Online DVD Rental - catches?

[beano500]

Got an offer for lovefilm.com that we're Get some free rentals and then a monthly fee.

I know there are also schemes with BlockThrusters and the like.

Anybody use any of these?

Are they any good - or are there any hidden catches?

[chris watton]

I used the Blockbuster one for a day, then cancelled!! If you want to watch the latest DVD, chances are they haven't got it, as they're all out. Out of the 6 films I chose, only one they had in stock, the Last Samurei (Sp!), the rest, nope, they sent a random selection of DVDs I didnt order or want instead!
The idea's a good one, but if they can't offer you the DVDs you want to watch, then what's the point?

[esselte]

Yes,I used to use one of these schemes but as Chris says,usually the latest ones are out of stock and I also found the quality of the ones we got deteriorated ie they were scratched,dirty etc. and used to jump or freeze.I suppose people didn't look after them while they had them.I won't do it again.

[Raify]

I've gone through about 4 companies, using up all their 'free 1st month' offers. It's great, I'm
currently doing the 12 free from lovefilm.com

The only real catch is that they often don't have the very latest / good selection so it's hard to build up a list of 20. I've found the best selection was screenselect.

[selmer]

We have just finished Tesco's. The first 2 weeks were free, then you try to cancel and you get another 2 weeks. In the end 5 weeks free! In my experience the only top movie we didn't receive was 'Eternal Sunshine...'
If you do want to pay thenyou can alter your account so for instance, have one or two movies at a time, rather than the 3. The tariff varies accordingly.
Not a bad system really.

[copen 659 turbo]

very pleased with blockbusters,very fast turn around and i am geeting a good mix of old and new films

[Mrs BlueCerbera]

When we started with Blockbuster I wasn't very impressed, but its grown on me. We've had some latest releases arrive really quickly. Turn around time is pretty good. I think the secret is to keep your list well topped up, we have about 50 on ours and they've never not been able to send us one.

If you don't want them to send you random films if they've not got any on that are on your list you can opt to not have them.

[rico]

My flatmate used screenselect i think for a while. Great service!

[neil.b]

I've been using love film for quite a while now.

Not bad service but suffers badly from being out of stock. I almost NEVER get films from the top of my list (popular ones funnily enough). And I've had a few issues with foreign language films not having subtitles. AND they seem to have problems with multiple disc sets i.e. sending you disc 2 before you've had disc 1 (customer service assured me they were working on this, I've yet to see the evidence though).

Overall, better than going to the local blockbusters etc.

[tvrforever]

Glad you like one of the services I helped found in a previous life (hi Paul, Phil, Liz, Matt & Alvin if you're reading)...

We started it as pay-as-u-rent and only offered the titles 100% guarenteed in stock (real-time stock tracking system) - so you always got what you ordered. But I note now they have followed the subscription rental trend..

All a case of managing customer dis-satisfaction and hoping they are happy enough to not cancel.

The winner in it all are the theiving **** at Royal Mail - they get over 15% of the gross revenue

Good services but can't see it lasting though with Sky+ 160 and the N-VOD stuff shortly to be launched by the sat guys...

[the jiffle king]

lovefilm does the job for me. 3 DVD's at a time and it's quite nice not knowing what you're getting. Some are out of stock, but generally I get one from the top 3 on the list

T-J-K

[vixpy1]

have'nt rented a film for about 12 years!

[t1grm]

I notice Amazon are doing this. So how does it work then? Do they post them to you? In which case do you need decide what you want to watch at the weekend a week in advance. How do you send them back? Do you have to go to the post office or can you just drop them in a letter box?

[plug]

How much is the cost per month, I got a flier from WHSmiths through the door the other day £9.99/month for one film at a time or £13.99/month for 3 at a time, how does this compare to others. They seam to have a good selection of over 25,000 fims on their web site.

[thebluemonkey]

t1grm said:

I notice Amazon are doing this. So how does it work then? Do they post them to you? In which case do you need decide what you want to watch at the weekend a week in advance. How do you send them back? Do you have to go to the post office or can you just drop them in a letter box?

If it's the same as the Blockbuster system then they are just posted to you. In an alarmingly obvious packed it you know what you are looking for, I'm surprised that all of them have arrived so far actually.
You make up a list of 50 or so films that you want to watch and they sent them to you in batches of 3, which you return when you've watched them (or "timeshifted" onto DVD-R).
They come in a resealable plastic wallet which is already addressed and payed for so you can just drop them in the post box. It's a really good system and with the "timeshifting" means that it doesn't matter what they send to you when and really adds another dimension to the idea.