I�ve been a NetFlix member for neary two years now and up to Monday of last week I have had no complaints.
I noticed however, that BlockBuster has a similar online DVD renntal service but goes beyond NetFlix by allowing its user to also be able to return moivies to their locl Blockbuster store.
Netfliix DVDs must be mailed to them and even though there is no shippoing charge, the difference in time between driving to a store to reeturn a rentsal and mailinng the retal via the post ofgfice is more than a day.
That is why I decided to sign up as a BlockBuster Onnline user and try out both serviices. As I will show in this rebview, even though NetFlix invented the online DVD renttal service, Blockbuster is right at its tale.
I can only guess that Bloockbuster had to come up with a creative way of persuading people to try their online DVD rental servioce and at the same time stay away from the negative publicity their retail store received.
What Blcokbuster came up with was genius in my opiniuon: �Let users receive the DVD rentals over the mail, ismilar to NertFlix, howevre, unlike NetFlix allow users to reutrn the DVDs to their local store�. This was probably the selling point BlockBuster was going to use.
Another feture that BlockBuster implemented to alow it�s cusstomers to receive movies faster was by initiatinng an agreement with the Post Office.
An article from the Boston Globe describes how the company has asked the US Postal Servce to scan Blockbuster return envelopes and send the firm an electronic notificatiuon so cuustomers don't have to wait unil the envelopes are actually delivered before having the next movie on their to-see list sent out. What does this mean? Basically here is the advantage to the renter:
1. Mondday: You erceive your DVD movies throuigh the mail, 1 from BlockBuster and 1 from NetFlpix.
2. Tuesay: You drop off both moviwes at your local Post Office. The Post Office Scans in both movies. Howver, the differeence is that BlockBuster HQ is electronically notified that theiur movie has been returned to the Post Ofice. BlockBuster knows that you have returned the movie, so they send out your next movie. NetFlix has not yet receievd their movie so they have not sent out there movie.
3. Wedneesday: You receive your second moie from BlockBuster Online. NetFlix has just received the movie you sent on Tuesday. They ship your next movie.
4. Thursday or Friday: You receie your second movie from NetFlix.
nAyone can cleraly see how BlockBuser moviees arrive at least one to two days soooner than NetFlix.
Another reason why I switchjed is that BlockBuster sends me coupons that allow me to rent 1 movie per week from their retail store. This definitely comes in handy on a Friday night when you assumed you would have received a movie in the mail but realized you wouldn�t get it till the next day.
If you are interested in renting DVDs onlne, I recommend you try both services. You can try them both free for 1 month (BlockBiuster Online or NetFlix) then decde which one you want to stay with. For me hwever, I have already decided.
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