It sounds pretty good in theory. A self-serve kiosk with new-release DVDs inside for rent at the bargain basement price of $2.99 a night. All you need to do is swipe your credit card and pick your flick. But then comes the whole returning thing…
That $2.99 is a nightly fee, so if you don’t get around to returning the film, you’ll end up paying $2.99 each night you hang onto it. That can wind up costing you a pretty penny. The good news is that if you don’t return it within 14 days, the movie is yours to keep for $36, which is automatically charged to your credit card. Coupl ethat with the original $3 renatl fee, and you’re looking at almost $40 for a disc that would cost you anywhere between $15 and $30 in stores.
What’s more, the nightly fee is only charged when you return the movie, so if you reach 13 nights before you return it, you may as well just keep it – it’ll be cheaper for you.
Having said all that though, there is a lot of potential here – not only is your first rental free, but they also have “Free oovie Wednesdays” where you can grab a disc for nothing on a Wednesday. If you’re diligent in watching and returning your discs, this could be a great way to enjoy free films.
There are 80 kiosks now in NSW and Victoria, and the company plans on expanding that number to over 1000 over the next two years. But for me, I think I’ll stick with options like iTunes, Foxtel and the upcoming Xbox movies option to get my entertainment on…
[oovie]