Zip.ca (Unlimited dvds rental)

[garbun0629]

I was browsing futureshop web site and there was an ad. about Zip.ca.

$24.95/mth
unlimited dvds rental.

looks like a good deal.
Anyone tried this company before?

Thanks

[wanna_be]

many many posts on this

[Jazzhound]

Topic has been covered before, and I even authored one myself. Last time I checked (several months), they state that you can have no more than 3 out at any one time, so you need to send those back before you can rent anymore. Takes 2-4 days to ship it back/forth.

Zip.ca is generally rated high amongst the DVD delivery services in Canada. People (on the web) seem to endorse them.

[wanna_be]

it is actually 4 DVD's at a time now and you can mark one as in transit (shipped back to them on the site) and then they will send you another

[midget_man]

DO NOT DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WORST COMPANY EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are the biggest scam artists in the history of modern man.

I could go on but I'll allow you to do your own internet research on them and read the problems the've caused consumers and the investigation currently being conducted by the better business bureau. Personally, it was (and continues to be) one of the most exhausting situations with an unreachable company that won't stop billing you even after you've cancelled that I've ever had the displeasure of having.

[garbun0629]

Thanks guys!
Sorry for not doing a research before posting! Forgive me about that!

Yeah, I had bad experience with columbia house canada too.

I think I should stay away from zip.ca then.

[synaptech]

They have a phone number now and I have found the service ok.

[TrevorK]

I had no problems with my free trial - however I found shipping times (Since I'm in western canada) incredibly slow...

[RW99]

They are based in Ottawa, so it could have been a good option for me... But 9 months ago I applied for a job though one of their ad's and the woman came right out and said "We are looking for part time employees that are able to work 40+ hours a week". I laughed before I hung up. When they are prepared to treat their employees like that, I can only wonder about the customer.

[garbun0629]

let's say I pay $24.95/mth (approx $30 after tax) unlimited rentals.
4 dvds each time.
assume it will take 4 days (ottawa - toronto) to deliver.
20 business days in a month.
total of 8 days to receive and send dvds back to zip.ca (assume you return all dvds the next day you got it).
roughly, I can only rent 8 dvds each month even though unlimited rentals.

For blockbuster price, ($4.99 + tax) x 8 = approx. $40
you will only benefit by $10 only.
for just $10, maybe you have to deal with cancellation, lost items, defective dvds, zip.ca keeps charging you after cancellation...

I don't think it's a good deal afterall.

[synaptech]

let's say I pay $24.95/mth (approx $30 after tax) unlimited rentals.
4 dvds each time.
assume it will take 4 days (ottawa - toronto) to deliver.
20 business days in a month.
total of 8 days to receive and send dvds back to zip.ca (assume you return all dvds the next day you got it).
roughly, I can only rent 8 dvds each month even though unlimited rentals.

For blockbuster price, ($4.99 + tax) x 8 = approx. $40
you will only benefit by $10 only.
for just $10, maybe you have to deal with cancellation, lost items, defective dvds, zip.ca keeps charging you after cancellation...

I don't think it's a good deal afterall.

This would depend on location I guess but even with your numbers, it is more than 8 DVDs a month. An 8 day cycle means you would get 4 sets in a month plus one day. 4 * 8 = 32 DVDs

[confused]

I found them to be great.. I only cancelled because I will be moving soon.. will be joining them again..

It's a great place to get TV shows, older/rare movies.. but for newer movies, I will rent from the local video store

i'm in Toronto and averaged about 4 a week so ~ 16 a month.. much better deal than Blockbuster

[Degenerate]

My old coworker used to always order 3 movies, burn them all in one day then send them right back. This way he maximized the number of movies he'd get each month and he could watch them on his own time.

[yellowsugga]

All these web based DVD rentals are good if you have a distribution center near you. I live in Ottawa and since zip is based in Ottawa, the turn around time was 1 day. I would send it one day and recieve a DVD from them in two days. Its was great. i could get about 12 DVD's per week. It is only the weekends that slow thigns down. They also have a local numebr to call for support. I never recieved a DVD from them (lost in the mail) and I called them and they cleared it up for me no problems at all. I would recommend them if you live in Ottawa.

[warpdrive]

I've been with them since last summer.

Let's put it this way....they lose money on customers like me (I've gotten a lot of DVD's from them)

Not a SINGLE problem. Based on **MY** experience alone, they are the best thing to happen to me as far as my home theater is concerned.

Note that I'm in Ottawa though....can't extropolate if they will be as good for you as they are for me.

[YKdvd]

I think I should stay away from zip.ca then.Not to downplay any ZIP customer who has had legitimate problems or a poor experience, but I wouldn't let the rather wild rhetoric in some of the complaint posts keep you from trying ZIP out. Like 'warpdrive' I've had no real problems, and so I suspect have the vast majority who've tried them. From various news stories (http://www.zip.ca/zipnews.aspx?newsID=115) and other sources I'd guess they have over 15,000 members, and ship around 10,000 discs a day (they've shipped over a million in the year or so they've been around). Presumably they are doing something right.

They did have a couple of periods last year when their growth apparently outstripped their customer service setup, and people who did have problems had frustrating times trying to get decent responses. This was when they discontinued the phone support, but as someone noted, it is back now (7 days a week).

For what it is worth, when I checked the Ottawa BBB for ZIP (http://www.ottawa.bbb.org/search/localcompanyreport.asp?Lang=Eng&Id=23586) it said that "Complaints processed by the Bureau have been resolved.

There's a DVD rental discussion board over at www.onlinedvdrentalguide.ca (and some info on my own webpages (www.dvdinfo.ca)).