It's always someone else's fault!

[greensinestro]

Does anyone remember the days when Blockbuster still had those late fees and before you could rent movies on-line? A few years back, I was in one waiting in line. There was only one guy at the register, and he was in the middle of a heated phone call with a customer who was complaining about late fees. From what I overheard on this, he was very polite, did the fake smile voice the whole time, apologized up and down that Blockbuster charged her for being late, things you normally have to swallow your honor and pride over. After he apologized one more time and assured her the late fees would be removed, he thanked her for calling and hung up, still "smiling". Right as he hung up, he said out loud to anyone that was listening, "It's always someone else's fault!" This guy further went to say that this woman calls every week after she returns videos late, but did not expect to be charged even though she had been told about this over and over again.

To me, late fees were a great thing to have, mainly because it is aggravating not to be able to rent the movie you want because someone has decided to keep the film a really long time. It was a deterrant to get people to bring their stuff back on time. Maybe this woman was the reason they did away with that stuff?!

[Broomjockey]

I believe the biggest reason they were removed was a court decision about their legality. I'm sure people refusing to pay late fees and just go elsewhere was a contributory factor though.

[greensinestro]

I believe the biggest reason they were removed was a court decision about their legality. I'm sure people refusing to pay late fees and just go elsewhere was a contributory factor though.

Probably true, but I think the elimination of late fees altogether (which really are not, being they put a disclaimer on your receipt, saying you can own it for $**.** after such and such a date) is a way for these morons to feel they are not obligated to return their stuff on time. Working in customer service, I have dealt with people who habitually pay their bills late and/or not at all, yet they are the first ones to gripe these fees out of existance. Those that have their shit together are the ones who never complain about them.

[Daphne]

People complain about late fees at the library, and it is so annoying. If you don't want to be fined, bring your materials back on time. It's not that difficult of a concept to grasp. Idiots.

[katie kaboom]

At least the late fees to the library actually benefit the people that use the library. That's how my mom always thought of it when she had to pay the late fees my sister racked up as a kid.

[Mark Healey]

I think the elimination of late fees has more to do with Netflix. That's why I joined. I was paying enough in late fees to buy the movies. I then started just buying them and soon had a pile of movies I only watched once.

Netflix is great.

[powerboy]

I am glad that they have late fees on things. I hated that when I would want to rent a movie, and some asshat keep the movie forever. Messed up one date I had before, simply because we couldn't find anything we wanted to watch, so that we could stay in

[BookstoreEscapee]

Those that have their shit together are the ones who never complain about them.

That's cuz they have no reason to! They don't have to pay 'em cus they're not late!

Gee, what a concept...

[Binky]

see I like the idea of late fees as well...for the same reason, means people are forced to return the DVD/video so that other customers get the privilege of watching the same movie.

but they have a down side. We used to go to a privately owned video store down the street. We knew the owner really well because we were almost there ever weekend. Around the time that DVD's were coming out, another customer came in and borrowed a DVD but when they returned it forgot the DVD and just gave back the case...problem was the owner mistook this person for my sister and had put the rental under my mum’s name. Anyways, my sister was going through a rough time and barely ever left the house, if at all so there was no way it was my sister and we didn't have a DVD player so we didn't borrow DVD's. So I go in one day and the lady asked me if I had the late dvd and asked about the late fee...I explained that we didn't HAVE a dvd player and that my sister never leaves the house, and if she did she certainly wouldn't have borrowed a dvd (what would be the point??)..lady swore up and down that it was my sister that got the dvd, that she could have borrowed it for a friend blah blah blah..I put my foot down and said no, and I wouldn't pay for a late fee that was not mine. Anyways long story short apparently the other customer came in a week later to return the dvd and the owner was shocked to find I was right, it was NOT my sister and removed the late fee and gave my sister a free rental to apologise for accusing her. Well at least she was kind enough to right the wrong she was a nice lady

[Binky]

oooh just remembered something. My ex house mate K was notorious for not returning things. She used to boast how she had several dvd's that she had just not returned to the video store and had just decided she wanted to keep it! Same with some library books. Needless to say she was also band from these places because of this...but she seemed proud of her achievement

Sorry to high jack the thread