A company called MovieBankUSA is rolling out a high-tech DVD and VHS tape video rental vending machine. Houston’s News 24 has the story and a video:
“It has been in business over ten years now in Europe and it has completely changed the way people rent the movies,” Stephane de Laforcade says. “It’s so convenient. Everybody rents with machines now.”“It is as easy as using an ATM. You just go to the machine, swipe your card and then you arrive on the screen that allows you to browse all the titles by whatever criteria you like. They can be new releases, all titles, or by director, by actor.
“Then, once you select your item, you just confirm and pick it up from the dispenser and it takes no longer than 15 seconds.
“Depending on the locations, we’ll place different size machines. They can hold from 650 DVDs to 5,000.”
I spoke to Hector Gonzalez, one of their Account Executives, and he’s available to answer any questions about the new product.
Chris on August 23rd, 2004 at 7:54 am
Hi Hector im an australian who spent a ski season in italy and your dvd atm machine was located at the resort i thought it was a great idea. Has it been introduced in australia yet?
virne on September 24th, 2004 at 4:25 am
this is great business opportunities
Martinet on February 14th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Business model sounds good.
What is the investment cost ?
Any contact details.
regs
Martinet
C. Verduci on March 10th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Dear all,
Don’t make the mistake that we all made in Canada, Like you, we all thought that it was a really good concept, etc… 6 years later, our stores are all collapsing because of our Corporation and Videosystem Italia, the provider. When you become a franchisees, you discover all the bugs that they never repair, your membership cards get demagnetised ALL THE TIME!!! We have been complaining for 5 years now and nothing! You cannot buy your cards from anyone else, you can’t buy your barcodes from anyone else! Membership cards cost $2.50 each!!!! And we get far too many cards that get demagnetized!!
We’re warning our American friends to prevent you from making the same mistake… Here’s the letter we sent to the branches in the UK :
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you to ask for information about the MOVIEBANK company. In Canada there is exactly the same company called VIDEOSELF. We have the same machines, the same provider, etc… and yet today the company is about to go bankrupt…
http://www.videoself.ca
The reason for this is that Videosystem Italia overcharges on all the equipment (membership cards, stickers, etc…) and also that they do not provide the service that they promised as we invested in the concept. For example, we cannot load our pictures ourselves which means we do not have control on our movies or our machines… Videosystem Italia do not update our banknotes reader either… We have a new $5 banknote since November 2007 and our clients cannot recharge their account with them…. Many stores have technical problems (Some of them have been closed for 4 weeks now!) and we still do not have a technical service available!
Due to all the disappointment all the franchisees in Canada have decided have set up a commitee to take legal action against both our coorporation and Videosystem Italia… To this date, a Corporate lawyer is looking into our contracts and is almost certain that we will win the suit. In the meantime, Videoself have decided to give up on its names and are coming back to Canada with a new brand MOVIEBANK instead of VIDEOSELF.
Our stores have been open for 6 years now and we have discovered so many bugs in their software (AXON), the online booking, etc…. It’s been a few years now and none of these bugs have been repaired… Worst they’re using exactly the same equipment and export it to new countries with the same bugs etc… We would like you to be aware of this to prevent a future similar to ours. Please feel free to pass on this message to all your branches in the UK, we do feel that investors need to be aware of Videosystem Italia manipulations. Would you please answer this email to tell us a bit more about Moviebank in the UK.
Sincerely,
giorgio on May 7th, 2007 at 10:13 am
Just to inform you that the provider of Moviebank UK ( http://www.mb24.co.uk ) is Buster24h ( http://www.buster24.com ) . regs . Giorgio
bob on May 9th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
Does any one know how to fix the arm on them??
Dave Matthews on September 30th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Moviebank on Byres road has went bankrupt. I wouldn’t ever trust a company with a card!
Tony Daws on October 17th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
I am a Canadian living a few blocks from Byres road in Glasgow, where there WAS a moviebank that I had credit with… went on vacation for a few months, came back… poof, they’re gone… what a drag. I will definitely think twice before using anything like that again as a customer.
Elaine on March 11th, 2008 at 7:49 am
I really appreciate all the info contained in this blog. Has anyone out there attempted to start a similar business without francising? I am in the process of doing this and would love to find others doing the same thing so we could share information. If anyone is interested, please contact me. Please reference video info in the re: section of your email. Thanks. Elaine
G Dunwoody on April 18th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I started up a Moviebank machine in august of 2007, to bad I hadn’t read this blog before. Our machines are under constant break down. I have been looking for other owners from this company that are having problems with no resolve to hopefully begin a class action suit against the manufacturer.
Mame on June 9th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Elaine, Please contact me. I am doing the same thing as you and would like to share information.