Blockbuster Online Shrek 2 Deal (1 Viewer)

[Grant H]

Just got an email about it.

Blockbuster Online is offering Shrek 2 Free when you sign up for Blockbuster Online for $17.49 a month. Appears to work exactly the same way as Netvlix's newly-priced (I believe $17.99 plan. 3 out at a time. You also get two free in-store rentals a month. Sounds pretty good.

I wonder though if Blockbuster is lying about the selection. They say they have over 25,000 titles. Netflix says they have 25,000 titles. I thought conventional wisdom was that Netflix had the better selection. Has BB's selection improved that much. I heard the amount of centers increased too, decreasing turnaround time. True?

Wish they had another title to choose from. I suppose I could sell Shrek 2 to somebody. Thoughts?

 

[Alvin.G.]

Do you know if you can still get the DVD if you're already a member?

As for BB, they do not have as wide a selection as NF, and they do take longer. I live in Chicago and the nearest mailing center is Minneapolis (I assume, since that's the return address on the envolopes), but I takes upwards of 5-7 days between sending them out and getting a new dvd.


acg

 

[Robert Powers]

I joined BB a few months ago after dropping Netflix. It is nice having the two free in-store rentals per month but their delivery is very slow and they ship my DVDs from the same city that I live in and it still takes longer than NF. Also lately they have been mailing DVDs out of sequence. I have had one DVD on the number 1 list of my queue for the last month with "Available Now" status and I still have not received it. They have sent me other movies lower on my list instead.

 

[Alvin.G.]

Yeah, that happens to me too. Its very annoying. I've been trying to watch the B5 series, but BB keeps on sending me discs out of order. I have seasons 3-5 in my queue, but lately they have been sending me discs from season 3 and five, but not four. And they send me the discs from a season in the wrong order (ie, disc one, then three, then two, etc). When I was with NF, somehow they always sent the right discs in the right order when I came to multidisc series.

The two in-store rental coupons are nice, but to tell you the truth, the two times I've used the coupons, I've returned the DVDs late and had to pay the fines! This was the whole reason I went to getting movies by mail in the first place.

I'm not to happy with the turn around time or the selection and I'm probably going to cancel my subscription.

acg

 

[Grant H]

Thanks for all the feedback. Sounds like if I join anything it will be Netflix. I'll only go to BB when they have the buy 1 get 1 free or buy 2 get 2 free deals.

I rented from Netflix WAY back when they started and they were fairly fast. That was when I was in college. I don't know that I ever paid for a rental. They always had freebie offers to try it out. The first couple times I only had to pay shipping which was only $1/disc or something. Later, they did freebies with free shipping!! THEN, they went to the monthly fee programs. I was attending Lock Haven University, Pa, at the time and by the time I rented the totally free ones I believe they had a distribution center in Williamsport, Pa. Only about 30-40 miles away. I could get next day service. They should have expanded tremendously by now. I'd still be in good shape if they have the Williamsport center yet.

My other qualm with signing up with BB online (aside from the fact they seem to be lying about their selection) is I'm afraid they'll jack up the rates. It looks like they're trying to kill Netflix by narrowly undercutting their price and throwing in the free in-store rentals and free DVD to boot. Also, to sign up it's 17.49 plus tax. Does Netflix charge tax with the $17.99?

I've gotten used to only renting when I have a coupon. Not that often. I wonder if I'd be able to manage 4 rentals a month to get a decent deal. Maybe I'll be inclined to see a lot more films I wouldn't otherwise bother with. Now, I tend to see the ones that interest me in the theater, and if I really like them I buy it new or previously viewed.

 

[Robert Powers]

Yes Netflix also charges tax but they really dropped their prices a bunch lately. The 3 out at a time plan used to be $21.99 plus tax per month, and now it is $17.99 plus tax. It is only $0.50 more per month than BB but I think it is well worth it.

I am still with BB but I will probably switch back to NF. I emailed BB about the out of sequence problem and I told them that if it happens again I will cancel and switch back to NF. That was two days ago and I still haven't gotten a reply.

Also BB doesn't have no where near the selection of NF.