Posted Mon Jul 2, 2018 at 11:12 AM PDT by D. LaFontaine
Editor's Note: Please welcome today's guest columnist, Dennis LaFontaine, a longtime HDD reader & Forum moderator, where you might know him as Krawk.
Is there a "best" place to purchase 4K Blu-rays?
We recently wondered if the studio releasing a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray had any impact on user experience, which resulted in Grading the Major Hollywood Studios in the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Era. Along these lines, we wanted to apply a similar experiment with the 4K Blu-ray buying experience itself. Obviously, where one buys a movie doesn't affect picture or audio quality (unless you purchase used RedBox rental discs), but title availability, pricing, customer service, box art, and exclusive special features might be deciding factors in where you buy and your overall satisfaction.
To keep our ranking as objective as possible, we're applying a grading system for each of the following criteria --
Pre-Orders -- Can you order an upcoming release and get it on release date?
New Release / Exclusive Availability -- How easy is it to purchase a movie upon release or shortly thereafter, and does this retailer offer any exclusives (SteelBoooks, etc)?
Catalog Availability -- Are older 4K movies in stock upon release and after?
Pricing / Price-Matching -- Can you get the best out-the-door pricing, and is it easy to do this?
Customer Service / Return Policy -- If you need customer support after the purchase, how does the merchant perform?
5 points per category -- with 5 representing perfection and 0 indicating abject failure -- for a total score out of 25. Also, to keep things as specific as possible, we've included both physical brick-n-mortar retailers as well as their online counterparts because, outside of store policies, the customer experience at each can be surprisingly different. Here's what we found, ranking the retailers from worst to first:
Pre-Orders -- 0/5
New Release / Exclusive Availability -- 2.5/5
Catalog Availability -- 1/5
Pricing / Price-Matching -- 3.5/5
Customer Service / Return Policy -- 4/5
Target currently offers no in-store pre-ordering and, with a lot of space still dedicated to DVD, they are very hit and miss with 4K. New releases are usually in stock and have their own three-foot section, while finding older movies sometimes requires a search of several shelves and end-caps. Catalog title availability, even new ones, is quite limited -- if you're looking for something other than Die Hard, Men in Black, or the Jurassic Park Collection, you will likely be looking elsewhere. In terms of exclusives, thus far Target has only shown us the TV series Stranger Things, which was a frustrating double-dip.
Pricing is usually within a dollar or two of the competition, and they offer price-matching against local competition and select online retailers. Even better? Target allows up to 14-days past the purchase to make said match, and you can save an additional 5% by using the Target Red Card. Target's customer service center is called Guest Services and is usually sufficiently staffed to get you in and out in a short amount of time. It is their goal to ensure you are satisfied, so no reasonable issue is denied. Standard return policy on media appears to be 30 days for unopened items, or 60 days if you used your Red Card to purchase.
Pre-Orders -- 2/5
New Release / Exclusive Availability -- 4/5
Catalog Availability -- 2.5/5
Pricing / Price-Matching -- 3/5
Customer Service / Return Policy -- 2/5
Target.com offers a more robust variety of 4K movies as well as pre-order capability, but the search engine is a bit quirky. Much more damning, Target doesn't reliably ship discs out for release date (unlike other online retailers). As an example, my 4K copies of Gladiator and Braveheart recently arrived over three weeks late. Catalog title selection seems very limited outside of major releases; smaller releases will sometimes remain listed as Pre-Order weeks after release.
On the upside, Target.com does well in terms of pricing and price-matching, but you need to call their 1-800 number to get your match. Just like the stores, the Red Card includes benefits like 5% off your purchase and free shipping on all orders (otherwise, you have to spend $35). Customer service is limited to the aforementioned 1-800 number and for returns, you can print labels for free shipping or opt to return items to a physical Target location. The return policy is the same.
Pre-Orders -- 0.5/5
New Release / Exclusive Availability -- 4/5
Catalog Availability -- 3.5/5
Pricing / Price-Matching -- 4/5
Customer Service / Return Policy -- 2.5/5
Best Buy is probably the, ahem, best place to go if you want a 4K movie right-now-today. They carry all new releases, a wide variety of catalog titles, and have offered some excellent SteelBook exclusives and/or 4K/3D combo packs. That said, you have to act fast -- popular/new catalog titles tend to sell out by the weekend after release and limited edition SteelBooks often sell out in a day or two. Best Buy also doesn't offer in-store pre-ordering, but it's easy to do so at BestBuy.com (see our next section). Interestingly enough, Best Buy seems to be pushing 4K above all other video formats.
Best Buy sticker pricing is high (though not quite MSRP high), but they frequently have sales (especially the first week) and will match prices against their main competitors (including Amazon). This process is a little slow, as it requires a trip to Customer Service or a supervisor to visit a cashier, but it's rarely a big deal. Best Buy's return policy for unopened media is 15 days, which is a bit short, but if you find damaged media and want to exchange it, they've been flexible in our experience.
One other thing we enjoy about Best Buy is their Rewards Card program, which builds up to cash discounts over time. Our tip? Set the certificate threshold to $20 rather than the standard $5. It takes longer to earn, of course, but you can always redeem a lower amount once you've passed $5, but doing so will prevent an auto-issued $5 certificate from expiring unused if you don't need anything when it arrives. Also, if you purchase enough at Best Buy annually, you'll qualify for Elite or Elite Plus status, which ups your return window to 30 days and 45 days, respectively.
Pre-Orders -- 1/5
New Release / Exclusive Availability -- 4.5/5
Catalog Availability -- 2/5
Pricing / Price-Matching -- 4.5/5
Customer Service / Return Policy -- 4.5/5
Much like Best Buy, Walmart also offers .com pre-ordering for in-store pickup, but they also occasionally sell digital cards for movies that give you instant access to the streaming Digital Copy on Vudu.com ahead of the physical media release. Walmart typically stocks all new releases, although we have seen some availability issues recently, including The Shape of Water and Black Panther. Catalog titles are available too -- our local Walmart offers four whole feet of exclusive 4K shelving -- but often require you to shop quickly. Walmart exclusives aren't usually separate releases like Best Buy's SteelBooks, but rather standard release plus some sort of trinket or toy.
Overall, Walmart pricing seems to be lower than most merchants, but their price-match policy is limited to their own website (I usually check the Walmart app while shopping). Walmart's return policy is a generous 90-days for unopened media and we've never had problems with returns or exchanges.
Another savings tip: as part of the Walmart App, there's an option called Savings Catcher. Savings Catcher has you scan the QR code on your receipt and it will automatically check local competition for better prices. If it finds a better price, it will refund the difference onto a gift card which can be redeemed via Walmart Pay. However, only do this after redeeming your 4K Digital Copy (if included), as you could get locked into an HDX copy of the movie on your Vudu account.
Pre-Orders -- 3.5/5
New Release / Exclusive Availability -- 4/5
Catalog Availability -- 4/5
Pricing / Price-Matching -- 4/5
Customer Service / Return Policy -- 2/5
BestBuy.com's strengths and weaknesses mostly match its brick & mortar brethren, but there are a couple of advantages to using the site even if you plan on in-store pickup. In general, pre-orders are listed on Bestbuy.com before Amazon or even before the studio sends out press releases to sites like High-Def Digest. That said, pre-order pricing if often high and Best Buy tends to change skuid info, rendering early pre-order pages obsolete. Then again, pricing usually drops by release date and you get other benefits like selecting in-store pickup or to-you-home shipping. BestBuy.com also tends to ship very early; I've gotten several new movies prior to release date.
Catalog titles can be a bit hit or miss as in-store vs online sales and availability don't line up and smaller titles can disappear from the site for weeks. BestBuy.com carries over its Reward Card program, return policy, and price-matching policy from the physical stores, but their 888-number and online chat options are a bit cumbersome compared to other retailers. Free shipping is available on all orders over $35, but the site also offers in-store pickups to save customers a few bucks, here and there. However, it's worth noting that Best Buy doesn't offer free return-shipping and you have to be careful because they don't use rigid mailers for shipping. In other words, if you send something back and it's damaged, it's on you. Speaking of which, I wouldn't suggest shipping SteelBooks to your home, there's a significant chance they'll be dented or damaged in some way.
Pre-Orders -- 4/5
New Release / Exclusive Availability -- 4.5/5
Catalog Availability -- 3.5/5
Pricing / Price-Matching -- 3/5
Customer Service / Return Policy -- 4/5
Walmart.com offers almost every new release for pre-order, while new release and catalog titles seem to be stocked even when your local Walmart is out of a specific title. That said, Walmart's search engine is a bit quirky, offering up irrelevant results, and pricing can be inconsistent (some prices are lower than in-store while others are noticeably higher). Free 2-day shipping to your home is included on orders over $35, or you can opt to ship to a store for free.
Walmart.com's 90-day return policy matches the store and you can return items to the stores or by printing a return label and shipping the item(s) back. Customer service comes in the form of a 1-800 number or online chat. Also worth noting: when you buy a movie at Walmart.com, when it ships, they will automatically give you a digital HDX copy to your Vudu account (not a 4K copy). See Walmart B&M Savings Catcher for details.
Pre-Orders: 4/5
New Release / Exclusive Availability: 4/5
Catalog Availability: 4.5/5
Pricing / Price-Matching: 3.5/5
Customer Service / Return Policy: 4.5/5
If Best Buy is the place to get a 4K movie right-now-today, Amazon.com boasts the largest selection of pre-orders, new releases, catalog titles, and even some rare/international releases... with one notable exception. Amazon often negotiates with studios by refusing to offer pre-orders on that studios' movies. For the last year or so, this means you can't pre-order new Disney releases (Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, etc.) and have them delivered to your door on release date. We've also noticed some instances where 4K catalog titles are occasionally on back order.
In terms of pricing, Amazon.com used to lead the pack, but that's not always the case and they don't offer a price-match service against the competition. That said, their prices are very competitive, they did hold a long-term 3-for-$50 4K movie sale, and they do offer a pre-order price guarantee that will drop your price down to whatever Amazon's charging on release date. Another consideration is Amazon Prime, which includes free shipping (and same-day delivery for certain times) as well as access to Amazon video and music services. Prime currently costs $119/year, which is a lot if you don't order often. FYI, you can also get free shipping on all orders over $35, but you might not get release date delivery if you're not a Prime member.
Amazon.com's customer service is excellent -- you can email them, chat online, or have them "Call Me" all within a few moments. (One word of caution: don't search online for Amazon contact numbers; Google has managed to rank several scam numbers claiming to be Amazon.) Returns are easy and often automated, given you the option to print a label and drop off the package at an approved location or to have a service like UPS show up at your door with a pre-printed label for you. Amazon's 30-day return policy is on the shorter side, but I have managed to push this timing a bit, personally, and Amazon often processes your refund as soon as the tracking number is scanned by the shipper.
In my experience, Walmart.com and Amazon.com are in a statistical dead heat, but Amazon edges out Walmart.com just ever so slightly. In fact, were it not for the Disney issue and Best Buy's SteelBook exclusive, Amazon would have a much larger lead. It's hard to beat a system that has (almost) every title at an aggressive price and will ship it to your house without having to take any time to actually go someplace. That said, my guess is that everyone's preferences will come down to convenience, pricing, and availability. If the cheapest option is the Walmart on your way home from work, great. If you like to pre-order SteelBooks and grab them at 10am on Tuesday morning, BestBuy.com/Best Buy probably work best for you.
What about you, dear readers? Do you have a favorite 4K movie retailer, or do you jump around based on pricing, availability, and packaging? Let us know in the comments below or in the forum thread HERE. Cheers!
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