My first reaction when I visited Redbox was “Huh, what does a Red Telephone booth have to do with DVD rentals?”. Even if their Redbox resembles the iconic phone booth, don’t be fooled; you can’t make prank phone calls to anyone through it. Redbox is a newcomer to the Canadian scene and currently has rental boxes in Vancouver and Ontario, but has already laid the groundwork to expand to other provinces.
I’m always put off at the idea of rental DVDs in general; I hate the idea of spending anywhere from $5-$9 for a movie I’ll only watch once. Sure, it’s the ideal way of seeing a movie without the hassle of putting money on it, but all those over-priced rentals can add up after a while. This is where Redbox swoops in and saves the day: by offering you cheaper rentals for the same movies. The way it works is simple: you find a box, select which movie or game you would like to rent, swipe your credit card and your selection comes to you. It helps avoid the odd stares you might receive for your choices; I’ve had clerks give me weird looks when I’ve gone to rent Call of Duty. They never believe the game is for me and assume it’s for a brother/boyfriend/long-lost cousin.
The rates vary from location to location, but they are mostly the same:
- DVD rentals are $1.50
- Blu-Ray Disc are $2.00
- Game rentals are $2.50
As a bonus, you can rent from one Kiosk and then return your rental to another Kiosk no problem. This is a great alternative to renting from bigger brand stores that will charge you an arm and a leg to rent something.