As well as checking this list of frequently-asked questions, why not take the tour?

Getting started
How is this different from normal video stores?
How is this different from renting DVDs by mail?
How is this different from just borrowing from my friends directly?
I'm under 18. Can I use this service?
Do I need email, web access, a credit card or a printer?
How much does this cost?
Do I have to list all my DVDs? I'm really attached to my boxed set of Lord of the Rings.
What use is this if I don't have any friends yet other than the person who invited me?
I have two addresses - which should I register?

Adding DVDs to your collection
What type of DVDs are eligible?
Can I rip and burn copies of my DVDs, and lend out those?
Can I list pirated DVDs or knock-offs bought from street traders?
Can I list and lend out DVDs that aren't mine?
I have two copies of Gladiator. Can I lend out one or both?
I have boxed sets of 24 and The Sopranos. How do I lend them out, together or DVD by DVD?
Is there any limit to how many DVDs from my collection that I can list?

Making a wish list of DVDs you want to see
Is there any limit to how many DVD titles I can ask to borrow?
Can I ask to borrow movies that haven't been released yet on DVD? How about movies in the theatres and cinemas now?
Does the order of DVDs in my wish list matter?

Borrowing DVDs from friends
Do I have to ask friends to lend me DVDs?
If two friends want to borrow the same DVD, who gets it?
What if I borrow a DVD and lose or damage it?
What if a DVD is damaged or unplayable when I receive it?
What if a DVD is playable but skips?
I've just received a DVD from a friend, and it looks like a copy. What do I do?
I've heard that video rental subscription services 'throttle' the number of DVDs you can actually borrow in a month. Do you?
How many DVDs can I have at one time?
Can I make copies of DVDs that I borrow?
Who can I borrow from?

Lending DVDs to friends
Do I have to lend my DVDs to anyone?
Someone wants to borrow one of my listed DVDs, but I can't find it under the piles of junk in my room. What do I do?
What if I go away on vacation?
What happens when I want one of my DVDs back?
What if I lend a DVD to a friend who loses it?
If I borrow a DVD from someone, can I lend it to my own friends?

Sending DVDs
How do DVDs actually get from one person to another?
How do I hand over a DVD to a friend?
How do I send a DVD by post?
Who pays for the shipping?
How much does it cost to post a DVD?
What if I have no printer, or my printer breaks down?

Other stuff
What does this service cost?
So how exactly do you make money?
This sounds too good to be true. Are you sure it's legal?

 

 

Getting started
How is this different from normal video stores?
You borrow directly from people you know, not from a shop, and it's free. There are no late fees -- you can keep a DVD until your friend asks for it back or someone else wants to watch it. As you share with more people, you'll get to hear about DVDs that won't be in your local rental store. Back to top

How is this different from renting DVDs by mail?
You borrow directly from people you know, not from a company. It's free(not just for a two-week trial). There's no limit to how many DVDs you can have at one time or watch each month. It's better for the environment too, since DVDs go straight on to the next person who wants to watch them, rather than back to a warehouse and out again. If you invite work colleagues, neighbours or fellow students to take part, DVDs can travel by hand instead of by mail. Back to top

How is this different from just borrowing from my friends directly?
You can find out what's on your friends' shelves without having to go round to their homes. You don't need to remember who borrowed one of your DVDs -- the information is all on the web site. And when you need to send a DVD to friends or family who are far away, you can print a pre-addressed A4 sheet, wrap the DVD in seconds, and post it for the price of a single stamp. Back to top

I'm under 18. Can I use this service?
Under-18s can use this service. When you register, you give the email address of a parent or guardian, who confirms the certificates of films you are allowed to receive. Back to top

Do I need email, web access, a credit card or a printer?
You need a valid email address and internet access. We recommend a printer for easy printing of wrappers when you need to send a DVD by post. But if your printer fails or you have no printer access, you can view the downloadable wrapper and write your friend's address on to paper. Back to top

How much does this cost?
This is not a time-limited 30-day trial. Sharing DVDs with your friends is free, period. If you buy DVDs from Amazon that you see on the site, we get a commission. In future, we hope to offer other services we hope you will want to pay for. Back to top

Do I have to list all my DVDs? I'm really attached to my boxed set of Lord of the Rings.
You do not have to list all your DVDs (how would we know anyway?), but the more DVDs you list, the more your friends are likely to be willing to lend you. Remember that listing a DVD does not commit you to lend it to anyone. Back to top

What use is this if I don't have any friends yet other than the person who invited me?
You could invite some friends of your own and borrow their DVDs. Neighbours. Work colleagues or fellow-students. Other members of a club, meeting place, or place of worship. Family members. You're limited only by your imagination. Back to top

I have two addresses - which should I register?
You should register with the address where you are living now. If you have another home address - say you're a student traveling back and forth from college, or a hedge-fund manager with two vacation homes - simply update the address when you move to your other home. That way, you can still receive DVDs by mail as well as by hand. Back to top

Adding DVDs to your collection
What type of DVDs are eligible?
You can list any DVD shown in our catalogue of commercial releases provided it has been legally bought in your home country, and not grey-imported from abroad or copied. To add a DVD to your collection, go to Add DVDs. Back to top

Can I rip and burn copies of my DVDs, and lend out those?
Copying a DVD, even for your personal use, is illegal in many countries. You may not copy DVDs you receive from friends, and may send out only the original media. If you send copied DVDs to friends, we may terminate your access to the service. Back to top

Can I list pirated DVDs or knock-offs bought from street traders?
To be fair to the hardworking, inventive people who make TVs and films for DVD, we do not allow you to list or send pirated DVDs. If you send a pirated DVD, we may terminate your access to the service. Back to top

Can I list and lend out DVDs that aren't mine?
It is a condition of lending a DVD that it must be yours, and it must be eligible (legally bought in your home country, and not grey-imported from abroad or copied). Back to top

I have two copies of Gladiator. Can I lend out one or both?
You are welcome to lend out more than one copy of the same title, provided they are both eligible DVDs. You can also borrow the same title from others multiple times. To avoid confusion between copies, you cannot borrow two identical DVDs at the same time or have your own and a borrowed copy at home at the same time. Back to top

I have boxed sets of 24 and The Sopranos. How do I lend them out, together or DVD by DVD?
You can list boxed sets of DVDs in one go, but you lend out the individual DVDs one by one. This means they can give pleasure to several of your friends at the same time, and cuts postage costs. Back to top

Is there any limit to how many DVDs from my collection that I can list?
To encourage your friends to start sharing with you, we recommend you start by listing of ten DVDs. The only upper limit on your collection size is how many DVDs you actually have. Listing more DVDs will make it more likely that your friends will list plenty of their own. Back to top

Making a wish list of DVDs you want to see
Is there any limit to how many DVD titles I can put ask to borrow?
You can request as many DVDs as you like, but the number that can actually be delivered to you will depend on how many of your own you have lent out at a time. To give you a reasonable chance of getting DVDs to watch, we recommend you to have at least ten titles in your wish list. The best way to find DVDs available for immediate borrowing is to browse your friends' collections. The more you have on your wish list, the more DVDs you are likely to get to watch. Back to top

Can I ask to borrow movies that haven't been released yet on DVD? How about movies in the theatres and cinemas now?
You are welcome to add to your wish list any of the titles that appears in our database. If a DVD is not released yet, your friends will know that you'd like to watch it as soon as they get it. Back to top

Does the order of DVDs in my wish list matter?
At present, we don't treat DVDs higher in your wish list as higher priority. We're considering adding this feature soon once we see how sending and watching patterns develop. Back to top

Borrowing DVDs from friends
Do I have to ask friends to lend me DVDs?
We handle loan requests for you. All you have to do is put a title on your wish list, and your request will be automatically forwarded to a friend who has that DVD in their collection. Back to top

If two friends want to borrow the same DVD, who gets it?
How would you decide if it was your DVD? You'd probably consider who asked earlier, who lent you more stuff of theirs, who treated your property well in the past. The web site operates on the same principles. Back to top

What if I borrow a DVD and lose or damage it?
When you borrow from a friend, you should behave to the friend just as you would normally: treat their stuff well and return it safely when they want it back. And if something goes wrong, like you lose or damage their property, then you contact them and sort out a solution to the problem, like replacing the item or contributing to its cost. Behaving well brings you good karma. Back to top

What if a DVD is damaged or unplayable when I receive it?
When a friend sends you a DVD, you'll get an email notification, and an item will be created in your to-do list. If the DVD is damaged or unplayable on arrival, then you can notify the sender through the web site, and arrange for the dud copy to be returned so you can borrow another. Back to top

What if a DVD is playable but skips?
If a DVD skips during playback, please make sure you record this on the web site. The most likely problem is that the DVD is dirty or fingermarked, and the solution is to clean it. You can find instructions at Wikihow. Back to top

I've just received a DVD from a friend, and it looks like a copy. What do I do?
Home copying of DVDs is illegal in many countries, and so is the distribution of pirate copies. To be eligible for listing on the web site, DVDs should be only the original media, bought retail in your home country. If a friend sends you an ineligible DVD, please record this on the web site so we can help you return it and get a legitimate copy. We may terminate your service if you fail to do this. Back to top

I've heard that video rental subscription services 'throttle' the number of DVDs you can actually borrow in a month. Do you?
Rental-by-mail services make more money by spreading a fixed number of DVDs across more members, and so have an incentive to respond more slowly to people who watch lots of movies. Since the DVDs here belong to you and their friends, we're happy to help you watch as many movies as you like. In fact, we have tools to help the movies go around faster -- like awarding extra karma to people who respond quickly to requests, or who watch a popular DVD promptly, and pass it on to the next person who wants to see it. Back to top

How many DVDs can I have at one time?
From your friends, you are welcome to borrow as many DVDs at one time as they are willing to lend. Back to top

Can I make copies of DVDs that I borrow?
You may not make copies of DVDs that you have borrowed through LendAround. Doing so may open you to legal action for copyright infringement. Back to top

Who can I borrow from?
At present, you can borrow DVDs only from people you know. This can include friends, neighbours, family, work colleagues, members of clubs or organizations you belong to, or fellow-students. To get more friends, invite people you know to join. Back to top

Lending DVDs to friends
Do I have to lend my DVDs to anyone?
You are always entitled to refuse a borrow request. But doing it too often will give you bad karma and make it harder for you to borrow DVDs from others. Back to top

Someone wants to borrow one of my listed DVDs, but I can't find it under the piles of junk in my room. What do I do?
If you cannot find a requested DVD, please let your friends know this. You will see borrow requests on your to-do list in the navigation bar. To mark a DVD as lost, simply go to Your DVDs, click on the title or cover of the DVD you lost to see the page for that DVD, and choose the link on the right hand side to 'Report this DVD as lost'. To be nice to your friends, keep your collection up to date on the web site so that you don't get unnecessary loan requests. Giving a quick yes to loan requests earns you good karma that helps you to borrow DVDs from others. Back to top

What if I go away on vacation?
We'll soon implement a vacation hold system so that you won't receive loan requests while you are away. Until we do, please remember to return any DVDs that you've watched so that others can enjoy them. This earns you good karma and help you borrow DVDs. Back to top

What happens when I want one of my DVDs back?
You can easily see a list of DVDs that you have out on loan by clicking on Your DVDs and then choosing the Lent Out tab. To ask for a DVD to be returned, simply click on the DVD title or cover image, and then choose the Retrieve option from the title page . Back to top

What if I lend a DVD to a friend who loses it?
You use your own judgment to decide which friends you trust with your stuff. Once in a while, you will find your trust was misplaced. Your first step should be to contact your friend and try to get them to resolve the problem (eg by getting you a replacement -- they can buy one from Amazon easily by following a link from the DVD's title page). We also keep track of people who lose or fail to return DVDs, and you can see this information in their profile, which you can see by looking in the Your Friends tab. If a friend maltreats your DVD but doesn't make it up to you, remove them from your friends' list. Back to top

If I borrow a DVD from someone, can I lend it to my own friends?
No. A DVD can only be lent to people chosen by the owner. If one of your own friends wants to borrow a particular DVD, please encourage them to make friends with the owner of the DVD and then ask directly to borrow it. Back to top

Sending DVDs
How do DVDs actually get from one person to another?
Any way you want -- handing them over in person, dropping off, leaving them with an agreed third party, or sending them by mail. It depends what suits you and your friends. Whichever way you choose, we recommend you to print a wrapper with your friend's address. That way, you can put the DVD in the mail the next day if you don't see them. Back to top

How do I hand over a DVD to a friend?
To keep track of who wants which DVD, please print the wrapper showing the recipient's name and address. Take the DVD out of its commercial packaging, which you keep. Put it in a paper sleeve or plastic clamshell, fold the wrapper around it, and secure with tape. This takes about 30 seconds. Then either hand the DVD directly to your friend, drop it through their door, or leave it at an agreed place for them to pick up. It's up to the two of you. Back to top

How do I send a DVD by mail?
Don't send the commercial packaging or cover notes - if you do this, then it costs more to mail, and is more likely to get damaged in the mail. Instead, you download a printable wrapper from the site carrying the name and address of the recipient, plus the return address in case it gets lost. Put the DVD in the wrapper (either just as it is, or if you prefer then in a paper wallet or plastic clamshell), fold the wrapper around it, and secure with tape. Stick on a first or second-class stamp, and drop in a postbox. Back to top

Who pays for the shipping?
When a DVD gets handed over by hand, nobody has to pay for shipping. If it goes by post, the sender puts a single 42-cent stamp on it. Note that if you include the commercial case, the mailing cost will rise. Back to top

How much does it cost to mail a DVD?
If you use a plastic clamshell and our one-sheet wrapper, a DVD can be sent for 42 cents, the price of a standard first-class or second-class letter. Back to top

What if I have no printer, or my printer breaks down?
No problem. You can simply fold a piece of letter-sized paper around the DVD, and copy the recipient's address on to it by hand. Don't forget to include your return address plus the DVD title. Back to top

Other stuff
What does this service cost?
Sharing DVDs with your friends is free. This is not a time-limited free trial. Back to top

So how exactly do you make money?
If you follow links on the site to buy DVDs from Amazon, then we get a commission. In future, we hope to offer other services we hope you will want to pay for. Back to top

This sounds too good to be true. Are you sure it's legal?
If you buy a DVD legally in the US, the United States Copyright Act entitles you to lend it to your friends (and also sell it, exchange it, and rent it out, but those activities are not relevant here). Some people are confused because different provisions apply to music CDs and software. For more information, see Wikipedia. Back to top