my favorite part is there isnt a phone number so you can actually talk to a person if you have issues

This is ridiculous. Sure, you can spin the facts to make it seem like Netflix is intentionally fucking people over, or you can look at it in a different way - they're trying to keep work for the greater good. I rent lots of movies from Netflix. I have over 400 movies in my queue. So if I'm bumped down on the waiting list for a new movie, it bothers me a whole lot less than it would bother someone who only has 10 movies waiting and doesn't get movies from them that often. It makes sense. You can see it as "punishing" better customers, or you can see it as a prioritization issue - they have a whole shitload of orders to deal with, it makes sense to satisfy the people who don't watch movies as often first, rather than the gluttons like me who watch 3 movies a week. It's not like they're intentionally holding back movies, it's that they're organizing around certain priorities. Look at the actual facts of the case, not the critics' interpretations of them.

As has been said many times already in this thread, they're still providing a fucking phenomenal service for a damn good price. I'd rather wait an extra day for my movies than pay 5 bucks extra per month. If it's that important to you to have movies at home constantly, bump yourself up to the next plan rather than screwing over the rest of us.

I always feel that if I was that desperate to see the Fantastic Four or The Interpreter I would have gone to the cinema to see it, or bought it on DVD. It's on my queue and at some point it will turn up.

On the other hand I have no recourse if I want to see R-Point or The Wishing Stairs but to either buy them or add them to my queue and as it happens no fucker wants to see either of them except me, so these titles alway arrive quickly.

I am, of course, referring to the nearest UK equivalent who are called ScreenSelect, from what I can tell though they run an identical operation. It wouldn't surprise me if somewhere down the line they weren't owned by Netflix.

I actually like the Blockbuster online service, and have had very little problems with it.

Um, did you read the article?

Zip.ca just implemented a service charge for high volume customers: on my "4 discs at a time" plan they'll ship me 11 discs per month. This plan used to be called "unlimited," but now they charge a small fee for every disc after the 11th. And they'll ask first so I can decline number 12 for the month if I decide I should be doing something else with my time.

I worked it out and realized that if I ever have the time to make them send me 12 discs in a month (so I'd actually be watching more than that if you count what would be in my posession from the previous month) it'll be because I'm unemployed.

I think I like this better than Netflix' solution. I'd rather be cut off than have to deal with a slowdown.

[Edited on Feb 11, 2006 6:11PM]

This is exactly what I did and will do again.

hmmm

well, I was thinking of getting a new Netflix account

(I had one back in 2002, but stopped it when I was laid off)

and well, I think I'm gonna try it anyway.

I never used to watch them that fast after all.

The last time I looked through blockbuster's site, netflix still had a much better selection. But I like that with Blockbuster's thing you can rent one move a week from an actual store. Every once In a while I just want to go and pick up a movie that I hadn't picked out 4 days ago. But I think I'll stick with netflix anyway. I've been really slow watching my movies lately anyhow.

Typically it takes 2 days for me to get movies. (Mail them back monday morning, get them Wednesday)

They screwed me one month, when I was actully thinking to suspend my account for a while.

It seems towards the ned of the month, or towards the end of a billing cycle, they dont operate as quickly. Since you can not cancel until they have all the movies back, they got me for one month extra. I mailed them more than a full business week before the end of my cycle. How lame is that.

I thought this was going to be about how they screw you over on their free trials by bouncing your bank account.

Unfortunately, I still like it and will probably join up again as soon as I have a decent amount of money funneling through my bank account.

actually, blockbuster's online plan is slightly better. the prices are the same, but you get 2 free instore rentals per month that can be used for any movie or game.

At the time when we chose (probably a year ago now) Blockbuster had more British tv shows and to my husband that was a deciding factor.


[Edited on Feb 11, 2006 by LuLuKiTTyFoo]

also, if you want to rent without a plan, try DVD Overnight
you have to rent at least 2 at a time and you can even rent porn. the only drawback is a long wait for popular stuff.

I agree about Blockbuster. I work at a local rental store, so I may be additionally biased. Just wondering, how much of a late fee would you or other posters consider to be exorbitant?

[Edited on Feb 11, 2006 6:49PM]