Complaint Review: Blockbuster - Internet

In summary, I canceled my membership with Blockbuster back in April 2012.  After they were notified I canceled, they sent out my next rentals anyway.  I sent them immediately back to their return center.  About a week later, I get an email notification from them stating that they charged my checking account for the cost of keeping these rentals because I had canceled my membership and hadn't returned the games (again, membership was canceled FIRST, rentals sent out AFTER cancellation).

So they deducted $25 and some change from my checking account.  I didn't think much of it at first, figuring it may take a week or two for them to get the games back and issue my refund.

After waiting on a refund and not receiving one, I contacted their customer support via email inquiring about the refund, and, according to Paul, the games were shown as in transit to their return center and once they were delivered I would get my refund.

After, to date, not receiving a refund from them and going around and around with them over this for the past three months, Blockbuster is still "claiming" that they have not received the game rentals so I cannot get my money back for the games that were sent to me AFTER I canceled my membership and that I shipped immediately back to them.  When confronted with the question of why did your customer support person Paul tell me they were showing as in transit back to their return center via the USPS, all I get from customer service is the same old spiel of "Ma'am, as soon as we get the rentals, you will get your refund." 

I told them very politely I understood their process of doing things, all I want to know is WHY they haven't received the rentals back yet after almost three whole months when it was shown via their USPS look-up that they were in transit to their return center, and all she kept repeating to me was the same thing of when they get them I will see my money (it was very apparent she did not have an answer for me and didn't know what else to say).  When I explained that I was a bit tired of going around and around about this for months on end, I asked to speak to a manager to help me, but I was told, no, it would do me no good because nobody can "override the system," whatever the heck that means.

By this time, it became very apparent to me what was going on: Blockbuster doesn't like members who cancel their membership, so they send out the next rentals in your queue and then charge you for them, you send those rentals back, and all they have to do is claim they never received your return and they get to keep your money.  And don't ask to speak with a manager or someone higher up in the food chain to help get your problem resolved because the answer is, no, you cannot.  In my mind, a company cannot get any more low than this. 

Next step is I will be contacting my bank to see if I can dispute this charge on my account and, of course, I am going to swarm the internet with my complaints and advice to not deal with this company and find out who the agency is I can file an official complaint to.  It's not about the money anymore. 

The moral of this story is, if you have a Blockbuster membership currently and are considering canceling, make sure your rental queue is completely empty so they can't trap you into their scheme to soak you for every last dime they can.  If you don't have a Blockbuster membership, keep it that way.