Redbox is raising the price on DVD rentals

[kkick]

Redbox has sent an email to it's customers stating that the rental price for DVD's will be going up. See the email pasted below.

New Daily DVD Rental Price

Redbox is making an announcement about its prices today, and we want to make sure that you hear it from us first.

Starting on Monday, October 31, the daily rental charge for DVDs will change to $1.20 a day.* The price change is due to rising operating expenses, including new increases in debit card fees. Daily rental charges for Blu-ray™ Discs and video games won't change.** Additional-day charges for DVDs rented before 10/31 won't be affected, either.

In order to make the transition easier, Redbox will discount the first day of all online DVD rentals to $1.00 from 10/31 through 11/30. Additional rental days will be $1.20.***

If you have any questions, please visit redbox.com/pricechange. There, we've provided additional information.

This marks our first price change in more than eight years as we work hard to keep prices low for our customers.

Thank you,

Redbox

[TygrScott]

Still a great bargain. But if they are going to site CC/debit fees, then they need to add cash as a payment option.

[Steffan]

It might be worth paying the extra 30 cents for the bluray version of the movies now. Still cheaper than a lot of places.

[Rohdekill]

Still a great bargain. But if they are going to site CC/debit fees, then they need to add cash as a payment option.

They don't "need" to do anything they don't want to do.

An intelligent choice would be to allow users to establish a running account on-line. Allow me to transfer $40 into their account (1 time cc/debit fee), take the fee from my balance and then I would have

$38.80 to use, fee free, just by swiping my card. If the balance runs out, prompt me on the screen that I will be charged $1.20 per.

[Roger H. Veteran]

I've always said I don't think Redbox is that great of a deal even when compared to the now "higher" Netflix. Sure it's $1/movie (using that to simplify calculations) but the involved time and energy (gas included for a 4 mile round trip) required to go and bring it back to me adds up to $2/movie (per trip). Yes you can always get 4 movies in 1 trip therefore saving the hassle but in lots of cases new movies aren't available.

So say you rent 1 movie per week and 4 per month. You've just spent $8/month (per my calc). If you were to go "crazy" one weekend cuz it's getting cold now and the kids want to watch something as well so you get 2-3 movies per weekend, now you are up to $16-24/month.

So yeah, this is not even including the instant streaming (cuz odds are some stuff is just not available), to have 3 DVDs out at a time with Netflix is $15.99/month which would cover the "crazy" option above. So say you watch 3 DVDs every weekend it's still only $16!

[Rohdekill]

I've always said I don't think Redbox is that great of a deal even when compared to the now "higher" Netflix. Sure it's $1/movie (using that to simplify calculations) but the involved time and energy (gas included for a 4 mile round trip) required to go and bring it back to me adds up to $2/movie (per trip). Yes you can always get 4 movies in 1 trip therefore saving the hassle but in lots of cases new movies aren't available.

So say you rent 1 movie per week and 4 per month. You've just spent $8/month (per my calc). If you were to go "crazy" one weekend cuz it's getting cold now and the kids want to watch something as well so you get 2-3 movies per weekend, now you are up to $16-24/month.

So yeah, this is not even including the instant streaming (cuz odds are some stuff is just not available), to have 3 DVDs out at a time with Netflix is $15.99/month which would cover the "crazy" option above. So say you watch 3 DVDs every weekend it's still only $16!

You're calculations are slightly off. Most people don't make a RB designated trip.

Most people won't buy into the idea that you want them to calculate going to and from work, driving right past a RB as gas spent on 1) to/from home and RB and 2) gas spent to/from RB and work.

Also, every time I hit the RB, they ALWAYS have what I want, in stock. When I had NF, it was a 1-2 week wait to get the latest movie. Not to mention the numerous times I ended up with cracked dvd's from the mail sorting machines - it would take an additional week or two to get another copy back.

[Roger H. Veteran]

True you are right, but I also didn't include the times when you are sitting at home bored and thought to go to RedBox and the movie you wanted is not available. That would count as a wasted trip. I mean really, do people not decide stuff spontaneously anymore, their whole day is planned out? Over here there's a RedBox in our Supermarkets so sure if i'm going to get groceries I can pick up a movie at the same time as well. I don't go to the supermarket every week however as I do try planning what I need to buy before going but even in those cases I forget stuff and have to get it another time. Most evenings i'm going home from work I don't think, oh how bored am I gonna be tonight, should I get a movie first or what? Most of the time it's just get home ASAP to go relax then I go, damn, now i'm bored, or some friends are coming over so we could just watch a movie.

[PsyOpWarlord]

but I also didn't include the times when you are sitting at home bored and thought to go to RedBox and the movie you wanted is not available. That would count as a wasted trip.

Then you would be dumb to do so in making the trip. Redbox allows you to check and reserve online before you even make a trip to the kiosk if you want. So before you head out being spontaneous, you can check and verify that the movie will actually be there. No un-need/wasted spontaneous trip.

Both have their advantages and I use the two services to compliment each other.[/left]

[Scorbing]

Still a lot better than the $4.99 price tag Blockbuster charged.

[ZonoBurk]

I bet they won't lose almost a million customers..