Blockbuster Blockheadedness

Mike Davidson has a dialogue going on about blockbuster blockheadedness

Excerpt from a conversation I just had at my local Blockbuster Video store:

Clerk: "You're not in our system. Have you rented here in the last three months?"

Me: "Ummm, no, it's probably been about six."

Clerk: "We'll have to ask you to fill out an application for a new account then."

Me: "You mean you just delete accounts if people don't rent for three months?"

Clerk: "Yes."

Me: "Why would you ever do that?"

Clerk: "You know... to keep the database small."

Somehow I don't think Blockbuster will have to worry about that for too much longer.

- Mike Davidson

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As for me, I can't fathom why anyone would want to rent movies from Blockbuster - the fear of excessive rental late fees kept me from enjoying videos before Netflix even existed. I recall renting three movies at a time due to a discount, but I always had to rush to cram three movies in three evenings AND still get the movies back by midnight or whatever the deadline was. Too frantic for me...

I've slowed down in my Netflix viewing and have considered lately dropping the service as I'm only getting to watch about one movie per week...

16 Blocks just arrived. Amistad & Tuesdays with Morrie has been sitting here since 07/07/06.

I'll have to figure out the math and see if the three at a time plan is still good for my budget and usefulness. As it stands, I thinking about downgrading the service from the Unlimited rentals - up to 3 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $17.99 to the Up to 4 rentals a month - up to 2 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $11.99.

The good thing about Netflix is that I can change plans on a month to month basis. And still no late fees.