Blockbuster trumps Netflix because I can return online movie instore and receive a free rental
Written: Apr 05 '05 (Updated Jun 11 '07)
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Blockbuster's Online rental site is good, but not quite as good as Netflix. My girlfriend and I are both residents of Bellingham, WA, and we live about 90 miles from the Seattle hubs for both Netflix and Blockbuster. She signed up for Netflix, and I signed up for Blockbuster, in order to compare the two. Both are good, but Netflix has the advantage in speed of processing/delivery of movies, a slightly larger and more diverse movie base, and better online website with more current and new releases advertised than Blockbuster. Blockbuster online, however, offers its users two free in-store rental coupons each month, which is a great perk.
For those unfamiliar with the how these companies work, both allow you to have up to 3 movies at a time, and you can keep a movie as long as you want with no late fees -- you just pay your monthly subscription fee. Blockbuster lowered its monthly fee to compete with Netflix. You go online to the company's website, compile a list of movies you want to rent, and rank them in the order of priority you want them shipped. You can constantly modify your list and the rankings. Once movies have been shipped, you don't receive the next movie on your list until you return one of the movies in your possession.
Delivery speed: During my Blockbuster free trial period (which was 4 weeks), I could not believe how fast movies would be delivered. I would typically receive a movie the day after it shipped, two days at the most. Blockbuster has a feature where return movies can be tracked in the mail, so they can consider a movie "received" before it is actually physically back at the warehouse, so during the trial period several times I ended up with recieving the next movie on my list the day after I shipped one off. I almost always had three actual movies in the house to choose from. However, once the trial period was over, the delivery speed slowed down very significantly. I now typically receive a movie 3 to 4 days after it has shipped. Several times I have been caught without movies over a weekend, because I mailed them back on a Tuesday or Wednesday, and then didn't receive any until the following Monday. The system no longer seems to track movies that I mail off, and takes at least two days, usually three days, from the day I mail a movie back for Blockbuster to acknowledge it was received. More than once I have mailed two movies back on the same day, but inexplicably, one of the movies won't be recorded as being "received" for a day or two after the other movie.
Netflix delivery speed is more consistent, and movies are almost always marked received the second day after it is mailed from the customer. Likewise, we can count on receiving a movie two days after it is shipped by Netflix. And, most of the time a new movie is shipped the same day it is recieved by Netflix. Blockbuster seems to wait a day after receipt of a returned movie.
Use of the Queue: the user's list of movies is called a "Queue" at Blockbuster. The system works well, and is pretty simple. You browse Blockbuster's selection of movies, and simply click "add to queue" and the movie goes onto your list. You can then go to the queue and manage the list, moving the movies up or down in priority. Sometimes the software glitches and it takes a try or two to set the order you want. Once movies are in your queue, you are told whether the movies is "available now" or if there is a "short wait" or "long wait" for rental. The system allows you to put movies that are not yet released on DVD into your list, and these are marked as "coming soon." Netflix's system is virtually the same. One feature I like from both companies is when you are renting a television series, you can select a whole season at once, and then specify whether you want the discs and episodes sent in order, or if you only need certain discs. One feature I am disappointed with is that movies that have separate "special features" count as two movies (the companies don't send you the movie and the special features disc in the same envelope). So, sometimes I get a movie, watch it, then have to wait a couple of days to see the special features, if I am still interested.
Movie selection and availability: Blockbuster and Netflix both have a large selection of new movies, older movies, and television series. Netflix definitely has more older or obscure titles, and I have been able to rent some BBC series and other foreign movies from Netflix that simply aren't available on Blockbuster's site. The selection of new movies seems to be about the same, though Blockbuster might have a slight edge with the time you have to wait for a new release. However, Netflix does a much better job of informing you of newly released movies. For example, today (April 5, 2005) Blockbuster's site lists as the New Releases: Exorcist, the Beginning (released on March 1st), Saw (released February 15th), The Grudge (released February 1st) and Mean Creek (Released January 25th). The most recent of their new releases is over a month old!! Netflix, on the other hand, has in its New Release section: Spanglish (rel. April 5th), Sideways (rel. April 5th), Elektra (rel. April 5th), Closer (rel. March 29th), and Being Julia (rel. March 22nd). Each of the newly released movies is available on Blockbuster, but you have to run a search for the title, then go to that page, then add it to your list. I think that Blockbuster intentionally holds off on advertising the true New Releases so as not to decimate the in-store rentals of new releases. Whatever the reason, it is much easier to stay abreast of the New Releases, and to order New Releases with Netflix.
Customer service: Have not had problems with either company. Netflix has twice (in 5 months), shipped movies that were damaged and could not be watched. However, you simply report to them on the website that the disc is bad, and they send you a new one right away, without waiting for you to mail back the bad one. Blockbuster has the same system, but so far no bad discs have been sent.
Summary: Having experience with both, I think Netflix is the better choice for online services in terms of delivery speed and movie selection. I have continued with Blockbuster primarily because of the two free coupons they offer each month for in-store rentals. It is nice to actually get up off the couch and go out to the store and browse through the aisles sometimes. Plus, those coupons work for video game rentals too, which is a big plus for anyone with children (or adult gamers like me).
UPDATE JUNE 2006: BLOCKBUSTER NOW BETTER THAN NETFLIX. Most of the original review still applies: however, a few months after posting my review I switched to Netflix because of the larger selection of movies. Unfortunately, Netflix eventually slowed its delivery times considerably, and it would take two days just for them to ship the next movie owed after they received a return from me. So, I would send a movie on a Monday, and not receive the next movie until the following Saturday.
Netflix has a written policy of giving lower priority for requests in the Queue to the high volume users, and it prioritizes the requests and delivery of movies to members who use the service less often. That means a "power user" who watches a lot of movies each month has to wait longer for New Releases even if they are at the top of the Queue, if someone who only watches 4 movies a month wants it. As well, the company has an unwritten policy to "throttle" or limit the total number of movies shipped to a given client per month (you can Google the words "Netflix", "throttle" or "throttling" and "lawsuit" or "settlement" and read news articles regarding Netflix's fraudulent claims of "unlimited" movies and a pending settlement of a class action lawsuit for false advertising). Therefore, even with the basic account allowing 3 movies out at a time, because of slow downs in shipping, I could not really watch more than about 10 movies a month total. (Still, for most, approximately twenty dollars a month for 10 movies is a very good bargain.) Ironically, after I complained in writing to Netflix about the slow down in delivery times, I began receiving broken and unplayable DVD's, about eight over a 3 month period.
At that same time, Blockbuster Online began touting its improved delivery times, and restructured its basic rental program to include a coupon for a free in-store movie rental every week! (In the past, you could print out your two coupons and use them any time within the month, and even use them the same day, and you could rent a movie or a game. The catch with the new coupons is that they are only good for movie rentals, and you can only access and print out one coupon a week, so use it within the week or lose it).
I switched back to Blockbuster, and have now been using the Blockbuster service for 5 months, and the delivery times are indeed improved: they receive my returns the day after I mail, immediately ship the next movie in line, and I receive it the next day. No broken DVD's yet, either.
However, I miss Netflix's software, as it was easier to read the movie summary, and search for movies. And, I think Netflix still has a slightly more comprehensive catalogue. But, Blockbuster says that they are upgrading their software in the next month. With a free in-store movie rental each week, and with faster, more consistent deliveries, Blockbuster now beats Netflix.
Update June 2007:
Blockbuster now lets you return your online movies at a store, and use the return envelope as a coupon to rent a movie at the store. And, you still get a free rental coupon each month. I still am disappointed Blockbuster doesn't carry some of the more obscure movies I've looked for, while Netflix does. However, I can easily rent 15-20 movies a month for the subscription price: more movies than I realistically end up watching.
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Blockbuster Entertainment Online
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pagladave
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