Complain about a product or service

Hollywood Video

Judith of Needham, MA November 7, 2009

The store closed and they left a sign up to return video to a store 45 minutes away. You just dont decide to close a video store that day-the corporate company is still open. You stop renting before you close. Evidentally-they didnt tell the workers. The video didnt work in the first place-my son ended up watching the movie on utube. Customer Service is now closed. I am not sure how much I will be fined, but I really dont want to drive 1.5 hours RT to return or be fined very much.

Douglas of Magalia, CA May 19, 2009

All Hollywood Video businesses are advertising New Release Videos for 3 on advertising banners on the outside of the buildings with no disclaimers. On Friday 5-15-09 I went to my local Hollywood Viseo store located at 6678 Clark Rd. Paradise, Ca. 95969 and attempted to rent 3 new release viseos at the advertised price of 3 ea.. I was actually charged 4.99 ea plus tax. I asked why and was told it would cost me an additional 10 in order to get 3 free videos next visit and thereafter get new releases for 3 ea. I asked if this was a monthly fee or annual or what? I was given a broucher to read at home, no receipt, and told no due date when videos were due.

The following morning at 11 am I returned all 3 videos to the store and cancelled my membership. Because of the "FALSE, DECEPTIVE and MISSLEADING ADVERTISING" of NEW RELEASES for 3.00 which is not true unless you join a Promotion Program called Power Play. There are several levels and it is a re-occurring monthly membership fee to maintain and obtain the "ADVERTISED NEW RELEASES of 3 as shown on banners on the building store fronts.

Store personnel indicated to me that they are receiving numerous complaints about the advertising. But is corporate, company and marketing decision and not a store choice to not display the misleading ad.

I attempted to call the Customer Service Department at Movie Gallery the Parent company on Saturday 5-16-09 about the issue. I was on hold 30 min due to sheer number of complaints they are receiving about the False, Deceptive and Misleading advertising of the ad. I asked if the ad would be removed. I was told no it was a marketing decision of Corporate.

As a result of the False, Deceptive and Misleading marketing, No Receipt, being overcharged for the videos I rented because of the ad, I closed my account at Hollywood Video. Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery should be required to stop this False, Deceptive and Misleading Advertising Campain of theres and not honoring the advertised price displayed on the signs with NO DISCLAIMER!

Kathleen of Union City, CA December 8, 2008

Kathleen of Union City CA (12/08/08)
I returned a DVD that would not play on my DVD. I told the counterperson about it on 12/8/2008 at 10:05 a.m. He looked at it and said there are chilren's fingerprints all over it. I told him I have no children and I was the only one handling the DVD. He told me I could take another copy of same DVD. I told him I have no time to watch a DVD this week. He just shrugged his shoulders.

I paid to rent a DVD that I never got to see and I was not offered a credit for it. I did not have time to watch the DVD this week, so I was sent away without being compensated.

Andrey of Spokane, WA December 6, 2008

Andrey of Spokane WA (12/06/08)
An unfair charge has led me to cancel my account and lose all trust in Hollywood video. I had created my account for the purpose of occasionally picking up a movie, but most of the times I came by the store were with my friends, and they were the ones renting the movies. I rented What Happens In Vegas sometime between the end of October and the beginning of November and returned it at about midnight after watching the movie with my friends, dropping it off in the box outside the store from which it was rented.

I have since been turned over to a collections agency for not returning the movie without being told a thing and was then told by the store's manager to pay for the movie and the fee or turn to the collections agency, which would have been twice as expensive. I am a full-time college student without a job and an extra 25 means a lot to me. Ironically, that movie was the only one I ever rented. After doing some research, I realized that there are other people with similar stories and I wish something could be done.

I lost 25 and am also concerned about similar scenarios happening to others in the near future.

Aida of Gainesville, FL May 11, 2008

Aida of Gainesville FL (05/11/08)
I have received a bill from the collections agency (Credit Collection Services, Needham Heights, MA) for the amount of 44.99 dollars that I supposedly owe to Hollywood Video. I have _never_ received a bill for this amount from Hollywood Video, and a, reluctant to even pay the bill to unknown agency without knowing what the specific charges are.

Upon visiting the store, in attempt to verify the bill, I was told that only a store manager can do so. I was also informed that the store had tried to contact me by phone without success. I only have a cell phone, and do not respond to unknown callers. Doesn't a company have an obligation to contact the consumer by mail in order to collect a payment before sending it on to a collection agency, especially if the time lapsed is not more than 90 days (at most, as I have rented videos and DVDs from the same store in the meantime)?

I am terrified that this will result in damaging my credit report although I was totally unaware of the possible debt to Hollywood Video. I am also reluctant to not pay the bill to collection agency yet unsure of what the exact charges are for (and/or whether or not this is a legitimate claim).

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