Netflix Vs. Blockbuster

Gone are the days of searching for the car keys, bundling up in outdoor gear and driving to your local video rental palace. The large chain video rental industry has paired up with the United States postal service to make your life a little bit easier.But who to choose? Who offers better customer service? Cheaper rates? I have gone on assignment to decipher for myself which company, between Netflix and Blockbuster, offers the best bang for your buck. Here is what I uncovered:I have been with Netflix since the almost the beginning, going on two years now. I was there when they were the first in the industry to mail videos straight to your home, no late fees, and no hassle phone calls telling you to return your movies on time. It was great. The starting price back in the day was somewhere around 25 dollars per month for three videos at a time. I discontinued my membership with Blockbuster on the spot. You see I had been renting DVD’s from blockbuster for years. Incurring the numerous late charges, almost obscene phone calls and long lines and poor customer service. In the end I would rent three movies, accidentally return them late, and in the end wound up paying close to thirty dollars for a few nights of video watching. I could have owned two of those movies for the price I was paying to rent them.So here I was in my warm little cocoon called Netflix. Enjoying the freedom of watching the movies when I FELT like watching them, not having to worry about driving across town to return them before I ended up owing double for them. Then, out of nowhere comes the gargantuan Blockbuster to steal the thunder.At the time I had had my price reduced from 25.00 to 17.00 per month through Netflix. Three movies at a time and I ended up watching more than 15 movies on average per month. Blockbusters new video delivery was offering a free month, and then 17.00 per month for their service as well. I decided to give them a try while staying with Netflix concurrently. I wasn’t about to burn any bridges, this is after all my entertainment we are talking about.I signed up for Blockbuster and was immediately disappointed. I signed up for the free month deal and within two days noticed my credit card was charged 16.00. I called them up and they did apologize but were very brief and discourteous toward me. Strike one.Netflix has an awesome feature where you can type in a movie currently playing or coming out soon in theatres and it will hold it in your queue for you until it is released on DVD and then move it up to your available queue. A great feature for parents who cannot afford the time to go see movies in the theatre but who often forget which movies they had been dying to see but never had the chance to go to. I always forget about movies by the time they are released on DVD. Blockbuster does not have this feature. Strike Two.Netflix also has more categories such as independent films, Sundance and Cannes winners and just overall more selection. They have fitness videos from yoga, ti chi you name it. They have your favorite TV shows by seasons from the very popular (Sex and The City) to the not so popular but awesome (Mr. Show). Blockbusters online experience is much like it’s in store one.The popular latest titles (often the ones with less substance) are available online, if you are looking for something obscure and wonderful for your palette don’t even attempt Blockbuster.After getting the credit card issue resolved I tried them out for a month. It took almost 9 days to get my first round of movies, Netflix, one day. And the Blockbuster distribution center is actually closer to my home then the Netflix one! Returning the movies takes just as long with Blockbuster and just as short a time with Netflix. All in all I was able to rent and watch 18 movies with Netflix that month and 6 with Blockbuster. So how are 6 movies in a month cost effective at 17.00 per month? I’m paying less than a dollar a movie with Netflix.Let’s look at the score sheet shall we?(1 for great, 0 for NO way)NetflixCustomer Service: 1Cost Effectiveness: 1Arrival Time: 1Online User Friendliness: 1+Save Current Theatre Movies in your Queue: 1+BlockbusterCustomer Service: .5Cost Effectiveness: -100Arrival Time: AbsurdOnline User Friendliness: IckySave Current Theatre Movies in your Queue: N/ASo there you have it. The end of no late fees is a sham as well. Bottom line is don’t trust a company who has its attention divided between delivery of movies and in store rentals. Netflix has one area to focus on and they are doing a damn great job of it!Kelley Freeman