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Blockbuster Files For Bankruptcy
Dallas-based Blockbuster Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday, calling into question the futures of over 5,600 stores worldwide. The company will be evaluating each location on a case-by-case basis, and seeks to cut costs after reporting a $558 million net loss last year. Newsweek credits the company's slow adoption of new media distribution methods as a big reason for the company's decline. "... while Blockbuster discussed creating its own subscription service to rival Netflix, it wasn't until August 2004 that its online DVD rental program actually started in the US. And when, in 2004, Coinstar entered the market with its Redbox DVD kiosks, Blockbuster didn't begin installing similar devices until 2008." CNET suggests that "Leaders of pay TV services might be wise to start doing the business equivalent of digging foxholes and manning the battlements or the same thing could happen to them."
Neither Netflix nor Amazon should even exist, but for the stupidity of Blockbuster and Barnes and Noble. I can see the clueless management of both companies now:
"Oh that intertooob thingy will never catch on!"
I Am My Own Worst Enemy
It's an incredible strategy they're undertaking.
They don't have free streaming, so what separated their plans from Netflix was that you could exchange in store.
Here they closed all three local stores leaving over 100,000 people without a local Blockbuster. Overnight, their rent by post plans were more expensive than Netflix and more restrictive. They also appeared to be slowing down shipping movies, where they'd often be sent out the day after your return was received, rather than the same day.
Then they started rolling out kiosks, like RedBox. But if you have a mail in subscription, you can't use your free rental coupons in their kiosks and you can't do returns or exchanges to their kiosks.
They seem hell bent on destroying themselves, and that doesn't engender much sympathy.
there's no connection between "I saw a movie last night" and "I must return the movie"
Wow, you can't even remember for 24 hours (or 2 days, or however long your rental is)? I don't know what to say. Perhaps I'd just suggest that, when you're done watching, instead of throwing the movie on top of your entertainment center or somewhere out of the way, perhaps you can set it with your car keys or something, so that it's very obvious to you. I expect your response will probably be "no thanks, I'd just prefer not to rent movies instead", but if you have that much trouble remembering things, then just take it as general advice.
I'm sure you can be anal about it and never get a late fee, but I'd rather have not go through that effort just to watch a damn movie.
Anal? WTF? You say that like I sit there all day saying "gotta return that movie, gotta return that movie", post notes all over the house reminding me, and have a daily checklist with an item labeled "returned rentals (if applicable)". Is it anal that I remember to put on pants before leaving the house, too?