NetFlix vs Blockbuster online.

I'm going to sign up with either Netflix or Blockbuster online.

The prices are identical. I have no local Blockbuster so the in-store return deal is moot.

Any one recommend one over the other?

 

Netflix only because BB treated their customers like garbage a few years back. Anyone remember collection notices from BB's collection agency for movies brought back late? I do. Screw them.

RMX

 

I'm leaning that way; BB seems like a "me-too" deal without a price cut.

If they would give 2 movies for 10 bucks rather than 15, I'd go with them.

I was hoping someone would know how big a lag time each has and if they run out of popular movies etc.

 

We've done Netflix only but have friends who swear by the BB plan because they trade movies in at the store a lot while they wait for the next one in the mail.

I like Netflix because of its selection of foreign and documentary films. At one point it seemed like it was taking longer and longer between returns for them to get the next video to us, but I heard from a friend they got sued for intentionally slowing the turnover on people's accounts (not verified, just what I heard). In the past 3 months our account has been great and the turnaround is only about 3 days.

 

+1

They are still treating their customers like ****--myself included.

I signed up for the Total-access pass 2-week free trial. I canceled the day before the next billing date (on-time basically) and received 3 confirmations: one when I canceled, one when I signed back in to check the status of my account (it changed from active to inactive) and an email on that day. A few days passed, and I kept receiving movies.

I signed in and checked my status and it had been changed to active the day after I canceled and I was charged by BLOCKBUSTER for a nother month's worth of substandard service.

I had to write 10 emails to get the point across, and they finally canceled the subscription. I have yet to see the 10.81 credited to my credit card.

I will never sign up with them again.

All the new-releases have a "short wait" which can take up to one week.

Blockbuster should change their name to Lackluster. On a side note, Netflix is suing them for patent infringement. I hope they get a permanent injunction granted and a couple hundred million.

 

I am surprised that concept has done as well as it has. When it first came out I couldn't figure out who plans that far ahead of time when they want to sit and watch a movie... Maybe I just don't watch enough movies to benefit from it. Are they the same price?

 

I felt the same way at first. Many if not most movie choices when in the store are impulsive. You get what you can find. Frankly, my wife and I would leave the store empty-handed a lot of the time because we couldn't find anything we could agree on to watch right then - so we wouldn't get anything. When Blockbuster is charging nearly $7 to rent a video in Boston you get like that.

With Netflix, we both scour through the lists, see reviews, rankings, user opinion, and carefully choose movies for our queue - movies that we want to see, and we feel good about because it tells you suggestions based on your reviews of other movies. You click 1-5 star rankings on any movie you see in their lists, and then it processes and correlates them to give you suggestions - "because you liked X, Y, and Z, we think you will like A, B, C..." based on the viewing habits of viewers like you. I've clicked through and put up about 700 ratings of movies I've seen and it's giving me like 400 recommendations to peruse. Choosing mainly these referrals and the ones ranked 4 and 5 stars, I've been able to see a slew of good movies, most of which I would have had no clue about otherwise.

Now, what you lose is that ability to be impulsive and sometimes a movie sits for a few days before you can muster up the interest to watch it.

 

What kind of crazy patent does Netflix have? Renting by mail/internet can't be that original or unique idea.

I still think it's ridiculous that Amazon could patent the 'one click'. Especially since after that 'one click', there are still more clicks required to complete the order.

Geez, I'm glad the Supreme Court tightened up some of this rampant patent c**p.

 

I'm using netflix and I'm happy with them, I have friends that switched to BB online and the movies took a week to get to their home. They are switching back to netflix.

I don't watch a lot of movies I use it mostly for james bond movies, miami vice and magnum p.i.

I was told that BB stores will give you a free rental if you bring in the red flap that you tear off the netflix envelope. I haven't tried it yet. I'm thinking they will make you sign up for their service to get it.

 

I have had both several times, both at the same time for a while. As far as shipping speed I have found them to be near identical. But if in store return is not something you are going to be doing, go with net flix, a lot less hassle you have to deal with them. Simple email solves things, rather than a half hour on freaking hold to get a live body at blockbuster to handle their screw up a few weeks back.

 

I've had netflix for a while now, and really like it. With one exception, I have not looked for a movie on netflix that they have not had, whether it's a concert, documentary, foreign film (old samurai movies!), TV on DVD, or indie. The exception is 50 Years of Ferrari, which they have in the catalogue, but not yet available (so I'm still hopeful). Turn around time is 3-4 days.
Yes, I do remember why I'll never go to Blockbuster again... sounds like my experience with them is not unique.

 

Thanks for the opinions. I'm signing with netflix.

Does anyone know if its hard to break the contract; do you have to agree to a year or anything?

Do they keep charging your credit card even if you said to stop (I've heard some businesses like AOL do that).

 

It's usually just a month-by-month thing. I've cancelled both Netflix and BB and had no billing problems with either of them.

I think Netflix is the way to go if you don't live by a BB store.

 

My local grocery store has $1.49/day new release DVD's in an automated vending machine. Just swipe a cc and it only takes 2 minutes max to get the movie, less than 1 minute to return it.

I've rented a handfull of movies lately that I otherwise would never have bothered to see, purely because of the convenience. Impulse rentals for sure.

 

I'd go Netflix. BB in store return is a joke. They know that if you're too lazy to come pick one up from there for starters, you're gonna be too lazy to return it there too. BB is the king of bait & switch promotions to make money off of you.

I remember that program BB was promoting a while back. It was something like "Rent a movie and return it whenever you want!" But in fine print it said something to the effect of "if you keep it longer than 5 days you get charged for the full cost of the movie" which was like $30.00.

Go Netflix..

 

http://www.google.com/patents?id=tzAVAAAAEBAJ&dq=netflix

http://www.google.com/patents?id=ZgwPAAAAEBAJ&dq=netflix

I think they only have those 2. I don't think they will get an injunction, but I don't know about monetary penalties.

I just hate blockbuster.