In recent years, vending machines have gone from lunch room relics intent on eating your quarters and holding onto your Sun Chips to high-tech automated kiosks that sell everything from DVDs to ice cream, wine, beauty products, useless Farmville crap, electronics, designer bags and much more. But are they here to stay or is this just a trend? [More]
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Comcast & Blockbuster Try To Double-Team Netflix With DVDsByMail
By 8.9.10
With Netflix invading Canada and Redbox thinking about going online, the once-great Blockbuster Video has teamed up with Comcast to launch a joint effort: DVDsByMail.com. [More]
CVS Stores To Get Redbox Kiosks
By 8.5.10
In an attempt to spread their retail footprint even further, Redbox has made a deal with pharmacy chain CVS to begin rolling out their video rental kiosks at stores across the country. [More]
Redbox Randomly Charges $1.25?
By 7.30.10
Reader A. says Redbox randomly tried to charge him $1.25 for a $1 normal DVD rental. What’s up with that? [More]
More People Getting DVDs From Library Than From Netflix Or Redbox
By 7.29.10
Why rent the cow when you can borrow the milk for free? That seems to be the mindset of many Americans, as a new study claims that more DVDs are borrowed from libraries each day than are rented via Netflix, Redbox or Blockbuster. [More]
Redbox Wants To Get Into Online DVD Rental & Streaming Biz
By 7.19.10
While Redbox might be doing bang-up business with their 24,000 DVD rental kiosks around the country, the company knows how quickly you can go from the front of the pack to the rear (just ask Blockbuster). So in an attempt to compete with online rental and streaming service Netflix, Redbox’s president says it’s hatching a plan to expand its market to online users. [More]
Your Redbox Reservation Is A Sacred, Unbreakable Covenant
By 7.14.10
We touched on this topic last week in a post about a broken Redbox machine, but reader Nick wants Consumerist readers to know something important about Redbox. Whether your local kiosk has been smashed in or you just plain change your mind, there is no power on earth that can cancel your reservation and give you a refund. None. [More]
Make Sure Someone Hasn't Punched Your Redbox Kiosk Before Reserving A DVD
By 7.7.10
Reader G is a little ticked off at Redbox because he reserved a new release using Redbox.com, headed over to the kiosk to pick it up and found that some angry person had smashed the touchscreen. No big deal, he’d just call and get a refund, right? Apparently not. Redbox only offers “free rental codes” that G says he can’t use on reserved DVDs. This kinda bugs him. [More]
Redbox Testing Game Rentals, Higher Prices
By 7.1.10
As anyone who has followed the nosedive of Blockbuster knows, it’s dangerous for a company in the video business to be too staid. Thus, DVD kiosk company Redbox is dipping its toes into the video game market at the same time it’s also testing out higher price points in some areas. [More]
Up-To-The-Minute Coupon Codes For Hot Sales
By 6.23.10
The deal aficionados on the FatWallet message boards have various discussion threads devoted to providing the most current coupons for a slew of stores. Rather then dig for them, here’s a master list of their official store coupons and clearance threads. Members routinely get rid of dead coupons and post new ones, so this is definitely one to bookmark: [More]
Report: Blockbuster Exploring Bankruptcy Options
By 6.13.10
Hear that rattling sound? It’s coming from the chest of Blockbuster Video. A new report claims that the once-mammoth video rental chain, which admitted only months ago that bankruptcy might be in the offing, is now prepping for the harsh reality of Chapter 11 protection. [More]
Blu-Ray Redbox Spotted In The Wild, Rental Costs $2 For First Day
By 6.10.10
While Redbox says that they’re still figuring out price points for Blu-Ray discs in their movie kiosks, reader Dave discovered a box in the wild near San Francisco–clearly part of some test marketing effort. The price points are different from anything we’ve heard before. The machine offers Blu-Ray rentals for $2 for the first night, then $1 for each subsequent night. Yes, he sent pictures. [More]
Redbox CEO Scoffs At Netflix's Video Library
By 6.4.10
In April, it was Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes ragging on Netflix’s selection of streaming video, now it’s Mitch Lowe, CEO of more relevant competitor Redbox who is scoffing at Netflix’s growing archive of older movies and TV shows. [More]
Analyst: Blockbuster Losing Customers At Unprecedented Rate
By 4.19.10
In spite of its recent moves to remain competitive, video rental dinosaur Blockbuster continues to lose ground to newer services like Netflix and Redbox. And a new report from analyst Michael Pachter with Wedbush Morgan Securities makes the scenario look even more bleak. [More]
Blockbuster Gets Warner Bros. Movies 28 Days Before Netflix
By 3.23.10
A week after Blockbuster announced it could be heading down the road to bankruptcy, there’s some good news for the once-mammoth video vendor. They announced yesterday that they’ve reached an agreement with Time Warner that would allow them to rent Warner Bros. DVDs in their stores and by mail a full four weeks before Netflix. [More]
Indiana Prosecutor Wants PG, PG-13, And R-Rated Movies Out Of Redbox Kiosks
By 3.4.10
Redbox kiosks are cheap and convenient sources for DVD rentals. And, according to a prosecutor in southern Indiana, they’re corrupting our children. Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Stanley Levco has sent letters threatening legal action against retailers providing space to Redbox and MovieCube kiosks. The problem? Automated kiosks don’t have enough safeguards preventing minors from renting material that could theoretically harm them. [More]
Redbox Bows To WB's Demand It Wait 4 Weeks To Rent Its DVDs
By 2.17.10
Warner Bros. has already gotten Netflix to wait four weeks before renting the studio’s DVDs, and now it’s worked out a similar deal with Redbox, Deadline Hollywood Daily reports: [More]
Netflix CEO Explains Why They Made The 28-Day Delay Deal
By 1.19.10
Earlier this month, Netflix made a deal with Warner Bros. to delay new DVD releases for 28 days. Over at Hacking Netflix, the CEO of the company goes into some detail on why he approached Warner Bros. to begin with (it was his idea, not theirs), and why he thinks it will work out better for everyone except those customers who signed up expecting all new releases all the time. [More]
