DAVID RAYNER

Over the past five years, ever since I’ve been on the Internet, I’ve ordered many a video and latterly DVD off Movies Unlimited in Philadelphia, USA. When I first started ordering them, they used to arrive within a week by air mail. However, lately, I’ve noticed that their standards of service regarding despatch aren’t what they used to be.

Eight weeks ago, I ordered a DVD from them and they supposedly shipped it straight away by air mail and promptly took the payment of £10:70, including postage, out of my bank account. After four weeks of waiting, I emailed them to ask where it was and they replied that I should be receiving it shortly. The carrier they use was moving from one facility to another and was experiencing some delays.

Well, eight weeks have now gone by and it’s quite obvious now that it ain’t coming! So I emailed them to say that, due to their present unreliability, I wouldn’t be ordering any more items off them as it would be a complete waste of money. I’ve had no reply, not even a sorry to lose your custom email from them.

The reason I preferred ordering DVD’s from Movies Unlimited is because they send them in a small Jiffy bag that can easily be pushed through my letterbox by the postman, while for some reason, amazon.com in the USA always send a CD or a DVD in a gigantic cardboard box that has to come on the Royal Mail van and the postman has to knock with it. Since you don’t know the exact day it will be turning up, you have to wait in for it every day. Nevertheless, in view of the way that Movies Unlimited are now going, I will re-order the missing DVD off amazon.com in the States. For some reason, amazon.co.uk always send DVD’s in a small, flat cardboard package that can easily be pushed through my letterbox. If only amazon.com in the States would do that.

DB7

The advantage with MU is that they possess a large amount of rare old British films although the quality of picture often varies from film to film. I recently ordered three; two arrived within a few weeks but the third arrived a month later. The covers are often generic so I assume much of their older collection is 2nd generation maybe created on demand?

Sadly I doubt Amazon stock the titles I order from MU.

DAVID RAYNER

You’re quite probably right about that, DB7, but it would help if MU simply posted the videos or DVD’s at their nearest Post Office and sent them by US Air Mail. A friend of mine in Ohio recently sent me a DVD by Air Mail and it arrived here in five days. A very big difference.

samkydd

In such matters it always pays to write to the Managing Director and explain his company's negative attitude towards you, a loyal customer, by letter rather than e-mail. Quite often they will "kick ass" down the line until the matter is resolved. They may even send you a few freebies to compensate you for your poor treatment. Give it a try you may be pleasantly surprised.

NB. If you ordered using your credit card you should be covered by the credit card company, so you can seek a refund(s) if the supplier doesn't reimburse you.

"...the chairman of Littlewoods stores made a Keynote speech!"

DAVID RAYNER

That's good advice, Sam. Even though it only cost me just over a tenner, a tenner's a tenner for all that, to misquote Robbie Burns.

phil_sheffield

Hi
I have also been a Movies Unlimited customer for many years. In my opinion, on the upside they produce the most spectacular catalogue ive ever seen, a virtual 'bible' of US video releases. Their customer services are reasonable helpful, if a little slow sometimes ( especially if contacting by e mail). If you order a few titles they are usually 'generous' with the $ value on the package which might help avoid the nasty surprise on import duties etc! The other side of the coin: the shipping cost is higher than some other suppliers and the service on delivery is now much slower.
There is a reason why some titles take longer which is outside their control, although the major titles are held in stock some of the more obscure ones have to be ordered from the manufacturers. They are pretty good at searching around if one manufacturer stops issuing a title especially with those public domain releases that DB7 mentions - MU don't actually produce any items themselves - they are all from third parties ie Nostalgia Family Video or Sinister Cinema - and quite right, they often produce the titles to order. As for shipping these days they seem to be using a cheaper method than the standard US airmail wherby the parcels take a round a bout route via France or Germany instead of a direct flight to the UK.

If you are buying the more obscure and early British films released over there by the public domain companies it might be worth checking out a company called "Life is a Movie" on lifeisamovie.com. I can 100% recommend these people and although like MU it can sometimes takes a couple of weeks for them to obtain the films, they ship via USPS Priority envelope which takes about five days. The postage cost is also quite reasonable.
Hope this is helpful [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

DAVID RAYNER

Yes, Phil, very helpful, thank you. Though I'm not surprised that orders take so long to arrive in England if they travel all around the world first. It would have been quicker sent on the Mayflower. The DVD I ordered from them was already in stock and they sent it out (or so they say) on the day I ordered it eight weeks ago. Who knows, it may turn up yet...perhaps in a few more months, having travelled to Outer Mongolia and back. With the set up MU have these days, I'm sure I'm not the only one affected.

Steve Crook

Did you say you wanted it sent by airmail?
Buying things from the States, it's always worth paying the few extra dollars to get it sent by airmail. That slow boat can be v-e-r-y slow.

Or, if possible, get it posted from Canada. For some reason, the postage rates from Canada to the UK are often about half that rates from the States to the UK

Steve

DAVID RAYNER

Yes, Steve, I asked for and paid for it to be sent by air mail and they emailed me to say it had been sent by air mail. So God knows what's happened to it by this time.

Steve Crook

If it was sent by airmail it should be with you within the week - two at most.
Time for a high level query I think

Steve

phil_sheffield

I think I would be ready to give up after 8 weeks, sounds like MU don't want to admit its lost. I think there must be different standards of Airmail in the US, the Global Priority envelopes I mentioned talke about 5 days usually whereas MU packages seem to take 10 - 14 days, although some of mine have been nearer 3 -4 weeks. There is also something they call "surface air lift" not sure what it is but it seems to be the one that goes via Europe rather than directly across the Atlantic.

I have also used a company called Digital Eyes, they only do mainstream releases in the US but prices are very good and postage is cheap - they do use the slower route though.

ah well if the UK post office wont accept a recorded 1st class delivery is lost until after 15 working days..what hope for the rest of the world! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/angry.gif[/img]

nobbywoods

May I suggest that anyone buying DVDs from the US always check
www.deepdiscountdvd.com first. Their prices are always lower than amazon's and they ship in flat boxes. Another cheaper than Amazon site is dvdplanet.com

rjd0309

Try the low-price search engine at bargainflix.com