This evening after work I stopped midway between campus and home at a CVS to drop off my Redbox disc. This specific location has almost turned into a routine stop for me as I rent a movie sometimes four times a week. Anyway, I got out of my car as the rain poured but the sun shined. I approached the kiosk and tried to quickly return the movie. Not happening. The rain had drenched the screen and taken away all the sensitivity of the touch system. It was impossible for me to select the “return” command and give back my disc.

Slightly annoyed I hopped back in my car and closer to my apartment complex I turned into another CVS. As I pulled up to the kiosk I saw the typed out sign that identified the machine as out of order. With the next Redbox kiosk out of my way at a Piggly Wiggly location I told myself I would just eat the nightly late fee and return home.

This little episode definitely irked me a little bit but it did give me this idea for a blog post. Like I said, I go to Redboxes multiple times during the week. Because of this, I think of myself as a Redbox snob. I think I have put much more thought into the system than the average person. Tonight I share these thoughts via Don’t Blink. Here are my pros and cons about Redbox:

PROS:

Cheap – Renting a Redbox provides cheap entertainment. For only $1.20 or $1.30 you can buy yourself a couple hours of relaxation inside the comfort of your own home.

Fast – The whole process of renting a movie from a Redbox kiosk is quick and painless. You simply approach a station and make a decision. You don’t need to worry about walking around a store, searching for a title, or dealing with employees.

Easy to Return – The beauty of Redbox is that you can return a movie to any kiosk, not just the one you originally rented from. This offers so much leverage and convenience. On a Sunday evening I might be at a supermarket that has a Redbox kiosk but is way out of the way from my work commute. No worries. I have the luxury of renting the movie there and then returning it at a different kiosk at an entirely different business on my way home from work the next day.

Great Social Media Team – The other day I took a photo of a BLUE Redbox inside of a Wal-Mart. I threw up the image on Instagram and said something about Redboxes turning into Blueboxes. Within just a couple minutes the Redbox Instagram account responded! Saying that there was no reason for alarm as it was just a cool way to give a nod to its corporate partner, the account assured me that most kiosks would remain red. I loved the timely and informative social media response.

Redbox quickly responded to my Instagram post.

CONS:

Pressure to Make a Decision – Nothing is worse than walking up to a Redbox kiosk and right when you click the “Rent Movie” prompt you sense someone waiting behind you. It is no fun making a decision on a movie when you know someone is breathing down your back. It causes anxiety and hasty decision-making.

Swipe Mania – More than once in my Redbox renting career I have swiped by debit card about 253 different times before my info was read. I would swipe up and I would swipe down to no avail until finally it registered and my movie popped out.

Finger and Screen Not Synched – Sometimes, like today, my finger swipes don’t register or line up with the Redbox commands. I tried over and over to activate the “Return Movie” command early this evening but it wasn’t meant to be. The wet screen couldn’t feel the touch of my finger. However, dry screens give me this problem at times too. I will want to check out but the screen is so out of sync that I will have to press in and around the command countless times before finally touching the sweet spot that will let me pay.

Deception About New Releases – I love renting movies that I don’t know much about. If I highlight a certain selection and the first two sentences of the summary draw me in I will rent it. However, this has caused me trouble in the past. I always assume that the movies offered under “new releases” are in fact new releases. They aren’t. More than once I have selected a movie, returned home, and upon putting the movie in my DVD player I discover that the film is 15 years old. What is that film doing inside the Redbox in the first place? So random.

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So I think that should just about do it for my analysis of Redbox. Definitely a subject worthy of a 800+ word blog post, right? Enjoy your future Redbox renting, just please don’t visit the one I am at. I hate people standing behind me. Don’t Blink.