Warm: Netflix $15.99 a month

[modestninja]

I'm in Minneapolis and currently subscribed to both. Here are my observations:

Shipping:
- When I started Netflix it used to get a 2-day turn around time, now after 6 months they've slowed down to 3-5 days. I know their distribution center hasn't changed or anything because my gf that I live with just signed up for a free trial and she has a 2 day turn around time.

- Blockbuster, I currently have a 2-day turn around time (I've only been with them 2 weeks).

Availability of movies:
- Again when I originally had Netflix I got every new movie right away. Now I have to wait for "long wait" on any popular new movie. Older or more obsure movies are always available,

- No wait for new releases. The only wait I had was a short wait for Brotherhood of the Wolf.

Fullscreen/Widesreen:
-Netflix: I've never received a Fullscreen DVD from them (unless it was one that had both).

-Blockbuster: As has been stated before they have the option of fs or ws. I've received ws every time (that the only thing I get).

Overall, I've had a better experience with Blockbuster lately because Netflix has slowed down my turnaround time so much and moved me to the bottom of the priority queue for anything new. However, I've only been with Blockbuster a couple weeks for their trial, so who knows how good they'll be after 6 months.

 

[theslug]

The quality of service definitely depends on where you live I'd say. I live near the Gaithersburg, MD one and always receive a disc by the 3rd day, a day that's actually earlier than what they say is my estimated arrival date on their site. For instance, if I ship a disc back Monday morning, the next disc will arrive Wednesday.

 

[bluecord]

Netflix rules!!!

 

[ScottFern]

Originally posted by: AU Tiger
Never had any problems with Netflix so I won't be switching until they screw up. I get two day turn around in Charlotte, NC and I have always received widescreen. This is with an average of about 6 movies a week.

I second that. No complaints here.

 

[gflores]

Netflix all the way.

 

[moonsite]

I had netflix before. At first it was very fast, especially when I started out with the 2 weeks free trial. But after a month or so, the shipment get slower and slower. I don't even rent the new releases. So I canceled after a few months. I don't have experience with blockbuster, but will soon.

 

[tonytone]

I'm only offered the following:

Get a Great Deal by switching to the 2-at-a-time (4 rentals a month) plan. It's perfect for customers who watch fewer movies and want the convenience of home delivery, no due dates and no late fees. Here's how it works:

* Remain a Netflix customer for the next six months.
* Switch to our 2-at-a-time (4 rentals a month) program for only $9.99/month (plus tax). This plan is regularly priced at $11.99. Learn more.
* At the end of six months, if you're still enjoying your Netflix subscription, do nothing and your membership will continue on a month-to-month basis at the standard $11.99 price.
* If you cancel before the six months are over, you will be charged the difference between the regular subscription price and the discounted rate, but only for the number of months you've enjoyed the discount.


Get your next six months of Netflix Service for just $9.99/month!

 

[pxc]

I've had BB online for 7 weeks now and i'm very happy with it. My rate is about 20 movies every 4 weeks, plus 2 in-store rentals a month. I got a free movie for signing up (Spider-man 2) and an extra 4 weeks free after the 2 week trial.

2 minor problems I had were: a movie that took over 1 week to get to me. I marked that i didn't receive it and a replacement was shipped the next day. And a movie that I returned didn't show up as received so I had to manually mark that it was returned. I thought the post office lost both, but I eventally did receive the missing movie and the other movie showed as received after 3(!) weeks (probably after another person rented the same copy... in-store they have the same problem).

 

[kamranziadar]

I love my $1 Movie store in woodbridge VA. You can have any movie in DVD for $1 for a day.

 

[jm0ris0n]

For me netflix is much better than blockbuster. Blockbuster's turnaround time for houston stink !

 

[dak125]

I've used both and Netflix outranks Blockbuster considerably. The ship time to Chicago for Blockbuster wasn't good at all. Netflix, on the other hand, was quite good. The instore rentals was a nice bonus. I don't like the fact that Blockbuster is trying to force everyone else out of the market either.

 

[anno]

I'm real happy with blockbuster.. I never tried netflix so I can't compare and I haven't had blockbuster for all that long.. signed up with the free shrek 2 deal.. but the 2 instore rentals make the deal for me.. games for my son, movies for me, 14.99/month.

the post office scanning the movies as on their way has worked well for me, I occasionally get the next movie the same day I get the email that the last one was received. mine come out of charlotte, but they have to come to columbia so it's not instant, but once in a while I get the next movie 2 days after I put one in the mail, and almost always on the third day (discounting sunday).

 

[tjaisv]

well they're both awesome for copying dvd rentals

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: FTLOSM
And thats coming from somone who hasn't stepped foot in blockbuster for over a year, just don't care to go there - with those in store coupons you gotta watch out for the no late fee thing, don't quote me but i think it goes like this, you rent, your late returning past rental time frame (I think 7or8 days) then you just BOUGHT (they charge you) for the item... Nice there isn't a strict by midnight type return, yet folks who lapse more than a day or two may find an extra charge on their CC come the end of the month...

Again thats for the in store coupons, not the online rental thing, I do enjoy being able to go get a few xbox titles for free in a sense ontop of my online membership thing...

That's not exactly how it goes. You rent a movie or game. Let's say you get it for a week. It'll be due back a week from the next day, by noontime. It's always a noon policy as far as I know. If you go 7 days past the due date, the movie/game is purchased on your blockbuster account at a price of what a previewed movie/game would retail for minus what you paid to rent it. It will only charge your CC if you have a CC on the blockbuster account. You have 30 days from the date of being charged to return the movie/game for a refund of the entire charge, but you'll have to pay $1.25 (this actually varies +-$0.25 depending on region) for the movie/game to be placed back into inventory. Before the late fees, if you had kept your weekly rental movie out for the due date, plus 7 days, plus nearly another month, you'd have close to $20 in late fees on there that you'd have to take care of.

Besides, if you're renting a movie that's a week rental...it's not hard to watch the movie within 15 days and bring it back. That's more than enough time.

 

[Nutzo]

Originally posted by: Queasy
List of Netflix distribution centers - Link

List of Blockbuster distribution centers - Link

Cool, they both now have distribution centers in Santa Ana, only about 20 miles away from me

Think I'll try Netflix & when they start slowing down because I'm renting too many, I'll switch to Blockbuster

 

[crimson117]

Originally posted by: Avalon

Originally posted by: FTLOSM
And thats coming from somone who hasn't stepped foot in blockbuster for over a year, just don't care to go there - with those in store coupons you gotta watch out for the no late fee thing, don't quote me but i think it goes like this, you rent, your late returning past rental time frame (I think 7or8 days) then you just BOUGHT (they charge you) for the item... Nice there isn't a strict by midnight type return, yet folks who lapse more than a day or two may find an extra charge on their CC come the end of the month...

Again thats for the in store coupons, not the online rental thing, I do enjoy being able to go get a few xbox titles for free in a sense ontop of my online membership thing...

That's not exactly how it goes. You rent a movie or game. Let's say you get it for a week. It'll be due back a week from the next day, by noontime. It's always a noon policy as far as I know. If you go 7 days past the due date, the movie/game is purchased on your blockbuster account at a price of what a previewed movie/game would retail for minus what you paid to rent it. It will only charge your CC if you have a CC on the blockbuster account. You have 30 days from the date of being charged to return the movie/game for a refund of the entire charge, but you'll have to pay $1.25 (this actually varies +-$0.25 depending on region) for the movie/game to be placed back into inventory. Before the late fees, if you had kept your weekly rental movie out for the due date, plus 7 days, plus nearly another month, you'd have close to $20 in late fees on there that you'd have to take care of.

Besides, if you're renting a movie that's a week rental...it's not hard to watch the movie within 15 days and bring it back. That's more than enough time.

This has been really useful to me, but I don't see how they can keep it up. As my gf pointed out, it just makes it more likely that the new release you wanted won't be there, cause people can keep them out longer.

 

[Samus]

I just got a netflix trial account a few days ago, movies got here in 2 business days. I received all WIDESCREEN movies, no 4:3 dvds.

I probably wont even try the blockbuster account because they've screwed everyone I know including myself in the past, who's to say they wont do it again. Doesn't anyone remember they lost a class action lawsuit for like $500 million dollars for randomly charging people late fee's.

I should also mention that BB's online program has issues regarding 'loosing mail' ie people send in movies and BB says they were never received. Seems like the same thing they've been tried and fined for before...

 

[Glpster]

I just popped off my E-mail to BlockBuster laughing at them and telling them that they can kiss my a$$.

After YEARS of overcharging for their movies, upping the price of old movies, and generally acting like the only game in town monopoly that they've essentially been, they think that trying to price gouge NetFlix by a couple of bucks with a service that NetFlix created, and Blockbuster prayed to God such a day would never come to bite into their profit mongering regular screwing over of their customers with their ridiculous prices, short new release rental periods, and outrageous late fees even on movies that they have 20 other copies sitting in the store at the time they charge you, that irate customers like myself are going to come flying back to them in fits of passion!!

Hell no!!!!

I'm absolutey through with Blockbuster except for those occasions when there are spur of the moment, have to have the movie right this instant. Which are few and far between for me.

Sure Blockbuster thinks they can undercut NetFlix and hope to drive them out of business with their Blockbusting wealth (garnered from years of screwing over you and me), and then those of you flocking back over to Blockbuster can tell us ALL how much you love them when they've killed NetFlix and raised their subscription prices to $30 a month for the standard service!

Well, I for one won't be a part of that. I just hope NetFlix can hold on long enough and their are enough loyal customers like myself pissed off enough at BB for years of abuse, such that Blockbuster will begin to understand the pain of REAL competition forever.

:|

 

[Glpster]

Oh one other thing,

Unlike the larger and far more greedy companies (like Blockbuster) NetFlix made 100% of it's political donations to Democrats!!! The biggest, greediest, and most destructive companies (of course) donated primarily to Republicans.

So, if you want to prevent national horrors like Presichimp Shrub and other republicans who are regularly into screwing over the average American while pandering to the ultra religious wackos who are more interested in finding whatever means possible to harm people they don't like, than doing what is good for the nation, then stay with (or switch to) NetFlix.

:thumbsup:

 

[GTFan]

Someone needs to switch to decaf after an allnighter...

 

[Morpheux]

Thank you for the imput on Lanssing/East Lansing area Bill. I'll be trying out BB after spending 5 months with Netflix. I've got 6 of my top 10 on short/long wait atm.

 

[Queasy]

Glpster, I think it's time to increase your medication and see your shrink again. Clearly, the P.E.S.T (Post Election Stress and Trauma) syndrome is getting the better of you.

 

[BlackGlove]

I have used both NetFlix and Blockbuster. Turn around time and service has been the same for me. The deal clencher for me was the 2 coupons per month for free rental (Game or Movie) from Blockbuster. So technically, you could have as many as 4 movies or 3 movies and a game out at one time. Granted, you still have to deal with bringing back the Brick or Mortar rented item within a certain time period. Haven't had a problem yet. Blockbuster generally has the newer movies more readily avaible than NetFlix. Just my experience.

 

[BlackGlove]

Originally posted by: Glpster

I just popped off my E-mail to BlockBuster laughing at them and telling them that they can kiss my a$$.

After YEARS of overcharging for their movies, upping the price of old movies, and generally acting like the only game in town monopoly that they've essentially been, they think that trying to price gouge NetFlix by a couple of bucks with a service that NetFlix created, and Blockbuster prayed to God such a day would never come to bite into their profit mongering regular screwing over of their customers with their ridiculous prices, short new release rental periods, and outrageous late fees even on movies that they have 20 other copies sitting in the store at the time they charge you, that irate customers like myself are going to come flying back to them in fits of passion!!

Hell no!!!!

I'm absolutey through with Blockbuster except for those occasions when there are spur of the moment, have to have the movie right this instant. Which are few and far between for me.

Sure Blockbuster thinks they can undercut NetFlix and hope to drive them out of business with their Blockbusting wealth (garnered from years of screwing over you and me), and then those of you flocking back over to Blockbuster can tell us ALL how much you love them when they've killed NetFlix and raised their subscription prices to $30 a month for the standard service!

Well, I for one won't be a part of that. I just hope NetFlix can hold on long enough and their are enough loyal customers like myself pissed off enough at BB for years of abuse, such that Blockbuster will begin to understand the pain of REAL competition forever.

:|

What abuse?? Hey, I have been cracked with late fees in the past and was not happy about it. But it's not like Blockbuster kept the rules a secret. If I was running a businness that depended on having a inventory item available to make a buck but had people chronicaly late......I too would impose a fee to make up for the potential rental revenue I may have lost. Anyway,I am sure that NetFlix and other forms of it will continue to find ways to stay in businness for many years to come. In the meantime, I will reap the benefits of a competitative business market as a consumer. Long live Wal-Mart and BlockBuster!!

 

[Delerious]

I'm on Long Island and Netflix is defintely faster. I've had Blockbuster free for 3 months now though which is the only reason I've kept them. However with all the efforts BB is going through to beat Netflix they sure are looking good.