Blockbuster Online offers more for the sam price or less
Written: Mar 27 '07
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Netflix online renting program is a great idea at heart; however there are some problems with the Netflix group that made me ultimately move my business over to Blockbuster online.
What is Netflix?
Netflix is a company that is putting an online twist on renting DVDs. By using Netflix users are getting the convenience of renting new DVDs without ever going past the mailbox. The users of Netflix are provided the postage paid envelope for returning, so the only cost is the cost of membership.
The plans are as follows:
1 DVD at-a-time with a limit of 2 DVDs per month for $4.99
1 DVD at-a-time with unlimited rentals per month for $9.99
2 DVDs at-a-time with unlimited rentals per month for $14.99
3 DVDs at-a-time with unlimited rentals per month $17.99
4 DVDs at-a-time with unlimited rentals per month $23.99
Netflix reports that the 3 DVD unlimited plan is the most popular of the plans.
Users have access to the Netflix website where they can select from a selection of over 75,000 titles from the classics to new releases to television series.
Netflix does not offer mature videos or video game rentals, and have not given any indication of adding these services in the near future. Other online services do offer these selections.
The top competitor with Netflix is Blockbuster online that is quickly picking up on the disgruntled users of Netflix.
The biggest issue that I had with Netflix is with a term called throttling. What throttling is described as is the intentional slowing of the DVD mailing system based on how many DVDs you rent a month. This is how it worked for me: When I started with Netflix I was signed up for the three at a time unlimited plan; I am also a bit of a nerd and I would watch all three DVDs and mail them back the day after I would get them, and for the longest time I would be getting 6 DVDs a week!! This would not last though, after several months of getting such a rapid return on my DVDs my rate of receiving DVDs would not exceed 3 DVDs a week. I would return normally on a Monday, and no matter what I would not receive discs again until the following Monday, slow down in the mail stream, maybe, but twice I returned on Thursday and I STILL got those DVDs on that following Monday. This seemed to me to be a deliberate delay of my movies. But what ultimately made me end my service with Netflix was when THEY mis-shipped a video. When I returned the mis-shipped video and reported that the disc was not what I ordered there became a jam in there shipment, for a month my page showed that I had the movie I wanted but did not receive, and they would NOT ship me the next movie in my que out side of the two DVDs that I was returning. This continued up until I ended my membership and they sent me a BILL for the DVD that I never received, there customer service rep informed me that the bill was in error, but they would not credit me for the month that I was not receiving my third disc, despite the weekly emails I was sending them notifying them of the delay.
I can NOT in good conscience recommend this company to anyone, there customer service is largely automated, and VERY rude. I recommend the Blockbuster online club, after 3 months I have noticed no slow down in shipping and last week I returned a movie on Monday and had the next DVD in my queue on Wednesday night!!!
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? DVD online rentals
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About the Author
Reviews written: 29
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