Put A Little Zip.ca In Your Movie Night
With bricks-n-mortar video stores in steady decline, this movies-by-mail company is a solid alternative.
SPEND SMART | With Blockbuster gone and Netflix now in Canada but without new releases, what’s the best, most expedient, well-priced yet legal way to get both new releases and back-catalogue movies these days?
Though mom-n-pop video stores are one option, they are getting fewer and farther between. Another is getting movies by mail, and while this service lacks the instant gratification of streaming offered by Netflix, once you set up an account and get into the rhythm of the system, you can have batches of the movies you want to watch coming in and out of your house on a regular basis.
A number of Canadian companies offer movies by mail, but Zip.ca, headquartered in Ottawa with a distribution centre in Vancouver to serve our region directly, is considered the industry leader. A few months ago, they began offering a free trial for a month (in anticipation of Netflix’s month-for-free offer, maybe?), and I decided to try it out.
Here’s How Zip.ca Works
My free offer was for their “most popular” three-disc unlimited plan. This means I can watch as many DVDs as I want during a month as long as I have no more than three in my possession at any one time. Each DVD arrives at my house with its own prepaid envelope so I can return it independently of the others. Every time I return a DVD, another of the titles on my personal request list (aka Ziplist) is mailed out. It’s dead simple, really. I like that the Zip.ca website is clear and easy to navigate—critical to a techno dolt like me.
Zip.ca has an impressive 82,000 movie titles in its catalogue, movies for everyone from New-Release Guy to Mr. Serious Film Buff. It also allows you to put titles coming soon to DVD on your request list.
Is Zip.ca Worth It?
Zip.ca’s three-DVD unlimited plan is $24.95 a month (you can cancel at any time with no penalty, which is fantastic). If you watch lots of movies and return them quickly, the cost per movie gets pretty cheap. With the advent of Netflix, I have opted for the two-DVD unlimited plan for $18.95 per month (if I watch just six movies a month, they are $3.16 each). I will keep my $7.88 month unlimited Netflix plan and supplement it with Zip.ca for new releases and esoteric titles. That’s a total $26.83, just $1.88 more than the Zip.ca three-DVD unlimited plan. I’m going this route for now because Netflix, even with its limited offerings, has movies I like, and unlike Zip.ca it offers streaming—though I understand Zip.ca is working on it. —C. Rule
For more on Zip.ca, visit www.zip.ca
I just tried to sign up for the Free Trial after spending some time reading the Terms of Use, etc. only to be told you could not process my request at this time and to try again later – very frustrating and not sure I will go thru it all again.
Hi Paulette,
Sorry to hear about your trouble. I think there is a telephone number on their website to call if you need assistance. I would give that a try. This company is so organized and efficient, I’m sure they will be able to walk you through the process. Good luck. I think zip.ca is definitely worth it.