Let’s face it – you got greedy! You thought you could have your cake and eat it too. I over-reacted to your arrogance, and with big Redbox ready and willing to take me in her arms, I thought it was time to switch up.
Sometimes you’d email me and be all like “hey …, how’s it going?” I wanted to reply, but I knew I shouldn’t. Then you’d see me out with big Red(box) on a Saturday night. She was cheap, I know, but what else was I to do for satisfaction?
It some time, but now I’m ready – ready to forgive if you are. We were right together, and I realize that now. That’s why I’m taking you back – Netflix.
Why I Took Back Netflix:
It would be too easy to say that I went back to Netflix simply because I received an offer for one free month. Well …, that’s kind of what got me interested. But it’s not the whole picture.
The reason I went back with Netflix was for convenience. It is too, too easy to simply come from work and have that DVD ready and waiting for me on the counter. Comparing Netflix vs Redbox, this is where Redbox has made their biggest mistake.
Even though Redbox has been really inexpensive and great, the main issue I have with them is the fact that I actually have to drive to the kiosk to go get the movie. And then I have to go back and do it again to return it. Lazy? Yes! But it is still a major inconvenience!
Plus, let’s be real. It’s not like I just get to walk right up to the Redbox kiosk with no challenges. Usually I run into a small line which is headed by a large obese person or a lady with 5 kids who can never decide which movie to rent. There’s always some kind of delay.
One time I had teach a woman how to use the touchscreen (.. isn’t it self-explanatory? ..) only to find out that none of the Tyler Perry movies were going to suit her fancy for the evening. Ten minutes later, I finally got to pick out the movie I was waiting for.
Yes, Redbox may only cost $1.27, but I still feel like I’m paying a whole lot more in other ways …
Netflix vs Redbox Cost:
Considering I rent about 1 movie per weekend, that means I rent an average of 4 movies per month at $5.08. Netflix only costs $7.99 per month. Considering the difference of $3 and the convenience of not having to drive back to the Redbox kiosk, can I really argue?
Can We Improve Streaming?
I’d be all for an Amazon Prime
or Netflix Streaming plan if more new releases were available. I realize most cable plans already do something like this where a new movie costs $5 to instantly rent through your TV. But naturally I want a plan with the same convenience at the cheaper Redbox or Netflix prices.
Fortunately technology seems to be heading in that direction, but we still seem to be a little ways off. I’d almost be willing to bet that within 5 to 10 years these providers won’t even offer sending you the actual DVD discs anymore.
Readers – Who are you using these days for your movie rentals – Netflix or Redbox? Is anyone using Amazon Prime?
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I loved the intro! We’ve stuck with Netflix. We did drop the dvd plan and went to just the streaming option. I do wish they had more options, but I think our kids would revolt if we got rid of it. I want to try Amazon Prime, but have not decided to pull the trigger yet. I could be wrong, but I think they have less titles than Netflix.
My kids cried when we dropped Netflix last year. But then they discovered Comcast On Demand and You Tube, so that has been holding them over.
Totally worth the extra convenience and gas not to drive to Redbox. I stream my movies, on a small laptop quality is ok and I get the tv shows the next day, don’t know much about new movies.
I think not having new movies would really hurt for me. I kind of like being up to date on the new releases.
I personally use redbox. We don’t watch enough movies to justify netflix in addition to cable. If we didn’t have cable I’d probably have a netflix plan. I just ran out of movies I wanted to watch and they’d sit on my table for weeks.
There were a few stretches where I had that happen.
We need to look into these. Right now we just go to our local video store, but they are so expensive!
We stream through our At&t uverse and I always pay the extra dollar or two for HD. I can’t stand watching TV or movies anymore if they aren’t in true HD. My crappy DVD setup just doesn’t cut it.
I have to agree with your points above. I don’t have Netflix, but I do use Redbox. It can be really annoying when you have to wait in line to just return a movie or wait a while for someone to find that exact movie they’re looking for. I guess if you are renting more than 1 movie a week, its a no-brainer (go with Netflix).
I was wondering if someone else was feeling the pain of the line! Without fail there is always a backup at the Redbox. It is very annoying!
It’s been sooo long since I last rented a movie. I’ve never even used netflix or redbox before. It is surprising that redbox doesn’t also offer a mail service. I guess they want to stick with their original approach. It is also surprising that the cable providers haven’t lowered their prices to compete.
It does seem backwards to me too that Redbox went the DVD route. I know they are owned by Coinstar, so kiosks are their thing. But everything you read about technology says that DVD’s and physical discs are going to go away …
This is a great post. I work for Redbox and so I may be a bit biased, however I definitely see the value in a service such as Hulu, Netflix or Amazon Prime. One thing I should mention that most people may not know is that Redbox has teamed up with Verizon and will be coming out with a streaming service of their own starting sometime this quarter called Redbox Instant. I don’t know any specifics like price point, but it may be another option for consumers who don’t want to go and get the physical dvd.
A Redbox employee? Very interesting! Do you work in the promotional area? That is really cool to hear that they will soon have a streaming service. As long as they can get newer movies than Redbox has on their streaming service at the same low price, I will be SOLD!
LOL. I love the way you started off the post. My wife and I have been with Netflix for awhile and we stay on their 2 DVD plan. We used to do streaming but got rid of our Wii and therefore didn’t have another option to stream other than running a patch cable throughout our house (which I wasn’t willing to do). On top of that, I prefer the DVDs because it forces me to have some discipline as I can’t sit there and stream shows all day/night.
Thanks! I was hoping people would find that funny. I like your theory about having the DVD and how if forces you to watch it. In a strange way, I prefer the same. Everyday it sits on my counter is lost money!
We don’t do redbox anymore. We’d always rack up late fees. It’s only cheap if you get it back there on time. We might as well have bought after most of our experiences.
Netflix really needs to up it on their streaming. I can’t even find year old BAD movies, nonetheless good ones. And TV series are usually a couple of years behind. I know if they updated more often no one would order from their mail service, but come on.
The whole late fee thing is where Redbox wins. Like a credit card, they know that when you slip up, money will be made!
We very rarely watch new releases but we do have Netflix, both streaming and DVD (as a gift). We stream tons of content, though, and it doesn’t bother me that there aren’t that many new selections available. The old stuff is so good!
We may be in the minority, but we don’t use either. We just DVR shows/movies and watch them. We’re not big movie buffs though.
We have Netflix streaming and love it! Only 7.99 per month and it definitely beats paying for cable!!!
We have Netflix streaming and have been quite happy with it. We never have time to watch a full length movie anyway, so we watch their huge collection of tv shows. As an aside, we don’t have cable or satellite.
It actually costs more to rent from Redbox once you consider time you take to drive and cost of gasoline to and from your residence.
Sorry I was out of country due to a family death. I returned last week, but I had to catch up with lots of important work. Good to be back to read your posts, MMD.
ABSOLUTELY NO APOLOGY NECESSARY! Good to see you back Shilpan!