Walmart DVD Rental Vs. Netflix - anyone have any input?

[KillerQ]

Hey all,

The only thread i saw on this was old, and I am sure a lot has changed from then. Now walmart has 2 out at a time for $15, and 3 out at a time for $18 - which is A LOT cheaper than netflix... they also have over 17,000 dvd's which is impressive already.....


So, I am with netflix now, and wouldn't mind switching to save 7 dollars a month.... what are the pros and cons?


I hope a lot of people get good info from this thread....

Thanks,

Matt

[matome]

I tried their free trial out of curiousity. Since Walmart's system is newer they'll have the more current version of the movies for rental. Shipping times are about a day or two behind Netflix, and I have distribution centers for both near me. Wanted to check out the new SE of <i>The Running Man</i> and they sent me the Pan & Scan disc even though the site lists it as P&S/Widescreen, with no way to choose. I'd stick with Netflix unless the price really bothers you.

[spazz276]

I tried out the walmart trial. I canceled it as soon as the month was over. Very long delay to get my rentals. I was lucky if I got one dvd within a week and a half, and that was a title showing in stock. Also they tried to charge me for an unreturned dvd even though I got confimation that they recieved it back. I would stay with netflix, ive never had any problems.

[scottp120]

$4 isn't a lot cheaper, at least not to me. I don't know about their selection, but I doubt it's nearly as good as Netflix. And the turn around rate probably isn't as good as Netflix. I'm staying with Netflix. They have a good selection and when I sent back a movie they usually get it the next day.

[copiedline]

I have used both and they were exactly the same for me. Netflix probably has a better selection overall, that's the only real difference. Same shipping time for both. No bad discs. No problems. However, it seems like I'm in the minority.

[jmclemore]

The real deal is Blockbuster's online rental thing. i'm doing the free month trial right now (with the coupon code cooper) and they seem to have a great selection, particularly with odd/obscure type of stuff. And they get them to me faster than Netflix. The only downside I have found is that many TV selections are on LONG WAIT status, a problem I very rarely ever have with Netflix.

Wal Mart seems to be just fine if you want New Realeases, "Hot" movies and what-have-you, but they have appear to have very little in the way of offbeat stuff and TV. I have yet to have entered something into BBV's search and not found it, while at Wal Mart's, I can enter 3-4 titles in a row and get nothing.

[madelinebh]

Wal-Mart started out good as far as delivery time goes, but after that first trial month it seemed that delivery times got longer and longer. I ended up cancelling shortly thereafter.

Personally I thought the turnover times for both NetFlix and WalMart were too long. I've heard NetFlix has gotten better over the last year though, with the opening of an additional distribution center. NetFlix definitely has a better selection, but at times there was a long wait for certain titles.

[taronga]

I've been using Walmart for a week, and I've already found one advantage they have over both Netflix and Blockbuster: sometimes 2-disc sets are shipped as one. Most are still separated, but I've found a few like Solaris (1972), The Life of Python, and BBC miniseries Mansfield Park and Pride and Prejudice (not 1995, the older one). Shipping-wise Walmart is as fast as Blockbuster for me (that is to say, still slower than Netflix), and their catalog lags behind both. I do think think that Walmart's website is easier to use than Blockbuster's, however.

Also, if you or someone in your family is a Walmart associate, don't forget to apply your 10% discount. With the discount the 4-out plan is $2 cheaper than Netflix's 3-out.

[Giles]

I wouldn't rent from a place that doesn't include the DVD of Emmanuelle in America (points at Walmart and darts behind wall :D )

[JZ1276]

I tried their free trial out of curiousity. Since Walmart's system is newer they'll have the more current version of the movies for rental. Shipping times are about a day or two behind Netflix, and I have distribution centers for both near me. Wanted to check out the new SE of The Running Man and they sent me the Pan & Scan disc even though the site lists it as P&S/Widescreen, with no way to choose. I'd stick with Netflix unless the price really bothers you


the did the exact same thing to me with the Running Man SE. I even sent it back with a note to send the WS edition and they sent the P & S to me a second time.

[JPRaup]

Netflix owns, stick with it, its worth the extra 4 dollars, the selection, shipping, widescreen only, everything rocks

[asperdank]

I would make sure and read the fine print with Wal-Mart. Unless they changed thier policy since I checked it out, any DVD that is lost in the mail is the customer's responsibility. Basically, if the DVD never got to you, you have to pay for it. I'm pretty sure it read any DVD that does not get returned for any reason will result in charging you full price for that DVD. Not worth the risk if you ask me, unless they changed that policy.

[Dvdsky]

I did a few searches on Walmart's site a while back, and their selection just couldn't match Netflix's. Also, it looked like whenever there was a choice between a rated and unrated version of a movie, they always carried the rated one. Combine those two, and I wasn't really interested.

[taronga]

Walmart does have one wonderful feature I wish Netflix and Blockbuster would pick up. There's a tracking barcode on the return envelopes. The USPS tells Walmart when you've mailed a DVD, and then Walmart goes ahead and sends out the next disc from your queue. You don't have to wait for the DVD to actually arrive at the distribution center. I dropped a disc in the mail on Friday, and my next DVD was mailed on Saturday. That said, I've only just joined so I don't know if this system works consistantly.

[nightmaster]

Having just tried Blockbuster I'm leery of using anyone but Netflix. I live in an area about 60-80 miles from any sizable city so ship times to and from are terrible, but Netflix has a distribution center in Indianapolis which is about an hour away, so it's been my best bet to get my rentals in something resembling a reasonable amount of time. I average one turnaround a week with them and was close to that with Blockbuster, but until they fix their problem shipping my queued movies in any order they please I'll stay with Netflix. I have a friend whos on both Netflix and Walmart and they seem about the same for him.

[BigDan]

Originally posted by taronga
Walmart does have one wonderful feature I wish Netflix and Blockbuster would pick up. There's a tracking barcode on the return envelopes. The USPS tells Walmart when you've mailed a DVD, and then Walmart goes ahead and sends out the next disc from your queue. You don't have to wait for the DVD to actually arrive at the distribution center.

Throughout my monthly trial, that never happened for me. It took several days for the DVD to show up as "received" at Wal-Mart and the next one shipped out.

For my monthly trial, I only managed to receive six disc rentals in total, and that was with returning the discs the day after I received them.

Blockbuster has been okay for me, but living in the Dallas area, I'm right by a distribution center, so the shipping times are the same as with Netflix.

But, like was mentioned, I don't understand why Blockbuster skipped over 17 movies listed as "available now" when it picked out the last movie they shipped to me. Why have a ranking of movies on the queue at all if the selection from the queue is seemingly random?

[FuzzyBallz]

The choice basically comes down to how close you are to a distribution and collection center. Netflix's distribution center is 20 miles from me, and the collection center is in my city. When I return a movie on Monday, I get a new one on Wednesday.

[Talkin2Phil]

Originally posted by taronga
Walmart does have one wonderful feature I wish Netflix and Blockbuster would pick up. There's a tracking barcode on the return envelopes. The USPS tells Walmart when you've mailed a DVD, and then Walmart goes ahead and sends out the next disc from your queue. You don't have to wait for the DVD to actually arrive at the distribution center.

It is hard to believe that this is true. So you are telling me that at every post office processing center every piece of mail is scanned and when a Walmart code is read the post office computers' are linked to Walmart's computers. imagine the cost yet alone the possible abuse-Walmart can collect information on every piece of mail.

[toothboy]

i would much rather support netflix (and i've been with them for a couple of years now and have had no problems whatsoever with them...if a disc has been damaged or lost, they've always dealt with it promptly and to my benefit) than support a conglomerate giant like walmart or blockbuster. i hate renting from blockbuster B&M stores, so why would i go online?

the extra $4 a month is worth it to me, but that's just me. i'll be staying with netflix.

[phr33k]

i have netflix 3 at a time i get about 6-9 dvds a week from them but i just switched my plan to 8 dvds at a time so i should be getting about 16-24 dvds a week i only go to school 1 day a week since im in Idependent study so i will have the time to watch them :)

[MrX]

I've tried Walmart and Blockbuster and neither are as good as netflix

[philo]

I've tried all three as well and NETFLIX owns all of them. Way faster, greater availability and less screwups. Blockbuster is hopeless with their queue and both BB and Walmart sent me the wrong discs. For a few dollars more you get more movies and less frustration with Netflix.

[Matt Millheiser]

Does Walmart have the UNRATED version of Calig-- OWW!!!

Who hit me??!?! :mad:

[taronga]

Originally posted by Talkin2Phil
It is hard to believe that this is true.
Here's what the FAQ has to say on returning DVDs:
A DVD should be returned in the postage-prepaid return envelope provided. The USPS will track return envelopes. When we receive information from the USPS that it has received a return envelope from your account, we will ship you the next title from Your DVD List. When we receive the return envelop at our processing center, we will remove the title from the list of DVDs You Have Out. Please be aware that Post Office tracking time and accuracy varies. If the Post Office does not track the return envelope, we will ship the next title from Your DVD List once we receive your returned DVD at our processing center. Drop-off or pickup at a Wal-Mart store is currently not available.
I mailed another DVD on Saturday, and my queue already reflects it even though this is a holiday weekend. I'm very impressed so far.

[BigDan]

The post office where I mailed back my Wal-Mart discs must not have properly tracked the packages since that never happened with me.

I guess it's something of a crapshoot as to whether a customer will be able to take advantage of this feature of Wal-Mart's service.