Films2u has gone out of business, but this review is kept as it was for posterity.
Films 2u appeared in 2003 as a courier DVD delivery service for Northampton only, but as of July 2008 they were using the Royal Mail and service the entire UK. This is a small, but personalised service.
We counted through Films2u's 15 genres and found only about 2,100 films, about what you'll find in many smaller video stores, but not a very big selection compared to larger online companies. In fact, to us this looks like a local independent video store which has started doing deliveries--we don't have a problem with that, it's just there's better selection out there from the larger companies.
However, the benefit of a smaller company is personalised customer service; there's certainly no other DVD rental company we're aware of that gives out the manager's (George's) mobile phone number! As some people will prefer a smaller, customer service-oriented company like this, and given the changes and price reductions, we've bumped them up a couple slots on our ranking table.
Each title had a fair bit of data, including picture, rating, release date, synopsis, stars, and director, but none of the extra information or customer comments/reviews you'd expect on a larger site. As a plus, they do run a popular loyalty scheme. If the films sent to you are returned to within a week of posting, your account will be credited with 1 point. For every 10 points you accrue, you will receive 1 free film from your request list.
Prices: With the change from courier to Royal Mail, Films2u have gone to a more traditional, and fairer pricing model. THey offer two capped plans, two discs total per month for only £3.50, and four discs total £6.00. They also offer unlimited rentals at industry standard prices: two discs out for £12.99 per month, three discs out for £12.99, and four discs out for £19.99. They have a four-week free trial, though most users will get through this quickly as it is capped at four discs.
Rental Basics