They might essentially get a free $80, but you can bet they will be losing droves of customers in the process.
Even if the customer is in the wrong, you can bet anyone would feel robbed if they were forced to pay the full price for a rental game or film.
When it comes to an industry which survives off of recurrent business, pissing your customers off isn't really a good strategy - even if they are in the wrong.
In that case its more a matter of a "bait and switch" of sorts, since they don't allude to any special terms or agreements in the advertisements on TV, or the internet.
- Scott
I recently rented Burnout 3 for the XBOX, and kept it right up until the afternoon of the 7th day, and barely was able to return it (the Blockbuster I use is a long way away).
I normally don't rent anything, but the whole "End of Late Fees" thing enticed me to go pick the game up. On the 7th day, I received a blockbuster flyer in the mail, referring to the new policy, and noticed the fine print mentioning the 7 day-full price policy catch...
In a nutshell, I damn near had a stroke. Was I on the verge of being charged $69.99 for a used game?
When I managed to take the game back that day (phew!), I saw a huge poster for the "End of Late Fees" in the window of the store, and noticed the fine print at the bottom, VERY fine print, mentioning the 7 day policy again. I'd like to note that THEY DO NOT MENTION THE 30-DAY REFUND (minus restocking fee) POLICY ANYWHERE. Had I of known about it, I would not have shit myself at the possibility of being charged 70 bucks.
In conclusion, I would like to launch a class-action lawsuit against Blockbuster, for the money its going to take to clean my underwear.:)
In serious conclusion, although I think the new policy is pretty decent, I also think Blockbuster should be legally forced to mention plainly, ALL OF THE TERMS of this new deal. It is very misleading for consumers, and could potentially be disastrous for them from a PR standpoint.
Your fatal flaw is that you are still comparing PC HOBBYISTS, with the AVERAGE MAC USER.
Allow me to indule in your logic:
I would much rather have my cheaper, yet similarly powered PC, than your sexy yet non-upgradeable, overpriced, underpowered, undersupported (software wise), photoshop-box. Nevermind the fact that eMac's are only used by martini drinking, pacifist, pussy boy artists who like to use scented candles and cry themselves to sleep listening to Morrissey.
Extreme generalizations you say? My bad.
Besides form factor, OSX is the ONLY thing Mac has going for it. As a percentage, I would also fathom that there are more casual PC users than Mac ones, since your average Joe won't be inclined to learn Unix/OSX.
Basically your "we dont care" is based on nitpicking what the vast minority of PC users, the geeks, care about. Kudos.
I hope my post gets modded into oblivion again. Lord knows if I don't go to comedic extremes in making my points, I will become labelled a "Troll".
You don't care about their valid and salient points?
I mean, this is one of the lamest pro-Mac arguments I have ever read, and yet its such a frequent one. "I dont care"? Oh, ok then.
Any tech product that has a huge markup because of its brand/appearance, can bite me.
The "market dynamic" argument in regards to pricing doesnt even hold water, as far as cheapness of Mac parts goes, as Apple does this to themselves. Perhaps if Macs could be sold by companies other than Apple, prices might become more competitive?
I dont have a vendetta against Mac's. I think they are beautiful computers, with some very functional yet sleek form factors. I DO have a vendetta agains't Mac cultists, who simply close their eyes and ears to the very real criticisms regarding their babies.
Massage your feet, and make you a sandwich? Buggy accidents with software just happen sometimes. Not only has Sony acknowledged the issue, but they are offering games to customers for their plight. Plus, as the article notes, they don't ask for your memory card - they simply take your word on it. Thats a pretty good deal if you ask me.
A free game certainly won't make up for that lost time, but Sony could have just as easily said "oops", and then done nothing else. And then everyone here would have complained even more.
- Scott
Slashdot Mirror
More like an $80 "one-timer".
They might essentially get a free $80, but you can bet they will be losing droves of customers in the process.
Even if the customer is in the wrong, you can bet anyone would feel robbed if they were forced to pay the full price for a rental game or film.
When it comes to an industry which survives off of recurrent business, pissing your customers off isn't really a good strategy - even if they are in the wrong.
- Scott
In that case its more a matter of a "bait and switch" of sorts, since they don't allude to any special terms or agreements in the advertisements on TV, or the internet. - Scott
...but I'm actually glad to hear this.
:)
I recently rented Burnout 3 for the XBOX, and kept it right up until the afternoon of the 7th day, and barely was able to return it (the Blockbuster I use is a long way away).
I normally don't rent anything, but the whole "End of Late Fees" thing enticed me to go pick the game up. On the 7th day, I received a blockbuster flyer in the mail, referring to the new policy, and noticed the fine print mentioning the 7 day-full price policy catch...
In a nutshell, I damn near had a stroke. Was I on the verge of being charged $69.99 for a used game?
When I managed to take the game back that day (phew!), I saw a huge poster for the "End of Late Fees" in the window of the store, and noticed the fine print at the bottom, VERY fine print, mentioning the 7 day policy again. I'd like to note that THEY DO NOT MENTION THE 30-DAY REFUND (minus restocking fee) POLICY ANYWHERE. Had I of known about it, I would not have shit myself at the possibility of being charged 70 bucks.
In conclusion, I would like to launch a class-action lawsuit against Blockbuster, for the money its going to take to clean my underwear.
In serious conclusion, although I think the new policy is pretty decent, I also think Blockbuster should be legally forced to mention plainly, ALL OF THE TERMS of this new deal. It is very misleading for consumers, and could potentially be disastrous for them from a PR standpoint.
- Scott
Because it will pull exponentially more free press and advertising to Cannes?
This film is going to be a behemoth, whether it sucks or not - you should need to ask WHY Cannes negotiated to have it debut there.
- Scott
If it pushes out n-speeds, why is it considered a "pre-n" product?
:D
"If I release a hybrid car, before the first hybrid car is released..."
- Scott
The first post people :)
Your fatal flaw is that you are still comparing PC HOBBYISTS, with the AVERAGE MAC USER.
Allow me to indule in your logic:
I would much rather have my cheaper, yet similarly powered PC, than your sexy yet non-upgradeable, overpriced, underpowered, undersupported (software wise), photoshop-box. Nevermind the fact that eMac's are only used by martini drinking, pacifist, pussy boy artists who like to use scented candles and cry themselves to sleep listening to Morrissey.
Extreme generalizations you say? My bad.
Besides form factor, OSX is the ONLY thing Mac has going for it. As a percentage, I would also fathom that there are more casual PC users than Mac ones, since your average Joe won't be inclined to learn Unix/OSX.
Basically your "we dont care" is based on nitpicking what the vast minority of PC users, the geeks, care about. Kudos.
I hope my post gets modded into oblivion again. Lord knows if I don't go to comedic extremes in making my points, I will become labelled a "Troll".
You don't care about their valid and salient points?
I mean, this is one of the lamest pro-Mac arguments I have ever read, and yet its such a frequent one. "I dont care"? Oh, ok then.
Any tech product that has a huge markup because of its brand/appearance, can bite me.
The "market dynamic" argument in regards to pricing doesnt even hold water, as far as cheapness of Mac parts goes, as Apple does this to themselves. Perhaps if Macs could be sold by companies other than Apple, prices might become more competitive?
I dont have a vendetta against Mac's. I think they are beautiful computers, with some very functional yet sleek form factors. I DO have a vendetta agains't Mac cultists, who simply close their eyes and ears to the very real criticisms regarding their babies.
- Scott
Well, what would you like them to do?,
Massage your feet, and make you a sandwich? Buggy accidents with software just happen sometimes. Not only has Sony acknowledged the issue, but they are offering games to customers for their plight. Plus, as the article notes, they don't ask for your memory card - they simply take your word on it. Thats a pretty good deal if you ask me.
A free game certainly won't make up for that lost time, but Sony could have just as easily said "oops", and then done nothing else. And then everyone here would have complained even more. - Scott