I always wondered how they stayed in business with all these free codes. I know I haven't paid to watch a movie in a long time. Well I guess it was too good to last. Now if only Hollywood would release something worth watching...

This is very sad but I completely understand. They are trying to run a business. *tear*

Although, I have to say, there have been one too many instances where I have forgotten to return the movies and ended up paying like 5-7 dollars. Whoops! Lol.

Still can't beat $1.00 a day, anywhere.

Long live Redbox!

This can't be a smart move for them. I figure the average price I pay for one of their "free" rentals is something like $3, because I always impulsively pick one up when I get one of their text message codes, but I rarely actually watch it within the one day window. Once they stop with the codes, I will probably stop using the machines.

I suppose this Redbox thing is great if you work in a grocery store, but the last thing I want to do is run out to the grocery store more than once a week.

NetFlix FTW

@idip: Psst...there's this place called "The Library" and they rent movies for FREE! All the time.

It's crazy! Sure, the new ones take longer to get in, but if you have a good library system with on-line reserves, you can reserve as soon as they have the movie on order in the system. My husband's library card is the official "popular movies" card for long-term waits.

Otherwise, once a movie has been out for a while, you can pretty much get your pick of movies. For.Free. All.the.time.

@Stephmo: While that's probably true at your library, many libraries charge for their movies, and often far more than 1$. My own library charges 2$ for old stuff and 3$ for new releases. And my former library was more expensive than that.

I swore off Redbox when they made me pay $25 for a movie that I DID return, but they couldn't seem to find.

@JWBrockman:
You are just cheap

Isn't this how the stereotypical drug dealer operates? Get you hooked and then jack up the price? good thing DVDs aren't a narcotic.

@sweetdreamsaremadeofthis: Wow! Do you live in Lameville? How much to rent a book or magazine from your "libary"?

@idip: @sweetdreamsaremadeofthis: Wow. How much do they charge for the books??

This was a great promotion, and is the whole reason i started using red box. A friend of mine gave me the code, and ever since then, I rent about 3 times a week.

@Stephmo: It also depends on how far you live from the library. I used to rent from the library all the time until I decided it was almost as expensive as just buying it from Amazon, especially when gas was $4. And with Amazon I don't have to deal with traffic or return the thing on time.

And now that my Meijer got Redbox it is probably the cheapest option.

@j-o-h-n: ...or is you make daily trips, which isn't me either.

I dropped Netflix awhile back in favor of the library, since I can use their website to pull from about 20 local libs and renew online. Selection's not top notch, but I'm not a heavy movie watcher anyway, one a week at the most, usually less.

@JWBrockman: But there is nothing wrong with that

@j-o-h-n: I have the one at a time netflix plan so I occasionally fill in with a redbox, especially since they are now at 7/11 too

The Redbox at the McDonalds near my house usually has a line at least 3 people deep, and that's on any day of the week. It causes traffic congestion at the McDonalds parking lot entrance. Literally.

I've never used Redbox, but it sounds like a great alternative for people who've ditched cable, and that makes it a good thing, with or without the Monday deal.

My real problem with things like Redbox, ATM's, self-checkout, pay-at-the-pump etc., is that they are subtle ways for corporations to eliminate hordes of workers. Here you have a completely autonomous machine that delivers what used to require an entire Blockbuster Video and 2 dozen employees. Where did those employees go? Are they paying taxes now?

And we wonder why the economy is in the sad state it is in.

Personally, it affects my conscious too much. I have sworn off "conveniences" like ordering online at Pizza-Hut (with that alluring 25% off online orders coupon...), vending machines, Gamefly/Netflix, and as many of the other things that corporations put into our lives that make things cheaper, all the while eliminating American jobs and putting more money into their own pockets. Its a difficult line to toe, but I deeply feel that these things overall are moving the country into a worse place.

Expect to see more freebie codes floating around out there, though. Redbox will still have promo codes when they introduce the machines to a new market or new chain.

Looks like beginning May 11 I will only be renting once per month, ending in August.

Still a great freaking deal, especially with a set of Redboxes so close to the house.

@Radi0logy: I see your point, but the last time I tried to order pizza on the phone I was told I had the wrong location, when I was transferred to the other one in the area I was told the same thing. The online process selected the right location and got me the exact pizza I wanted. I will not go back to calling

@j-o-h-n: My old library had the same deal. It was $1.00. My new library doesn't charge, but some of the waits are too long and I don't want to wait. Like right now I am number 752 for Benjamin Button. With a rental period of 7 days, I won't get the movie until 2024. (Granted that is the longest wait I have ever seen by at least 400, but I'm still guessing it will take until September or so.)

I tried one of these boxes out for the first time a couple months ago. Purchase went fine, got my movie (Bolt). Took it back the next day, machine happily took the movie back. I thought no more of it until a month later they charged me 26 bucks for the 30 days of rentals til you get to keep the movie. Contacted these honkey's and they insisted that if a machine took the movie it would have been recorded as returned but as a "one time courtesy" they would refund my money. As easy as it was to get a refund, while they wouldn't admit fault I suspect they know there are serious issues with the machines. Won't be using one of these boxes again, I'll stick with Netflix and my local Family Video (which is stocked with movie buff employees).

@edwardso: Supposedly, Pizza-hut has been working to implement a way to place an order for any store at any store. It has been in the works for well over two years, and I imagine that the realization that online ordering achieves the same thing , while also allowing them to cut employees has made the project far less of a priority.

@pda_tech_guy: hahahahahaha someone apologized on the internet! that was really funny idk why

@j-o-h-n: Redboxes sprouted at McDonalds in the Nashville TN market - not so difficult to land at one of them on the way home.

@Gtmac...and sometimes y: Anyone remember universal across network free ATM transactions...

@Stephmo: Yeah, but the late fees are crazy obnoxious. I returned a couple of DVDs that were late thinking that I'd owe a couple of dollars for them being late. It ended up being about $50, as the late fee was $5/day each. I haven't stepped foot in the library since as my next book will cost me $50 to check out.

@Cletus: And when you are done with it, you can resell it on Amazon and get most of your money back. win win!

@Stephmo: Mine don't charge but it is extremely hard to get anything when it first comes out. They took out the reserves for multimedia so you just have to wait for it. Online renewals still work twice so they could have it out for three weeks. I was watching 24 season sets from the library because I never seen it before. Three libraries near me had season 3 but I waited 2 months to catch it back in stock. I would check once a day online to see if it was out.

@Stephmo: OH no! People sometimes want to watch new movies! And not all libraries have free movies. Some actually *gasp* charge for movies and music! And not all libraries have the best selection.

@JWBrockman: Why not just watch it within the one day window? It's freakin $1 a day and THAT is too expensive for you?! Really?

@Radi0logy: Redbox employes people -- customer service, and techs to fill and fix the machines, for instance. These jobs weren't there before Redbox.

GOOD! Now you can spend your Monday's NOT being hopelessly entertained & lost in the moment. Maybe you can find time to better yourself, or give back to someone in need, or maybe, just maybe, get some exercise.

But then again we live in Amerika...who does those sort of things..? BRING BACK BLOCKBUSTER! (Did they leave yet?)

@Radi0logy: Also, didn't you see that post regarding Netflix's operation? They actually hire a lot of people at each location. A lot of their stuff isn't automated.

@Radi0logy: Sooo...I'm to pay extra to support someone who's only work skill is stuffing CD's into envelopes?

Not to mention that the kiosks require people to build them, ship them, install them, maintain them, stock them, repair them, provide customer support, make deals with DVD companies, buy the plastic thingys they come in, design labels, etc.

And ordering pizza online isn't getting rid of a job, it is usually one of the pizza guys in the store who answers the phone.

@macdude22:
Family Video in my area has started to combat the Redbox. $1 rentals for one night and $3 for 5 nights....hopefully this deal makes it by you.

@macdude22: You can have them e-mail you a received receipt. Why didn't you have them e-mail you a received receipt? It e-mails you RIGHT AWAY after you've returned a movie. If you don't get a receipt, then you call them up and enquire ASAP.

You can't prove you returned it without a receipt.

@morganlh85: Did you have them e-mail you a received receipt? If you enter your e-mail address, they'll e-mail you RIGHT AWAY. If you opt out of that....well, then how do you prove you returned it?

@nakedscience: not to mention the limited hours many libraries have.

@Radi0logy: I don't quite see it that way. If it weren't for technology and efficiency our society wouldn't be where we are right now. It's only because of these things that more jobs have sprung up in careers that would not have existed if it weren't for things like replacing people with more efficient processes.

Who do you think makes more money? They kid behind the counter at the Blockbuster or the person making the Redbox machines? How about the technician that services the machines? How about the person that wrote the code that operates the machines? I could go on but I think you get my point.

Paying someone to occupy an outdated, inefficient process is bad business. Do you think the world is going to stop improving because we have? If the United States wants to survive as a power house in the WORLD economy we need to stop thinking about us and start thinking about how we can sell to everyone else in the world.

@changed my name: Books are still free, but many libraries still charge for movies and music. It is not at all unusual.

@edwardso: Seriously! Many Redbox's are 24 hours, or run late because even non-24 hour Walgreens and McDonald's, if the Redboxes are inside, are open until at least 9, if not until 10 or 11. The library here -- and I live in Phoenix -- is closed by like, 7, and one day of the week I think they aren't even open. And weekends they close even earlier.

Libraries are not always as convenient as some people like to think they are.

Besides, $1.08 for one day is not exactly expensive, so I'm not sure why she's so OMG LIBRARRRRIIESSSS.

@WatchOutNow: What the hell is this? Sometimes people like to *gasp* watch movies and relax after a long day (especially Mondays). I have a full-time job AND I VOLUNTEER! Yet sometimes I like to watch movies, omg! I must be horrible and lazy.

What they don't take into account was that Redbox was only convenient and their movie selection worse browsing if is was free.

@winshape: "Sooo...I'm to pay extra to support someone who's only work skill is stuffing CD's into envelopes?"

No, you're going to pay less for the benefit of paying more for the same amount later on. Have you noticed that most vending machines cost more than getting something in a convenience store? Have you noticed that there's no discount for using manual checkout in grocery stores even though they can use 1 employee for 4 lanes instead of 1 per 1?

You're right, of course, that there are people that work for the companies. I didn't say that Redbox is a company of 1 guy and an army of machines. But you're kidding yourself if you think the low cost of the rentals is ANYTHING other than fewer employees and lower overhead (rental space etc.) I have no problem with lowering operating costs, but if you think having fewer employees in the workforce to provide the same or LOWER level of service to customers doesn't hurt the economy you are sadly mistaken.

I don't really understand the comment about how ordering pizza online doesn't get rid of a job. If you can eliminate the guys that answer the phone and replace them with a web interface, you're eliminating jobs. Simple as that.

@Cletus:

So, to cover - $4/gallon gas ends up cheaper than $15 DVD without fear of returning. At 20/gallon that means your trip to the library would need to be 40 miles ONE WAY and you'd only need to be getting one movie at a time for that to be cost effective. Mkay. And now that it's $2/gallon...okay.

@winshape: Oh, that's right the crazy late fees. You know, the ones they publicize that you can avoid by getting yourself to the library before an item is due. My library is extra nutty - they have secure night drop boxes open 24/7! One time, I returned something, they didn't have a record of it, I asked them to do a shelf search - they found it!

No sympathy for you if you can't handle returning things on time. You should pay your fees as it is a debt you owe and there's no pride in owing 50 bucks of debt for a service you used.

@corinthos: You should be asking your library system to disable multimedia renewals if reserves are disabled. Since most major libraries won't let you renew if someone's waiting for an item, they shouldn't allow the renewal if they can't tell if someone's wanting it. OR, they need to reinstate it since it's likely that was a unilateral decision that they're probably waiting for patron complaints to reverse.

@nakedscience: My library is constantly ordering new movies. And you know what? The wait for new isn't as long as you think unless you only want blockbusters - and even then, it's not that long. And even THEN, how many folks here have bought a brand-new, shrink-wrapped blockbuster only to have it sit on a coffee table for weeks before you watched it? If your library doesn't have the best selection, approach your library board about improving it. I've had several books, CDs and DVDs added to my library's collection by using my "suggest a title" link.

Wow, you guys are a bunch of anti-library folks, aren't you? And complainers who have no solutions. And heaven forbid in an underfunded area you pay the $1 to rent a movie from the library and help fund a community service.

@Brendan McCabe: its simple, lots of people rent the movies for free for the first day and either end up not watching them or forgetting to return them and end up paying for it anyways.