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Amazon Customer Reviews |
Iain from Forfar on 2008-05-28 Rates them:  
Since anouncing Amazon and LoveFilm were joining forces, Amazon rental service has dropped significantly. I moved onto an unlimited DVD package of one DVD home at a time, and so far since my period started 8 days ago i have received 1 DVD. I have complained through email and have had a rebate of £3 but according to my list they still havent received my last DVD which i posted back 5 days ago. So they will not send me another disc. Very poor service |
john from Kent on 2008-05-09 Rates them:
i was a loyal member with amazon for two years and they were a great service quick turn around on DVDs, if i wasn't getting the DVDs i wanted they would quickly correct that and the cheapest on the market i couldn't have no complaints at all.
Then amazon partnered with Love film and the service has now become very poor, i have tried love film and they are rubbish very rude and very slow turn around on DVDs and now more expensive, i have since left and joined my movie stream which are not part of love film, it is hard to find a DVD rental company which isn't part of them,
for the time i was with amazon i would have given it 10 stars but now since joining love film they are only worth 1
I just hope not all DVD rental sites join Love film |
Ray from Norfolk on 2008-03-01 Rates them:
Amazon was good until recently but is now poor and getting worse week by week. Turnaround now takes anything up to a week, and each month I have had to correct errors in my rental list. The only viable explanation is that Lovefilm is already quietly running the show and has brought things down to their usual appalling standard of service. |
Matthew from Guildford on 2008-01-15 Rates them:
+ Works.
+ Doesn't mess me around with delayed despatches unlike other companies, not mentioning any names. *cough* lovefilm *cough*
+ Series disks now queue in order for boxed sets.
+ Fast and painless corrections to any problems I have ever had.
+ Discount on purchased dvds.
- Anime disc availability not brilliant.
- Some playback issues, seem to have improved recently.
- Eliminated 6 for £10 / month offer. |
Tony from Northants on 2008-01-06 Rates them:
With an average turn around of 6.75 days between dispatching and them receiving back the DVD - this makes for 4.6 dvds per month (per disc) in my case, for the 1st month (on the 2 disc unlimited service)
This is my results of reviewing them for 1 month
The quality of dvd's has been 99% - hardly any dvd skipping issues, to be fair.
Dispatched Received Title Turnaround
27-Dec-07 04-Jan-08 Sunshine 6
27-Dec-07 04-Jan-08 Vacancy 6
18-Dec-07 26-Dec-07 Last King Of Scotland 7
14-Dec-07 26-Dec-07 Evan Almighty 11
10-Dec-07 17-Dec-07 The Hills Have Eyes 2 6
06-Dec-07 14-Dec-07 Perfect Stranger 7
30-Nov-07 06-Dec-07 28 Weeks Later 5
30-Nov-07 07-Dec-07 Shrek The Third 6
What is interesting is if we project this to the value. This can give us the true value of the service.
It's easy to be critical of the time taken to receive discs however.
In reality though, the service is really best for the saving of costs versus rental stores.
I would give them 6 marks total because generally the service is cheap/good value. However the service/time spent waiting for your discs can be a chore.
In reality I'd be prepared to pay just a little more, and get a more streamlined service / less time waiting for discs (meaning more rentals).
However as they are one of the cheapest, and not the worst, I guess its possible to offer a little slack. After all it does depend on the mail.
Limit/no Price Est.No Realcost p/wk p/day
2 1 £3.99 2 £2.00 0.5 0.06
3 1 £5.49 3 £1.83 0.75 0.1
4 2 £6.99 4 £1.75 1 0.1
Unlim 1 £8.49 4 £2.12 1 0.1
Unlim 2 £11.49 8 £1.44 2 0.3
Unlim 3 £14.49 12 £1.21 3 0.4 |
Kevin from Yorkshire on 2008-01-05 Rates them:
I wanted to give zero stars but it's not an option.
During the trial Amazon were fantastic but now I've paid for a month the service is awful. My last DVD was registered as back four days ago and I've heard nothing since. Trying to contact them by phone or email is impossible as they don't reply or cut you off.
My DVD rental list looks impressive with most of the items showing as available now. Well if they're available now, why hasn't anything been posted? At that rate I won't be able to view the three DVD's I've paid for during my month.
My advice - avoid them. Total and utter rubbish. I've already cancelled. |
Tommy from Dorset on 2008-01-05 Rates them:
When I was on a free trial I received discs quickly & without hassle. Unfortunately since this has ended & I'm now a"paying customer", the service has got worse, alot worse. I constantly have to chase to get discs sent, customer services at amazon are a joke & I'm not getting value for money. After 3 months I've had enough and will go else where. Think seriously before signing up to amazon, you'll be signing up to constant hassle & bad service! |
Andy from Manchester on 2007-07-05 Rates them:
Really good rental service. The turnaround is fantastic and only 1 dvd has been unplayable with in a 5 month period. Excellent service. The packaging could do with being plain, as the dvd's could be swiped in the post, but this has not happened as yet. Would recommend this to rental company to anyone. |
Mikey from Manchester on 2007-05-07 Rates them:
Great company for those who only want a limited number of DVD's a month, massive selection, there have only been two occasions when I coulnd't find a movie I was looking, also very quick to dispatch though admittedly I don't really rent new releases. As for unplayable discs - this has happened to me twice, I reported the problem and was issued with a replacement the same day, effectively having two copies of the same DVD the next day. Top stuff. |
Neil from London on 2007-04-04 Rates them:
I've been using Amazon for DVD rental for a couple of years now and have also tried ScreenSelect, LoveFilm (who now own ScreenSelect) and Blockbuster. I like Amazon's numerical ranking system, but it doesn't work reliably. I also agree with other comments here that the customer support leaves a lot to be desired - they often seem like stock answers and rarely address the issues you raise properly. Unless they pull a rabbit out of the bag soon I'm going to be moving. |
Michelle from Lancaster on 2007-02-06 Rates them:
I always buy dvds, games and stuff from Amazon so thought would try their dvd rental service eveb though had been extremely happy with Blockbuster. Found their site nowhere near as user friendly as Blockbuster but found films on there I really wanted to see that Blockbuster did not stock. I excitedly put them at the top of my list. My 1st film was one from no. 10 on my list and so it followed. I sent the disc back and was sent another fromway down my list. I did eventually receive my no. one choice (after 6 weeks!!) watched it then sent it back to cancel my subscription. Received e-mail to say it had been cancelled but received another dvd!! Will send it back and see what happens. So glad I didn't cancel Blockbuster! |
Denis from Newcastle upon Tyne on 2006-10-21 Rates them:
I give seven stars, based on their efficiency, the width of choice, the ease of the website, and the fact that I have almost never had to wait for a title from the top of my list. I've been with them for well over a year now, andf cannot fault them in this respect. However, over the past several months not one DVD has come without heavy damage. Some pick up with cleaning, some are an effort to watch, with skipped scenes and constant taking out and putting and hard work to find the spot where it broke off, and some are simply unplayable. I have written again and again about this, but nothing is being done. If they can find a way to improve this side of their service they will deserve ten stars and be far and away the best UK rental company. |
Jason from Midlands on 2006-10-04 Rates them:
Although Amazon have an amazing turnaround, the service is some what deminished by the lack of recent releases available for rent. Most DVDs are stated to be a "short wait" until they are available. Also the restriction to 6 DVDs per month is a let down. My credit to Royal Mail aswell, as i have never had a late DVD from them. |
Daniel from Devon on 2006-07-22 Rates them:
Amazon is very expensive compared to other online rental companies (£1.99 per rental) and the service isn't spectacular. You don't always receive the DVD at the top of the list, even if it's listed as available now. The only plus point is the 10% discount on DVD purchases.
My next DVD was listed as being available "now" but wasn't sent out. After several days I moved another disc to the top of the list and this was sent out a couple of days later. However, because of the delay I lost a DVD rental (which is not cheap at £1.99). |
Jackie from Wales on 2006-05-19 Rates them:
I have been mailed just two DVDs in six months, and all my e-mails ignored - yet they are still deducting monthly payments from my bank account. Does anyone have a telephone number/foolproof e-mail address I can use to cancel and get refunds? |
Steve from Huddersfield on 2006-04-27 Rates them:
This is a follow-up to my comments in November 2005. Eventually Amazon sorted their problems (software apparently) and have been back to normal. I think they are very good on speed of turnaround and delivery. No discs gone missing- Royal Mail take a lot of undeserved flack in my opinion. Some discs are certainly scratched- what on earth do people do with the DVD's?- but better players such as Pioneer can manage most discs. Value is great for people like me renting 4/month. And getting 10% off already low DVD purchase price is a good bonus. Definitely recommended. |
Manip from UK on 2006-04-18 Rates them:
I'm an extremely happy Amazon UK DVD Rental customer. The service is nearly perfect from the web-site, to the selection, to the mail out times.
I only have two SMALL criticisms of Amazon's server; both of which aren't a big enough problem to make me want to quit.
1. The price -- the competition is seriously undercutting and there is no savings for people who want to rent large numbers of discs (this alone made me try blockbuster -- then come back :-)
2. The DVD packaging. It is bright yellow, which no doubt looks great on your door mat... It also looks great to any thief working in the post office sorting offices... I have had a DVD go missing ... I do wonder if Amazon had used plain white like Blockbuster then that DVD might not have gone. This is not a reason NOT to use the service but it might be a big deal if your discs are going missing and amazon can't prove you didn't get them. |
Chris from Stoke on 2006-03-14 Rates them:
I have used Amazon for 10 months, after switching from S.Select. Amazon give me 6 DVDs a month for a tenner, good value as many promise unlimited DVDs/month and always blame their poor service on the postal service. In my experience, Amazon is the only company which truly has a same day turnaround. Very fast, and good customer services! |
Chris from Nottingham on 2006-03-11 Rates them:
This is an opinion, OK if Amazon are effectivly charging £1.99 per rental,then they are getting a very fair price in todays market. But would it not also be fair for the customer, if they were definitly supplied with only their top choice and that their 1 month time limit counted down at the point of dispatch and stopped at the point of return? My point is that, it's a bit one sided on the part of the supplier. |
Craig from Hampshire on 2006-03-06 Rates them:
I used Amazon for about 8 months, very happy with the service, although latterly new releases were getting a bit more difficult to get. I am moving though because I watch a lot of TV shows and 6 discs a month is just not enough.
Come on Amazon launch an unlimited service! |
Simon (again) from Wiltshire on 2006-03-02 Rates them:
An update: Rented Napoleon Dynamite which was unwatchable, due to scratching. Reported it as such using the website's problem reporting page, requested a replacement and sent it back. Got the same disc delivered a couple of weeks later. Sent email explaining this and requesting a DIFFERENT replacement disc. They reply saying there is a method of reporting damaged discs and explaining how to do it. I send sarcastic reply back, stating I already did that once which resulted in getting the same disc back. They take this to mean that I wanted ANOTHER replacement and dispatch a third copy, which never arrives!! Do these people not understand english?! |
Simon from Wiltshire on 2006-02-15 Rates them:
I did the £7.99 a month package and while I was reasonably happy with the speed of delivery, the discs were often in poor condition and jumped when played. Nearly every disc on my list had a waiting period, but if you emailed amazon to complain you got a reply saying they'd been dispatched. Funny how they suddenly located the films down the back of the sofa! My main reason for leaving them is the 4 disc a month limit. For £2 extra I can sign up to an unlimited package and see more films. |
Steve from Huddersfield on 2005-11-30 Rates them:
I would have given Amazon 9 until the last couple of weeks, but now they seem to have ground to a near halt. I've been waiting nearly 2 weeks for the latest DVD to be despatched. Their site has said the latest DVD is 'despatching soon' in all that time! They do have a note up now saying that due to high shipments things are a bit slower, but this is getting silly. I've had to email them 3 times, and of course you have to hunt around to find how to! A shame as they used to be very good value and service. |
Rochelle from Cheshire on 2005-11-02 Rates them:
I have been waiting for 5 days for dvd's to be sent. They have not even been dispatched although they said they were available emmediately. I cant cancel due to a clause that says that if the dvd's say dispatching soon - you lose your right to cancel within 7 days. Appaling!!!! |
Kate from Wiltshire on 2005-09-29 Rates them:
Overall quite impressed - although have yet to receive 3 DVDs at any one time as promised. Biggest problem is being unable to contact customer services easily with a specific enquiry - i.e. contacting a human rather than looking up FAQ list. There are various pages you have to scroll through before you can find the relevant page and point to click on. |
Hester from Luton on 2005-09-07 Rates them:
joined amazon a couple of months ago. Good turn around and no hassle if a dvd is lost in the mail; they just send you the next one on your list!
was thinking of switching to a cheaper rental company but reading these reviews, I am stayining with Amazon! |
Chris from Charlesworth on 2005-08-23 Rates them:
Amazon.co.uk get 3 stars only because of their British Music DvD catalogue. American (NTSC) music DvD's are mostly unavailable for rental. This is a bit isolationist considering that most DvD players will now play both PAL and NTSC. The beeeeeeeg downfall is the service delivery.
Their computer systems often freeze on a particular order and repeated reminder/complaint email's cannot get the problem resolved. In fact, replies come, 2 days later, from dudes in India, who seem to lack an understanding of British lifestyle.
Royal Mail (the courier), on the other hand, get 10-out-of-10. Always next day delivery, if Amazon manage to get the order dispatched. |
Sandra Platt from Merseyside on 2005-08-03 Rates them:
Amazon are great, quick turnaround. I have cancelled though as I watch more than 6 discs per month. What a difference with blockbuster though. I am sure I will only get 6 discs per month as turnaround is so slow.
Come on Amazon, why can't you do an unlimited disc service, or at least 8. I would be back like a flash!! |
Neil from London on 2005-07-28 Rates them:
Having tried a couple of services this is easily the best one.
It's the cheapest so long as you've got normal viewing habits (ie. 1 or 2 DVDs a week), though you can now buy extra DVD slots for £1.99 each. The range is huge, turnaround on discs is very quick and you can see what discs you're likely to get from the "when available" field on your list.
Only 8 stars though, as some of the discs tend to be slightly scratched with 5 - 10 seconds that are unwatchable, though I guess this is a problem with any DVD rental service where discs are being watched hundreds of times, and at least on Amazon you can report them as such and not lose one of your 6 DVDs a month. |
Jonathan from London on 2005-07-11 Rates them:
Have tried several. This is by far my favorite one. You know exactly what you get, and in true amazon style, it's the best value for money (my bill is much lower now; I hate those hidden cost from the "free trial" stuff I had before). Turn around time is very fast, and they have the movies I really want to watch. I am a big fan. |
Derek from Sth Wales on 2005-06-24 Rates them:
Ignore my rating because I haven't used Amazon but this is my point. I wouldn't bother to use a DVD club that sets a limit on how many DVDs you can rent for your fee. Having said that, I suppose they are at least being honest. Some other clubs say you can rent unlimited DVDs and then limit you by making you wait days from the return of watched films to the dispatch of new ones. (LOVEFILM prime example!) |
Nat from London on 2005-04-23 Rates them:
I found that Amazon is the most efficient company in UK. Their service is very good with great emails communication every time the movies are accepted or dispatched. Very fast delivery and friendly website. |
Balraj from Slough on 2005-04-15 Rates them:
Good points - very quick turnaround, great choice, send you e-mails when they receive back your DVDs.
Bad points - no list of prior rentals, 6 DVDs a month means you have to pace yourself.
Overall, much better than my previous membership of Lovefilm. |
John from Worcester on 2005-04-11 Rates them:
Avoid amazon uk DVD rental at all costs. Appalling to non-existent service when anything goes wrong. I've been using them for 3 months, and I will be cancelling it this month, if they ever get around to sending me my final DVDs or refunding me for this month! Started off ok, fairly quick turnaround of dvds, but it soon gets slower...I have now been waiting two weeks for them to send me one DVD, despite having 30+ DVDs in my rental list! Need I say more? Oh and out of 20 disks, 4 have been unplayable from visible scratches or dirt. Sent one unplayable back, they sent me the exact same disk again. :) Impressive level of incompetence! Perhaps they are overloaded but the lack of response to repeated emails about problems is the final nail in the coffin. You have been warned - join at your own risk...
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Steve from Warwick on 2005-02-08 Rates them:
I have been using Amazon for a couple of months. Clearly, the restricted number of DVD per month is key point of the package. I only really watch the DVDs at the weekend, so the restriction per month is OK for me. If you are content to keep each DVD for a week or so, before you send it back then you will not hit the 6 DVD limit so quickly and price is competitive. If you watch each DVD quickly and send it back straight away, you can get better value from the deals offered by other companies. In any case, Amazon has a great selection of DVDs and I have found their service and turnaround immaculate. |
Patrick from Southampton on 2005-01-27 Rates them:
I have been using this company for a month. I think the turnaround is fantastic. I have had with all 6 DVDs with a 3 day turnaround. You are sent an email when they receive the DVD back. Brilliant... however, I have found that I and now twiddling my thumbs with a 2 week wait until my next set of 3 DVDs are sent. I think they should have an extra option of 8 a month. Anyway I am looking into cancelling and joining screenselect with the 2 at a time option - hopefully I will get the 8/9 a month with that. If you are looking for a (very) limited number of DVDs Amazon can't be faulted in my opinion. |
Sarah from Newcastle on 2005-01-11 Rates them:
I tried this for a month. I had the £9.99 package it was good but I found the 6 dvds a month very limiting.
There is loads of choice anything you can buy off amazon you can rent. Dvds came the next day after being ordered but they take a bit longer to log in the returns.
I encountered no broken or wrong discs sent. Packaging is a paper envelope so not very protecting.
It said I had a very long wait for a new release. 6 dvds a month is nowhere near enough. |
