Amazon to offer DVD's to Rent at a Reasonable Price

[bob_builder]

Originally Posted by TigaSefi

I have signed up to Amazon's £7.99 service and I'll let u know how i get on. the moment I get a scratched or jumpy disc then it's an immediate cancellation.

Yes please do. I though about it then realised I will be too busy over Christmas to watch any DVDs - maybe in the new year, so I will be interested on your opinions.

[TigaSefi]

no I don't blame them, I just politely say that the disc was unwatchable and get a refund if it's a store.

Previously I went with another company online and I recieved out of 20 or about 11 discs that seriously impaired the viewing of the movie. That put me off till now. Amazon are more reputable. So hopefully it'll be better.

And the discs should be taken out of circulation after say 10 viewings. Come on it not expensive to get the actual discs itself.

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by TigaSefi

no I don't blame them, I just politely say that the disc was unwatchable and get a refund if it's a store.

Previously I went with another company online and I recieved out of 20 or about 11 discs that seriously impaired the viewing of the movie. That put me off till now. Amazon are more reputable. So hopefully it'll be better.

And the discs should be taken out of circulation after say 10 viewings. Come on it not expensive to get the actual discs itself.

10 viewings, they are not a charity. Lets see, £2 a rental. Postage costs will be 56p, the envelope it is in, probably printed in the volumes they have about 6p each. So gross income from each transaction is about £1.40.

Now pay for the software to run your shipping, CS, inventory, internet process. The people to pack and pick, their NI, sick, maternity; the disc itself, the plastic caddys to keep them safe, VAT, Tax.

A Rental DVD is more expensive (significantly) than a retail disk. Back in the 80's a friend of mine was so desparate for a copy of top gun he bought it the day it went rental, that VHS cost him £80! Prices have fallen since then and the movie houses have worked toward a commission based system, so you pay per rental, not to buy the disk outright (this is why you could not rent Warner from Blockbuster last year, they were arguing about this contract). I would think that 25 cycles is break even and 50 is what they want to get out of a disk at a minimum.

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

So the abuses of the previous user of the disk will be blamed on the service provider? Do you switch physical rental stores every time you get a damaged disk?

No you shouldnt!

Rental sites have very simple facilities to report faulty or missing disks. Either by email of online button pressing. I dont know about SMHarman but I've received the odd wonky disk - the last one wouldnt play and looked like someone had mistreated it. A nice polish on my jumper sorted it!

[TigaSefi]

Sometimes a polish doesn't help. I don't really like skipping the disc to the next clear bits just so I can move on into the movie. if I wanted half a movie then I'd put a half a dvd in it

[SMHarman]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

No you shouldnt!

Rental sites have very simple facilities to report faulty or missing disks. Either by email of online button pressing. I dont know about SMHarman but I've received the odd wonky disk - the last one wouldnt play and looked like someone had mistreated it. A nice polish on my jumper sorted it!

No kangeroo disks received from Screenselect so far, and my antique Panny A360 player is more fussy than most.

The current West Wing disk I'm watching sounds warped, it is certainly noisy when it spins, but it plays fine.

[etccarmageddon]

www.netflix.com will be hitting the UK soon - they compete big time in the states with blockbuster and currently charge around $18 a month which in UK money is around £10 for 3 disks at a time.

they have shipping centres throughout the USA to speed up despatch and delivery times - expect some serious competing when netflix arrive!

hopefully global and others will improve their weak areas due to this.

[Theodoric]

Originally Posted by theblueraja

<Snip>and up 4 DVD's for 8 quid (2 quid each for the mathematically challenged )
<Snip>

Between 2 and 8 quid each (ignoring the special case of 0 DVDs) for the mathematical pedants amongst us.

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by SMHarman

A Rental DVD is more expensive (significantly) than a retail disk. Back in the 80's a friend of mine was so desparate for a copy of top gun he bought it the day it went rental, that VHS cost him £80! Prices have fallen since then and the movie houses have worked toward a commission based system, so you pay per rental, not to buy the disk outright (this is why you could not rent Warner from Blockbuster last year, they were arguing about this contract). I would think that 25 cycles is break even and 50 is what they want to get out of a disk at a minimum.

I have been informed today by mailbox movies that the DVD rental disks cost around £40 when they are new releases and after around 2 to 3 weeks come down to £15.

http://dvd.mailboxmovies.com/welcome

Thus in order to keep costs down these people show new releases as 'coming soon' until they can buy them in bulk at the lower price. The benefit for the customer is that (in theory) lower costs means they can have more copies available or lower subscription prices.


What you'll find though is that most people who rent by mail have new releases at the top of their list and want to see them within the first week of release!

[TigaSefi]

So far Amazon r0x0r3d!!!

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by TigaSefi

r0x0r3d!!!

eh?

[Bifta]

Screenselect are beginning to get a bit crap, so far I've had 2 DVD's in nearly 2 weeks and that's with me posting them back the day after I receive them

[bob_builder]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

eh?

Well converting it into (what I think) are letters I get roxored - maybe I do not understand...

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by Bifta

Screenselect are beginning to get a bit crap, so far I've had 2 DVD's in nearly 2 weeks and that's with me posting them back the day after I receive them

global are good and I'd recommend you trial them if screen select are going crap! hmm I was thinking of trying screenselect just out of interest but perhaps not!

they reply to emails and send me out stuff on the top of my list which are always the new release of the week. the only downer is turnaround is slow and they operate that policy blockbuster have where they receive a disk then send you the next the following day - having said that though at £13 a month it's good value and the replying to emails bit is a big plus point! alternatively you can have 4 for £16 a month or 5 for £19 - I recon these prices are the best in the market.

www.globalerental.co.uk

I'd suggest trial at 3 disks then upgrade to 4 disks after the trial - but remember if you want to upgrade your package you must ask for it to change 2 weeks or more before your next billing date.

[bhoywonder1967]

Got to agree about Global, very good service.

Much better than Screenselect and Video Island for both price and turnaround. Never had to contact Customer Service in the time I have been with them, about a month after they launched.


BW1967