Anyone use Lovefilm for renting DVDs?

[Goldstone Rapper]

I've seen lots of adverts for http://www.lovefilm.com and it all seems very inexpensive. So I'd like to know what people's experience of it is.

How quickly do they dispatch?
Do you get many scratched DVDs delivered?
It is good customer service?
Is it easy to cancel?

Now that I don't have ESPN Classic any more, I want a regular dose of vintage football DVDs to rent and rip to my hard drive...

 

[Gazwag]

We use Tesco, which is the run by lovefilm I believe, have done so for over two years, only ever had one problem DVD which we sent back and were sent another within a couple of days. Usually return one DVD in the post and get the next through the door by return so if we send one back on Monday we get the next 9 time out of ten on the Wednesday or Thursday

 

[coventrygull]

I use Odeon direct. Its really good fast delivery. Had a couple of scratch dvd's. They send you a freebie by way of apology and send you the film when available.

 

[sam86]

How quickly do they dispatch?

2-3 days.

Do you get many scratched DVDs delivered?

I had none.

It is good customer service?

Never had to use them, except cancelling (see below). All web based.

Is it easy to cancel?

I had to ring up, and have 5 minute conversation, which was pretty straight forward. I believe they've changed it so you can cancel online also.

--

The one thing I would say is that YOU make it worth while. The whole service is based on YOU remembering to watch your DVD's and post them back. I ended up cancelling because I either kept each DVD for a few days / a week, and then kept forgetting to post it back. The service was very good.

 

[El Presidente]

I use their budget service, which is £3.91 for two films a month. Delivery is excellent, one in ten discs can have the odd scratch, and the choice is pretty good, if a little random from the films I have asked to see, although this keeps the excitement going as I never have any idea what is coming next (though to be fair this is because I don't read the emails that LoveFilm send me in advance of the delivery).

 

[WhingForPresident]

I'll give you the best bit of advice.
Do not do it. No matter how hard they drum it into you.
It costs about £10 a month to get 4 dvds i think, and you get 2 at a time, they sent me 16 DVDs while i was with them, 14 of which didn't work, i got no refunds, the customer service was all Africans that didnt speak a word of English and it's just a really shit service.
Well thats my experience.
Theres no problem with dispatch, the idea and process is a very good one, it's just the product is atrocious.

 

[Bones]

I reckon I've had nearly 200 DVDs from them over the past few years. Only ever had 1 faulty disc. Easy to change your package online too. Turn arond of discs is also quick as said above, post Monday get next one Wednesday or Thursday

 

[Spider]

I use Tesco DVD rental (which is powered by Lovefilm) and have found it to be a great thing to have and very good service. In 2 years of having I can count the amount of times I haven't had a new DVD returned in 2 working days (ie. me post to them 1st class, they return 1st class) on one hand.

Would agree with what others said though. Make sure you pick the right package - I do a 3 disc unlimited package but you have to keep on top of actually watching the films and sending them back. If you do it right you can get fantastic value, but if you aren't likely to watch more than a couple of rentals a week then don't be persuaded to spend more on packages you don't need!

 

[Jello]

I have the unlimited 3 disc option for DVD and games (xbox+PS3) and been using them for about 4 years. Turn around is a couple of days and had a few that don't play but as soon as you register the problem they send a replacement. I don't think they are any worse than a rental shop for faulty discs.

 

[little al]

Never had a problem with them, but as an earlier poster said, it's all about you using them. The quicker you watch and send back, the more value you get for your money.

 

[chez]

I've stopped using them as I found that I didn't have enough time to watch all the films and it was not worth the money. All I did was freeze my account online which means you stop paying for as long as you want but can start again whenever you want.

The one thing that used to annoy me was the fact that I never got the film I wanted. For people that don't know how it works, you create a list of say 100 films and they send you whichever ones they have in stock that are the closest to the top of your list. If they have improved that then it is a good service.

 

[Spider]

I've stopped using them as I found that I didn't have enough time to watch all the films and it was not worth the money. All I did was freeze my account online which means you stop paying for as long as you want but can start again whenever you want.

The one thing that used to annoy me was the fact that I never got the film I wanted. For people that don't know how it works, you create a list of say 100 films and they send you whichever ones they have in stock that are the closest to the top of your list. If they have improved that then it is a good service.

Yes that's the other problem - the stuff they send can be frustrating. I got the first disc of a TV season about a month ago and despite the rest of the season being the only thing on high priority I still haven't got Disc 2. You have to make sure the list only has stuff on that you actually want to see. There's quite a lot of dead wood on my list that I have to clear out of stuff that I get an urge to see some time, but 6 months later when it arrives I wish I'd deleted it from mhy list sooner.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

I'll give you the best bit of advice.
Do not do it. No matter how hard they drum it into you.
It costs about £10 a month to get 4 dvds i think, and you get 2 at a time, they sent me 16 DVDs while i was with them, 14 of which didn't work, i got no refunds, the customer service was all Africans that didnt speak a word of English and it's just a really shit service.
Well thats my experience.
Theres no problem with dispatch, the idea and process is a very good one, it's just the product is atrocious.

Ever thought that your DVD player might be faulty? Never experienced anything like that from LoveFilm. Had to return 3 in three years.

 

[trueblue]

I started out with Amazon, and the service was re-branded as Lovefilm (I think they were running it anyway). Only ever had one problem, and that was a disc the post office failed to deliver which was taken off my monthly tally. Emailed them, and they corrected the mistake straight away.

No complaints at all. I get two discs a month which, realistically, is the most I'm ever likely to sit down and watch. Haven't had any problems getting the ones I want either... just mark them 'high priority' on the website.

 

[Easy 10]

14 faulty discs out of 16 ?? I've had about 20-30 from them with no defects.
Thats DEFINITELY your player, Whingo.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

How quickly do they dispatch?
Pretty quickly, helps if you have a postbox near by and remember to post them asap
2-3 day turn around longer if posted weekends bank holidays.

Do you get many scratched DVDs delivered?

I had a great run of good DVD quality for about a year, but then had a terrible run, perhaps 10 plus damaged, a couple were completely split. When I complained they stated they check them all personally apologised and were good enough to send an extra one as compensation, however when one of these was damaged again I complained that they could not have checked the DVD's. They kept coming back that this was the case and they dealt with it poorly. I then cancelled and they have done nothing to try and get my buisness back at £13 a month. Prevoisuly my wife had an account and everytime whe went to cancel they gave here a free trial.

It is good customer service?

If your problem is simple ie a damaged disc or a DVD lost in the post but when it is bigger they fail to deliver. The online service is good and you can stack up the films you want to see, its good for watching series/box sets. You have to e-mail any queries and the response is quick but often automated.

Is it easy to cancel?

Yes you can cancel rally easily watch they do not bill you until a certain end date and if they do make sure you get a DVD recieved and sent before the closure.

I now use i-tunes and download rental films, lots from 1.99 and TV series you can buy from £25, got into it when Virgin dropped SKY and LOST. The rentals stay on your PC for 30 days and once you start watching them you get about 48 hours before they disapear, obviously you can also pay more and keep them. I have a lardge screen HD laptop though which is better than my TV, but its all a bit more instant.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

I use their budget service, which is £3.91 for two films a month. Delivery is excellent, one in ten discs can have the odd scratch, and the choice is pretty good, if a little random from the films I have asked to see, although this keeps the excitement going as I never have any idea what is coming next (though to be fair this is because I don't read the emails that LoveFilm send me in advance of the delivery).

Same as. Also if the disc does have a scratch you can just report it and they'll send a "free" one in the post as soon as they recieve the notification.

I've never had any problems with LoveFilm - I think it's a brilliant way of just watching those movies you keep meaning to see but never get round to. For £3 a month you can hardly go wrong. Cannot recommend it enough!

 

[Lush]

PLUS if you get a scratched one they send you another AND send you the next one on your list for free.

Well they do to me anyway.

Great way of seeing hard to find films, easy to stick in a post box when you're finished, super fast turnaround at their end and no need to worry if you don't get round to watching it for a while as no late fees. Highly recommended.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Thank you for all the feedback. Really outstanding and detailed responses and helped me to learn what Lovefilm is all about. From the comments above, i've decided to get going on the cheapo rate and get going from there.

Amazing to find the 1988 Sherpa Van Trophy Final DVD on there...

 

[London Calling]

I've stopped using them as I found that I didn't have enough time to watch all the films and it was not worth the money. All I did was freeze my account online which means you stop paying for as long as you want but can start again whenever you want.

The one thing that used to annoy me was the fact that I never got the film I wanted. For people that don't know how it works, you create a list of say 100 films and they send you whichever ones they have in stock that are the closest to the top of your list. If they have improved that then it is a good service.

keep your favs down to 10 films, then you get films you want to see, then top it up every so often with more films you want to see.