I recently visited a Blockbuster video for the first time in a few months. When I went, they had a good selection of videos and I did not feel any different about my visit than normal until a few days later when I checked my bank account balance.
Somehow when I was at Blockbuster I was not notified of the change in policy prior to signing my credit card transaction. This policy seems to be that now if you rent from Blockbuster every day that your videos are late they charge your account for the amount that you purchased the rentals for. I was not informed of this policy in the store, and when I called to inquire I was told that they changed their policy a few months back and don't inform customers because they assume that those customers read their receipts.
I am sure that any person who has been in Blockbuster knows that you are not handed your receipt until walking out of the metal detector and are leaving the store. So I let it go until I checked my back account again two days later. Well we had movies that were due back on different days, and you better believe that they charged my account yet again for the amount of the rentals.
This time I called again. I asked for a manager and was told that I was speaking to one. Well, during this conversation I was told that corporate does not always inform their stores of new policies and it wasn't company policy to inform customers because policy changes are on the receipt (the one I don't receive until after my purchase is completed). I requested my account be closed at this point and I was told there was another person on the account (my boyfriend) and I said I still wanted it closed. I was then told it will remain open until he requested it be closed as well. I then asked for this manager's information and contacted the corporate office.
During this phone call I was connected to a representative and then transferred to a different department. I was then informed that they could not do anything and that the policy is on the receipt and if I was really that upset over this they could try to refund the withdrawls. This conversation did not last long because the representative continued to tell me to read the receipt for policy changes (again, the receipt I receive after signing the credit card transaction).
I ask, since when do we allow companies to have access to our personal accounts in such a way. This means that Blockbuster is retaining personal account information without receiving the authorization from the account holder. I also want to add, that I am aware that Blockbuster keeps a credit card on file (part of the written agreement of being a member) but this is not the account they charged. They charged the account that we paid for our rental with, meaning that because they did not have this information on file, they retained it and will continue to for however long they feel they can.
I wonder how many other consumers have had this issue with companies. I did not think it was legal for a company to retain that personal information on any individual without permission.
0 comments