Blockbuster’s Last Day to Rent Set for Today

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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If you want to get in on being one of the very last customers to rent a video from one of Blockbuster’s brick and mortar stores, you better make it quick. The stores will be ceasing all rentals as of today and begin the process of closing down all 300 remaining stores.

This means that each location will likely decide on how they deal with checked-out and otherwise rented materials as that time approaches.
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I was going to rent that movie. Oh wait, I'll watch it on Netflix for free.

BURN.
 
Antizax said:
Blockbuster is so outdated, do they even have DVDs? /s
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I think they're starting their initial test of such a radical new tech today to see if it's successful or not. Who knows...they might end up falling flat on their face and have to close down all the physical stores.
 
I managed a Blockbuster video in college around 2003 or so. Around that time Netflix's postal rental service was starting to take off. I remember talking to our district manager who had close ties to corporate about the changing rental model. He told me "yeah we're aware of that but it that's not going to be Blockbuster's business plan. We feel people will always want a physical place to go rent their movies and games". Boy were they wrong and when Blockbuster started their postal rentals, Netflix had already gained too much popularity in that arena. Had they acted sooner and more aggressively, Blockbuster could very well be a competitor to Netflix today.

Just my two cents.
 
^ yep. That's exactly why Blockbuster is kaput. Too little, too late. Carried the same business mentality of Best Buy.
 
End of a era. I remembering going to the local BB with my dad to pick up a Sega game or 2 to rent for the weekend while he picked up something to watch for him and mom. Good stuff. RIP BB
 
ValVed RaY said:
rent everything ... lol :D
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Bad idea. Back when Hollywood video collapsed I had rented some movies. Returned them, and the store suddenly closed the next day. A few months later, I started getting a ton of collections notices for movies I had returned and some movies I had not even rented. They were trying to claim like $50 per DVD ( I had rented 2 ) and they said I had like 10 more outstanding. Was a giant pain in the ass.
 
ValVed RaY said:
rent everything ... lol :D
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SilverSliver said:
Bad idea. Back when Hollywood video collapsed I had rented some movies. Returned them, and the store suddenly closed the next day. A few months later, I started getting a ton of collections notices for movies I had returned and some movies I had not even rented. They were trying to claim like $50 per DVD ( I had rented 2 ) and they said I had like 10 more outstanding. Was a giant pain in the ass.
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Might depend on the area. We had a similar thing happen in my area. My cousin went to rent some movies. The next day, a Hollywood video I believe, just shut down so he had no way then to return the movies. Never got anything about non returned movies.




Anyone know a list of what stores are closing? I keep seeing where it says the 300 actually owned by them, the ones that are owned by others and just use the blockbuster name will stay open.
 
Also the $50 per DVD is probably a valid charge. Remember that the movie you buy in the store might only be $20ish but that is a personal viewing. Rental places have to pay more for their copies since they are paying for the right to make money off the viewing of the movies and letting people rent them. This is what got Redbox in trouble there for awhile. They agreed to the terms of the 28 day wait, then went out and started stocking their boxes with retail copies of movies. They almost lost their rights to get any movies from the studios anymore for doing that. Same for any other rental place, they are supposed to get the rental only versions of the movies, not retail when they are running a shop. It is the same type of principle behind why a business pays more for a service than a person does.
 
I used to rent N64 games from there all the time back when BB was relevant. When was that 99? 2000?
 
I played the full game of Starfox 64 at blockbuster. I also remember playing Mario 64 there for the first time and renting a lot of N64 games and VHS movies. I bought a copy of DOOM for the SNES there for $20 back in 1996 or 1997.
 
My dog thanks you hollywood video for my free ps3 and 360. He will pay you once he learns to hold a pen.
 
DejaWiz said:
^ yep. That's exactly why Blockbuster is kaput. Too little, too late. Carried the same business mentality of Best Buy.
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It also doesn't help when you return something early but still get charged a 2-day late fee either.

They "cut it in half for me" and obviously I still wasn't intent on paying it. But after enough back and forth with the manager I told them that they lost me as a customer, so I hope the "late" fee was worth it.
 
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