, TX address on the envelope but that must their corporate address or something.

Originally Posted by Dunbar

I see the Dallas, TX address on the envelope but that must their corporate address or something.

Originally Posted by JoeSchmoe007 

The problem I now have with BB mail order is that a lot of items I want are just not available. Out of 60 discs date is "Unknown" for 8 items, for the rest of them only about a half is available, the other half is Medium/High/Very High demand

Originally Posted by fritzi93 

Well, another thread resurrection. Not that it would hurt to re-visit the subject. I've been thinking of canceling my by-mail account for some time now, but haven't gotten around to it.
Yeah. Currently I have about 20 in my queue, all marked high or very high demand. Haven't had one ship for almost two weeks now. And I'm not talking about rare titles either: Tombstone, Gladiator, Leon the Professional, Seabiscuit, etc. I'd add more titles to my queue, but nothing much interests me in their current listings.

But wait, there's more. I had "The World's Fastest Indian" at the top of my queue for *TWO* years and never got it. It was always "very long wait" (before they changed their terminology). I'll say. A local BB store manager suggested I delete it and re-add it, but that made no difference. I even emailed them asking what gives, do you have it or not? I got the most imbecilic, irrelevant, boilerplate reply ever, which is saying something. Didn't do me the courtesy of answering my direct question. So I finally broke down and just bought the BD from Amazon. That's just the most egregious example I can think of. I've given up waiting on quite a few titles and bought them.

When I first signed up, it was an okay deal. Now all their stores near me (there were several) are gone, and turnaround has gotten worse. I get the impression they're just running the business down and buying fewer discs, in expectation of closing it down eventually. Even new releases can be hard to get, in which case I delete it from my queue and get it from Redbox instead.

Too bad. I'm just not interested in streaming, and the couple cable movie channels I have compress the crap out of movies. On Demand is the same. It looks like my only recourse is to buy Blu-Rays, then resell the majority I don't want to keep.