netflix trash = free blockbuster rentals

Somebody at Blockbuster seems to have laid off the crack long enough to think up something almost brilliant.

From Dec. 5 through Dec. 21 current Netflix members can exchange the tear-off address flaps of their Netflix rental envelopes and receive on-the-spot free movie rentals from Blockbuster for every flap they bring in to any of the more than 5,000 participating BLOCKBUSTER stores.

Of course, you need to have a Blockbuster membership (which I don’t have and I don’t really want one) and according to the press release, what you rent has to be returned to the same store from which it came (didn’t they phase that out years ago?) and you’ll be subject to late fees.

Still, quite smart and probably will get a few people back into Blockbuster. Of course when those people forget to return their free rental on time and have to pay a late fee they’ll remember why they use Netflix in the first place.