Following Blockbuster's bankruptcy filing last week, NCR Corp. quietly made moves to distance itself from the company whose name it licenses and uses on its Blockbuster Express DVD-rental kiosks, according to the online The Consumerist, published by Consumers Union.
An e-mail from NCR went to some customers explaining that Blockbuster Express "is 100% owned and operated by NCR Corporation," a 125-year-old firm that planned to offer more movies at $1 a night at more locations, possibly "for another 125 years and more."
So, maybe NCR should change the name of the kiosks, suggested The Consumerist, asking for reader ideas. The comments that followed may indicate why consumers have switched to the Express and redbox kiosks and the Netflix rental service. Typos are from the original posting:
NotBuster … Paint their kiosks to look exactly like RedBox, but label them "The Box Which Also is Red." … If they just hang around a bit, they can probably get the Blockbuster name all to themselves for just a couple of shillings. … Now I feel better renting from them. I have avoiding picking them up at the store down the street b/c I thought they were owned by Blockbuster. How about calling them Block Box? … Maybe they should ditch BB and cozy up to Netflix. Netbox? Boxflix? … Sure enough I sent two DVD's in the mail yesterday to hopefully end my relationship w/blockbuster for good and they only received one. I wonder how this always seems to happen w/them. At least I put my account on hold. Grrr.
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