Lovefilm free trial problems (merged threads)

CrazyMoney

Hi all, I took up the lovefilm/cd-wow free trial offer on January 30th unfortunately due to login problems I did not get a welcome e-mail due to them saying my e-mail address was registered incorrectly ( I am sure I entered it correctly). After they replied to my e-mail I could not login to my account till Feb 2nd, coming towards the end of my trial I e-mailed to confirm when it ended they replied it ended on the 14th. When I went to cancel the two week trial I was offered an additional two weeks which I decided to take. Upon receiving my credit card bill this month I noticed they charged me on the 14th. I have now sent about ten e-mails and they are saying that my trial ended on the 13th and they will not refund my charge as they dont do refunds (other posts contracdict this as other people have had refunds from lovefilm). During my trial they sent the wrong dvds twice in the first two weeks, I have sent them previous e-mails regarding my login problems and that my trial ends on the 14th.

They are unwilling to refund and will only re-activate my account for the time I paid for, can anyone help ? Who should I take this matter to next ?
I also know a friend of mine had problems setting up a login and had to e-mail and get this set up again has anyone else had problems ?

I've tried e-mailing cd-wow who have just thanked me for bringing the situation to their attention.

soolin

I had terrible trouble with love film, they actually lied and contradicted themselves in emails to me. I also telephoned them several times and they were just as unhelpful on the phone as they were by e mail.

In my case they denied I was actually on a free trial, they denied they even offered them so I sent them screen grabs. Then they denied that CDWow were in any way affiliated to them, so again I sent them a screen grab.

Then I got a long rambling mail telling me that they had problems with CDWow who had refused to allow them to offer a free trial so I must have been misrepresenting what had occured! It was at that point I gave up as I was frightened for my blood pressure..however, out of the blue I got an email from CDWow offering me a free trial of Lovefilm, so I sent that email to Lovefilm and they refunded my money without a word of apology.

Never again.

Soo

Fatboy_NSS

I'm impressed that LoveFilm actually replied to your emails. I had a 1 month free trial, which they then extended by another 2 weeks which I cancelled a couple days before the expiry date, however my card was still charged on the last day of the free trial. Despite emailing them every week for the following month they didn't see fit to reply.

competitionscafe

Hi, I had problems with them too - as posted in another thread:

competitionscafe wrote:

I know some people are happy with them, but I am a bit wary of LoveFilm - I returned all the dvds during the free trial and cancelled as quite a few of the dvds were too scratched to play properly (really annoying when you get half way through a film and then it won't /can't play the rest). They aslo claimed that they had not received one of the dvds (and therefore couldn't cancel my membership) and so charged me £14.99 and another £14.99 again in January which they refused to refund. Worried that they would keep charging me I replaced the 'missing' dvd (which I had already returned!!) at my own expense - so for 2 months I had no dvds from them at a cost of £30 plus the £9 for the dvd I paid for and sent to them! They don't respond to emails or respond with a cut and paste job that doesn't answer your questions. After I contacted Which? (Consumers Association) Love Film cancelled my account and said no more money would be taken from my card - But they still didn't refund the £14.99 x 2 - so my 'free trial' cost me £39 [2 months charges + the cost of a dvd].

Mixed reviews (including mine) here:
http://www.dvdrr.com/reviews/LoveFilm.html

Their policy seems to be ignore you or give you irrelevant answers until you give up in frustration and go away.

possom46

I signed up for lovefilms 1 month trial about a year ago. Anyway, after trying again and again to cancel after the 1st month I managed to (after they had took £9.99 because I didn't cancel in time, because I couldn't!!). I just look on my bank statement online, and find that they have taken out another £9.99!!! I have not authorised this payment, in fact my issue number on my card changed in September so have no idea how this has gone through. I have contacted my bank and them to see what's going on, but must say am very annoyed and worried more than anything else. It seems that once they have your bank details they can take money when they feel like it. I'll post back when i've heard something.

niceguy_4

Hi All,

Just a warning to all those thinking they can get "unlimited" dvd rental from LOVEFILM or Sainburys (who are operated by LOVEFILM).

They are now sending out replacement discs up to three business days after receipt of a viewed disc. I have been told that this is due to an argument with the post office, and then the next day that it is due to "pressure of business".
This level of customer service is way below that suggested by their promotions and is not acceptable. It radically alters the value of dvd rental by post with this company, and their varied excuses suggest a lack of candour.

As I have a three disc at home package and return discs the next day, I have been getting great value until now. Although I am told the problem affects all customers, I wonder if customers like me are having service downgraded.

Would be interested to hear if anyone else has found this or can recommend other services. I also use Screenselect/Videoisland.

possom46

I have now had a response from them. They say that my account was not cancelled until May (I joined in February), although I emailed them so many times I lost count trying to cancel. They said they have been trying to take payment since Feb '05 (????) and that I still owe them 1!!! The thing is, I lost my bank card in September so they have taken payment from a stopped bank card which is confusing. The things people do for rpoints

jessielicious

I was billed by Love Film after my free trial because they said I didn't cancel in time. Having looked at their website again, I accept that I should have cancelled before the billing date (I cancelled on the day). However, the rather snooty person I spoke to on the phone said I should have cancelled about 5 working days before the billing date, and then immediately returned all my DVDs. Bearing in mind my billing date was a Monday, I would have had to do this the previous Monday. Hardly a two-week free trial! Who can watch 6 DVDs in a week? Some of us have jobs! I think they should make this much clearer to begin with, but I just wanted to warn others who are thinking of signing up. It is a good system, but if you only want the free trial, be prepared to cancel well before the billing date.

Netizen

I've just had a run in with this company, VERY NOT HAPPY!

In april they sent me an email with an offer to get 3 months for the price of one when I come back to them (i was an ex customer, cancelled last december). I used the link in the email and signed up again. That was one month ago and today they've billed me for a second month. I contacted them about it and they claim that I never used the link in the email...

Dear James,

Thank you for writing to us at LOVEFiLM.

We have checked your account and found that you did not sign up for the “come back” offer which entitles you for the 3 months service at the cost of 1 month.

Further, we also checked your previous account with us which shows that you cancelled that account, come back offer is only for those customers who cancel their cancellation. That is why after signing up you were charged.

Please feel free to contact us, in case of any further queries.

Yours Sincerely,

Lucy Brand
LOVEFiLM Customer Services


How exactly was I supposed to use my old account to sign up again when it had been cancelled 4 months ago?! If the link in the email sent me to the wrong page, isn't that their fault? I've sent an angry email back to them but any suggestions on what I can do are greatly appreciated!

soolin

I wouldn't touch Lovefilm again with a bargepole.

I have vented on here a couple of times about their appalling record keeping and the way they treat their customers.

I signed up for a free trial with them just before Christmas and then they denied they offered free trials! Took me ages to get my money back.

No bargepole is long enough for that company.

Soo

jessielicious

I posted a separate thread about Love Film earlier today. I've now written to them to tell them what I think, and I mentioned that there are a lot of criticisms of them on this site. I'm off to cancel my membership!