where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

[bluedrop]

I bought the vudu since it was on special this christmas and was forced to buy a $50 movie credit to get it at that price. got the box today, but no $50 credit certificate anywhere in that box. in fact, when i activiated it, i had to fund my account, with you guessed it, an additional $20. thats horrible. i already paid $50. pure greed. i'd like to know how i redeem my $50 movie credit.

[redwein]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

I'm guessing the $50 will just show up in your account since there is no way to apply credit from a certificate. In fact, it maybe that it's there now but it just didn't happen instantaneously. Anybody else with the $50 pre-purchased credit able to shed some light on this?

[Augie]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

I have my account setup and my box is updating the catalog right now, but my account is not showing the $50 credit. Unless they need to apply the credit manually or the system they use perfoms a daily audit that will update our accounts.

I will wait until the weekend before I send an e-mail.

[Nded]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

After you activate your Vudu and tied it to your Vudu account, you should see a $50 Vudu Bucks credit in your account balance. You won't see this until AFTER your Vudu is activated. If you don't see the credit then, notify customer service via the webform at http://supports.vudu.com/contact.php

Be sure you include your SYSTEM ID in the webform.

[MrMonsters]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

This happen me also. I was just about to shoot off a message to support when I checked my account to get my system ID I discovered the 50 VUDU bucks had been put on my account. < About 4 hours after I had activated my vudu >

[rstone]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

in fact, when i activiated it, i had to fund my account, with you guessed it, an additional $20. thats horrible. i already paid $50. pure greed. i'd like to know how i redeem my $50 movie credit.

I don't think I'd call it greed, after all it is still YOUR $20 to spend and watch movies with, and your getting something in return for your money vs them just taking your $20 and not giving it back, which is more along with my definition of greed, which they obviously are NOT doing. Having said all that, I do agree that if you buy a box with credit attached to it, be it best buy promotion or the VUDU website, you should not have to fill your account with an additional $20 in credit.

[aaronwt]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

Then you have a bunch of upset people when their credits run out and they have zero balance and can't rent a movie. Isn't it set up to charge your card an amount and that amount is automatically charged everytime your balance gets near zero.
By having the credit info and charge amount already set up, it prevents problems in the future. I know I would rather set everything up once during activation than having to go back and enter info again.

[HeadHodge]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

Then you have a bunch of upset people when their credits run out and they have zero balance and can't rent a movie. Isn't it set up to charge your card an amount and that amount is automatically charged everytime your balance gets near zero.
By having the credit info and charge amount already set up, it prevents problems in the future. I know I would rather set everything up once during activation than having to go back and enter info again.

I agree with everything you say except that during registration if there is a $20 balance or higher on the box from promos, then you're card shouldn't be charged anything, even though you must provide it during registration.

I think that's what everyone is complaining about, not the fact that they have to provide CC info during registration, but the fact that they have credits on the box, but still have to pay more.

Registration Logic:

1) Collect User Info
2) Apply Any Credits to Account
3) If the Account is less than $20 then charge the CC $20 to get the min balance on the Account.

I would think it would also be possible to eliminate Step 3. Because when you go to rent a movie and your balance is below the minimum it will go ahead and charge your account at that time for $20, or $50, or whatever it had set it to during registration.

[jokeysmurf]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

Then you have a bunch of upset people when their credits run out and they have zero balance and can't rent a movie. Isn't it set up to charge your card an amount and that amount is automatically charged everytime your balance gets near zero.
By having the credit info and charge amount already set up, it prevents problems in the future. I know I would rather set everything up once during activation than having to go back and enter info again.

That's not what's been happening (I know it happened to me, I believe I was the first to mention it on this forum, read down). The problem is it requires an additional outlay of $$, $20 at minimum.

[redwein]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

I wonder if this is somehow related to the fact that the promo bucks can't be used for adult content. Not that they assume that you are going to watch it, just that the promo bucks aren't really the same as real bucks and the system just may make you always have some real bucks on account. Just a thought.

[jokeysmurf]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

I wonder if this is somehow related to the fact that the promo bucks can't be used for adult content. Not that they assume that you are going to watch it, just that the promo bucks aren't really the same as real bucks and the system just may make you always have some real bucks on account. Just a thought.

I should hope not, because that would be omitting a constraint on usage, which Vudu should not want to do if it wants to build good customer relationships. I'd rather presume their registration system was not built with the holiday special package in mind.

They credited my account the $50 when I brought it to their attention, however they did not offer to subtract the $20 charge. I didn't make an issue out of it because the amount is not important to me, but I do find it irksome. I'll chalk it up to inexperience on their part. They are growing fast, it can be hard to scale with expectations. I'm still on balance happy so far, I have more critical viewing to do however.

[NA9D]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

OK guys. Let's look at the reality:

Normal price of Vudu box = $300.
Normal initial movie charge = $20
Your Outlay: $320

Christmas special Price of Vudu box = $100
Outlay for credit to get price = $50
Normal initial movie charge = $20
Your Outlay: $170

For Pete's freaking sake folks it isn't greed. You are getting the box for HALF price. How can you call half price, a 50% discount GREED? That's just not conceivable.

You are going to spend the $20 anyhow so who cares. The fact is the way Vudu's accounting system is set up, it requires an initial setup with a charge of at least $20. This is VERY common in just about any pre-pay system. They have to be able to charge your card if anything to verify its validity and set up the account and all. You'd have to do this at some point so just get it out of the way now.

If you are that worried about 20 bucks, you probably shouldn't be buying VOD toys because you'll be spending a lot more than that on movie rentals and purchases.

[rstone]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

They have to be able to charge your card if anything to verify its validity and set up the account and all. You'd have to do this at some point so just get it out of the way now.

Well technically they could do what car or hotel companies do and just place a temp hold on, lets say $20, just to make sure you have a valid credit card and that there is credit available on it, then let the temp hold drop, pending the credit attached to the box going through. I don't think if you have a $200 credit from best buy, that VUDU necessarily needs to charge another $20, while I do agree at some point you will have to fork over money and $20 isnt a big deal, I do believe that when you have credit with a box, then VUDU asks you to fork over more, I can see how that might rub people the wrong way.

[NA9D]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

Well, I do agree that people could be upset - particularly with the $200 credit from Best Buy. However, I still think that given the extremely good deal for this, the end cost to the user is still way, way better than what it would be otherwise.

[jokeysmurf]

Re: where is my $50 movie credit from the christmas special?

OK guys. Let's look at the reality:

Normal price of Vudu box = $300.
Normal initial movie charge = $20
Your Outlay: $320

Christmas special Price of Vudu box = $100
Outlay for credit to get price = $50
Normal initial movie charge = $20
Your Outlay: $170

For Pete's freaking sake folks it isn't greed. You are getting the box for HALF price. How can you call half price, a 50% discount GREED? That's just not conceivable.

You are going to spend the $20 anyhow so who cares. The fact is the way Vudu's accounting system is set up, it requires an initial setup with a charge of at least $20. This is VERY common in just about any pre-pay system. They have to be able to charge your card if anything to verify its validity and set up the account and all. You'd have to do this at some point so just get it out of the way now.

If you are that worried about 20 bucks, you probably shouldn't be buying VOD toys because you'll be spending a lot more than that on movie rentals and purchases.

If I bought the Vudu through their online site, then I think they are able to know my card is valid. The idea they need to charge another $20 to prove it's a valid card just doesn't fly.

Like I said, $20 is not a big deal, its the principal that counts. People like to know up front what they are required to pay. There is no excuse here, but I agree it is a minimal issue by and large. I would just encourage Vudu to try a bit harder and be more transparent. I don't believe it was anything but an oversight on their part.