Comments on: How to Lose a Customer for $12

By: Dion

Dion — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:29:09 +0000

In 2007 my six year old daughter misplaced a Simpsons video hired from Walkerville. We found it but it was 120 days late. In 2009 after a letter of demand we now have a threat of legal action over the $100 plus costs of $66. What annoys me is not once did the company contact us to let us know it was missing.If it was not found in a cleanup the meter would presumably still be running. I was going to let the matter go to court because I hate being rail roaded by thois sort of thing. Also I think the amount owed would be reduced under the doctrine they did nothing to mitigate my losses during that time so therefore share blame for some of the amount. However it seems these litigators have the same address as the recovery agent ER so they would presumably like nothing more than collecting more fees. In SA under $6000 no lawyers are allowed unless a lawyer is the other party so I may send the affidavit I have prepared for the Court to the owner before the due date and see what happens.

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:57:24 +0000

The reason why they are bugging you at the moment, is because of the decline in business during this period.

with a rise in piracy, and web movies and tv series, these types of companies are going under, finding cheaper and smaller places, and losing customers due to non-returning customers!!

Its a joke, and ER can eat a fat one :)

Next time they bother you, tell them where to go!! alternatively, give fake phone numbers, and addresses, or alternatively, use different ID forms etc at places especially like VIDEO EZY, whose databases do not accommodate for that :)

WATCH VIDEO RENTAL PLACES DISAPPEAR!!!!! and with it your fines :)

By: mark

mark — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:36:23 +0000

rented two 7 day new releases and 5 weekly movies from blockbuster at caroline springs. Returned them at 8PM at night. next time i went into the store i was told i had late fee’s of $14.90 (it cost $12 to rent the DVD’s) I refused to pay as i returned them on the correct day but not before 6PM, put the movies back and walked out.
Got a letter from ER saying i owe $29.90 including $15 for a previous letter them claimed to have sent me that i never recieved.

I went into Blockbuster to pay the fee and they said i can not pay them i must now pay ER. I rang ER got an indian and she finally agreed to let me pay the $14.90. I tried to pay on there website, entered my credit card and payment amount and it would not allow me to only pay $14.90 even though the indian on the phone said it would be okay.
I wrote down the receipt number and kept it. now 6 months later they have started sending me letters again for $29.90.

The last letter was titles final demand notice, today i got one titled DO THE RIGHT THING.

WHAT A JOKE. They demanded me to pay their $15 bullshit fee and when i didn’t they tried to guilt me into paying $15 for nothing.

let them take me to court if they want i have my receipt number as proof i tried to pay and the refused my payment

By: LDM

LDM — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:54:43 +0000

I can’t believe Jo-Girl’s attitude! I agree Blockbuster et al are completely misguided with their legal bluffing strategies but to say they have a responsibility to alert customers to a dvd being late or not charge late fees for them if there’s no-one waiting on the dvd you haven’t returned on time is insane! BTW the stream of ever shriller letters I was receiving from Goddard Elliott have ceased thank heavens.

By: Lix

Lix — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:46:50 +0000

@Johnno

I just had the same story with Video Ezy and got the first letter from Legal & Commercial Recoveries. I don’t know what should be done with this matter because. I did return the DVDs by putting them into the chute. There was no receipt for the return that I can use as an evidence.

I just don’t want to take the responsibility on the DVD loss. It is an insult and very unfair to me.

After reading so many posts on Internet, I have come to a conclusion:

The whole Video Ezy fanchise system is at least under mismanagement and has been very risky to customers, ie. They could impose a big fine arbitrarily to you for something that you are not responsible for.

I am thinking to contact Fair Trading for this problem now but may also choose to just ignore it to get a bad credit rating. I basically have a home loan and no creditcard debt. I am also reluctant to apply for any creditcard in the future as I am so used to using debitcards.

Anyone has better suggestions?

By: ben

ben — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:38:49 +0000

I went to my local video ezy (or should they be called video fezy!) to hire some movies. Well when i went to get them out i was told i owe $34 for overdue fees. I was told if i paid $17 half the fees they would take my debt of. So i paid them with my bank card so i had proof i paid. A few days later i get a letter from video ezy saying i owe them late fees of $34 i than rang them up and said how can i owe this if i have paid. They checked there computer. And come back to me saying yes they are paid in full. Anyways about a 2 weeks later im recieve a letter from entertainment recoveries saying i owe them $49 i couldn’t believe. So i rang E.R. And video ezy to find out what was going on. The guy at video ezy said he would contact them and fix it up. And the people (indians) at E.R. said it is not our concern we are only in it to collect the money. So i told them to F off and they will hear from my lawyer. The worst thing is neither video “F”ezy or E.R. Have contacted me back. These guys are a joke!! Maybe they should think about using aussies to talk to aussies!! Where the hell do they get off trying to make me pay a debt that was paid before it even become a debt!! Video ezy you guys need to re think what you are doing before you go broke.

By: Jo-Girl

Jo-Girl — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:25:51 +0000

I have now received a letter from Blockbuster at Morningside in Brisbane claiming I owe them $51.00 in late fees. I have often had late fees but paid them at the time . I cancelled my membership at Morningside over 12 months ago and paid my late fees at the time. I am so angry at myself for not keeping proof of payment.

I am going to go and pay them today and tell them they will never have my business again. The young staff they have are always rude, speaking on their mobiles. They seem to have a policy of waiting at least 3 days before they let you know you’re movie is late, they make no effort to ensure their customers comply with returning movies until there is a fair amount of overdue fees for them (I have returned movies on time and like most of the population, I have sometimes forgotten). I queried a late fee once and the shop assistant then said she didn’t feel like renting to me anymore. There is no customer service.

I used to get at least 4 movies every month or two from them – not anymore!!

I think that before they charge late fees, they should show some proof that someone else wanted that movie and they lost income as a result.

Vidoe stores, especially Blockbuster have the monopoly in my area. Just download them or get them from K-Mart, Big W, etc as you pay about the same as you would for a movie and you get them forever.

Vindictive I know but I hope that Blockbuster Morningside and Bulimba go broke as they treat their customers appallingly!

By: Johnno

Johnno — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 02:17:13 +0000

Well guys I have a good one for you. About two years ago I hired two DVD’s for a week. I returned both within the week and obviously thought nothing more. I then relocated to another state for work. Then I received a letter forwarded from my old address saying I haven’t returned the DVD’s. I was shocked. I rang the video shop and they said oh no you haven’t returned them. After discussing it for a while on the phone and me insisting I had, they hung up on me. Then a couple of months later, I get a letter from Goddard and Elliott saying I owe $245 for the DVD’s. Now i’m getting pissed. I wrang them and explained once again. They said they will pass the message on to there clients and go from there. Well since then I have received 7 letters from them and its up to $450 now. They are threatening court action but don’t know where I live. I want to fix it up but i’m not paying for DVD’s I have returned. The video shop I went to was run, most of the time by school kids and a lot of the time returned DVD’s were left on the counter for some time. I think someone may have picked up the ones I returned and walked out with them. I wonder who else from that video shop has also received letters like I have but have also returned them. Anyone have any thoughts as to what I can do

By: Thefurn

Thefurn — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 03:02:42 +0000

All late fees are illegal and dont have to be payed. I spoke to an attorney years ago over a $700 late fee and unless the store contacts you everyday to remind you to bring back the movie then they cannot hold you to the late fee.

The best thing to do is inform the store that you returned the item on time and that one of there 15 yr old staff must have misplaced it or made a mistake about the return date.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:10:40 +0000

Reporting back as promised.
The guy at VE in Frankston South was friendly and reasonable. It’s easy to make me angry but he didn’t, nor I him.
We each explained our points of view and compromised at half price $35, but he also insisted on adding a $5 admin fee as he said the central admin would charge him $15. I saw no reason to doubt that.
I’m not perfectly happy with $40 but I did understand where he was coming from. I don’t suppose it’s easy holding a franchise like that together. He said there are always very many overdues at any one time.
I feel a little disgruntled now but will probably remain a customer as it’s convenient and he did make an effort to meet me half way, despite it being not usually his policy after sending out a letter.