Have you seen these machines in your local Walmart, grocery store, McDonalds or other retail establishment? I'd heard of Redbox but never really connected what I'd heard to these big vending machines until I moved here to east Tennessee. I've been renting movies from these kiosks for a few weeks and they're pretty neat.
The movies cost $1.09 (including tax) a day. No late fees, no commitments, no contracts. You have to use a credit card to get your movie and are charged the fee daily until you return the movie. If you're a serious procrastinator, after 25 days fees are no longer charged and the movie is yours to keep.
The mechanics of this thing are very simple. It's equipped with a touchscreen and you start out by pressing either the "Rent a DVD" or "Return a DVD" button.
If you press the "Rent a DVD" button you are taken to a screen where you can search for a movie, either alphabetically or by scrolling through a list of thumbnails of movie photos. Select the one you want, swipe your credit card and out pops the movie. You are asked for your email address, which you can decline to provide. Instead of asking for your credit card security code or PIN number, you are merely asked for the zip code of your credit card billing address. I love that. Much less chance that someone standing in line behind you will have access to your important information.
If you choose "Return a DVD" it will tell you to insert your movie into a slot on the side of the machine, where it is sucked inside and you're good to go.
If you think a dollar a day is too high a price to pay, Redbox constantly releases codes for free movies. You can sign up online on their website, which enables you to get more free codes. You can search for and reserve movies at your favorite Redbox kiosk on the Redbox website or by using their nifty iPhone app. They do have a lot of movies in those machines so I usually go online first and decide what I want. That way, if there's a line, I won't keep anyone waiting while I make up my mind.
I still sometimes rent movies online from iTunes and Amazon so I won't have the issue of the return but they cost about $3.99 so, if I know I'm going out on two successive days, Redbox is the way to go for me.
It's neat, it's handy and I like it! Have you tried Redbox yet? Do you like it? Any downside?
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1 comments:
We have something similar in our local grocery store, but it's a different brand. I've only used it once - because when I went back the next day to return the movie, it was out of order! There was a phone number to call, and a company representative on the other end gave me a code to use when I returned the movie (after the machine was fixed) so I wouldn't be charged for the extra days. It was a hassle. However, it seems to be popular - there are always folks using it - and sure beats the price of Blockbuster. Maybe I'll give it another try.
The RedBox looks way cooler.
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