Movies in Your Mailbox
First there was the remote control...you don't even have to leave the
comforts of your couch to change the channel. Now you can have movies
delivered right to your mailbox. You no longer need to even leave your
house to rent DVDs! Some would say How cool is that? Others might
lament, How lazy is that? Whether you agree or disagree with it mail
movie rental is big business, and likely here to stay.
Two of the big players in the DVD rental arena are Netflix and
Blockbuster. Lets take a look at both programs below.
Netflix launched its online movie rental service in 1999 and currently
has more than 3,000,000 customers.
With Netflix you can rent as many DVDs from the comfort of your home
and have them delivered to your door in about 1 business day via U.S.
Mail. There are no late fees and no due dates, and shipping is free
both ways. Plans range from $9.99-$17.99 plus any applicable tax. When
you finish watching a movie, simply put it in its prepaid envelope and
mail it back to them. After they receive it, theyll send you another
movie.
Netflix has a wide selection of movies everything from classics to new
releases, with 40,000 titles. Their web site is available 24 hours a
day and makes finding movies simple and convenient. New customers can
try it free for two weeks. You can cancel your membership anytime;
there are no cancellation fees.
Blockbuster now has a very similar online mail delivery movie rental
program. Their program started in March 2005 and they have a online DVD
library with more than 30,000 titles. Their monthly fee is $14.99 (plus
applicable taxes) for an unlimited number of DVDs. You can have up to
three out at one time. Return them in the postage-paid envelope and
youll receive others that you have selected. Also as a member, each
month Blockbuster give you two ecoupons for free in-store movie or game
rentals. You can cancel at anytime. They also have a free trial
membership.
The up-side of these online, mail delivery rental programs is there are
no due dates or late fees, you dont have to go into the store and there
are more available selections than the stores carry. The downside is
that you have to wait for delivery in the mail. Only you can decide the
pros and cons of which program fits you best. You have lots of choices
now!