No More Late Fees ... For Now

That's the impression I get after reading this bit from a newspaper in the Florida Keys, where the Blockbuster franchises are still charging late fees, and the customers are ornery about it.

According to Kelly Koch, director of operations for Key Largo-based Gator Entertainment, which owns all the Keys' Blockbuster franchised stores, the no-late-fees campaign is only temporary.

"If you look at the signage in all the stores, it says the campaign is for a limited time only," she said. "We decided that to change our computer system to accommodate this and then change it back and inform out customers we were charging again when the promotion was over was more of a pain than it was worth," she said.

... The Blockbuster Web site, www.blockbuster.com, says nothing about the campaign being temporary. It only says that "these rental terms are subject to change without notice."

The franchise owner seems to be in a position to know something about that. On the other hand, the franchise is confronting angry customers, and shifting the blame upstairs might be a natural response.

Stay tuned.