Blockbuster does it again

Well, it seems that "The end of late fees" also triggered "The beginning of harassment" at Blockbuster... We rented a couple of movies two weeks ago, not new releases, but one week rentals. We weren't able to watch one of them the first week, so we held onto it, but returned the other. The day after it was due, we got an automated voice mail from Blockbuster reminding us that we had TWO movies overdue, and that they would suspend our rental privileges until they were returned. We finished watching the movie last night, but before we could return it this evening, we got a second voicemail!

I don't recall ever getting a "reminder" when we had to pay a fee if it was late, but now that the revenue stream has been cut off, the nagging has begun!

I confirmed with the kid at the counter that there was really only one item that was past due. He couldn't explain why the message had said two, when one had been returned before the due date...

My previous experiences with "late fees" makes me worry about the new policy. There have been several occasions that I've returned movies in the slot at the counter, and then rented a couple of new ones. Weeks later when we go again, they try to tell me that the previous movies were late, and I have to pay for them again! I've even showed the kid the date/timestamp on the receipt for the second set of movies that we got when we returned the previous ones, but he still wouldn't believe me. They even showed the two movies that I returned together being check in on different days!

The next time that an actual adult "manager" was there I was able to get a refund, but it shows the flaw in the system. Since you don't get any sort of receipt when you drop the movies into the slot, you are at Blockbuster's mercy that they will properly check them into their system. If they mess up, you could end up paying full retail price for a rental that you returned on time that they didn't check in...

My suggestion would be that every time you return a movie at Blockbuster, go inside to the counter, and make them scan it on the spot and print a receipt...

This is making NetFlix sound more and more appealing!