Red Box rant - (slight PSA?)

[Mini 9]

I usually rent one or two movies a month. Tonight I decided to get FIVE (a record for me).
Once at the kiosk (aka BOX) the thing did not work. Called redbox support up. They do not refund rentals. They only give free rental codes. And those codes are only good AT the kiosk not to reserve online. They also could not locate same five movies at an alternate and close kiosk.
So, not sure what the moral of the story is, but info to pass along. Oh, I know ... another PLUS for Torrents!!!

[space-time]

Mini 9 wrote:
I usually rent one or two movies a month. Tonight I decided to get FIVE (a record for me).
Once at the kiosk (aka BOX) the thing did not work. Called redbox support up. They do not refund rentals. They only give free rental codes. And those codes are only good AT the kiosk not to reserve online. They also could not locate same five movies at an alternate and close kiosk.
So, not sure what the moral of the story is, but info to pass along. Oh, I know ... another PLUS for Torrents!!!

are you saying that you paid, but did not get the DVDs?

[Mini 9]

Not sure what will happen at 9 pm tomorrow. But the customer service person said they could not cancel nor refund the reservation but that they will post at 9 pm tomorrow either if I pick them up or not.

But they gave me SIX free movie codes for the FIVE reservations. I find those are far less convenient than just getting the refund/cancel, imo.

[Janit]

Sounds like its time to work your way up the support chain with an insistent demeanor:

Tell them they are taking your money on false pretenses and that the fault is theirs for having defective equipment. If they cannot deliver what they promised, then no "rental" has taken place, and you are owed a refund. Their requirement that you take something else instead is worse than bait and switch, it's fraud.

Good luck.

[Mini 9]

I'm a pushover. (first step is in admitting it)

[Janit]

Mini 9 wrote:
I'm a pushover. (first step is in admitting it)

Step 2: write out your arguments beforehand.
Step 3: cultivate an attitude of calm, polite firmness.
Step 4: remember that they didn't give you what you paid for and keep reminding them of that.

It does get easier with practice. It may help to think of such conversations as performance art.

In the end I suppose you can always do a charge-back on the credit card. Just write down everything that happened for documentation.

[Ombligo]

I've had better success with Blockbuster Express