With Blockbuster closing stores across the country, you might feel lucky if your town still has at least one storefront location. To lure new customers, Blockbuster introduced two new passes that let customers rent movies and games for a low monthly fee. Before handing over your credit card, learn more about the pass program and if it is a good investment for you.
Total Access In-Store vs. Game Pass
The Total Access In-Store pass lets you rent a set number of games and movies from the online stock. The system is similar to Netflix, in that the company sends the movies to your home, you keep the movies as long as you want, and return the discs in a pre-paid envelope.
With the Total Access In-Store pass, you also have the option of returning the movies to your local store. Exchange the discs for movies or games that you want from the store. This saves you the hassle of waiting for the discs or finding that the online system is out of stock.
The Game Pass is completely different. The Game Pass lets you rent one game or movie at a time and keep it for as long as you want. Return the game to the store and exchange it for a new disc. Game Pass only lets you have one title at a time, while the Total Access Pass lets you have up to three titles.
Signing Up for the Pass
Join Blockbuster Total Access In-Store by signing up on the company’s website. You do need a credit or debit card when you create an account. You receive a 30-day trial and then pay $9.99 to $19.99, depending on the number of discs wanted.
If you are interested in the Game Pass, visit your local Blockbuster store. You must pay for your first month up front, but the store offers a discounted rate of $9.99 for the first month before the price rises to $14.99 for each additional month. If you want to cancel your membership, contact Blockbuster.
My Game Pass Experience
The employees at my local Blockbuster push the Pass programs on as many customers as possible. My boyfriend and I frequently rented two games: one for him and one for myself. On one recent, an employee tried convincing me to put back one game, sign up for the pass, and rent the other game at a later date.
After several weeks of hearing about the Game Pass, I finally signed up for membership. I rented one movie and one game and as we left, the employee gave us a due date for the movie. I returned the movie the next day and kept the game for two weeks.
I woke up one day and discovered that Blockbuster charged my credit card for $60 plus tax. When I contacted Blockbuster Customer Support, I learned that the employee “accidentally” charged the movie to my pass and marked the game as a regular rental. After not returning the game for two weeks, the company charged me the full price of the game.
The Customer Support representative contacted the store, which was closed and called me back later that day. They “fixed” the problem by putting me on a different program that allowed two rentals at one time. To get my money back, I had to visit the storefront location and talk to the manager. The manager refunded the amount, but it took almost a week before the money appeared back in my account.
Canceling Blockbuster Pass
According to the dated receipt when I created my Game Pass account, I had to call a toll-free number and cancel my membership before the due date. I contacted Customer Support, which in turn told me that I needed to visit the store and cancel it in person.
The store opened three hours after Customer Support and by that time, charged my account for another month at full-price. The company refused a refund because it was now a new month for my account. To make matters worse, the Game Pass program costs $14.99 per month, while the Total Access In-Store Pass costs only $9.99.
In the month that I had the account, I rented exactly two games and two movies, which totaled less than $10 in nightly rentals. Both games typically cost $1.99 per night and with the Pass, I kept each game for 10-14 days. Despite that, I plan on cancelling my account next month. The Blockbuster Pass is not worthwhile for me.
Jennifer Eblin - Jennifer Eblin received a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Dayton before re-enrolling and finishing a B.A. in History. During ...
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