LOVEFiLM have restructured their pricing options.

Commerce I don't know if this is true for everyone but via this post at HotUKDeals, I've discovered that LOVEFiLM have restructured their pricing options.

Last week, I shifted my package back up to three discs unlimited from two so that I could use the extra disc to catch up on the various television series I've missed. I'm now working my way through the superlative Fringe, with True Blood and whatever else coming after that.

The charge shifted from £13.27 up to £16.33 which seemed like a small price to pay to stop having to run away from Anna Torv related spoilers in a month or so.

Glancing at that HotUKDeals thread which is a bit murky to understand led me to the account change screen and sure enough there was a purple box at the top explaining that my package was no longer available and a glance downwards revealed that exactly the same package was now available for £13.27.

I've changed now.  The price to be taken has changed to the original £13.27 so I'm now getting the extra disc for the price I was being charged for two.  Anna Torv at no extra cost.

Since LOVEFiLM didn't send an email explaining the change, how many people will still be charged at the original rate?  Not you now, of course, but still.

This is possibly to create some direct competition with Blockbuster who've been hammering them with exclusivity deals.

When I first got the three disc package from ScreenSelect in 2004, that was £14.99 and with inflation and VAT increases, this is quite a reduction.  I'm being charged less now than I was then and for blu-rays.

It'll also be a reaction to Netflix announcing that they're opening up in the UK albeit with a streaming only service.  This package includes unlimited streams.  Those streams aren't of the best quality and sometimes from less than brilliant prints but again, nevertheless its a great deal.

Let me know if this has happened for you too.

Updated 31/10/2011 The lofi LOVEFiLM Affiliates blog has been updated with the news.  Here is some of the copy:

"LOVEFiLM - Never a better time to join

There has never been a better time to join LOVEFiLM. LOVEFiLM is all about great value entertainment from the comfort of your own home and the most popular package with access to Unlimited film has just been reduced by nearly 25% from £13.27 to £9.99 per month. Join today and you can get a FREE trial before Christmas!"

Still no emails to customers about the change though and there's no media coverage which suggests they haven't sent a press release around either.

Updated 1/11/2011  Choose DVD rental have the story now and have apparently been in touch with Lovefilm who give the impression that they're going to automatically migrate accounts at some point.  The problem with that of course is that some users will still be paying at the higher rate on their direct debit when they could go in and manually migrate themselves right now.  Still no email to customers from Lovefilm and still no coverage in the wider media.

Updated 4/11/2011  Go here.