Blockbuster Late Fee charged and not refunded

Blockbuster, Inc., 1290 East Highway 193, Layton, UT 84040, telephone number 801 771-7001.

I rented two Xbox games for my two grandsons. The new no late fees policy had been explained to me by the store personnel to be that if I kept the games past the due date the price of the games would be charged to my credit card but then, if I returned the games within the allotted time period, the fees would be credited back to my credit card. So, to allow my grandsons to keep the games as long as possible, I didn't even attempt to return them by the original Due Date. But I DID call the store from which I had rented the games and asked when the games needed to be back so I would not "own" the games and not get the charge credited back to my credit card. When I called the store, I was told the games would need to be back by 12/17 or 12/18, he said he wasn't certain which date, but one of those dates, I was told, was the very last date the games could be returned and after that the charges would not be credited back to my card. So, to be on the safe side, I returned the games on 12/17, at 7:45 P.M. I didn't wait until 12/18. And I didn't put the games in the slot, I took them into the store and handed them to an employee in back of their counter stating that I was returning them.

The charge ($122.45!!) was not credited back to my card and now I'm told it will not be credited back because I kept the games too long! The store manager told me (today) that store employees don't know what the last date is, that is determined by a computer because of the fact that some months have 30 days, some have 31 days and so a computer must figure it all out. I told her that if they, Blockbuster employees, can't know what the last date is to return the games, how are those of us who are just customers supposed to know so we can get the games back in time. I got the games back before the end of the day on the first of the two days that I was told, by a Blockbuster employee, were the last two days before I would no longer be able to return the games. But it turns out the employee didn't know and, I am now told, he couldn't know because this is determined by a computer.

So they have a policy of "keep the games and your charge will be credited back to your credit card", yet the date by which you must have the games returned is something unknown except by a computer!

So, don't believe the store employees - they tell you something and if the computer disagrees with what they tell you, well then, you have lost your money! I also will not go back to Blockbuster again.

I was initially charged a rental fee of $14.89 for these two games, then $122.45 was charged to my credit card because I now "own" the games (although they are still at the Blockbuster store - I have no use for them and don't want them). So I paid $137.43 for my two grandsons to play those two games for 47 days! And the charge will not be credited back to my credit card because I believed a store employee who, I am now told, cannot know when the games must be returned because a computer must figure it all out!

Comment On This

I understand that the employee was wrong, and perhaps he was new and did not know any better. And, maybe, knowing such, the manager could have worked something out with you. I'll give you that.

However, you did know when you were supposed to return the items. You purchased 5 days with them. It's a shame you wound up with a huge fee because of a misguided employee, but it was also not fair, and certainly not what you paid for, to keep two five-day rental items for 47 days.