Netflix may be leaving the DVD delivery market later this month, but one of the world’s largest independent video rental stores is ready to take up the baton.
Scarecrow Video is a Seattle-based video rental store that recently launched a national Rent by Mail service. Most of its DVD and Blu-ray titles are available for delivery. Customers can select up to six DVDs per order, which Scarecrow said is the maximum amount allowed for flat-rate shipping envelopes.
The video store points out that the number of titles isn’t the same as the number of discs, so bear this in mind when ordering. For example, Blade Runner: Complete Collector’s Edition contains five discs, leaving room for only one more DVD in that order.
Scarecrow Video is hoping to fill a void left by Netflix as the company shutters its deliverable DVD division, which Forbes estimates has around 1.3 million subscribers. While most seem content with switching to a streaming service for the latest entertainment, there is still a dwindling number of consumers who prefer DVDs over digital avenues and deliverables over renting at Redbox.
While Netflix charged less to deliver DVDs, Scarecrow appears to have a wider selection of titles. Rent by Mail titles cost between $3 and $11, along with a $12 flat-rate priority mail shipping fee which can get expensive depending on how many orders you place each month. DVDs are estimated to arrive between one and three days after ordering. Each delivery includes round-trip postage and a pre-paid return envelope. Customers have a 14-day rental window, which includes shipping time. Return instructions are included in every order, including the date rentals need to be post-marked for returns.
Customers who need more time with their rentals are encouraged to renew by phone. Scarecrow does charge late fees but was not immediately available to comment on what they were.
You can sign up for a Scarecrow account by visiting its website. You’ll receive an approval email within a day or two of applying. From there, pick from a selection of nearly 150,000 films and series, including adventure, animation, cinema history, comedy, Bigfoot, Broadway, and other Scarecrow sections. Scarecrow grows its video library weekly, so check New Stuff to see the latest offerings.