blockbuster.com dvd rental, am i nuts or...
 

I have had blockbusters online dvd rental service for about 2 months now, liking it very much vs my netflix which was AWESOME at first then became slow and long wait status after a few months.

Anyways blockbuster.com's site isn't as nice as netflix, but in general most of the time the movies I wanna see I already know about and can zap into the search box and find easily.

But my question is, or maybe i am just wrong, but didn't blockbuster.com have a COMING SOON link under new releases on the left side menus? I could swear I remember going thru upcoming coming soon type releases and putting a few in my que a while back ago before they became released... Maybe not but now I can't even find the coming soon link on their site (if it even existed)...

Can anyone else verify for me did they used to have that coming soon link, and if they still do where is it.

Bill :)

Yep. I noticed the Coming Soon link went missing a few days ago. I also have noted in an earlier post that, at least for me, the New Releases link doesn't bring up anywhere near all of the newest releases. Only thing I can figure is that they're trying to reduce the number of newest releases (including DVDs yet to be released) in members' queues. Either that or their web designers are incompetent.

Got a reply today from them,


--------------

Thank you for contacting Blockbuster Online Customer Service.

We appreciate you taking the time to submit your feedback regarding movies that are "Coming Soon". Unfortunately, due to technical issues, we currently do not have a section to search for a list of these titles. You can always search for a specific title by typing the name of the movie into the "Search Movies" box at the top of the page. If we carry the movie, it will display in your search results. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Always here to help,

Your Friends at BLOCKBUSTER Online

<i>Technical</i> issues? Like, brains not functioning?

Is it offered in canada?

Bill,
You are absolutely correct, there was a coming soon link up until about a month ago when it disappeared. I emailed Blockbuster with my displeasure but never received a reply. This company is going down the tubes fast.

I found a link that you can get upcoming new releases by Blockbuster.

Here it is: http://www.blockbuster.ca/movies/coming_soon.aspx

Hope this relieves the frustration.

rotfl

It really is these sorts of technical issues (and general lack of ease of use of the website) that has kept me as a Netflix customer despite all the delays and the higher price.

my favourite netflix tool courtesy of blockbuster is alas no more
 

I really enjoy the netflix service but have found browsing for new movies on their site not so great. I resolved this issue by visiting blockbuster and using the new releases and, most especially, the Coming Soon links to get a list of titles and would then return to netflix and add titles to my queue.

How sad am I now to discover that the Coming Soon link is no more. I will check out the blockbuster.ca site to hopefully assuage my frustration.

I did send blockbuster a long-winded inquiry as to the whereabouts and future of the Coming Soon link but felt slightly disingenuous doing so (considering my non-customer status). -ptth-

I found the Coming Soon list woefully underpopulated even when it was there. AVP, despite being on the site, didn't show up in the coming soon list until the week before. I have my own list of DVD release dates and typically try to search for movies that are coming out within the next 2 months and many have been there.
Movies such as White Noise and the Assault on Precinct 13 remake come out mid May and have been in the system for a few weeks already. Although some have not shown up until a couple weeks before release such as Blade Trinity.
They should bring the Coming Soon pages back but make it more comprehensive. It's to their benefit to guage interest far enough in advance to properly stock for customer demand.

P.S. - After several months of bothering them, they have finally enabled Daredevil: Directors Cut to be added to my queue. It's listed as coming soon so who knows when they'll actually get it in.

if you do a search on the movie you want you can add it to your list I've been doing that.

i started the free month on the 16th.
got the first 2 today.
should have been 3 was almost ony 1.
one of the 'lopes was open. the third was only the label.

I can clearly see your nuts.
:lol:

Apart from inventory [which is, admittedly, getting better], that is my second biggest complaint--their cheap, shoddy envelopes. I've had 2 disks get separated from the 'to' part, and get sent back to BBO automatically [which is better than getting lost], and it was a pain to get it added back into my queue. And I've had probably 4 or 5 where the envelope was torn. And this in just about 3 months of membership. Shipping speed's not bad, I put something in my mailbox yesterday, they got it today and should send it today, so I get it tomorrow or Thursday; it's just a concern as to whether it will arrive in one piece.

i've decided to use my free month to do an experiment.

i'm going to rent the entire run of babylon 5 from both netflix and bb.com

i want to see what one i finish watching it with first.

So from what you're saying, is it impossible to add something to your queue that you've already "rented"?

Personally, I'm surprised more of their discs aren't unplayable...

It wasn't impossible, but it was a pain. It kept saying 'already in queue', I had to wait a few days for it to get 'purged' out of my recent history, I guess.

Each time my address got separated from the dvd and I reported the issue, it gave me a choice of sending the same movie or the next one. When I chose send me the same movie, I saw that it said already in queue but despite it not appearing in my queue, they did ship it out as my next dvd.

Well, in my case, what happened was it got separated, I got the paper, the disk went back to BBO, so it got checked back in as a return, on the same day.

BTW, Blockbuster seems to be offering a free month of service if you decide to cancel your account online to try to win you back.

I have been noticing BBO's inventory levels are getting much better. Last couple times I've measured, I've had 30-40% 'Available Now' instead of 50-60%. Not as good as Netflix was, but getting better. And I'm generally pretty consistently getting 2-2.5 day trips.

Can someone explain how the in-store rental movie pass works? I see a sign on my Blockbuster advertising something for $9.99 for the first month and then $14.99. Does it essentially allow you to have unlimited rentals?

I work at a Blockbuster. I am not trying to advertise their in-store MoviePass. I get nothing from it. I am only trying to provide answers to a question that was asked. I am also not representing Blockbuster in any official capacity here, so don't blame me if your mileage varies at your local BB that might be a franchise store, or if the deal has changed by the time you read this.

BB stores have 3 movie pass levels: 1-out, 2-out, and 3-out, depending on how many movies you want to be able to have out at a time. The 9.99/14.99 one is for the 1-out. The pass is locked in to the particular store from which you buy it. You can take out a movie and then exchange the movie (again, in the same store only) for another one at any time, so you could go home and watch it and then come right back and exchange it for another one. You have no due dates on the movies, so you can ignore the 2-day or 1-week rental labels on the movies, but obviously you won't be getting your money's worth if you rent one movie and keep it out all month.

The passes have to be secured to a credit card, and they autocharge the card each month. You can cancel at any time, and there's no minimum subscription period. We have people sign up for the 1-out promotion, cancel it, sign up for the 2-out (you can only do each one once), and then cancel that, and then sometimes even sign up for the 3-out. The current promotion saves you $5 on the 1-out, or $10 on the 2-out or 3-out. Regular monthly cost on the 2-out is 24.99, and 29.99 on the 3-out. If you cancel before your month is up, you still get the full month of use. Your final movie(s) would be due back on the day after the pass expires or the end of the normal rental period for the movie(s), whichever comes later. Some people buy the pass and then cancel it right away, intending to use it just for one month. It is expected to be very popular (along with the GamePass) during the summer months when kids are home from school.

The online BB.com deal is somewhat similar, but they also give you some coupons to use for free in-store rentals, as well. I don't know the full details of that--I just see the coupons at work when people bring them in (printed from emails, I believe).

Shop around, and I'm sure you'll find something that suits your needs. It's like shopping for phone service; everybody has their own needs, and each company has their own little ins and outs of their deals.

BBOnline--2 printable coupons a month for one in-store game or movie rental, under typical rental rules [ie, including the 'extra' no-late-fee time.]

Wouldn't you know it? I described all that about the MoviePasses, and Blockbsuter discontinued the 1-out and 3-out passes today. They went back to just the old standard 2-out pass (the only one they used to offer before the most recent promotion). So you shouldn't be seeing any of the 9.99/14.99 signs anymore.

Of course, some policies at BBV are not national, so YMMV. As far as I know (which is not very far, since this just happened today), current 1-out and 3-out customers will be able to keep their passes at the current price/policies. We're just not selling new 1-out and 3-out passes anymore.