Love film rip off...

[indebtstudent]

This is a little bizarre since a little time ago I posted a purely inquisitve question regarding companies that use this sort of 'free trial' and then find myself in the sort of situation I dreaded.

 

I signed up for a 'free' trail where you bascially sign up, create a list of at least £5 dvd's and then the company sends you £10.

 

You have to give your card details and cancel before the first month otheriwse you get charged.

 

The first thing that rubbed me up the wrong way was that they said to complete the cancellation you had to phone up. This irked me as I signed up online. When I did wrong the chap (with a heavy accent I could barely follow) tried (poorly) several times to persuade me of the merits of leaving the 'free' trail a little longer.

 

I finally got him to agree it was cancelled subject to returning any DVD's. I did this some time ago and guess what I found when I returned from holiday?

 

That's right a charge from this company. I e-mailed them telling them they had no right to take this money. Thier reply is below:-

 

Thank you for your email. We would like to inform you that the title " Wedding Planner, The (Wide Screen" is outstanding on your account. According to our terms and conditions cancellation will be complete only when all the outstanding DVDs are returned back to us. Until that time your account will remain active and billed as normal. Hence, you were billed for 9.99 on 14/09/2007 as a monthly subscription fee. We are sorry to inform you that we are unable to offer a refund. However, we can add one month of service to your account if you wish to continue with us. We kindly request you to confirm the return of the title " Wedding Planner, The (Wide Screen) ", so that we can accordingly update your account. Secondly, please provide us with the promotion code which entitles you for a £10 cheque, so that we can assist you better. Should you have any more questions, please do let us know and we will be happy to assist you further.

 

This REALLY annoys me, the promotion is prominently displayed here LOVEFiLM | Europe's No.1 online DVD rental service

 

The whole thing is just a [problem], I want to £9.99 they have charged me back I am prepared to forgoe the £10.

 

Basically they are just conning people. I sent a message back saying I intend to go to the press first and the courts if necessary.

 

Any suggestions regarding what I should do? You will note they say that the thing will continue until such time as the item has been returned. This is ridiculous!!!!

 

I know its only £10 but it is the principle of the thing, and the fact they can (apparently) keep debiting my account. Well sod that I'm going to see my colleagues and fill in a fraud claim.

[indebtstudent]

Anyone?

[MBMB11]

ok, you need to log into your lovefilm account and change your card payment details. that way they cant access your card anymore. i had the same issue so to speak, i kept the service after the trial for quite a long time until after paying months on end for films and games but never once recieving a game, i cancelled online, and at the same time i changed my debit card details to one that wouldnt give them any money as i know these kind of things happen! but then they strated claiming i hadnt sent them back their dvds and i strated to get debt collection phone calls. (however on a positive note the debt collection people actually chased lovefilm for me to resolve the issue thanks to a very kind lady who called me chasing the debt that didnt exist!)

[fbnts]

How familiar! I signed up with ScreenSelect many months ago for a free trial. I actually liked the service and paid £14.99 per month for some time. They then got bought out and became LoveFilm.

 

The service went down hill - many titles remained in my wish list for months before I would get them, returning them would take 3-5 days before they registered on my account and they sent the next set.

 

So I tried to cancel. Same thing happened, I had to call and eventually got through to an overseas call centre and after about 20 mins of them trying to persuade me to leave it a few more weeks until the end of my billing cycle they let me cancel.

I returned the DVDs but surprisingly, they delayed the return being registered and I was charged again. I rang them but eventually gave in and just hung up safe in the knowledge that my card had expired and the next payment would fail.

 

They emailed a month later saying that there was an outstanding balance and I needed to update my card details.

 

I replied and told them that the account was closed and they had actually taken 1 month extra payment.

 

They kept emailing saying that the balance was still outstanding and I eventually turned round and said that I was not going to enter into any further correspondences with them.

 

They eventually stopped emailing me and have heard nothing since!

 

Its a real shame because ScreenSelect was great and at £14.99 for roughly 12 or so films a month was way cheaper than crappy Sky Movies!

 

Oh Well!

 

Tom

[OrangePrimate]

"I finally got him to agree it was cancelled subject to returning any DVD's."

 

This is standard, they are not going to cancel the subscription while you still have their goods.

 

"Basically they are just conning people. I sent a message back saying I intend to go to the press first and the courts if necessary.

Any suggestions regarding what I should do? You will note they say that the thing will continue until such time as the item has been returned. This is ridiculous!!!!"

 

How are they conning anyone? It says in their T&C's that all items must be returned. much like an escalating fine when your library books are overdue!!!

 

Not in anyway defending this firm, had dealings with them myself a while ago, cancelled the service because not much point paying top wack for monthly unltd films that took them up to 5 days to process from return then another 3 before they posted new one out!!

 

But in this instance, until you send that Wedding Planner DVD back, you dont have a leg to stand on!!

[demon_x_slash]

I finally got him to agree it was cancelled subject to returning any DVD's. I did this some time ago and guess what I found when I returned from holiday?

 

Think IDS did return the DVDs...when we had a LoveFilm account, we had DVDs sitting at the top of our list for ages, and DVDs were always 'going missing', both to and from our address. That's why we cancelled, the service was too unreliable and we never actually got to watch anything after a while...

[fbnts]

Sorry Orange, I think you misunderstood - I was not the OP, just adding my own experience.

 

When I cancelled, they had all but 1 DVD. It was in the post back to them that day.

It just took them 10 days to show it on my account as being returned - yes I accept that it could have been a genuine delay with royal mail or something but it all seemed too convenient.

 

Probably "Con" was not the word, just sneaky and awkward!

 

The most annoying was the way they try to convince you to stay! You have to be really adamant!

 

Tom

[buzby]

I was with Screenselect and had no problem with them over 2 years - only 1 DVD was 'lost' (that I had returned) and this was credited after 5 days under their automated scheme. Their system is quite fair - if inflexible - and I was offered a free 3 months trial to rejoin the LoveFilm brand. So far, they've provided a great service and I intend closing the account by deselecting titles 1 week before the end of the period so they have nothing to send.

 

As for the suggestion to change the card details, this would not work as the card given is pre-authorised to ensure validity. But I'll keep you posted if anything unusual happens before Xmas when I cancel.

[TeeDee]

Hi All - I'm newly registered and must admit I'm in desperate need of help myself, but felt I had to post on this thread as I've suffered with ScreenSelect too (darned if I'll use the new soppy name they've given themselves - makes you feel a proper twit if you're seen posting..!): as I'm sure any long-standing customers will recall, they introduced new-style 'improved', larger envelopes earlier this year..

 

I returned two DVDs in one of these envelopes, noting in the process how sloppily made they (the evelopes) were... Five days went by and no sign of my returned DVDs showing up in my list; when I got in touch with them, I was told that I'd be sent a claim form which they called a V91. After a week, I'd received nothing from them, so requested a replacement; I was told that the forms were 'uniquely issued' and that no replacement form would be forthcoming and I would be charged forty pounds as a replacement charge for the DVDs. (I still have the e-mails)

 

The Post Office were of no use, either, saying that the items were posted with no receipt..

 

To rub salt in the wound, I'm on Disability Benefit (my only source of income) and the hire of DVDs is one of the few pleasures I can allow myself; also, at that time, ScreenSelect's quality control was abysmal and most of the DVDs I received were very badly scratched and had to be processed quite intensively before they'd even play..

 

I also think it rather significant that the so-called 'improved' envelopes quietly vanished and none have been issued since.

 

To sum up - I had to pay forty pounds for two badly scratched DVDs in paper sleeves which went adrift, I strongly suspect, because of an envelope that was badly designed and indifferently constructed..

[buzby]

whoever you spoke to at the PO was misinformed. As the sender you have a right to compensation of up to £33 per mail item, and you do not need a receipt. Further it is you the sender who is responsible for the claim, Love Film's form is of no consequence. As to the envelopes, since they pay for postage I never return two disks in a single envelope (eggis in one basket). However I cannot fault the new envelopes as they do not burst open easily at the seams - and I've tried.

 

If it is not too late, I'd pursue RM saying you are still awaiting compensation as LF will confirm the disks are missing.

[TeeDee]

whoever you spoke to at the PO was misinformed. As the sender you have a right to compensation of up to £33 per mail item, and you do not need a receipt. Further it is you the sender who is responsible for the claim, Love Film's form is of no consequence. As to the envelopes, since they pay for postage I never return two disks in a single envelope (eggis in one basket). However I cannot fault the new envelopes as they do not burst open easily at the seams - and I've tried.

 

If it is not too late, I'd pursue RM saying you are still awaiting compensation as LF will confirm the disks are missing.

 

Thanks for your prompt reply, buzby - it's matters such as this that I'm no too well up on! The incident occurred back in January, and I have to admit that I'd 'written it up to experience' - does anyone know if it's too late to take further action, please? Forty pounds to me is a bit like four hundred to someone with a 'proper' income, and caused no small hardship at the time!

[MBMB11]

 

As for the suggestion to change the card details, this would not work as the card given is pre-authorised to ensure validity. But I'll keep you posted if anything unusual happens before Xmas when I cancel.

 

i know, but as your an existing member they dont pre authorise when you change cards, i know, ive done it!

[MBMB11]

oh yeah and i would also obtain a free cert of posting from now on as proof!

[sequenci]

I've just cancelled my subscription and have to return 2 dvds, i think i'll send them special delivery.

[dibble39]

this is a simple tip to anyone who has a company taking payments off your card phone your bank and say you have lost your card then when you get your new card the 16 digit number has changed so no one can access your account.

[buzby]

i know, but as your an existing member they dont pre authorise when you change cards, i know, ive done it!

 

They did (as Screenselect) when they took a renewal. Payment wasn't due for 2 weeks, but I transposed a few digits and my mailings were immediately suspended until I 'rectified' the error!

[indebtstudent]

I did return the item as pointed out above.

 

Yes you do have to be adamant. They do try really hard, although they are really bad at it. They just kept saying the same stuff (which I had rejected) over and over again in barely passable english. I'm not being a snob here I don't speak any other languages and am darned lucky english is so widely spoken BUT there again I'm not working in a call center dealing with people in another language...

 

I signed up under an incentive for £10 and a 'free' trail. Looking at the small print I may not be leigible for the £10 due to the dates of the promotion and yet I signed up via that link. Surely it wouldn't have been too big of an ask to have an automatic e-mail, or even remove the web page. What is the difference between this and false advertising?

[OrangePrimate]

I did return the item as pointed out above.

So sorry, my mistake, very first post didnt make that clear!! thought you still had the Wedding Planner dvd (why anyone would want to keep it and feel obliged to watch it a second time is beyond me though!! )

Sorry again, shouldnt joke, very serious matter

[MBMB11]

They did (as Screenselect) when they took a renewal. Payment wasn't due for 2 weeks, but I transposed a few digits and my mailings were immediately suspended until I 'rectified' the error!

 

i know! i wasnt having a dig, i meant change the card details when youve had enough of thier service and need to stop the service and them trying to take money for a service you no longer want!

[buzby]

Ah! Still, a handy way of making the system for for youu, rather than the other way around!

[SURFBOY]

you could use a pre pay credit card to set up your account and when you want to stop their service just leave your card empty, it worked for me , now all i get is emails from them asking me to come back to them .

[buzby]

True, but since you probably paid for the Pre-Paid card, to leave it un-funded just because of LF seem a bit drastic!

[SURFBOY]

I just happened to leave it with a small amount on it because i wasnt using it for a couple of weeks and that is all it took to get LOVE FILM to forget about me ! it was great !

[markylots]

Sorry to bump these old thread guys, but I saw you guys were talking about lovefilm. I was wondering if you got any idea if it's gotten any better.

 

I was rather interested in some online streaming movies and dvd rentals Lovefilm subscription; they seem to give you a pretty good deal but I don't know if it's worth it if their service is that bad and it'll cause me a lot of trouble.

 

Do you guys still use Lovefilm to stream movies online or anything like this?

[jessjames]

Idk man, I was also thinking of trying out this lovefilm online movies streaming and dvd rentals service to see if it would be worth it for me to get a subscription.

But was quite a major drawback to stumble on the web upon people complaining that it's not that easy to cancel lovefilm subscription and that they've been having all sorts of issues with it.

 

Suppose I might risk it though since their offer looks pretty interesting.