NetFlix Shmetflix
Written: Jan 19, 2003 (Updated Mar 22, 2008)
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I don't really consider myself an avid movie fan, though I do enjoy watching movies from time to time especially older flix from the 1980s. When I first heard about NetFlix I thought it would be somewhat corny/flat out lazy to rent DVDs via the internet. It wasn't until a friend of mine rented the movie "Hairspray" (one of my favorite films that I have not been able to find anywhere) on DVD from NetFlix, that I decided that I would give the service a shot. I live in a very small town so renting from the local movie stores are usually limited to newer/popular movies only; NetFlix's wide selection was very appealing. I was signed up with NetFlix for about three months and was relatively happy with the service during this time period.
What is NetFlix all about?
NetFlix is a website that is like your local video rental store, only it's online, without late fees, and limited to DVDs (three at a time) only. You can browse through the site's movies just like you would movies at your local video store, only with the help of their search engine (instead of having to wait in line to ask for help finding a movie), and of course without having to leave your cozy chair.
The site also offers a numerous amount of helpful suggestions, i.e. other movies you might be interested in based on your selections, ratings, etc. If you have any questions about the site there is a ton of consumer info on the home page.
Signing up:
Signing up is relatively painless, you enter basic info at the site, read through NetFlix's spiel, and then you are ready to rent DVDs. The only real catch for many people is that you must have a credit card or debit card with a Visa or MasterCard logo. NetFlix does not have a service where they withdraw payment from your checking. When you first sign up with NetFlix you get a two week free trial, your credit card is billed shorty after .
My Experience:
When I first became a customer at NetFlix I could only imagine all of the available movies I would be able to rent versus going to the local video store, it was overwhelming. The only problem here is that you can only rent 3 DVDs at a time, you must send one movie back to get one back. This sounds rational, but when you start to get hooked on watching movies, six or so per week just ist enough, at least it wasn't for me. One reason why I subscribed to NetFlix was so it would keep me out of the video stores; didn't happen. It seemed like I was at the video stores more so when I was with NetFlix than when I wasn't; looking for movies to watch why I waited for my three subscribed flix to arrive. A few times I would get impatient and rent a film that was on my movie list with NetFlix, only to receive the movie from NetFlix the following week. So in addition to the $20 a month NetFlix charge, I was also spending about $20 a month renting movies from video stores.
One thing I absolutely love about NetFlix is the mass selection of movies available. According to NetFlix there are over 55,000 movies available. There has never been one movie I wanted to see that was not in their database. The movies are all categorized at the site like a movie house, only NetFlix has many subcategories to help narrow your search for that special film. If you know the name of the movie you can simply type the name in the search box. Late fees are always a pain in the butt, with NetFlix there are never any late charges.
The quality of the DVDs has almost always been excellent. I recall one time a DVD was sent that refused to play in my DVD player, other than that I have no complaints about the actual product. If anything does happen to a DVD, i.e. it gets lost in the mail, your credit card will not be charged.
Delivery is one of my other gripes. If movies are sent back on, say, a Monday, I would usually receive my new movies on Friday of that week, sometimes it would take even longer. This, of course, is subject to how often your mail is delivered. Mailing back the movies is easy and free, with every movie comes a pre paid return envelope.
Price:
The price for a one-month subscription starts out at $17.99. This amount is charged to either your credit or debit card automatically every month. I have read in other reviews that different plans are offered that allow for more movies to be rented out at a higher or lower price. These types of plans were not offered at the time I subscribed, so you might want to check with NetFlix if renting three movies per order is not enough.
Final Thoughts:
NetFlix was a fun service when I first subscribed almost a year ago, it definitely got me addicted to movies for awhile. I do feel more movies should be available per order, as well as the addition of video games added to their database. My final recommendations for this site go out to those who are fine with renting three-six movies per week. This site/service is also recommended for those who are confined to their homes. I no longer subscribe to NetFlix due to the fact that the service was no longer cost effective for me; I no longer rent $20 worth of movies each month.
Want more info?
Visit www.netflix.com, or call 1-888-638-3549.
-Thanks for reading!
Recommended:
No
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Movies
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