[dtbog]

Blockbuster has reportedly 'done away with late fees', but I don't live near a Blockbuster anymore, so I don't care.

The nearest place around is a Hollywood Video, and they have a standard rental deal.. $3.99 for 4 days, or whatever. If you're late, they charge you for another 4 day period. I'm not a frequent movie renter, so I usually just drop the movies in the box when I return them. If they're late, I'll pay the fee the next time I go into the store.

Last time I did this, however, the girl asked me as she always does, "do you want to take care of this balance now, sir?" For shits and giggles, I said no. She nodded and rang up my purchase.

I asked her when they would send me a bill, and she told me that they would never send a bill or force me to pay the fees. Ever.

... so I asked her if the correct play on my part would be simply to never pay the fees. She unmistakably said 'yes'.

What's my line? Obviously the $4 isn't the issue -- an employee of the store told me that I didn't need to pay their fees. What is my current obligation to Hollywood Video?

point/counterpoint...

- if you brought the movie back 30 seconds late and the manager said "nah, don't worry about the late fee", you obviously aren't obliged to pay it anymore.
- if you didn't receive any sort of affirmation from an employee, you can't really make this decision for yourself.