What is MovieCrazy?
MovieCrazy is a subscription-based movie rental-by-mail service,
not unlike Blockbuster or Netflix. The difference is that instead
of having a central inventory, we have a number of affiliated
independent video stores which make their collective inventories
available to customers. This allows us to offer our customers
a wide variety of movies, ranging from the large-studio releases
to the eclectic and hard-to-find items. This also helps independent
video stores put their inventories to work and compete with the
national chains.
How does it work?
Each store creates an account, and then uploads a list of their
movies. Customers select which movies they want to watch, and
then our system automatically notifies those stores which have
the movie available. We offer a brief window for local stores
to fulfill the order if they can, but then we offer it to the
entire network, and whichever store confirms and ships the order
fastest gets credited. The store is then responsible for printing
a label for the envelope (which we generate for you in PDF format)
and putting the DVD in a prepaid envelope (which we provide).
The customer can keep the movie as long as they like, (they typically
have possession of 3 items at a time), and then puts the DVD back
into a prepaid envelope and returns it to your store.
How am I compensated?
We will pay you 50 cents per movie that you ship. At the end of
each month, we'll send you a check for this amount.
You also get to expose your inventory to a national audience.
Plus, we'll show you what movies customers are asking for, so
that you can decide whether you want to add that movie to your
own store's inventory.
What are the technical requirements?
You will need a recent computer (PC/Mac/Linux), printer, web browser,
and a reasonably fast internet connection (DSL or cable modems
are fine, but dial-up is probably too slow). You will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader (which you can get
for free) to view and print mailing labels.
Does it cost me anything?
Very little. If you need to buy a new cheap PC and printer/toner,
this might cost $500. An internet connection costs $10-40/month,
depending on your location. We provide the prepaid envelopes.
There are no upfront or ongoing fees.
Do you ship video games?
For the moment, no. We are looking into this issue.
What about Adult/X-rated movies?
Obviously this is a sensitive issue. We're working out a way to
allow users who do wish to rent those movies to do so. At the
same time, we also want to prevent those movies from being displayed
in searches or from being rentable by those users who don't want
to see them. Stores should upload their entire catalog, Adult
or not, and we will begin to display those movies when the filtering
mechanisms have been fully tested.
How do I get started?
First, you need to create a Store Account, which you can do here.
It's quick and free.
Second, you'll need to provide us with a list of your inventory.
After you sign up and log in, you are given an online form in
which you can upload a list of the UPC codes of your movies, in
CSV or DBF format. (Click on 'Manage Inventory', and then click
on 'Upload Movies'). As you add movies to your physical inventory,
you can easily upload these supplemental items to your MovieCrazy
selection.
Note -- Most video stores use inventory-tracking software. However,
if you don't already keep your inventory in a computer (or your
software can't export a list of UPC codes), you'll probably want
to scan your UPCs rather than enter them manually. We are currently
researching handheld barcode scanners, which can help you input
barcodes at a rate of ~2000 DVDs/hour. As most store's inventories
are 5 to 15 thousand DVDs, this initial scan would take a clerk
no more than a day or two.
What if I have a problem?
Occasionally a DVD will be broken, damaged, or lost. These things
happen. If you have a problem, we have online tools to help you
report and resolve such issues.
What if I want to close my account and stop offering
my movies for online rental?
You can stop at any time, at no cost. It may take a little while
for any outstanding movies to be returned.
Any more questions/suggestions/comments/concerns?
Thank you for your interest!
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