RentmyDVD.com Inc. More Feedbacks. Please let us know
10-03-01, 03:11 AM
#101
Cool New Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yaright:
Where did you hear Netflix stopped buying anime DVDs???
If that's true, I guess I should cancell my membership at Netflix. It's the only reason I joined Netflix.
To anyone who's a member of RentMyDVD.com, which one has better anime DVD collection? I know RentMyDVD has a separate section for anime DVDs, but Netflix put all anime titles in "foreign" section.
Thanks.
-mcmlxxv-
Where did you hear Netflix stopped buying anime DVDs???
If that's true, I guess I should cancell my membership at Netflix. It's the only reason I joined Netflix.
To anyone who's a member of RentMyDVD.com, which one has better anime DVD collection? I know RentMyDVD has a separate section for anime DVDs, but Netflix put all anime titles in "foreign" section.
Thanks.
-mcmlxxv-
10-03-01, 05:25 AM
#102
Cool New Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To RMDInc,
I got this coupon #019513 ($20.00 value) from a website for use at www.rentmydvd.com site. Is this a valid coupon? If it's not, is there any current coupon for www.rentmydvd.com?
Thanks.
-mcmlxxv-
I got this coupon #019513 ($20.00 value) from a website for use at www.rentmydvd.com site. Is this a valid coupon? If it's not, is there any current coupon for www.rentmydvd.com?
Thanks.
-mcmlxxv-
10-03-01, 02:00 PM
#103
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 948
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by mcmlxxv
Yaright:
Where did you hear Netflix stopped buying anime DVDs???
If that's true, I guess I should cancell my membership at Netflix. It's the only reason I joined Netflix.
To anyone who's a member of RentMyDVD.com, which one has better anime DVD collection? I know RentMyDVD has a separate section for anime DVDs, but Netflix put all anime titles in "foreign" section.
Thanks.
-mcmlxxv-
Yaright:
Where did you hear Netflix stopped buying anime DVDs???
If that's true, I guess I should cancell my membership at Netflix. It's the only reason I joined Netflix.
To anyone who's a member of RentMyDVD.com, which one has better anime DVD collection? I know RentMyDVD has a separate section for anime DVDs, but Netflix put all anime titles in "foreign" section.
Thanks.
-mcmlxxv-
RMD has almost no anime, just a couple of the more popular full length movies. They have a smattering of DVDs from within series, like they will have Vol. 3 and Vol. 5 of an 8 disk series, which helps only if Netflix has a lot of other people trying to get Vol. 3 and Vol. 5.
However, as stated above, RMD says they are in the process of ordering some anime. For some reason, they only gave us less than 24 hours notice to make suggestions, so what they ordered could be anything (or much of nothing) - we'll see.
10-03-01, 02:03 PM
#104
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 278
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Matt...so far Rentmydvd.com has been a pleasure.
I'd love to see your website expand though. It would be nice to get a larger selection of movie suggestions. The Horror catagory is a nice example..broke down first by Horror and then by sub-genres. Good for stimulating ideas for new rentals.
However, most of the other catagories offer less titles and most of those any serious film goer has already seen.
Highlighting your current inventory in a better manner would help reduce the frenzy over getting the new releases out.
Keep up the great work.
I'd love to see your website expand though. It would be nice to get a larger selection of movie suggestions. The Horror catagory is a nice example..broke down first by Horror and then by sub-genres. Good for stimulating ideas for new rentals.
However, most of the other catagories offer less titles and most of those any serious film goer has already seen.
Highlighting your current inventory in a better manner would help reduce the frenzy over getting the new releases out.
Keep up the great work.
10-10-01, 11:11 AM
#105
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 1,545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: More on 1-out
Originally posted by HepDude
Either you need to lower your single-time rental price to equal the other rental sites (which works out to $3.50 with shipping included), or else you need to add a "1-out".
Personally, I would prefer the "1-out" because during this period with lots of TV to watch, I don't want to have to fit in a DVD just because it is "due" in a week. So, this echoes the argument of the preceding person, that "1-out" people are going to be checking out less than half the DVDs of "2-out" people, and if you charge more than 50% (ie $7.95), RMD comes out ahead as well.
Either you need to lower your single-time rental price to equal the other rental sites (which works out to $3.50 with shipping included), or else you need to add a "1-out".
Personally, I would prefer the "1-out" because during this period with lots of TV to watch, I don't want to have to fit in a DVD just because it is "due" in a week. So, this echoes the argument of the preceding person, that "1-out" people are going to be checking out less than half the DVDs of "2-out" people, and if you charge more than 50% (ie $7.95), RMD comes out ahead as well.
One-Out!
One-Out!
One-Out!
=)
10-10-01, 07:16 PM
#107
Member
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Rochester, MN, USA
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
mcmlxxv,
Sorry I didn't see your message sooner.
Even tho there are links on Netflix to cancel (some implying the next click will be THE END), the very last page in the chain instructs you to call an 800 number to cancel over the phone.
I had written an email a week earlier asking about their plans for anime, but got no response. The CSR I spoke to asked why I was leaving. I explained it was because of the lack of new anime (yes they do have an extensive back catalog, but I'd viewed everything of interest to me). She couldn't tell me when they would resume purchasing.
So to answer your question, I was not told "we are abandoning anime". But they didn't dispute my claim that they had stopped buying it, and wouldn't/couldn't tell me when I could expect to see new titles (anything past May 2001) arrive. I asked if things seemed likely to change yet this year, and my recollection is that she said "no".
Like I said before, if they have a DVD you want to see, I had no complaints (I'm pretty patient, and was happy averaging 4-6 disks a month).
There was another thread (I haven't been able to find) which lists all of the series they abandoned. Here are some titles I remember (just looked up), and the # disks they have/ # disks released to date - date last disk they do have was released (*=I purchased the whole dang series cause I was hooked and left hanging):
Rurouni Kenshin 4/11 - 11/14/2000
Escaflowne 4/8 - 2/06/01*
Neon Genesis Evangelion Collection 0:3 3/8 - 1/23/2001*
Cardcaptor Sakura 2/(1,2,3,5) - 01/16/2001*
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 3/6 - 01/23/2001*
Dual (1,3)/4 - 02/27/2001
Gasaraki 4/6 - 05/01/2001*
Gundam Wing 5/10 - 01/30/2001*
Jubei Chan 2/4 - 10/03/2000
Martian Successor Nadesico 3/6 - 01/23/2001
Outlaw Star Collection 1/3 - 10/03/2000*
Tenchi Universe 6/8 - 01/30/2001
So please enjoy the heck out of Cowboy Beebop, Trigun, Battle Athletes Victory/OVA, Tenchi in Tokyo, Blue Sub #6, and the many other series they DO carry all titles of. And by the time you get through them all, hopefully they or RMDVD will carry these other series in their entirety, plus the new stuff being released. But aside from Akira, I haven't seen Netflix add an anime title since Trigun #8 (5/29/2001).
Just don't get stuck like I was, with a choice between not seeing a story to its end and spending $100's on series I would have been content to just rent.
Sorry I didn't see your message sooner.
Even tho there are links on Netflix to cancel (some implying the next click will be THE END), the very last page in the chain instructs you to call an 800 number to cancel over the phone.
I had written an email a week earlier asking about their plans for anime, but got no response. The CSR I spoke to asked why I was leaving. I explained it was because of the lack of new anime (yes they do have an extensive back catalog, but I'd viewed everything of interest to me). She couldn't tell me when they would resume purchasing.
So to answer your question, I was not told "we are abandoning anime". But they didn't dispute my claim that they had stopped buying it, and wouldn't/couldn't tell me when I could expect to see new titles (anything past May 2001) arrive. I asked if things seemed likely to change yet this year, and my recollection is that she said "no".
Like I said before, if they have a DVD you want to see, I had no complaints (I'm pretty patient, and was happy averaging 4-6 disks a month).
There was another thread (I haven't been able to find) which lists all of the series they abandoned. Here are some titles I remember (just looked up), and the # disks they have/ # disks released to date - date last disk they do have was released (*=I purchased the whole dang series cause I was hooked and left hanging):
Rurouni Kenshin 4/11 - 11/14/2000
Escaflowne 4/8 - 2/06/01*
Neon Genesis Evangelion Collection 0:3 3/8 - 1/23/2001*
Cardcaptor Sakura 2/(1,2,3,5) - 01/16/2001*
Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 3/6 - 01/23/2001*
Dual (1,3)/4 - 02/27/2001
Gasaraki 4/6 - 05/01/2001*
Gundam Wing 5/10 - 01/30/2001*
Jubei Chan 2/4 - 10/03/2000
Martian Successor Nadesico 3/6 - 01/23/2001
Outlaw Star Collection 1/3 - 10/03/2000*
Tenchi Universe 6/8 - 01/30/2001
So please enjoy the heck out of Cowboy Beebop, Trigun, Battle Athletes Victory/OVA, Tenchi in Tokyo, Blue Sub #6, and the many other series they DO carry all titles of. And by the time you get through them all, hopefully they or RMDVD will carry these other series in their entirety, plus the new stuff being released. But aside from Akira, I haven't seen Netflix add an anime title since Trigun #8 (5/29/2001).
Just don't get stuck like I was, with a choice between not seeing a story to its end and spending $100's on series I would have been content to just rent.
10-10-01, 11:50 PM
#108
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Newark, CA
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi everybody. I must apologize for not posting last week and I suppose a preemptive "I am sorry for not addressing you individually" is in order this week... I've decided today to just sort of ramble about this and that based on what I have read. I must say that I, probably like most of you, monitor some of the other forums out there and sometimes I don't necessarily like what I see.
Now I don't know and I can't say whether competitors are posting (and I don't just mean Big Red - out of all our dealings in this industry I personally have found them most hospitable when we cross paths for one reason or another) or if we rubbed some people the wrong way or if we really are the most horrible thing to happen to the rental industry since Ishtar; the bottom line is that I just don't particularly care for slander or meanness in general.
I am all for freedom of thought, expression, voice, and every other form of airing praise and grievance; but, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, if you want to talk trash I would consider it an honor if you would call our company and talk trash, talk trash in an e-mail to us, or even talk trash on the forum that we post on.
I said about a year and 12 pages of thread ago that I'm keeping out of all forums but this one and I am. And since I am and since it is a distinct possibility that no one reading this has any idea what I am talking about, I suppose I will get back to this thread and its contents. This, of course, means talking about Anime, one-out plans, and Texas.
Yes my friends Texas is in the works. In keeping with tradition here on the forum I must say that I have no clue as to the exact date; however, I can say that I overheard that Dallas is the city in which we will operate. Of course this pleases me greatly for at this point I feel like a mother hen to all of our customers that have thus far listened to, reasoned with, lavished praise upon, and vented frustration towards me and some of my favorites are in Texas. There's just something about receiving customer service e-mail that actually refers to the hard working people of rentmydvd as "y'all" that does something for me.
As for Anime the whole 24 hour notice thing was bunk. Do you really think that I expect anyone on this forum to listen to me? I knew what I was up against. Make no mistake, HepDude, this is not a one-time order; this is simply a larger-than-normal order. I posted the information on this forum to get feedback for Purchasing. Nothing more, nothing less. Since we have started it has become apparent that there's more of an interest in anime than anyone in the industry previously imagined. I suppose it makes a great deal of sense, but the fact is that when you come from the B&M video market you are necessarily wary of anime. Fact: a local population (for any B&M) cannot support a good anime section unless you are metropolitan and get the word out (this is mainly the result of prohibitively expensive VHS series'). Being nationwide, though, allows for things to be done that were traditionally considered a bad idea. Hey, there's a learning curve for everything - give us a break. New anime will be ordered and brought in - this order represents an attempt to repent. BTW, HepDude, on your original list of requests 4 were available (in NY) at the time I read your post, and the Ranma 1/2 series (3 disc) was, too. Sometimes I wonder about you...
Of course the order is going to be full of backorders, regardless of what the vast majority of DVD consumers believe - backorders are still the rule as opposed to the exception, and I will post that which is shipping when I know the score. I would post the whole order's titles but I know that I would hear about it when we get zero availability on Escaflowne. One final BTW on anime: Does anyone have interest in 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' - the movie or the series? I don't know anything about it and nobody requested it but it is being recommended by the distributor. This time you really do only have 24 hours to answer...
All I can say right now about the one-out plan is, yes, I hear you. Take a look back and see the way the 6-out plan went: if it were up to me I'd do it just to see smilies on this forum but it simply isn't up to me. But I like to yell in meetings about "what the people want" and stuff, so it helps when I have forum printouts...
We've been getting some flak about sales tax lately. To me, personally, I just sort of let it roll off. It's somewhere on the radar but it's barely a blip. It's a couple of bucks; capital W Whatever. The bottom line is that when you get a letter as a company from Jesse Ventura stating that you WILL pay Minnesota sales tax, well, you remember what he did to George the Animal Steel in '84 and you just do it. It's a physical presence thing and I suppose it makes sense - our DVDs, your State - our DVDs have a physical presence, your State wants a couple of bucks. In the beginning of this we went by the Internet sales tax laws and now, we are being told, because of physical presence, we cannot. So now we get to file Sales tax in every State that wants it; trust me when I tell you that it really isn't that much fun and we are certainly not getting anything out of it.
I think that I have written for too long. I still want to talk but I think that everything I want to say from this point-on can be summed up pretty succinctly without a segue:
Next Monday will mark the one-year anniversary of Rentmydvd.com's going live and that anniversary's happening is a direct result of all of you. I would like to personally thank everyone reading this for everything you have done in connection with Rentmydvd. Customers of our service or not, you make us better and I, for one, sincerely appreciate your feedback and this discourse.
Thanks, and 'till next time
-Matt
Now I don't know and I can't say whether competitors are posting (and I don't just mean Big Red - out of all our dealings in this industry I personally have found them most hospitable when we cross paths for one reason or another) or if we rubbed some people the wrong way or if we really are the most horrible thing to happen to the rental industry since Ishtar; the bottom line is that I just don't particularly care for slander or meanness in general.
I am all for freedom of thought, expression, voice, and every other form of airing praise and grievance; but, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, if you want to talk trash I would consider it an honor if you would call our company and talk trash, talk trash in an e-mail to us, or even talk trash on the forum that we post on.
I said about a year and 12 pages of thread ago that I'm keeping out of all forums but this one and I am. And since I am and since it is a distinct possibility that no one reading this has any idea what I am talking about, I suppose I will get back to this thread and its contents. This, of course, means talking about Anime, one-out plans, and Texas.
Yes my friends Texas is in the works. In keeping with tradition here on the forum I must say that I have no clue as to the exact date; however, I can say that I overheard that Dallas is the city in which we will operate. Of course this pleases me greatly for at this point I feel like a mother hen to all of our customers that have thus far listened to, reasoned with, lavished praise upon, and vented frustration towards me and some of my favorites are in Texas. There's just something about receiving customer service e-mail that actually refers to the hard working people of rentmydvd as "y'all" that does something for me.
As for Anime the whole 24 hour notice thing was bunk. Do you really think that I expect anyone on this forum to listen to me? I knew what I was up against. Make no mistake, HepDude, this is not a one-time order; this is simply a larger-than-normal order. I posted the information on this forum to get feedback for Purchasing. Nothing more, nothing less. Since we have started it has become apparent that there's more of an interest in anime than anyone in the industry previously imagined. I suppose it makes a great deal of sense, but the fact is that when you come from the B&M video market you are necessarily wary of anime. Fact: a local population (for any B&M) cannot support a good anime section unless you are metropolitan and get the word out (this is mainly the result of prohibitively expensive VHS series'). Being nationwide, though, allows for things to be done that were traditionally considered a bad idea. Hey, there's a learning curve for everything - give us a break. New anime will be ordered and brought in - this order represents an attempt to repent. BTW, HepDude, on your original list of requests 4 were available (in NY) at the time I read your post, and the Ranma 1/2 series (3 disc) was, too. Sometimes I wonder about you...
Of course the order is going to be full of backorders, regardless of what the vast majority of DVD consumers believe - backorders are still the rule as opposed to the exception, and I will post that which is shipping when I know the score. I would post the whole order's titles but I know that I would hear about it when we get zero availability on Escaflowne. One final BTW on anime: Does anyone have interest in 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' - the movie or the series? I don't know anything about it and nobody requested it but it is being recommended by the distributor. This time you really do only have 24 hours to answer...
All I can say right now about the one-out plan is, yes, I hear you. Take a look back and see the way the 6-out plan went: if it were up to me I'd do it just to see smilies on this forum but it simply isn't up to me. But I like to yell in meetings about "what the people want" and stuff, so it helps when I have forum printouts...
We've been getting some flak about sales tax lately. To me, personally, I just sort of let it roll off. It's somewhere on the radar but it's barely a blip. It's a couple of bucks; capital W Whatever. The bottom line is that when you get a letter as a company from Jesse Ventura stating that you WILL pay Minnesota sales tax, well, you remember what he did to George the Animal Steel in '84 and you just do it. It's a physical presence thing and I suppose it makes sense - our DVDs, your State - our DVDs have a physical presence, your State wants a couple of bucks. In the beginning of this we went by the Internet sales tax laws and now, we are being told, because of physical presence, we cannot. So now we get to file Sales tax in every State that wants it; trust me when I tell you that it really isn't that much fun and we are certainly not getting anything out of it.
I think that I have written for too long. I still want to talk but I think that everything I want to say from this point-on can be summed up pretty succinctly without a segue:
Next Monday will mark the one-year anniversary of Rentmydvd.com's going live and that anniversary's happening is a direct result of all of you. I would like to personally thank everyone reading this for everything you have done in connection with Rentmydvd. Customers of our service or not, you make us better and I, for one, sincerely appreciate your feedback and this discourse.
Thanks, and 'till next time
-Matt
10-11-01, 10:27 AM
#109
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 278
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Matt (and if you can't answer this question for cause it's a "trade secret" you don't have to but...)
What's the average amount of time that people rent Disks from you? Do they hold them for a week or is it faster turn around?
Just curious.
What's the average amount of time that people rent Disks from you? Do they hold them for a week or is it faster turn around?
Just curious.
10-11-01, 11:18 AM
#110
Cool New Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Matt,
You gotta get the Utena Movie DVD. It's really popular here. I'm very sure there will be tons of anime fan rent the Utena Movie.
Honestly, I've been with Netflix for over a year, and most of the time I rented anime DVDs from them. I mean, I can rent mainstream DVDs at my local Hollywood or Blockbuster but the only anime they carry is Pokemon and Digimon. Damn, that sucks. hehehehe
I was really impressed with the anime collection at Netflix. That's the main reason I joined them. But lately, I didn't see anything new, and most of the titles they have, I've already watched them. I'm looking for a new place to rent anime DVDs. I browsed your anime section, and indeed you have some titles that Netflix won't even touch like the anime boxsets (Fushigi Yugi, Slayers, Maze and others). But honestly, I still need to see more anime titles before I can decide to join RMD.
I know you guys at RMD are adding new anime titles from time to time. If I were the one responsible in buying DVDs at RMD, I'll buy more and more anime titles. This's the genre that Netflix is abandoning. And I'm pretty sure there're a lot of people like me that joined online DVD rentals just to rent anime they can't get at the local rental stores. Once you have tons of anime titles, you can get the words out at animondvd.com. Many people overthere want to rent anime online. For hardcore anime fans like me, I want to see new anime titles available as soon as they're released.
I've been trying to find an all-anime online rental. That would be cool.
-mcmlxxv-
You gotta get the Utena Movie DVD. It's really popular here. I'm very sure there will be tons of anime fan rent the Utena Movie.
Honestly, I've been with Netflix for over a year, and most of the time I rented anime DVDs from them. I mean, I can rent mainstream DVDs at my local Hollywood or Blockbuster but the only anime they carry is Pokemon and Digimon. Damn, that sucks. hehehehe
I was really impressed with the anime collection at Netflix. That's the main reason I joined them. But lately, I didn't see anything new, and most of the titles they have, I've already watched them. I'm looking for a new place to rent anime DVDs. I browsed your anime section, and indeed you have some titles that Netflix won't even touch like the anime boxsets (Fushigi Yugi, Slayers, Maze and others). But honestly, I still need to see more anime titles before I can decide to join RMD.
I know you guys at RMD are adding new anime titles from time to time. If I were the one responsible in buying DVDs at RMD, I'll buy more and more anime titles. This's the genre that Netflix is abandoning. And I'm pretty sure there're a lot of people like me that joined online DVD rentals just to rent anime they can't get at the local rental stores. Once you have tons of anime titles, you can get the words out at animondvd.com. Many people overthere want to rent anime online. For hardcore anime fans like me, I want to see new anime titles available as soon as they're released.
I've been trying to find an all-anime online rental. That would be cool.
-mcmlxxv-
10-11-01, 12:19 PM
#111
DVD Talk Special Edition
Originally posted by RMDInc
Does anyone have interest in 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' - the movie or the series? I don't know anything about it and nobody requested it but it is being recommended by the distributor. This time you really do only have 24 hours to answer...
Does anyone have interest in 'Revolutionary Girl Utena' - the movie or the series? I don't know anything about it and nobody requested it but it is being recommended by the distributor. This time you really do only have 24 hours to answer...
10-11-01, 06:44 PM
#112
Member
Join Date: May 1999
Location: Rochester, MN, USA
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Utena -
Yup, good stuff. This would be a good purchase for you IMHO. Of course I'm biased because I already own the released disks, and have the movie on order.
I agree with your statements about anime. This is one genre that the B&M rental stores just can't compete with you effectively. And there is a pent-up demand. Personally, when my choices are subscribe with you for $25 a month, or spend $100+ month purchasing -- you'll get my money, no problems, no questions. That's not to say anime rental is an easy task, but that's another topic altogether...
As for sales tax, well as a citizen of the State of Jesse
, you got to do what you got to do. Netflix charged sales tax too, so it's no big deal. If your service is worth $23.95, it's worth $25.51.
Yup, good stuff. This would be a good purchase for you IMHO. Of course I'm biased because I already own the released disks, and have the movie on order.
I agree with your statements about anime. This is one genre that the B&M rental stores just can't compete with you effectively. And there is a pent-up demand. Personally, when my choices are subscribe with you for $25 a month, or spend $100+ month purchasing -- you'll get my money, no problems, no questions. That's not to say anime rental is an easy task, but that's another topic altogether...
As for sales tax, well as a citizen of the State of Jesse
, you got to do what you got to do. Netflix charged sales tax too, so it's no big deal. If your service is worth $23.95, it's worth $25.51.
10-13-01, 10:19 PM
#113
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 948
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BTW, HepDude, on your original list of requests 4 were available (in NY) at the time I read your post, and the Ranma 1/2 series (3 disc) was, too. Sometimes I wonder about you...
2 - I stated in my original list of requests:
By the way, this includes some movies and series that I have seen
10-15-01, 10:30 AM
#114
Cool New Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Brooklyn, Ny
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New Customer Service???
What is the point to make a "complain" in order history (i.e. Shipping Delay or Return Delay) if Rentmydvd doesn't take any actions regarding it?
Before I was able to report it directly to customer service, now I don't see that link in your "new and improved" customer center.
P.S. 5 of 27 titles are available on my Wish list. Very rarely that I get a new release from Rentmydvd.
Hmm, that makes me think for how long I am going to stick around.
Before I was able to report it directly to customer service, now I don't see that link in your "new and improved" customer center.
P.S. 5 of 27 titles are available on my Wish list. Very rarely that I get a new release from Rentmydvd.
Hmm, that makes me think for how long I am going to stick around.
10-15-01, 04:06 PM
#115
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Pittsburgh. PA USA
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm on a 2 out plan. Currently I have 1 title being shipped to me. Rentmydvd.com can't ship me another because of their insufficient stock. 8 out of 8 titles on my wish list are in high demand. All 8 are new releases and currently there is nothing I'd want to add to my wish list. All 8 of these titles weren't big blockbuster hits. For either I saw those in the movie theatre or bought them on DVD.
It's very unfortunate that this happened. Sure they'll say add more titles to your wish list or its because my wish list is only new releases. But then thats an old statement heard before. Plan and simple the stock is severly depleted.
It's very unfortunate that this happened. Sure they'll say add more titles to your wish list or its because my wish list is only new releases. But then thats an old statement heard before. Plan and simple the stock is severly depleted.
10-16-01, 08:16 AM
#116
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Pittsburgh. PA USA
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Would be nice that for every day a DVD isn't shipped due to depleted stock that online stores would refund a couple of dimes per day. Due to idle wish lists.
10-16-01, 10:53 AM
#117
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 1,545
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by sm8680
Would be nice that for every day a DVD isn't shipped due to depleted stock that online stores would refund a couple of dimes per day. Due to idle wish lists.
Would be nice that for every day a DVD isn't shipped due to depleted stock that online stores would refund a couple of dimes per day. Due to idle wish lists.
How about an extra rental offered to customers who are delayed titles due to lack of stock?
10-17-01, 09:19 AM
#118
DVD Talk Special Edition
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Pittsburgh. PA USA
Posts: 1,990
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally posted by CheapBastid
This is a decent idea!
How about an extra rental offered to customers who are delayed titles due to lack of stock?
This is a decent idea!
How about an extra rental offered to customers who are delayed titles due to lack of stock?
10-17-01, 05:23 PM
#119
New Member
Join Date: Apr 2001
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Another gripe about inventory (lack of) ... While I appreciate RMD's desire to minimize inventory in order to maximize profit, at some point it just crosses the line and you start driving customers away. When I go to a local video store I usually am able to find 1/2, worst case 1/3 of the older titles I want in stock, and better than that, probably 2/3-3/4 for popular new releases. Now, for the convenience factor of RMD, I'm willing to wait longer to see films, but I still think that given a list of ten not totally obscure films you ought to be able to send 2 of them out. When RMD has to reach outside my top 20 to find one to send, it's pretty sad. I hope this improves soon.
Also - a web site/procedural request ... There are times when you pull a title out of my wishlist, mark it as an order, then find out for whatever reason you can't deliver and send something else. You then stick the first title back at the bottom of my wishlist, which makes me have to go back in and reorder the list. It would be nice if the software could be modified to not pull the title out of the wishlist until the order actually ships ...
Also - a web site/procedural request ... There are times when you pull a title out of my wishlist, mark it as an order, then find out for whatever reason you can't deliver and send something else. You then stick the first title back at the bottom of my wishlist, which makes me have to go back in and reorder the list. It would be nice if the software could be modified to not pull the title out of the wishlist until the order actually ships ...
10-17-01, 07:25 PM
#120
and that's my problem lately with RMD. For example, I ended up getting the bulk of the latest collection of MGM Midnight Movie titles from Blockbuster (and one or two from Netflix) and none of these titles have been "available" at RMD, -at least not for me. It seems like there's an emphasis on getting the new release titles that EVERYONE has (Mummy Returns, Along Came A Spider, that kind of thing) which I can get now, -no waiting, -and usually on some two-for-one deal at a brick-and-mortar....
10-19-01, 02:19 PM
#121
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Newark, CA
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey everybody-
Perhaps a long post today, perhaps short. We will see what happens....
FilmStudent-
Just a rough estimate but I'd say seven days is about the average. Some renegades do hold onto stuff for a long time but for the most part people want to get it, see it, and get the next... No trade secrets here.
____________________________________________________
HepDude-
I could have sworn that you were East Coast. No matter, most of the titles (and I ain't going back to check again), were also available in CA at the time I checked. You make a good point about inventory and it is noted.
____________________________________________________
Plohish-
You can still report problems to Customer Service; just click the "Write a New Question" link and proceed as normal. The complaint problems on the Order History page will soon be fully functioning but we are experiencing minor problems with the programming - please bear with us on this.
____________________________________________________
To everyone else-
On the topics of profit, availability, &c:
First and foremost, concerning the idea of credits and/or refunds for "empty" days, I suppose that it is fitting that right now I've got an ongoing debate with a customer about this; so let's get some opinions...
One thing that I'll say first that gets me a bit upset is all the comparisons to brick and mortar stores and availability. The simple fact is that no online operation can do "one night" rentals for brand new releases. One of the reasons B&M availability is the way it is relates to this idea: Tuesday is new Release day. This is the case for a reason and it works well for the rental industry. On Tuesday you get everyone that really really wants to see a particular new release. It's a one-day rental and so it's back on Wednesday and out to some other die-hard before you lock the door. Same thing Thursday; Friday and Saturday are no-brainers. Sunday is another rental down and you already have five turns on the title. More important than turns is that you have already decreased rental demand for your die-hards and the weekend watchers will get it sooner or later; the WWs don't typically care about release dates - it's more about shiny covers and shelf placement. I won't even get into revenue sharing with studios and how that relates to availability; let's just say that there's a reason they do 2-for-1s and it's not about charity.
Turns per copy drive the rental industry. You absolutely must get X-amount of turns per copy in order to break even; whether or not you sell previously viewed titles factors-in and what your discount and rev sharing deals are all play a role but it is ultimately about turns. You must turn copies. Period.
So, in order to have the same availability as a B&M with a comparable customer base, we would have to order, basically, seven times as many copies of any given title as that B&M. Why? One-day rentals vs. seven day average turnaround. So why don't we just order seven times as many? Shelf life and turns per copy. We are going to get the same amount of turns as the B&M. It's a given function of customer base; but here we would only get one-seventh of the turns per copy.
The idea of breadth is related, too, but only inasmuch as we would have to order seven times as many of every title released in order to have the same availability of those, too.
An existing B&M has another advantage to this in that, well "I am sorry Mr. or Mrs. Renter our one DVD copy of 'Waiting for Guffman' is checked-out, but the VHS is right here for you...". There's also the fact that browsing shelves - no matter how we design the site - is infinitely easier and more satisfying than browsing online. I look at some Wish Lists and it really does make it seem like we've got ghost towns for warehouses, complete with dusty bins and tumbleweeds blowing through. The truth, though, is that we have so very much that is sitting here waiting to be rented - would be rented if it were seen - that it pains me.
StephenTu above says he gets 1/2, worse case 1/3, availability on older titles he wants to see at Video Store. The only honest question I have is if StephenTu goes to the store with a list or if he just peruses the shelves (as I do and as 99% of renters do) until he sees something and remembers that he had, at one time or another, wanted to pick that title up.
Please don't get me wrong with this rambling. I feel for the pain of anyone that wants stuff that we don't have in stock; I just wish there were an easier way of pointing people in the direction of other stuff that is available - which is a lot of stuff. The point of this rambling is two things: first, online renting is necessarily different than B&M renting and that's why I get a little steamed by the constant comparisons. I am not saying that it's apples and oranges, I'm saying it's oranges and tangerines. The second point is to ask people to please stop accusing us of cutting back on inventory in order to increase profits. It's simply not the case. I am in total agreement with everyone that says we have to do some order restructuring because we do. But this is not a case of us being greedy or insensitive to our customers' needs - it's a case of trying to hit an elusive "sweet spot" somewhere between ordering the same as if we were a B&M and increasing that order to an adequate amount that is still less than seven so that we can keep customers happy and still break-even or profit on a title. Basically; to order the same quantity as a B&M (and this is for all those people that are already doing the rudimentary calculations for their response post) would mean that the same amount of customers that get to see a title in its first week at a B&M would have to wait for the seventh week online. Unacceptable to everyone. Alternately, to order seven times as many would kill the turns. Unacceptable to everyone when online rental shops go out-of-business. We will find the sweet spot that is acceptable to all.
So, getting back to my request for opinions, there is, below, a range of situations. Please cast your vote as to what should happen and when. The topic we are discussing is credits for "empty" days as questioned by sm8680 and CheapBastid. And I will also take this time to offer my closing. I will talk to everyone again next week.
-Matt
____________________________________________________
Customer in question has a 2-out DVD plan and pays about $14/month. Customer has no DVDs checked-out of the warehouse. The wish list situations in 1) through 4) below apply to each situation in A) and B) individually.
A) Nothing ships to the customer on the day in question.
B) Nothing ships to the customer for a week.
1) Customer's Wish List contains only Coming Soon titles.
2) Customer's Wish List contains only one available DVD title, the title was released two days prior to the day in question and the title is listed as High Demand
3) Customer's Wish List contains two available DVDs; both are in the same category as 2) above.
4) Customer's Wish List contains eight available DVDs; all have recently been released, all are listed High Demand.
5) Customer's Wish List contains eight available DVDs; some old, some new, all are listed High Demand.
6) Customer's Wish List contains fifty available DVDs, all are listed High Demand
Perhaps a long post today, perhaps short. We will see what happens....
FilmStudent-
Just a rough estimate but I'd say seven days is about the average. Some renegades do hold onto stuff for a long time but for the most part people want to get it, see it, and get the next... No trade secrets here.
____________________________________________________
HepDude-
I could have sworn that you were East Coast. No matter, most of the titles (and I ain't going back to check again), were also available in CA at the time I checked. You make a good point about inventory and it is noted.
____________________________________________________
Plohish-
You can still report problems to Customer Service; just click the "Write a New Question" link and proceed as normal. The complaint problems on the Order History page will soon be fully functioning but we are experiencing minor problems with the programming - please bear with us on this.
____________________________________________________
To everyone else-
On the topics of profit, availability, &c:
First and foremost, concerning the idea of credits and/or refunds for "empty" days, I suppose that it is fitting that right now I've got an ongoing debate with a customer about this; so let's get some opinions...
One thing that I'll say first that gets me a bit upset is all the comparisons to brick and mortar stores and availability. The simple fact is that no online operation can do "one night" rentals for brand new releases. One of the reasons B&M availability is the way it is relates to this idea: Tuesday is new Release day. This is the case for a reason and it works well for the rental industry. On Tuesday you get everyone that really really wants to see a particular new release. It's a one-day rental and so it's back on Wednesday and out to some other die-hard before you lock the door. Same thing Thursday; Friday and Saturday are no-brainers. Sunday is another rental down and you already have five turns on the title. More important than turns is that you have already decreased rental demand for your die-hards and the weekend watchers will get it sooner or later; the WWs don't typically care about release dates - it's more about shiny covers and shelf placement. I won't even get into revenue sharing with studios and how that relates to availability; let's just say that there's a reason they do 2-for-1s and it's not about charity.
Turns per copy drive the rental industry. You absolutely must get X-amount of turns per copy in order to break even; whether or not you sell previously viewed titles factors-in and what your discount and rev sharing deals are all play a role but it is ultimately about turns. You must turn copies. Period.
So, in order to have the same availability as a B&M with a comparable customer base, we would have to order, basically, seven times as many copies of any given title as that B&M. Why? One-day rentals vs. seven day average turnaround. So why don't we just order seven times as many? Shelf life and turns per copy. We are going to get the same amount of turns as the B&M. It's a given function of customer base; but here we would only get one-seventh of the turns per copy.
The idea of breadth is related, too, but only inasmuch as we would have to order seven times as many of every title released in order to have the same availability of those, too.
An existing B&M has another advantage to this in that, well "I am sorry Mr. or Mrs. Renter our one DVD copy of 'Waiting for Guffman' is checked-out, but the VHS is right here for you...". There's also the fact that browsing shelves - no matter how we design the site - is infinitely easier and more satisfying than browsing online. I look at some Wish Lists and it really does make it seem like we've got ghost towns for warehouses, complete with dusty bins and tumbleweeds blowing through. The truth, though, is that we have so very much that is sitting here waiting to be rented - would be rented if it were seen - that it pains me.
StephenTu above says he gets 1/2, worse case 1/3, availability on older titles he wants to see at Video Store. The only honest question I have is if StephenTu goes to the store with a list or if he just peruses the shelves (as I do and as 99% of renters do) until he sees something and remembers that he had, at one time or another, wanted to pick that title up.
Please don't get me wrong with this rambling. I feel for the pain of anyone that wants stuff that we don't have in stock; I just wish there were an easier way of pointing people in the direction of other stuff that is available - which is a lot of stuff. The point of this rambling is two things: first, online renting is necessarily different than B&M renting and that's why I get a little steamed by the constant comparisons. I am not saying that it's apples and oranges, I'm saying it's oranges and tangerines. The second point is to ask people to please stop accusing us of cutting back on inventory in order to increase profits. It's simply not the case. I am in total agreement with everyone that says we have to do some order restructuring because we do. But this is not a case of us being greedy or insensitive to our customers' needs - it's a case of trying to hit an elusive "sweet spot" somewhere between ordering the same as if we were a B&M and increasing that order to an adequate amount that is still less than seven so that we can keep customers happy and still break-even or profit on a title. Basically; to order the same quantity as a B&M (and this is for all those people that are already doing the rudimentary calculations for their response post) would mean that the same amount of customers that get to see a title in its first week at a B&M would have to wait for the seventh week online. Unacceptable to everyone. Alternately, to order seven times as many would kill the turns. Unacceptable to everyone when online rental shops go out-of-business. We will find the sweet spot that is acceptable to all.
So, getting back to my request for opinions, there is, below, a range of situations. Please cast your vote as to what should happen and when. The topic we are discussing is credits for "empty" days as questioned by sm8680 and CheapBastid. And I will also take this time to offer my closing. I will talk to everyone again next week.
-Matt
____________________________________________________
Customer in question has a 2-out DVD plan and pays about $14/month. Customer has no DVDs checked-out of the warehouse. The wish list situations in 1) through 4) below apply to each situation in A) and B) individually.
A) Nothing ships to the customer on the day in question.
B) Nothing ships to the customer for a week.
1) Customer's Wish List contains only Coming Soon titles.
2) Customer's Wish List contains only one available DVD title, the title was released two days prior to the day in question and the title is listed as High Demand
3) Customer's Wish List contains two available DVDs; both are in the same category as 2) above.
4) Customer's Wish List contains eight available DVDs; all have recently been released, all are listed High Demand.
5) Customer's Wish List contains eight available DVDs; some old, some new, all are listed High Demand.
6) Customer's Wish List contains fifty available DVDs, all are listed High Demand
10-19-01, 03:26 PM
#122
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: cali
Posts: 253
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RENTMYDVD EVER HAVE ANYTHING IN STOCK?
The problems have definitely gotten worse.
Matt, I understand your furstrations with everyone comparing your company to B&M, but the fact is, thats who your competition is. Perhaps the online rental business model is fundamentally flawed for new releases. No one wants to wait over a month before a DVD actually gets to them while Blockbuster has 50 copies on the shelf. (The Blockbuster I visit does 5 day rentals on ALL DVDs). Meanwhile you may have plenty of obscure, good titles on the shelf that no one knows about. The fact is, if you want to keep customers happy, you will have to stock more new releases. A customer may have a title for a week and the post office takes another week, so turn around a title can easily be 2 weeks. But thats the business model you created.
I have been a customer since February and I do believe something has to be done to remedy the situation very soon. Obviously Rentmydvd is in business to turn a profit, but with fewer satisfied customers every day, I don't see a viable business continuing into the future.
Matt, I understand your furstrations with everyone comparing your company to B&M, but the fact is, thats who your competition is. Perhaps the online rental business model is fundamentally flawed for new releases. No one wants to wait over a month before a DVD actually gets to them while Blockbuster has 50 copies on the shelf. (The Blockbuster I visit does 5 day rentals on ALL DVDs). Meanwhile you may have plenty of obscure, good titles on the shelf that no one knows about. The fact is, if you want to keep customers happy, you will have to stock more new releases. A customer may have a title for a week and the post office takes another week, so turn around a title can easily be 2 weeks. But thats the business model you created.
I have been a customer since February and I do believe something has to be done to remedy the situation very soon. Obviously Rentmydvd is in business to turn a profit, but with fewer satisfied customers every day, I don't see a viable business continuing into the future.
10-19-01, 04:55 PM
#123
New Member
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Tampa, Florida
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have to second Stanbud. Matt's answer to the problems of availability make perfect sense and I am sure he is speaking honestly. However the bottom line is that from the customer's viewpoint there is only one issue - can they get the movies they want to see? Having tried both Netflix and now RMD, I have found the answer online is usually "no". I'm sure there is plenty of older product available for rent, but most people are not interested in renting those titles. I know the time I have allotted to watch movies is easily eaten up by watching the new releases each month.
I thought online rental had great potential due to the convenience and a reasonable monthly fee. I thought I had paid my last visit to the local video store. But I have about reached the conclusion that I will have to go back to Blockbuster. A new one just opened in our neighborhood and all of the titles I haven't been able to get online are sitting on the shelves there. They do cost more and I have to take them back, but the availibility of the titles over-rides everything else. What good is a movie rental company that can't offer you the movies you want to rent? It's true their ability to do daily turns gives B&M's a huge advantage but I don't see how comparing online and offline sources is in any way unfair. The customer is going to choose the source that provides what they need.
Like Stanbud I am also coming to the conclusion that the online model probably just won't work because of the disadvantages of the model that Matt clearly spelled out. I hope I am proved wrong because I am no fan of B&M stores. Still, I have to admit they may be the only real option. I am going to hang around RMD for awhile until I completely run out of things to put on the Wish List. I do appreciate that it is a responsive company (thanks for recently implementing my wish that each DVD come in it's own mailing envelope) and they are better than their online competition - but like it or not - the B&M's are who they have to beat if they are going to succeed in the long run.
I thought online rental had great potential due to the convenience and a reasonable monthly fee. I thought I had paid my last visit to the local video store. But I have about reached the conclusion that I will have to go back to Blockbuster. A new one just opened in our neighborhood and all of the titles I haven't been able to get online are sitting on the shelves there. They do cost more and I have to take them back, but the availibility of the titles over-rides everything else. What good is a movie rental company that can't offer you the movies you want to rent? It's true their ability to do daily turns gives B&M's a huge advantage but I don't see how comparing online and offline sources is in any way unfair. The customer is going to choose the source that provides what they need.
Like Stanbud I am also coming to the conclusion that the online model probably just won't work because of the disadvantages of the model that Matt clearly spelled out. I hope I am proved wrong because I am no fan of B&M stores. Still, I have to admit they may be the only real option. I am going to hang around RMD for awhile until I completely run out of things to put on the Wish List. I do appreciate that it is a responsive company (thanks for recently implementing my wish that each DVD come in it's own mailing envelope) and they are better than their online competition - but like it or not - the B&M's are who they have to beat if they are going to succeed in the long run.
Last edited by musicparadise; 10-19-01 at 04:59 PM.
10-19-01, 06:51 PM
#124
Cool New Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Suggestion re:Matt's lots-o-stuff in warehouse!
Matt, I feel your pain. :-)
However, there IS something that CAN be done. Suppose we had a 6 out plan (just a dig) and there were lots of older things in the warehouse...but everyone has seen them and they are NOT first run any more. In fact, the last time they were "rented" was in 1853. :-)
How about if an extra title or 2 were allowed from a special 'old stuff we wish were still being viewed' list?
Even Albertsons has old stuff for $1 for 5 days!
However, there IS something that CAN be done. Suppose we had a 6 out plan (just a dig) and there were lots of older things in the warehouse...but everyone has seen them and they are NOT first run any more. In fact, the last time they were "rented" was in 1853. :-)
How about if an extra title or 2 were allowed from a special 'old stuff we wish were still being viewed' list?
Even Albertsons has old stuff for $1 for 5 days!
10-19-01, 08:08 PM
#125
Like the previous two posters, I hear what you're saying, and, believe me, I don't envy your situation. "Business", particualrly on the web, is a real-life version of "Survivor". However, in the end, I can only approach this as it affects me as a customer. I know that I used to have no trouble finding titles that were available and that at a certain point, -I'm guessing it was when you took off the "New titles this week" option, -it suddenly became very difficult to find anything. I am anything but a casual renter and I do go up and down the lists, but I really have to dig to fulfill my list. In fact, for a long, long time, I didn't even need a wishlist. Filling the list with "Coming Soon" items, -in my case, anyway, is a symptom of dealing with Netflix, who will suddenly make a title "unavailable" once it gets enough "pre-orders"; also, I have no idea how your system awards "priority". I've actually tracked myself getting "knocked out of the box" on certain titles, and for all I know, its alphabetical. I have my gripes with Netflix, but in the end, I can get three of ten titles I might be interested in each week, and the "big new release of the week" is usually my last choice, -I focus on titles I can't pick up in Blockbuster or Hollywood, or the grocery store. This new company Number Slate, has gotten me at least four titles I couldn't get from anybody else, and that will attract my business (though only time will tell if they'll last). I'd rather give my money tol RMD than Blockbuster or any brick-and-mortar, but I know exactly the titles I'm looking for and its a matter of who's going to provide them. I know where I can get "The Mummy Returns", -I'm looking for "Colors", or "Running Scared", or "Dark Days", just to name a few, and I'll end up going where I can find them. It may not be fair, but if I constantly have to take my fifth, sixth, or maybe twentieth choice, it'll affect my perception of the company.