Make The Most of Your LOVEFiLM Subscription
Tips to Ensure You Get Value for Money From Your DVD Rentals
For anyone who may have missed their chronic advertising campaign Lovefilm represents the next generation in movie rental. No longer are film-buffs required to drive to their local town centre, browse through shelves of muddled titles, and pay exorbitant rates for new releases. No longer do they have to worry about due dates and late fees and where to go to find that obscure slasher from the seventies.
The only demand Lovefilm makes is that you regularly update your online “wish-list” and they’ll post you each copy as and when available. Then, when ready, you simply post it back free of charge and wait for the next one to come through. It sounds easy, but as with anything there is an abundance of unwritten rules that need to be followed in order to secure the greatest value from money.
Choose your Package Wisely
How many films can you really watch in an average week? Lovefilm offers a variety of options ranging from £3.91 to £18.59 a month. The cheaper packages place a limit on the number of DVDs that can be rented each month while the more expensive ones permit unlimited rentals with up to five titles allowed out at any one time. Be realistic about how much time you’ve got on your hands rather than letting greed get the better of you and pouncing on a multi-disc variety bundle.
Only Choose Films you Genuinely Want to Watch
It may sound insultingly obvious but it’s all too easy to slip Das Boot onto your list in a moment of drunken pomposity and then baulk at its arrival on your doormat the following week. When you’ve had a long day at the office and are in need of some mindless escapism the last thing you want to be confronted with is a four hour epic with ‘a message’. If in doubt stick to City of the Living Dead.
Don’t be Afraid to Send Films Back Unwatched
So you’ve blindly ignored the aforementioned advice and Three Colours: Blue has been sitting forlornly on your coffee table for the past ten days. Don’t feel guilty or frivolous about simply posting it back. You’re wasting far more money by hoarding it and denying yourself its replacement than you would by simply admitting defeat.
Post DVDs Back One at a Time
The Lovefilm envelopes try and cajole you into using them for multiple returns. Ignore them. If your chosen package allows you to have two films out at a time then return the first one as soon as it’s been watched. This way you create a more balanced cinematic cycle rather than having days at a time waiting for the postman.
Vary Your Options
If your “wish-list” only represents the most popular films or the latest releases you may end up waiting longer between rentals for your desired movies to become available. Try and mix it up a bit. Stick in a few older or more obscure films to ensure there’s always something on your list that’s available for shipping. If you’ve got a partner or flatmate then make use of the multiple lists so everyone’s choices are fairly represented.
Of course this is not an exhaustive list. Everyone has their own peculiar idiosyncrasies so try it out for yourself and see what suits you best. And don’t forget if you’re a gamer then you can rent up to four console discs a month for under a tenner – far more economical than forking out £40 a time at a shop.
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