Can you really rent current DVD movie titles from a vending machine? Yes, a company has come up with a way to rent current DVD movie titles without human interaction. I discovered the Red Box, free-standing vending machine at a local Acme Supermarket (Acme’s parent company is Albertson). Red Box is owned, collectively, by CoinStar, McDonald’s and private investors.
The Rules
Each DVD movie is due back the following evening by 7:00 PM and rents for $1.00 plus tax/per night. There are no late fees, just initial and/or additional rental fees. If the movie is not returned after 25 days, you are charged $25.00 plus tax for each movie. The special encoding on each DVD must be properly placed in the case in order for the Red Box reader to accept the DVD return.
Advantages
New titles come out every Tuesday. The encoding allows you to return the DVDs at any Red Box location. For example, you can rent a DVD from any Pennsylvania Red Box vending machine and return it to any New Jersey Red Box vending machine.
Movies can be rented online or directly at a Red Box vending machine. You can order your DVD movies online and pick them up at the pre-chosen Red Box vending machine. Currently, Red Box is offering free rentals every Monday through May 28th. There is a catch; you must provide your cell phone number and/or your email address for these free coupons and notification of new specials. Credit cards are accepted for payment at the time of each rental.
The Red Box vending machine does not print receipts for any of the transactions. However, you can have receipts sent to your email address. Make sure to give your email address at the time of your initial rental (you don’t have to repeat this step unless you use another credit card). There is confirmation on Red Box’s screen of successful rented and returned DVDs.
Ease of Use
There is a touch screen with three large red buttons that asks if you want to: Rent a Movie; Return a Movie; or Pick up an Online Movie Rental. The instructions are clearly illustrated and easy to follow. All DVD movie titles have a description of the plot and you can rent more than one at a time.
My Experience
All of the movies I rented from Red Box played back error free and using the fast-forward and rewind features caused no skipping. The toll-free phone number (866-REDBOX3) is available from approximately 7AM – 3AM Central Time and the telephone attendants were helpful. I would continue renting from Red Box because of the low price and ease of use. Red Box’s newly released titles are comparable to those of Blockbuster and Hollywood.
The website www.redbox.com was straight forward and helpful. Make sure to visit the site for locations of Red Box vending machines in your area, FAQs, contact information and current online specials. Red Box is expanding and you can find the unmistakable Red Box vending machines at selected McDonald’s and supermarkets throughout the United States.
