Rent from Redbox, Save Time and Money

Where soda machines, mechanical horses and $0.50 sticker machines once stood; near the front doors of local grocery stores, gas stations and convenience shops; a new attraction looms. One dollar at a time, Redbox is reshaping the landscape of our shopping experience, and changing the way the DVD rental industry interacts (or doesn't) with consumers.

Like me, you may have been avoiding the looming Redbox kiosks at all costs, clinging to Blockbuster membership cards and hesitantly waiting for the mail carrier to bring the latest installment in a Netflix love-affair. I have ignored Redbox since its inception, deeming it unworthy of my time due to the lack of a customer service attendant languishing behind a counter surrounded by racks upon racks of unwatched DVDs.

But then, as a member of BzzAgent I was given the opportunity to try Rebox out for free as one of my BzzCampaigns. While I could snub Redbox's lack of human interaction, vending-machine setup and the perception of limited titles when I'd have to spend my hard earned cash on it, "Free" is a very persuasive price. In fact, passing up a chance to review them in exchange for a free DVD rental wouldn't just be poor manners, it'd be downright un-American.

Started as a way to drive consumer traffic by McDonald's in 2002, Redbox steadily expanded across the nation as a convenient way for patrons to rent their DVD's while they stopped in to pick up an order of chicken nuggets or a dollop of soft-serve ice cream. Market tests in 2004 and 2005 were so successful that Coinstar, Inc. invested and later made the decision to purchase Redbox outright and push it forward into new markets.

Just eight years after Redbox's conception, the brand has grown to include over 23,000 DVD rental kiosks nationwide and that number continues to grow as McDonald's, 7-11, Walgreens, Walmart and other franchise chains sign up to have the simple red kiosk parked near their entrances and exits.

When I finally made it to my local Redbox, just blocks from my home inside a Fred Meyer grocery store, I was amazed at how simple the concept really is and how well Coinstar has made it work. Using nothing more than a touch-screen, customers are able to browse available titles and select one or more that they would like to rent for a day. Granted, the kiosk isn't big enough for thousands of titles to be available, but I was surprised at the selection of new releases that there were to choose from.

Entering a valid e-mail address and swiping a valid credit or debit card secures the rental, and the machine simply pushes your selection(s) out a slot on the right hand side. No flashing lights, no fanfare, no frills. Just pick, pay and go.

By the time you get home and check your e-mail, the redbox kiosk has e-mailed you conformation of your DVD rental, and a digital receipt of purchase. The rental agreement is simple: return the DVD rental by 9pm the following day and you will be charged $1 (plus tax if applicable). Return it late and your credit or debit card will be charged $1 per day until it is returned.

Returning the DVD rental is even easier than renting. Simply put the DVD back in the Redbox case (If you lost it, don't worry - you can purchase a new one at the Redbox Kiosk for $1), take it back to the Redbox kiosk and hit RETURN on the touch-screen. The machine will indicate it's ready to receive the disk, and you slide it into the same slot that the DVD rental was ejected from when you rented it. When you get home, an e-mail will be waiting with the details of the return of the DVD rental.

Provided there is a Redbox where you are already shopping, the concept makes renting new release DVD's a snap. At just a dollar a day, Redbox is less expensive than many traditional DVD rental programs and viewing recent release movies OnDemand through providers like Comcast , Verizon and Frontier .

Redbox has certainly challenged my perception and has changed my stance from DVD rental snob to being open to a new way of getting my DVD on family movie night. I hate to admit when I'm wrong, but here it is: I was wrong. Redbox is a great alternative to the dying video store, and I am sure that I will be using Redbox's services again and again.

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