Blockbuster BS

Blockbuster online is the equivalent of Netflix although likely a bit more expensive with the added advantage of exchanging mail-in movies in-store. I became a Blockbuster online member back in...'07 or so when I first broke up with the Ex-Bf and decided I had the time and desire to regroup and catch up on the endless amounts of movies that I had "missed out on" over the years. Needless to say, while I did watch HUNDREDS of movies, I'm not sure that I really missed much, except for the SAW Series.

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about the issue in the past, how Blockbuster went and personally attacked the avid movie watchers by jacking up membership prices and changing the unlimited in-store rentals to specific quantities at still elevated prices. I dealt with it. I went with the slight increase and the five in store exchanges per month. I never quite could figure out when the in-store exchanges expired as they changed it a few times too. (Always changing to keep us guessing!)

I've been contemplating whether or not to discontinue my membership. It isn't the issue of the money. I could care less. It's just the matter of not actually making the time or having the desire to watch said movies. There aren't any movies that I have to see. Although cost comparison, the monthly fees have been equivalent to four movie rentals per month. Without the membership, I wouldn't rent that many movies, but with the membership, even on a slow month I watch at least double that. Although Spring/Summer is almost here and my desire to stay inside to watch a movie becomes less and less. I also liked keeping the membership to log all the movies I have seen, since the memory fails me and I will likely rent movies repeatedly without realizing until a third of the way through, that I have seen it. Unfortunately for me, Blockbuster decided to then delete rental histories prior to December '07, thus wiping out more than half of my history (aka memory - am I sensing a lawsuit?).

So I've had two mail-in movies, for quite some time, since early February. I finally managed to watch ALL three of them within the past 24 hours! Here's the latest (although it could be more than a month old since I've been lazy with my membership):

Last night I went to exchange two of the movies in-store. When checking out the clerk told me that they were due back "at my convenience." WHAT? REALLY?

Thinking this new phenomenon was rather odd and of course too good to be true, I logged back into Blockbuster online to read about the memberships and account. When I first logged in I was happy to see that my in-store rentals were actually listed. I have wanted this for a while, so that I would know which movies I rented in-store, but I rated them for my own benefit regardless. Mind you, I also figured that this new "change" must have a catch...Catch indeed...

In store rentals are now counted as part of your rentals. So whereas my three movies at a time could sometimes be six if I didn't return the in-store by the time the new ones were mailed out, I now will only ever have three movies at a time. And. That. Sucks.

Not that I'm a movie freak or anything. But I am a planner of sorts. I rented movies last night with the knowledge that I would be watching them with my son. Tuesday is American Idol and Biggest Loser night and Wednesday nights he is with his dad. So we will watch them this weekend. I also assumed as in the past, that by Wednesday's mail, I would have two of my movies that I could watch that evening. So not the case. So now, I have to either make time to watch these movies or go without movies - and then those will be the only movies we will have for the weekend.

I HATE CHANGE (good, bad or indifferent...it always takes time to adjust). So I'm thinking now might be the best time to cancel my membership and that way I won't have to adjust to anything except for NOT being a member. And THAT I can definitely handle.