DVD rental software.

Pacing Mule

Would anyone here have any experience of / recommendations for dvd rental software. This would be for a single pc / station small operation.

iMax

Pageant Messiah wrote: »

Would anyone here have any experience of / recommendations for dvd rental software. This would be for a single pc / station small operation.

I wouldn't bother. Xtra-Vision are launching online next month.

Pacing Mule

Just because you wouldn't bother doesn't me I wouldn't

iMax

OK, then if you want to go up against the biggest DVD supplier this country has, with a massive marketing budget & the stock & delivery channels already in place.

The same company that's just spent tens of thousands of euro with the leading supplier & at the same time got them to sign a non competitive clause for Ireland & the UK, which means they can't deal with anyone else in the market for three years.

Then google is your friend.

Software starts at around €8k. Add ons such as payment modules will bring that price up by another couple of hundred. Design by several hundred (possibly thousand) more.

Mail per item will cost you minimum .58¢ (cheapest envelope bought in bulk & .55¢ post - an post do not negotiate).

Stock will cost you around €16 - €18 ex VAT per copy for a rental licence item (don't bother thinking you can get by & rent retail items, you can't & the penalties are quite severe).

Losses run at about five to ten disks per week through damage & pilferage, these could be new disks you just bought or they could be worn out.

Handling your customer's expectation is extremely hard. Everyone wants top 20.

The majority of people who sign up for you two week/month free trial will cancel before you get a chance to bill them.

We have a population of four million people. The company that's longest in the business has a membership of approx. 10,000 (about a quarter of one percent of the population - see anything wrong with that ?), which is declining on a daily basis due to people cancelling because of job loss or emigration etc. That figure also includes the afore mentioned people on trial

Oh & most developers of this type of software tend to be small one man operations (usually based in China or Pakistan), not that there's anything wrong with that, just that most of the big software development companies based out that way avoid this type of software because it's so complex & the ones that do, don't do it great (apart from the ones that Xtra Vision got, they're the best, but sewn up).

And I do have experience of the sector which is why I'm advising you to look to a different market.

Pacing Mule

iMax wrote: »

OK, then if you want to go up against the biggest DVD supplier this country has, with a massive marketing budget & the stock & delivery channels already in place.

The same company that's just spent tens of thousands of euro with the leading supplier & at the same time got them to sign a non competitive clause for Ireland & the UK, which means they can't deal with anyone else in the market for three years.

Then google is your friend.

Software starts at around €8k. Add ons such as payment modules will bring that price up by another couple of hundred. Design by several hundred (possibly thousand) more.

Mail per item will cost you minimum .58¢ (cheapest envelope bought in bulk & .55¢ post - an post do not negotiate).

Stock will cost you around €16 - €18 ex VAT per copy for a rental licence item (don't bother thinking you can get by & rent retail items, you can't & the penalties are quite severe).

Losses run at about five to ten disks per week through damage & pilferage, these could be new disks you just bought or they could be worn out.

Handling your customer's expectation is extremely hard. Everyone wants top 20.

The majority of people who sign up for you two week/month free trial will cancel before you get a chance to bill them.

We have a population of four million people. The company that's longest in the business has a membership of approx. 10,000 (about a quarter of one percent of the population - see anything wrong with that ?), which is declining on a daily basis due to people cancelling because of job loss or emigration etc. That figure also includes the afore mentioned people on trial

Oh & most developers of this type of software tend to be small one man operations (usually based in China or Pakistan), not that there's anything wrong with that, just that most of the big software development companies based out that way avoid this type of software because it's so complex & the ones that do, don't do it great (apart from the ones that Xtra Vision got, they're the best, but sewn up).

And I do have experience of the sector which is why I'm advising you to look to a different market.

I appreciate the comprehensive answer even if it's slightly inaccurate at some points but we won't fall out over it.

If I haven't made myself clear I apologise for it - I am not looking for online software. This is for a stand alone retail outlet where the rental aspect will be an additional complimentary service to an existing business.

iMax

Ah... OK then, no experience of it, but it looks semi decent

http://www.videorentalsoftware.com/ (strangely enough)

johnsmith13

iMax wrote: »

Ah... OK then, no experience of it, but it looks semi decent

http://www.videorentalsoftware.com/ (strangely enough)

Even googling will provide you with free alternatives.

BostonB

iMax wrote: »

I wouldn't bother. Xtra-Vision are launching online next month.

I assume its just a local shop that rents DVD's to locals. I used to know someone who used to do something similar in their small village shop. I don't think it made that much money, but it brought more people into the shop, who would then buy other things.

PCPhoto

i had to laugh at the system requirements for that software... 16mb of RAM !!

OP a simple book would be the best way to keep track of it.

or if you must go the technical route, you could do it yourself with a simple database.

No matter which route you take you must create individual file numbers for every DVD you are renting and create a customer file.... all this data must be entered into a computer system manually (as far as I know).

there are loads of pitfalls to look out for - you must make sure you learn all the possible combinations of excuses:

people will flat out deny they rented, will blame other family members, will claim friends were using the account and will accept it is their fault and try to make an offer of X% of the bill.