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Forget Netlix/Walmart - long live Greencine!
	Topic by: alextenorio Posted: May 19, 2005 - 2:45 PM PDT Last Reply: May 22, 2005 - 5:35 PM PDT

author	topic: Forget Netlix/Walmart - long live Greencine!
alextenorio	post #1  on May 19, 2005 - 2:45 PM PDT   I just made the switch and I'm already very happy. Walmart is pure evil, and Netflix partnering up with them put a nail into the coffin for me. Greencine's selection is so much better, anyhow. Glad to have made the decision.
Battie	post #2  on May 19, 2005 - 3:49 PM PDT   > On May 19, 2005 - 2:45 PM PDT alextenorio wrote: > --------------------------------- > I just made the switch and I'm already very happy. Walmart is pure evil, and Netflix partnering up with them put a nail into the coffin for me. Greencine's selection is so much better, anyhow. Glad to have made the decision. > > --------------------------------- I worked for Wallyworld for eight months. *shudders and has a waking nightmare* The really horrible thing...no one told me it was an awful place to work until AFTER I started. *thinks its a conspiracy* Wait...they're partnering with Wal-Mart!?! Ack! Where'd you hear this? Dude, I am so leaving them. Pretty soon, it will all be "family" DVDs. Which means they'll definitely be getting rid of their Urotsukidoji set. :P
kohnfused1	post #3  on May 19, 2005 - 4:53 PM PDT   > On May 19, 2005 - 3:49 PM PDT Battie wrote: > --------------------------------- Which means they'll definitely be getting rid of their Urotsukidoji set. :P > --------------------------------- As NLee would say: Noooooo!
Shaky	post #4  on May 20, 2005 - 10:07 AM PDT   Article here. It's not as much of a partnership as the word might imply. WalMart is getting out of the online rental business altogether. Netflix is more than happy to take their customers, so they're offering to give them Netflix memberships at the same plan and price they were paying WalMart. WalMart is promoting the deal to their current customers, and in exchange Netflix will promote WalMart DVD sales to its customers (which works fine for Netflix, since they don't sell movies). It doesn't really look like a long term partnership, but just a cross-promotion while WalMart's customers make the switch. The really interesting detail is that there are rumors of a partnership between Netflix and Amazon, to keep Amazon out of the field also, and the non-exclusive WalMart deal allows Netflix to make such a partnership. This would basically create a two company industry and allow Netflix to concentrate on competing with Blockbuster.
ChiyoDad	post #5  on May 20, 2005 - 1:57 PM PDT   > On May 19, 2005 - 3:49 PM PDT Battie wrote: > --------------------------------- > I worked for Wallyworld for eight months. *shudders and has a waking nightmare* > > The really horrible thing...no one told me it was an awful place to work until AFTER I started. *thinks its a conspiracy* > > --------------------------------- I knew four very nice folks who worked at our nearby Walmart. None of them lasted more than three months at the most. I wonder if there really is something about that company.
Battie	post #6  on May 20, 2005 - 3:29 PM PDT   > On May 20, 2005 - 1:57 PM PDT ChiyoDad wrote: > --------------------------------- > > On May 19, 2005 - 3:49 PM PDT Battie wrote: > > --------------------------------- > > I worked for Wallyworld for eight months. *shudders and has a waking nightmare* > > > > The really horrible thing...no one told me it was an awful place to work until AFTER I started. *thinks its a conspiracy* > > > > --------------------------------- > > I knew four very nice folks who worked at our nearby Walmart. None of them lasted more than three months at the most. I wonder if there really is something about that company. > --------------------------------- Oh, there is. I learned all the dirty little things about WM while I worked there (and I don't mean this is me raging against a bad employer, I mean I know exactly why everyone quits, and how it relates to company off-the-books policy). ^_^ I could tell you about them...but it is a bit off-topic. :P I'm actually feeling a mite sorry for BB. Between the Hollywood Video deal falling through, stupid customers (yes, they're bloody idiots--and LEECHING idiots at that) suing because they "didn't know about the restocking fees," and huge competition from Netflix, there is a part of me that feels sorry for a company that served me very well for a number of years. These were the years after local video stores with a tiny, outdated selection, and before the years of Internet Love.
woozy	post #7  on May 20, 2005 - 4:11 PM PDT   > I'm actually feeling a mite sorry for BB. I've always thought BB was very evil. Perhaps not as evil as Wal-Mart or Starbucks or McDonalds but darned evil. Netflix is benign and actually "good" in comparison to the above. > stupid customers (yes, they're bloody idiots--and LEECHING idiots at that) suing because they "didn't know about the restocking fees," What's this story about? I thought is was that in advertising the mail subscription service they made a big "no more late fees" campaign but that it didn't apply store rentals. Renaming "late fees" as "restocking fees" seems sleazy to me. Yes, the customers were stupid to expect a free ride but I don't think their "restocking fees" were clear, obvious, or honest. Or do I have the story completely wrong. > These were the years after local video stores with a tiny, outdated selection, and before the years of Internet Love. Ah, I've always been lucky enough to have good local stores (relatively speaking). People here tend to bad mouth Barnes & Noble which I don't think are *that* bad, but BB seemed every bit as undermining but much worse as they bow to pressure groups not to carry things like "the Last Temptation of Christ" and their practice of sanitized versions of movies is utterly reprehensible to me. I do sympathize with you though.
Battie	post #8  on May 21, 2005 - 8:29 AM PDT   > On May 20, 2005 - 4:11 PM PDT woozy wrote: > --------------------------------- > > I'm actually feeling a mite sorry for BB. > > I've always thought BB was very evil. Perhaps not as evil as Wal-Mart or Starbucks or McDonalds but darned evil. > > Netflix is benign and actually "good" in comparison to the above. > > > stupid customers (yes, they're bloody idiots--and LEECHING idiots at that) suing because they "didn't know about the restocking fees," > > What's this story about? I thought is was that in advertising the mail subscription service they made a big "no more late fees" campaign but that it didn't apply store rentals. Renaming "late fees" as "restocking fees" seems sleazy to me. Yes, the customers were stupid to expect a free ride but I don't think their "restocking fees" were clear, obvious, or honest. > > Or do I have the story completely wrong. > > > > These were the years after local video stores with a tiny, outdated selection, and before the years of Internet Love. > > > Ah, I've always been lucky enough to have good local stores (relatively speaking). People here tend to bad mouth Barnes & Noble which I don't think are *that* bad, but BB seemed every bit as undermining but much worse as they bow to pressure groups not to carry things like "the Last Temptation of Christ" and their practice of sanitized versions of movies is utterly reprehensible to me. > > I do sympathize with you though. > --------------------------------- LOL! Well, I suppose I'm grateful for BB because they were my only anime fix for many, many years. *sniffles* The story is basically that, though urged to read the fine print and often told by Blockbuster employees about the rules, a lot of people pretended not to hear or notice. Uh huh. Before the No More Late Fees (which was applied to store rentals--this is kind of a rip-off of NF's original ad campaign, I think) was even off the ground, I'd read the fine print and it was very straight-forward: No late fees, but after a week overdue (and though I don't know if it was standard immediately, I was late by a few hours and got a little call about it), they ring it onto your account as a sale, and if you bring it back within 30 days, then you're just charged a restocking fee which is usually $1.50, but never in excess of $4-$5. I consider that generous. I could've rented a game...kept it 30 days so I could beat it...and paid LESS than a Late Fee! Believe me, sometimes a week isn't long enough, and re-renting/late fees are hellish. I always thought they should just charge half the cost of a rental if you wanted to keep it an extra week. :P Eh, as far as bowing to pressure...BB can't compete with Wallyworld. Sometimes I get the urge to go into a Wal-Mart and hand out flyers saying such-and-such product is sinful, just to see if I can get it pulled. Muwahaha! (Just so you know, I'm pretty certain that my ambitions in a past life included conquering the world--I just have a little devil perched on my shoulder begging me to do Bad Things.) But back to BB's sanitizing movies...Well, down here, unless you're visiting an adult store, the likelihood is that you won't find anything particularly offensive, BB or no. Except The Punisher. I find THAT offensive.
woozy	post #9  on May 22, 2005 - 11:19 AM PDT   > The story is basically that, though urged to read the fine print and often told by Blockbuster employees about the rules, a lot of people pretended not to hear or notice. Uh huh. Yeah, but... >>Before the No More Late Fees (which was applied to store rentals--this is kind of a rip-off of NF's original ad campaign, I think) Well, this is technically true for mail rental subscriptions but pretty meaningless as that's a different model than the pay per rental. You can't eliminate "late fees" from rentals because you will always need an incentive to return movies. >> I'd read the fine print and it was very straight-forward: No late fees, but after a week overdue (and though I don't know if it was standard immediately, I was late by a few hours and got a little call about it), they ring it onto your account as a sale, and if you bring it back within 30 days, then you're just charged a restocking fee which is usually $1.50, but never in excess of $4-$5. I consider that generous. THat *is* pretty generous but a restocking fee for after just a week which goes up over time really is for all practical purposes a "late fee" so the ad really is misleading. It's also a very new and unusual system (kind of a clever system, I'll admit) that I thik it really needs more than "fine print". Does this apply to their mail rentals too? > But back to BB's sanitizing movies...Well, down here, unless you're visiting an adult store, the likelihood is that you won't find anything particularly offensive, BB or no. Except The Punisher. I find THAT offensive. > --------------------------------- Well, They have deals with some film companies (or is this an urban myth like snapple donating to pro-life companies) to provide BB versions of movies that are editted down a bit. That upsets me. (unless its an urban myth.)
Battie	post #10  on May 22, 2005 - 4:19 PM PDT   > On May 22, 2005 - 11:19 AM PDT woozy wrote: > --------------------------------- then you're just charged a restocking fee which is usually $1.50, but never in excess of $4-$5. I consider that generous. > > THat *is* pretty generous but a restocking fee for after just a week which goes up over time really is for all practical purposes a "late fee" so the ad really is misleading. It's also a very new and unusual system (kind of a clever system, I'll admit) that I thik it really needs more than "fine print". > > Does this apply to their mail rentals too? Well, I'm told it does cost them to put the movie or game back into their system. *shrug* And after a week being late...you've got issues and deserve a punishment. The fee doesn't go up over time, stays the same until 30 days, at which point you're stuck with what you "forgot" to bring back. BB does everything they can to remind you once you're late, short of knocking on your door: postcards and phone calls. Given a choice between late fees, and their new system which seems fair to me...well, it's no contest since I often end up returning movies late. (I can watch them on the first day, and somehow procrastinate on returning them for a week...maybe because I have to do a complete freakin' u-turn to get into their parking lot! They say it cuts down on theft..Ok, but it cuts down on me visiting them in-store, too!) As for mail-rentals, it's the same standard as GC and NF, except for those in-store coupons. I like those, since I can rent a game for free when I'm in the mood. > Well, They have deals with some film companies (or is this an urban myth like snapple donating to pro-life companies) to provide BB versions of movies that are editted down a bit. That upsets me. (unless its an urban myth.) > Hmm...don't know anything about that, but I somewhat doubt it's true. After all, the BB's around here carry Late Night TV movies (think USA) and TROMA, of all things! I suppose they aren't sanitized here, after all. ^_^ I guess it's possible, but it just doesn't seem like BB would carry anything to draw fire to begin with. If anything, that myth may be useful in steering away possible censors.
markhl	post #11  on May 22, 2005 - 5:13 PM PDT   > On May 20, 2005 - 1:57 PM PDT ChiyoDad wrote: > I knew four very nice folks who worked at our nearby Walmart. None of them lasted more than three months at the most. I wonder if there really is something about that company. I don't think that your intuition is unfounded. Did anyone else catch a PBS (I think) special about the inner workings of Walmart? They were showing these large-scale management meetings that looked like something out of the TV evangelist networks.. The whole thing about getting to work early and stuff like that was admirable and all but their fanatical attitude reminded me more of a cult than a corporation. scaaary.
Battie	post #12  on May 22, 2005 - 5:35 PM PDT   > On May 22, 2005 - 5:13 PM PDT markhl wrote: > --------------------------------- > I don't think that your intuition is unfounded. Did anyone else catch a PBS (I think) special about the inner workings of Walmart? They were showing these large-scale management meetings that looked like something out of the TV evangelist networks.. The whole thing about getting to work early and stuff like that was admirable and all but their fanatical attitude reminded me more of a cult than a corporation. scaaary. > --------------------------------- Hahaha! I saw the PBS special last week or so. Pretty interesting, pretty accurate. But oh man, I HATED those meetings. If you were lucky, you could escape them. I usually came in around 2 pm, so I usually missed them, but before the store opened, I was stuck with those darned meetings. "If you don't participate, you'll be put on the stage to lead!" *shudder* I will admit, the managers were very good at encouraging enthusiasm. Wonder what kind of training that had for those skills... ^_^