It’s been a few months since I hired a movie from my local Video Ezy store. We’ve been collecting the Stargate SG-1 series on DVD and have been chipping away at those. Up to season 8 now, so we’re nearly done. I’ll be hiring a few movies once we’re done as I’ve got a bit of catching up to do!
But I won’t be going back to Video Ezy.
You see, I had a couple of late returns. Nothing major – 2 movies that were returned a day late. One day late.
Didn’t think too much of it until I received a threatening letter from Video Ezy. Followed by a letter of demand from this mob called Entertainment Recoveries.
Now get this – it’s all over $12.
If new release movies are $6 each, in the month after we finish with our Stargates we would probably have spent $48 with them. That’s 4 times the amount of the late fees, in 1 month.
Now, for the sake of $12, I’ll never go back.
What business would permanently distance a customer over $12?
Think of it this way. Even if I only hire 2 movies per month (which is pretty conservative) that’s $156 in a year, or 13 times the amount of the late fee. Pretty good chance of hiring more than 2 movies a month, mind you.
I don’t understand the marketing logic behind this. Sure, if I hadn’t actually returned the movies I can understand the legal threats.
(And to top it off, I now have a $15 “Administrative Charge” as well. Give me a break!)
And I love this bit too – notice at the top of the excerpt above? I have a “Member Number”! I’m a member of Entertainment Recoveries now?