Behind The Fine Print Of Online DVD Rental Companies: Which Are The Best Buys?
Topics: best buys, consumer, reviews, products, bestbuys, electronics
Online DVD rental companies have grown tremendously in popularity over the last several years, and with good reason. With our lives busier than ever, who wants to be a slave to a video rental schedule? However, when there is quick growth in an industry and a rapid fight for companies to reach the top, there is often quite a bit of confusion for consumers.
In this article, we’ll compare the fine print of two of the most popular online DVD rental companies, Netflix and Blockbuster.
Is In-Store Return and Rental a Benefit or an Added Cost?
Netflix and Blockbuster are equal on many points such as price and selection. However, there is one “benefit” that Blockbuster touts in nearly all of its advertisements, and that is the fact that DVD’s can be returned and rented in the local store as well as by mail. But is this really a benefit?
The problem with returning and then renting DVD’s inside the Blockbuster store is that those DVD’s are subject to the same late fees as any other in-store rentals. This could conceivably become confusing trying to remember which DVD’s have to be back to the store by a certain date and which can be returned by mail. Just one late fee and the monthly rate of the service instantly exceeds that of most other competitors.
However, for those with good organizational skills, the in-store rental option is a definite benefit. When the mood strikes to watch a certain movie, who wants to wait 2 days to pop it into the DVD player? If you’ll be having friends over for movie night or have a hot date on a Saturday night, you won’t be stuck wondering if your DVD will arrive on time.
Cost Comparison
Never underestimate the intelligence of marketers. Most of Blockbuster’s marketing material promotes its 1 DVD out at a time plan at $9.99 per month, suggesting that Blockbuster is cheaper than Netflix who commonly advertises its 3 DVD out at a time plan. In reality, the two plans are almost identical in price.
Blockbuster’s most popular plan of 3 DVD’s out at a time rings in the same as Netflix’s comparable plan at $17.99 per month. In fact, Blockbuster is actually a bit more expensive than Netflix because they charge tax on the monthly rate while Netflix does not.
Deciding Which Online DVD Rental Company is Right for You
If you live close to a participating Blockbuster and are pretty good at returning movies on time, Blockbuster Total Access might be right for you. If you don’t have the best history of returning movies on time, Blockbuster Total Access can still be a good plan, you just may want to limit your number of in-store rentals.
However, if you only plan on renting by mail, Netflix may be the better option since the monthly rate is a bit lower due to the fact that Netflix does not charge taxes as Blockbuster does. The good thing about both of these plans is that there are no commitments. You can try one and if you don’t like it, try the other.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on best buys and consumer reviews, please visit www.BestBuys.com
Previous Articles Highlighter:
What You Must Know About Bear Hunting And The Dogs That Help Hunt Them (1)
These hunting dogs vary in breed and type. The basic hunting breeds are : hounds, water dogs, and terriers. Whatever their breed or type, hunting dogs have been bred over the years to assist their owners in bringing home food for the family.
Keeping Your Dog Safe In Hot Weather (2)
Would a baby be safe? If your answer is no, then your dog won't be safe either. Would a police officer, animal control officer, or veterinarian scold you or possibly ticket you for leaving your dog?
Making Great Hunting Dogs (3)
A hunting dog is an essential tool to the hunters command and also a faithful companion. You will not only rely on your dogs keen instincts to hunt but will also establish a unique and special relationship and learn to read each others signals, one of the reasons I love hunting with a dog.
Time Sharing Your Vacation Home (4)
Purchase a condo on one of the participating Sheraton or Westin properties in places like the Bahamas, Palm Springs, and Maui and you'll be able to come back each year, often with the same neighbors.
Discovering Rare Collectibles (5)
I could only guess as to how much money I spend on research books and price guides. As to how to make money while learning, I could only say to try to make friends with someone near you that is into items that you are interested in.
The 10 Steps To Safely And Effectively Hang A Tree Stand (6)
Start inserting the climbing steps into the tree about a foot apart and separated at 90 degrees to make it easier and more natural for climbing. Be cautious as you put your weight onto each step to make sure it is secure.
Are You Considering Online Motorcycle Shopping? (7)
All these would have been employed towards another profitable activity. The crucial point is that you have made it a necessity to buy a bike, but it must never be at all cost.
Golf Swing Technique - Tips To Improve Your Swing (8)
So getting fit for golf means exactly that. You need to work the muscle areas which play an important part in your overall swing. Each of these areas should be worked individually.
Creative Ways To Display Art Work (9)
They use various colors of frames to create wall designs that are very interesting to look at and shaped to bring attention to the art that is displayed under glass.
Vacation Home Rentals Compared To Staying At A Hotel (10)
You will be so glad you did. Pamper your self and book a vacation house. Shawn Hickman is the Internet Marketing Manager for getlistedinternetmarketing.com , www.vistacayholidays.com , and orlandohotels4less.com
Newer Articles Highlighter:
New Pets For Little Children (1)
Parents probably realize that a cat would not enjoy going to the park, and they know from past experience that cats do not like riding in cars at all. A little child will have so much fun with their new pet and the parents will learn to cope with the new relationship that has formed.
Phuket Focus On Kamala (2)
The south is best visited when the rest of Thailand is miserably hot (March to May), and the north is best from mid-November to early December or when it starts warming up again in February.
Bullfighting In Barcelona. Culture Or Cruelty? (3)
In the second stage, two Banderilleros enter the arena on foot, with the objective of piercing the strong flanks of the bull with sharp barbs known as banderillos. Finally, the matador, the human star of the show enters with a muleta (cape), with the objective of staying out of the way of the bulls horns through a series of swift maneuvers, twirling the cape in a sort of dance.
The 13 Factors That Determine Your RV Insurance Rate (4)
If you have a small fund set aside and collecting interest for damages, you could well save a little chunk on your insurance costs. 6) Type of Unit For some insurance companies, a class A motor home is more expensive than a class C to insure.
How To Shop For Treadmills - Save Your Money (5)
You'll want a treadmill with an aluminum or high alloy steel frame that's strong enough to support the heaviest runner in your household or anyone else who'll be using it.
5 Points To Choose A Moving Truck Rental Company (6)
Here's an excellent idea for finding a relocation truck rental outlet - Our saviour, the Internet! Hop online and you can easily hunt for moving truck rental companies and also compare prices.
ATV Crashes - The Eye Opening Statistics (7)
The toll that these crashes take usually result injuries ending in death or permanent physical damage. Spinal cord and brain injuries are quite common. An increasingly high number of these accidents involve children and teens under the age of 12.
Choosing Thailand As Vacation Destination (8)
Thailand also has a reputation as a golfing paradise with a wealth of world class courses that have attracted many of the best pros over the years - including American-Thai Tiger Woods.
How To Treat Dogs With Hemorrhoids (9)
Hemorrhoids are formed in the rectum area due to straining of the blood vessels and in dog just like in humans they can also occur due to a medical condition, old age, pregnancy and even due to poor diet; here are a few guidelines that will help you recognize the disorder and get treatments as soon as possible.
Wooden Or Plastic Model Of A Boat (10)
Afterwards I wash it and allow it to dry thoroughly. Thinning the paint is an art, not a science. That is something you just have to experiment with.
Permalink to Behind The Fine Print Of Online DVD Rental Companies: Which Are The Best Buys?