Blockbuster: An Insight on Saving Money from an Employee

I first began working at Blockbuster as a part time employee, to help aid with my financial expenses of being a full time student. Little did I know, Blockbuster is a retail environment that revolves around ramped up sales tactics and an ongoing reinforcement to meet goal requirements each and every week. These aren't necessarily negative sales tactics though, and I'll explain why.

Now, before I come across as an employee who sounds like I am complaining about my employment situation, I am not. Every business in today's society relies on prosperous revenues and an extensive strategy in order to stay afloat among the competition. I have decided to write this article, to help you save money all the while keeping Blockbuster, a top performer when it comes to the entertainment business.

New Release Movies

New releases are the most recent rentals in Blockbuster and are almost always found against the back wall of each store. Each new release from the store is a 2-Day or a 7-Day rental that totals about $5.10 after tax. Little did you know that the majority of Blockbuster stores have a 5-Day grace period on top of the original two days! Simple math explains a 2-Day rental plus a 5-Day grace period equals 7-Days of enjoyment. Please make sure to check with your specific store to make sure they acknowledge the five day grace period. Never keep these movies past 9-Days!

Favorites Movies

"Favorites" are the older movies that are usually found on the main floor area of the store. These categories include: Anime, Foreign/Documentary, Kids/Family, Comedy, Action, Horror, Drama and older Television shows. These movies are always 7-Day rentals, but be careful not to keep these movies longer than 9 days!

Video Games

Can you say expensive? Truthfully speaking as a customer and an employee, I can honestly write that Blockbuster charges too much for renting a game. The Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 will set you back about $9.00 for 7-Days, while the Nintendo DS will cost around $4-$6 dollars depending on the store. For kids and families that still enjoy the Sony Playstation 2, make sure to ask about the 2-For-$10 deal on PS2 games, because 1 will cost you about $9 as well. Two for one special!

Restocking fee?

Now that you've rented that movie or game you've been wanting to get your hands on, returning the product on time will save you some cash. Regardless of any movie or game rental, the full amount will charge to your account or credit card on the 10^th day. But wait, I thought Blockbuster ended the "No late fees" deal? Here's how it works...If you rented the product on November 1^st, you can keep it until the 10^th without having to worry about a fee. If 10 days arrive and you still haven't returned the product, the movie or game will charge to your account. As long as you return the movie before 30 days of having the product, the full amount will be credited back to your account or credit card, minus a balance of $1.36 for the restocking fee. So a movie that cost you $5.10 to rent, plus a $1.36 restocking fee totals $6.46 for a month's worth of having the movie or game. See how that works? But wait, one more piece of info is crucial to anyone willing to live on the edge when it comes to renting, because if you keep the product past 30 days, the movie or game can no longer be returned. It is yours to keep and you will have to pay the full amount of the product. Movies are anywhere from $9.99 on up, while games come with a heavier pricetage of around $60 depending on the title. Balances that are not paid are sent to collections, so be responsible!

I am not trying to endorse the prolonged rental period for the sake of "sticking it to the man" per say. I am simply trying to let Blockbuster customers know of the service that Blockbuster adheres to. Just be aware of your particular situation knowing that if you keep a rental for an extended amount of time, other customers might be affected when they try and pick up that same movie or game and it's not on the shelf for them to enjoy.

Saving Money

When it comes to renting more than four movies or two games a month, Blockbuster promotes plans to help ease the load on your wallet or purse. The main goal of the entertainment company is to keep you coming back as a loyal customer, because a loyal and happy customer will bring in more revenue for the store. Here's my opinion on the money saving programs...

Rewards Program

For $10 a year, you can join the Rewards Program and earn free rentals by purchasing your own. Check with your particular store to make sure this program is being offered.

· For every 5 rentals that you purchase within one month, you will receive a 6^th free. This free rental can be used for any movie or video game.

· Monday through Wednesday will get you a free older movie when you pay for any rental in the store. So if you pick up two new releases, you'll get two older movies with them for free.

· A coupon will print out for you once a month that can be used for a free Favorites movie within that calendar month.

The rewards program is inclined to giving you free rentals after you have spent money already renting. It's honestly a good deal as it comes with the $10 a year price tag. The coupon that prints out each month for your account is worth about $54 dollars after receiving all twelve of them. The problem you ask? Customers do not take advantage of these free movie rentals because they are for older titles. I bet you haven't seen Braveheart in a long time, or how about the Godfather, Star Wars or Lord of the Rings series?

Movie Pass, Game Pass, or Combo Pass

The Movie Pass is a program, where you pay a monthly fee and in return, you get either 1-movie or 2-movies out at a time. The benefit here is that you can swap your movie(s) out for other titles an unlimited amount of times for each month. Pricing depends on the option of having one movie out at a time, or two movies out at a time. The option of combining movies and games are available as well. As an employee, I found it wise to get onto the 1-out combo pass (movies or games) because I did not want to pay $5 for a movie, or $9 for a game. I pay $23.90/month for my 1-out combo pass that lets me have one movie or one game out at a time, with the ability to take it back and swap it out for something else an unlimited amount of times per calendar month. Let me say this, if you rent more than 4 movies or more than 2 games a month, you are wasting money when not signed up for the movie pass or combo pass!!! While on any Movie or Game Pass, there are no due dates for your product! Oh, and no restocking fees of any kind either! A credit card is required for this benefit, as the price automatically charges each month on the day you signed up for the pass. Check with your store for the exact prices and availability.

Blockbuster Total Access (Online)

Let me say this about the online renting of DVD's, I cannot stand it! Waiting for a movie or game can be ridiculous and irritating if you don't plan ahead properly. For some people, this option is great because rural living can make driving into town a little tedious, especially if you're spending $5 in gas to rent a $5 movie. All in all, you pay a monthly fee and you handle all the movie picking online under your (Blockbusteronline.com) account. The advantage over Netflix here is that you can take the movie that was sitting in your mailbox, watch it, and then exchange it for another movie in a Blockbuster store. It helps cut down on the transit times of the mail, especially during peak holiday seasons like Christmas. These are the most current online plans to date:

· 1 DVD at a time-You get 2 DVD's through the mail-2 free in-store exchanges per month-$9.99/month + tax

· 1 DVD at a time-Unlimited DVD's through the mail-2 free in-store exchanges per month-$11.99/month + tax

· 2 DVD's at a time-Unlimited DVD's through the mail-3 free in-store exchanges per month-$16.99/month + tax

· 3 DVD's at a time-Unlimited DVD's through the mail-5 free in-store exchanges per month-$19.99/month +tax

In Conclusion

My understanding of Blockbuster is now clearer than it ever has been before. Why not let customers spend more money? The plans could save you anywhere from $10-$40 dollars per month? The answer is to build a relationship that benefits both Blockbuster and the customer. People will always spend money on movies and games, much more than you might realize! If Blockbuster can save the customer some cash while the customer participates in a promotion, both the customer and business succeed as a whole.

I have heard many customers decline promotions because they think it is a sales tactic bound to rip them off, but if you do some simple math, you will be surprised at how much money you can save by just trying out one of the programs above. If a program isn't saving you the money you thought, ask a sales manager to guide you towards a different approach. Employees do not make commission whatsoever, so they won't be inclined to aim the target at the most expensive plan. A little talk with an employee can go a long way when it comes to saving some cash when you head out to the nearest Blockbuster. Any other questions? Leave a comment and I'll help you make the right decision for you and your family!