Blockbuster TotalAccess Review:
One of the first and foremost appeals of online video rental is escaping the trap of the video store commute. Blockbuster offering free in-store return and in-store rental coupons in an attempt to break loose the NetFlix lead is not exactly the catch all of marketing ploys... but it does get the job done.
Having tested out their service for just over a month now I think I can summarize my experience from two points of view:
1.If your goal is to be as lazy as possible and to subvert the dominant “regime”, NetFlix is your refuge.
2.If you want a little more for your money, it's TotalAccess all the way.
NetFlix has some serious strong points – great turnaround, amazing selection, ease of use... but if you're like me at all you've got to get a little something extra from your purchase. If you are the person that lives close to a Blockbuster, the added convenience of in-store drop-off for faster turnaround is the first huge bonus – but on top of that each mailer is in itself a rental coupon good for in-store trade. So in effect your queue gets shifted faster, and you have something to watch while you wait.
Cons:
Naturally we have to look on the darker side of things, and TotalAccess is not without its flaws.
1.One of the NetFlix selling points is ownership of a larger online catalog. Blockbuster seems to be perpetually behind in titles, though not by many.
2.Turnaround times may vary (and do in my experience), and not all Blockbuster stores participate in the TotalAccess service.
3.You have to walk, bike or drive to a participating store in order to take full benefit of the service.
4.In-store trades are subject to normal rental service agreements and lesser availability, unlike their online counterparts. Meaning late turn-in = a potential late fee.
Rebuttal:
1.Blockbuster's massive online catalog was surprisingly generous in titles – offering many unexpected foreign and rare DVDs ready for shipping.
2.With practice, the customer's advantage with TotalAccess is obvious... you won't often be without something to watch.
3.A monthly e-coupon grants access to one free video game rental (or DVD), which is $6-7 value.
4.Priced to compete with NetFlix's popular service.
I'd say it was marginally worthwhile if it weren't for the price – for 3 titles the pricing is $17.99 which is the same as NetFlix for the same number of titles. It makes it a no-brainer in my opinion. Free Enterprise says that if BlockBuster gains ground on NetFlix we will see some fierce competition for our business... so I say jump ship if you can and let the bidding war begin.
