LoveFilm are getting on my t*ts

[mr.shawn37]

No, first time trialists only!

I think the whole concept of free trials is a waste of time for the companies themselves. The trial never bears any definite relation to how their service becomes when you are a member anyway and one companies service can flucuate so much (ie LF) what does it actually prove?

Maybe time to start doing away with free trials so members get the 'special' treatment instead of the peoples who never actually pay with any company. Instead of free trials, how about a 'guaranteed five top choices from your list sent to you every month if you join up or something similar. That way you will defintely get to see five movies you really want to see and makes your monthly sub very worthwhile.

[Lyon]

I think that's fair enough, while you've still got DVD's you're still a member.

[Garrett M]

Hi chaps,

in the same quagmire that is lovefilm as the rest of you.
If it helps I have proof of their throttling tactics in the form of an email just received.

A quick overview, DVRAB received by lovefilm first thing Monday morning as confirmed by the online checker. Now Tuesday and no dispatch imminent. Emailed "customer service" who have just confirmed in an email that my next titles will not be sent out until 23rd June - 4 days after receiving my returns!!!!!!!

They are using the broken record technique of churning out the same drivel.........

I have had a max of 3 dvRAB PER WEEK for the last 3 weeks.

Anyone think it neeRAB to be made a bit more public, Watchdog etc?

Cheers

Bal

[Juliana F]

I've been looking at this thread for a while and fully agree that lovefilm are getting worse.

I've been a member for about 4 months now and the service was brilliant when I signed up with fast turnover and I was getting the titles I wanted.

The past month they have been appalling with a very slow turnover rate and sending me low priority titles. In the middle of last week I sent back three discs, the website registered that they had recieved them yet lovefilm did not send anymore discs out and their website stated that they were allocating my next titles. It just wasn't worth the money I was giving them.

I decided to cancel and went to do this on their website but I discovered that you have to call the helpline in order to cancel. When I contacted them they asked why I wanted to cancel and I explained that their turnover was very slow and I would be going to a different company, the man said don't go to Screenselect because of the fire at the warehouse (I didn't know this at the time and thought he was trying to stop me leaving!), anyway I've cancelled even after I got an e-mail offering me two weeks free.

I'm now with Blockbuster on a month free trial, hope they are better!

[vee ftw.]

Thanks to Donnelson for the phone numbers. I have phoned them on the 0808 number and they told me that they had a technical problem over the last few days which has stopped them sending discs out (probably the same one that caused them not to be able to cancel).

The lady I spoke to said that she would increase my billing period by a couple of days (unfortunately that takes me up to and over Christmas but hey, ho).

I think I will take their word for the technical problems this time and see how the service picks up before my 3 month period expires.

[edgar_2742]

What about when there are no delays in the postal service, where does this delay derive from?

[crusher44x]

Yes I have used Screenselect and they also throttle but not as bad as LoveFilm. Blockbusters for me have been brilliant but there again I'm still in my trial period.

[JessicaAmber87]

Interesting theory, LF seem to be basing their "throttling" (if thats what everyone wants to call it) around their desptach and returns capacity, i.e if they can handle X DVD's a day they queue the DVD's for despatch with "low" users going first. They don't appear to build length of rental into the model, probably because this is not really their bottleneck at the moment....

The one thing that does confuse me a little about the current excuse is that if they don't have the capacity to handle the daily turnaround, how do they ever catch up? Wouldn't that mean that they just built up a larger and larger backlog?

No point bugging LF with trading standarRAB because unless they have got worse that when I was a member they stick within their 5 working day published service level in nearly all cases, if they are now worse apologies, go sic 'em.



Ian.

[corinea]

SounRAB about right to me... It's exactly what LF is doing now :cry:

I neeeeeeed something to watch! it's been almost 2 weeks!

[jennnyy]

'Don't go to Screenselect' can they do that? As bad as Screenselect got for me in terms of turnaround they were
far superior to Lovefilm. My advice would be to steer well clear of Lovefilm, they may have the most customers but they probably also have the most leavers.