Lost Blockbuster Video

[hilbert25]

So I think that I lost a dvd from blockbuster.
The way I see it, I have two options: tell them I lost it and pay what they ask for it, or buy a new copy and return that. Does anybody know if there's a third option where I could get off scott free? Does anybody have any ideas as to which would be a better option?

The freaking dvd was Signs, and should not be worth that much freaking money.

[bermuDa]

All I remember is back in the day video stores would charge something like 80 bucks if you lost a video cassette... which i thought was fuckin ridiculous!

As for DVDs, i think you could just buy a replacement and return that (easy enough if you have the box, and if you don't have the box you can just say you lost the box and they'll replace that for free). Telling them would probably cost you more money, but I don't know for sure.

[*Nikki*]

Yeah but dont they have that special "Blockbuster" sticker on it?? They will know it is not theirs!

[Bill O'Rights]

They own you now, hilbert25. They own you for the rest...of...your...life. As I see it, you have two choices here. You can either have your Blockbuster chip removed, change your identity, move to Geneva and try to elude the Blockbuster agents for the rest of your life...or, you can try to remember where you left the disk lying around. It's your choice, hilbert25. What will it be? Your life...or the disk?

[Yakk]

hilbert25, you lost something that doesn't belong to you. And you are asking how you can get off scot-free? *sigh*

Pay for it or replace it, asap. Might want to check if replacing it would work, you might just have to pay them for it (and paying for it might be cheaper).

[k1ng]

I haven't been in Blockbuster in like two months (netflix is the way to go!), but I remember reading that their new promo was "no more late fees." As I understand it, you have a week to return all movies (even if its a 2 day rental) and after a week, they will just sell it to you at their current retail price, or used price (if available).

I would call them up, tell them the situation. If they try to make you pay something outrageous, then go buy it and replace the DVD and just tell them you found it. But I think you'll find that it's easier to just tell them the situation and work it out with them. Good luck!

[FaderMonkey]

Originally posted by k1ng
I would call them up, tell them the situation. If they try to make you pay something outrageous, then go buy it and replace the DVD and just tell them you found it. But I think you'll find that it's easier to just tell them the situation and work it out with them. Good luck!

I agree...that's sounds like the best idea.

[joshibahn]

FYI, go bleeding heart on the person working (teenagers are the best)...

I was at my local ballbuster and some guy came in with the same scenario, he didn't have to pay, just said it got stolen out of his car with $5k of other stuff..... they let him off....

but of course, what would jesus do???

[phredgreen]

Originally posted by bermuDa
All I remember is back in the day video stores would charge something like 80 bucks if you lost a video cassette... which i thought was fuckin ridiculous!

the reason was that back in the day, videostores would get videos that were specially made for renting, normally released to videostores weeks or even months before they hit the stores, and the quality of the magnetic tapes themselves were much higher, as they were designed to be played over and over and over, in comparison to consumer tapes which get played a few times over, but not nearly as much.


the reason i know this is because way way back in the day, i rented a copy of ernest goes to jail (or one of those ernest movies, i don't remember which one) from a neighborhood videostore, and returned it the next day into the returns pile, an old grocery basket on the counter. apparently, someone grabbed it (why this movie, i'll never know) and i got charged damn near 75 bucks for it. a shitty situation, but because i was a minor, they couldn't stick me with the charges.


in your case, dvds are much easier to replace and most times they are released to videostores at the same time that consumer copies are sent out. call the store, let them know what the deal is, and speak with a manager, not just some desk clerk monkey. if they're a decent human being, they'll work with you to fix the problem. don't try to cheat or lie your way out, that's just the shitty thing to do.

[World's King]

Just go talk to them.

You lost it... you deal with it like an adult.

I don't think it would cost that much to pay them for the lost DVD. It's always worth while being honest.

[hilbert25]

Actually what happened was that a coworker took it out of my laptop at work when he used my laptop to burn some cd's we needed.

The dvd didn't have their special protection stuff on it, it looked like they simply rented me one of their used dvd trade-ins. That's the only reason why I thought I could replace it.

I was wondering about the scott free thing just if the managers had the power to let it slide being as I rent multiple dvd's a week from them and have never even returned one late. That's all.

Luckily I got my coworker to cough it up.

And I looked up how much they'd charge you for a lost dvd: 15 late days or $60+. How would replacing their scratched copy with a new one been dishonest, by the way? I save $45, they get the dvd and don't have to order a new one.

[guthmund]

You could just take a crap, mold it into the shape of a DVD and give them back their copy. You did say "Signs" right?

No, seriously. If they're going to charge you $60+ to replace the damn thing just buy a new copy and slap it in there. It is dishonest, but to be fair you're replacing their crappy copy with brand new swag. You're not screwing them out of a product; you're just refusing to be bent over by the man. It's not like the movie jockey behind the counter is going to notice it isn't the original. If they do, so what? God forbid you lose you "right to rent" at Blockbuster.

[Redjake]

they aren't going to charge anymore than what it costs new. just tell them you lost it and pay for it. that's what I'd do. also, do you have the casing? or did you lose only the disc? a lot of the ideas above won't work if you don't have the casing.....

just go to the store and ask them how much you owe

[MSD]

Video rental stores pay almot 80 dolalrs per disc or video because the MPAA are concerned about piracy and want to make back their money that they lose, since we know that every last person who rents from Blockbuster is a dirty, rotten thief wh opirates movies and sells them on a corner in New York.

[Kaos]

Originally posted by phredgreen
the reason was that back in the day, videostores would get videos that were specially made for renting, normally released to videostores weeks or even months before they hit the stores, and the quality of the magnetic tapes themselves were much higher, as they were designed to be played over and over and over, in comparison to consumer tapes which get played a few times over, but not nearly as much.

Exactly. Just about the time Videos were being mass produced to be sold to consumers at a decent price, a friend of mine wanted to order Lethal Weapon. The rental store told him it would cost him $90 for it even though other tapes that had started to be sold were around $20. Lethal Weapon at the time hadn't been put into mass production and he would of had to pay the same amount the video rental place paid.

If you can't find it, just tell Blockbuster the truth and you will have to shell out 20-30 bucks., even though its "Signs"

Or possibly since it's an older movie, they may only charge you a previously viewed rental price.

[hilbert25]

The key was that I did in fact find it, as I said above a coworker swiped it out of the drive when he used my computer without telling me. I got it back, returned it in time, everything's happy now.

And last I heard if you signed up with a credit card and lose a movie, it's 15 late days automatically charged to said credit card (the max they charge you for ) which is like $60. If it was simply the cost of replacing it, that I could handle. That's why I was worried.

[phaedrus]

Originally posted by joshibahn
but of course, what would jesus do???

Jesus wouldn't rent movies from blockbuster.

[Reese]

Just tell them you lost it, They want to keep you as a customer so I doubt they'll charge you more than retail cost.

We own a Video store and until DVDs became mainstream, every VHS we bought was $80-100.We don't even buy VHS movies that cost over $30 anymore because they will never make their money back, and if a dvd gets stolen or broken it's easy to replace. What's worse than actually losing a tape is losing a customer that skipped town because he broke a tape he didn't want to pay for.

[punx1325]

I heard you can close your account with still having rentals active. I had a friend who worked there telling me about the glitch. So give them a call and give it a shot. Anything is worth a try.

[bermuDa]

interesting phred, that actually makes sense (except for the ernest movie part )

well hilbert, whatever you choose to do, let us know how it goes

[lady]

i didnt read the above ones but if nobody suggested it goto pawn shops and try and find it. it wont cost as much as buying it new and then you return it and tell them that you lost the box and you will get away with it

[Jennteel]

Ask them to sell it to you at a "previously viewed" price. Simple as that.

[agball]

Be Stright with them. They will know that it is a different one based on teh sticker. If it is not that late you can probably get off with just paying the replacement value. If it is really late they might slap you with the rental fees that were lost because it was late.

[neddy65]

vhs tapes are released in 2 ways, rental and sell through.
dvd copies are all released as sell through. it is unfair that a video store must pay $90 per cassette and $12-$15 per dvd for the same movie but the industry sets the prices.
regardless of the policy simply replacing a lost copy should be sufficient if the situation should arise again. As a manager I would be more than happy with this solution, the disc itself is the thing that earns income and I could care less if it was my original copy or a replacement. The store I managed was a locally owned and operated franchise and we were able to make *big* dicisions like this without corporate influence.

[hilbert25]

Thanks Neddy, that's really what I wanted to know. I was afraid that the manager's hands would be tied and since they already had my credit card on file, they'd charge me some crazy sum.

So luckily I was able to return it not too late since it turns out it was "borrowed" from me by someone without telling or asking me and I was able to get it back.

[Chingal0]

Ah ha! There is another way! I was reading one day at my local Barnes and Noble, and happened to stumble across a curious periodical titled '2600 - The Hackers Quarterly' and inside they had a blurb about Blockbuster and how to get free videos / games from them. It is a bit late already, as you said that you had found the movie already, and in your case, this technique would have not helped, as you would have had to pay rediculous late fees. I'm Googling now to try to find the exact wording, but I can not, but it has something to do with the number code that each movie and game has on it. Store number, movie title number etc, its all there and all you have to do is have a little phone chat (the number is on the dvd/game/vhs) and tell them that someone dropped off the movie at (insert blockbuster location here) and it was supposed to goto your store. Now, I'm sure that this will not work 100% of the time, but I know a couple people that have tried it and gotten away, it is just one of those things that needs to be done in moderation or they WILL figure out and destroy you.

[moonstrucksoul]

Originally posted by joshibahn


but of course, what would jesus do???

he wouldn't have rented "signs" he would have known it sucked to begin.