Blockbuster may soon levy a $4-$6 surcharge for Total Access. By allowing DVDs to be exchanged as free in-store rentals, Total Access dangles a potential workout before couch-potatoes who would otherwise return DVDs exclusively by mail. Blockbuster is quietly circulating a survey to gauge potential outrage to a price hike.
One of the ideas is to offer Mail-Only plans, which would allow members to receive and return DVDs only by mail, without the option to return them at a Blockbuster store and exchange them for free in-store DVDs.At the same time that the Mail-Only plans are introduced, BLOCKBUSTER Total Access may also experience price changes to reflect the added value that this program represents compared to the Mail-Only options.
Blockbuster would also add additional service tiers, including an unlimited plan allowing four DVDs out at once, and limited plans capped at either two or three DVDs per month.
What do you think? Is Total Access’ “added value” worth the price? Is this enough to consider NetFlix’s movie streaming? Tell us in the comments. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Blockbuster Online to Raise Prices? [Hacking NetFlix] (Thanks to Frank!)
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I should have added they are only considering to charge an extra $4 but at the sametime the current pricing levels are lowered by $1. So instead of $14.99, it would be $13.99 for mail in unlimited 2 with monthly store coupon or for $4 more, you add TA. Seems fair to me.
again, with the opera bitching:
if i could delete movies from my queue in opera, i’d stick with bbo.
i called them up, and they suggested i use IE. i was insulted, and given a free month, as their website is due for an ‘upgrade’, which ‘may’ fix my issue.
glad i kept NF as a backup, i don’t think i’ll be keeping it beyond that free month.
as a poster above said, their website does indeed sucketh…big donkey balls.
I didn’t know it doesn’t work well with Opera, I’ll have to check that out since I have Opera. However IE7 is my main browser.
I use BB. I switched from the 3-a-time to the 2-a-time because of “return your DVD at a store for a free rental.” Frankly, I’ve gotten used to it, but I wouldn’t pay extra for it.
If I got stuck doing only mail-ins again, I’d probably try out Netflix, and see which I like better. BB has my loyalty so far BECAUSE of the return-at-store thing. That’s it.
eh, an extra few bucks for in-store rentals is worth it. I’ve used both services and find that NF is much slower to get me movies than BB. Once i return my DVDs to the store and finish watching my in-store rentals, my by-mail rentals have arrived. MUCH MUCH faster than NF.
Let’s not forget THROTTlING —
I rented and watched the last season on Queen as folk within a week and they put me on the slow track to hell. I switched to netflix because of mad crazy late fees at blockbuster. I think throttling is much more predatory than late fees. I knew I was being bad when I didn’t return the DVD to the store, but with netflix It’s a subjective bad from the point of view of the ‘company’
Let’s not forget that blockbuster online has brought down Netflitx prices — another good thing for consumers.
I watch too many dvd’s so the Total access would be worth 4 dollars easy. One rental is 4 bucks in seattle.