Although we can still go to our local movie rental shop and get the latest blockbusters and keep them for a couple of nights, the ever changing market is now presenting us with a new, more convenient way to rent DVDs - by post. A whole of host of existing rental companies and new businesses are now offering us the chance to rent the latest DVDs, along with access to a seemingly infinite back catalogue. Not only are the films we want delivered to our door but with most companies you can keep the film for as long as you want...and there are no late fees!

So just how does it all work...

...It's quite simple really...With the majority of online DVD rental stores you simply sign-up, pay a set monthly film, choose which film you want, it is sent to you, you watch it, you send it back, you choose your next film, it is sent to you...and so the cycle continues. With some companies you can even have more than one film and then they do not all have to be returned at the same time. You are in control of how long you keep it, so in theory you could keep it forever but you would still get charged your monthly fee so it of course makes sense to watch films as quickly as you can and send them back in order to get your next film.

This means if a company has a quick turnover and the postal service is reliable then you could be receiving a new DVD every two to three days - not bad for around ten pounds a month!

When cancelling your membership with a DVD rental company it is important that you contact them as soon as you can, especially if you are making the most of a free trial offer.

If at the end of your trial, you do not want to continue using that company, then make sure you contact them before the end of your trial, whether that be in calendar terms or in the amount of free DVDs you have received. If you do not, then you will be charged for your next month's or allocation of DVDs.

Also make sure you have returned all outstanding DVDs that you may still have before cancelling your membership as you may end up being charged for the return postage of the DVD, or even for the actual disc itself.

Finally, always make sure you read the terms and conditions before signing up to any DVD rental company as these will detail full details about how to cancel your membership. Remember, even if you do not read them and still click to accept them then you are still bound by them. If you are still unclear about how to go about cancelling your membership then you should contact the company in question directly for advice.