Renting Movies

Q: I'm sure I know where the movie I want would be filed, but I can't find it. Where is it?
A: Reckless has a lot of quirky little sections, and could have a specialty section you didn't even know we had. Just ask the clerk behind the counter, and we'll send you to the right spot.

Q: Why are some New Releases due after only one day, and some due in three days.
A: Every week, there are going to be a few popular, brand new movies that everyone wants to see... these are going to be 1-Day New Releases for their first two weeks in the store. After two weeks, they are still new releases, but they are now 3-Day New Releases, and they rent for the same amount of time as everything else in the store.

Q: What is 5 Day Sunday?
A: Every Sunday, all of the movies that would normally rent for three days will not be due until Friday night, at 7:00PM. (1-Day New Releases are still due the next day, Monday).

Q: My movie was due at 7:00. Will you charge me for an extra day if I am a few minutes late?
A: No. We're not overly strict, and we are pretty understanding of extenuating circumstances (including "I just looked at the clock and realized it was 7:15!") We're not automatons behind the counter-- just tell us what's going on, and we'll work with you.

Q: Can you explain the "Free Kidvids" to me?
A: Any time you rent something from us, you are welcome to take one free KidVid.They are the orange-tagged movies on the bottom shelves in the Family Room, and look like this:

Q: I'm renting three movies. Do I get three KidVids free?
A: No. You only get one free movie.

Q: We want a few KidVids. If only one is free, how do I get more?
A: You can rent KidVids for $2 a piece, if you so choose.

Q: The KidVid was free to rent, but I'm keeping it an extra day. Are extra days free, too?
A: KidVids are $1 per day for every additional day, just like any other movie. We have a lot of KidVid renters in the store, and if the movies don't come back in a timely fashion, someone may not get the disc they're looking for.

DVDs

Disc keeps freezing, skipping, or pixelating

Q: The DVD I rented keeps freezing up and stopping. Is it scratched?
A: Maybe, maybe not. A lot of the time, the DVD will freeze like that if it has fingerprints on the surface.

Q: What should I do about a disc that freezes?
A: In case of a dirty disc, the quickest solution is to spray it with glass cleaner and wipe it down with a soft cotton cloth, wiping from the inside of the disc to the outside (like spokes on a bicycle). You are sort of "doing your windows" here-- trying to get the disc streak and smudge free, after which it should play just fine.

Q: I cleaned my skipping DVD, but it still freezes up. Now what?
A: It probably does have some scratches on it. If at all possible, make a note of where in the disc (what time, what chapter, etc) the skips/freezes occur, because that will tell us where to look and see if we've fixed the problem.

Q: My movie froze up and I didn't get to finish it. Can I get the movie again?
A: Of course-- you came to us for a movie, and you didn't get to watch it. Bring it to us and we will rent a fresh copy of that movie out to you free of charge.

Q: Reckless doesn't have a second copy of my movie in stock, and that's what I really wanted to see. Can you still help me?
A: We will give you a free rental credit, no problem. You can use that credit for something else, or we can wait until another copy of the movie you want comes back.

Q: If Reckless has only one copy of the movie I want, and that copy is scratched, how am I going to get to see it?
A: Reckless repairs discs every Monday night. Let us know you're waiting for something to be repaired, and our fix-it guy will make it his first priority.

Q: If you can repair scratched DVDs, can you fix one of the discs I own?
A: Yes. Reckless repairs personal discs for $3 per disc. Like any repairs, be sure to let us know where the disc skips, so we can make sure we've fixed the problem. Again, these are only done on Thursdays, so you may have to wait a few days.

Q: Can you repair discs other than DVDs, like CDs?
A: Yes. We'll need to know where the trouble spots on your CDs are, just like a DVD. We'll listen to the problem songs and make sure the skipping has been fixed. Again, this costs $3.

Q: Can you repair games?
A: This is trickier. We can process, buff, and resurface game discs, but Reckless Video has no way to check and see if the game is now fully functional. We'll do our best... but we're "flying blind" on games.

Disc won't load or "No Disc" error

Q: When I put the DVD in my player, it says "No Disc" or "Disc not found" or just says "Loading..." but never loads. Is the DVD scratched?
A: Probably not. Unfortunately, this is almost always caused by your DVD player beginning to fail.

Q: My DVD player plays other movies I put into it just fine. How could it be my player and not the DVD?
A: For some reason, the most common symptom of a DVD player beginning to die is the rejecting of one disc. As time wears on, it will fail to load more and more discs, until eventually it refuses to load anything.

Q: This sounds pretty far-fetched. Why would this happen?
A: Honestly, we have no idea. The first DVD player at Reckless' current location was a 5-disc changer, which, after about a year of use, exhibited the "No Disc" error only for copies of Runaway Jury, which was new at the time. Cycling through the changer, the Reckless staff tried all 26 copies of Runaway Jury, and not a single one would load. That DVD player worked fine on every other movie we tried, and survived for another month or two, but we had to replace it not long after that.

Q: Is it always the DVD player's fault and not the disc?
A: Not always. We've been at this a while, and in our experience, it is a dying player about 95% of the time. It is possible that the disc is so damaged it won't even load, but Reckless Video maintains and repairs discs that have even the slightest errors... we try to be aware of discs before they ever end up in that condition.

Q: So how can I tell?
A: If you have more than one DVD player, try the disc in both of them. If it plays in one and not the other, you know one of your players is not long for this world.

Q: I don't have more than one DVD player, and my disc won't load. What can I do?
A: Any time you're having trouble with a disc, you can always bring it in to us. We'll help you out, regardless-- you will get to watch a movie tonight. We will also stop whatever is playing in the store and make sure the DVD will load on our player, so we can gauge if the disc needs to be repaired.

Q: If this is such a common problem with DVD players, what can I do?
A: At Reckless, we run our DVD player 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, and our best solution has been to buy inexpensive DVD players. They sell now for as low as $30, and, in our experience, most DVD players begin to get cranky after about one year to eighteen months (right after the warranty expires). This seems to be the case whether you bought the player for $30 or $500, so our best advice is to not spend a fortune on one.

Blu-Ray

Q: Does Reckless Video carry Blu-Ray or HD-DVD?
A: Reckless waited until there was a winner in the Blu-Ray/HD format wars before stocking any new format. On February 19, 2008, Toshiba officially discontinued their HD-DVD line. With Blu-Ray standing out as the new high definition format, Reckless has begun to stock Blu-Ray titles.

Q: What do Blu-Ray discs cost?
A: Blu-Ray titles rent for $5.50.

Q: Can I play Blu-Ray discs on my normal DVD player?
A: No. Only Blu-Ray players can read Blu-Ray discs.

Hours

Q: The front page says "Closed on Christmas." Is that the only day you close?
A: Pretty much. We will close for snow days and power outages if it can't be avoided, but December 25th is the only day of the year Reckless Video is scheduled not to open.

Q: I came by to return my movie, but you were closed. Can I still return it?
A: Yes, Reckless has a video drop in the front of the store, next to the front door.

Q: I need to use the video drop because Reckless was closed, and I kept my movie for one extra day. Should I just put a dollar in the DVD case?
A: We'd prefer it if you didn't-- there's too much that could go wrong with loose money in a movie, and you might be mistaken about the movie even having a late fee. We can take care of any extra day charges the next time we see you.

Q: The store was closed, but I was only two minutes late. I saw a clerk behind the counter and I knocked on the door. Why wouldn't they let me in?
A: Unfortunately, this is one area where Reckless can't be flexible. Our store runs on a computer system, and when the store is closed, we zero out the computers, and they can't do any more rentals until 10:00 the next morning.

Reservations

 

Q: How do I reserve a movie?
A: Give us a call at (206) 524-4473, and let us know which movie you want, and when. We will give you a call when we receive the film you've requested.

Q: How long will you hold my movie?
A: Reserves at Reckless are held for you on the day you've requested, until 7:00PM

Q: What if I can't get there by 7:00?
A: We're flexible... give us a call and let us know you need us to hold the movie longer.

Q: I reserved a movie for Tuesday night. Will you still have it for me on Wednesday?
A: No. If the reserve was for any one night, and no one comes for it, it will go back into circulation in the store. If you need it for a different day, though, we can make a new reservation.

Q: I never got a call about my reservation. Where's my movie?
A: Because Reckless allows its renters to keep movies for an extra day for only $1, there is always a chance that the movie you have requested simply hasn't come back into the store, and the customer that has the movie you reserved is keeping it for a little while. Keep in touch with us (524-4473) and we'll work something out-- we can get you the movie you need when it is returned to us.

Q: If someone is keeping the movie I want for several extra days, how can I get my movie?
A: What the Reckless crew can do is unofficially called a "rolling reserve;" the movie you're reserving was supposed to be back two days ago, and it's hard to tell when it might come back. We can reserve it for you for today, tomorrow, and the next day, so we'll grab it for you and give you a call if it comes back any time on those days.

Q: I have a long distance number. Will you still call me about reserves?
A: No. Reckless Video doesn't have long distance service, so we can't call you and let you know if your movie is in. You will have to call us to check on the status of your reserve.

About Our Fire

On Thanksgiving Day 2001–our 10th anniversary to the day– Reckless Video burnt the turkey. We lost everything to flame, smoke and water, except the good will of our customers and our desire to keep watching movies for a living. We have since reopened in the blue house next to ACE.

The obstacles to rebuild Reckless were relentless for six months. However, they were no match for the indescribably indispensable efforts of employee angels Zoë and Elthea, without whom there would be no new Reckless. (Elthea has since opened Cloud City Coffee on 88th & Roosevelt). They were later joined by the rest of the staff, who have continued to imbue Reckless with their personal devotion into a store of their own. And you–you wonderful customers–have returned to our humble business with your enthusiasm, compliments, and suggestions. We are very grateful for your patronage and are glad to see you in our blue house. Now come get a movie.