Zip.ca vs. Blockbuster

I started using Zip.ca this week won’t be renewing my annual Blockbuster Rewards membership ($9.99). The Blockbuster Rewards program has been getting lamer each year with fewer freebies and incentives. The only reason Blockbuster is going to drop late fees and extend viewing periods is because of the online competiton from the likes of Zip.ca and this is a good thing.

So why dump Blockbuster for Zip.ca? Why give up the convenience of being able to visit a local Blockbuster store and grab the latest disc whenever you want?

Price

If you watch a lot of movies each month then Zip.ca is cheaper.

  • Blockbuster movie rentals are $5.74 (tax included)
  • Zip.ca rentals are as low as $1.79 (tax included)

I have a ‘4 Out’ Membership with Zip.ca that costs $28.69/month (tax included). This allows me to have 4 DVDs out at a time. Delivery costs are free. The more movies I rent, the cheaper it becomes. Consider the following:

  • 4 rentals/month costs @ $7.17/rental
  • 8 rentals/month costs @ $3.59/rental
  • 12 rentals/month costs @ $2.39/rental
  • 16 rentals/month costs @ $1.79/rental

Even if I only watch 8 movies for the entire month, I’m still ahead. If I were to rent 8 movies from Blockbuster I would be paying $45.92. 16 movie rentals from Blockbuster costs $91.84

Selection

Zip.ca has a better selection of movies—over 25,000 titles to choose from. Blockbuster has a good selection of current movies but quite often they carry only the fullscreen version of a film (Lost in Translation (2003), Intolerable Cruelty (2003) and others). Sometimes they only carry the VHS version of a film—try and find a DVD copy of Willard (2003).

Blockbuster also has a nasty habit of pulling DVDs from their shelves if they don’t rent every 3-6 months. Last summer I went to several Blockbuster stores to rent a copy of Days of Thunder (not exactly an obscure film). They didn’t have it.

Zip.ca has a great selection of DVDs including The Criterion Collection. Films like 8 1/2, The Battle of Algiers and Down By Law are easy to find.

No late fees

You can keep you Zip.ca DVDs for as long as you like. Watch all of the extra special features or listen to the director commentary if you like. The movies don’t have to be back before noon. Zip.ca mails the DVDs to you and you just drop them in the return envelope when you’re done with them. Shipping is free.

If you tend to binge on movies and watch 5 or more over the course of a weekend then Zip.ca is not for you. If you have sudden urges to watch Rob Schneider or Adam Sandler movies at 10:30 PM then you better stick to Blockbuster. They will probably have those titles in stock.

Lastly, if Zip.ca appeals to you and you’re thinking about signing up then just click on one of the Zip.ca links on bombippy.com!

Posted in Movies at 7:25 PM