Most charge almost 9% unless you opt for a gift card.
Recently, CoinStar started a campaign where they won't charge you any fee if you turn your coins into iTunes gift cards, Amazon gift cards, or Virgin mobile cards. The machine doesn't actually give you any cards, but rather PINs which can be typed in on the sponsor's site and redeemed for their value. This works because the CoinStar machine has the power of the internets.
How to do it
This is really quite simple. Follow the directions as usual, but when it asks how you would like your money, make sure to pick the iTunes gift card. After it counts all of your change, the machine will ask you how much of your money you want as a gift card and how much you want as cash. Go ahead and set it all to gift card. Now, before proceeding, you need to find a way to unplug the phone jack from the back of the machine. I'm lucky because the wall phone jack for my local CoinStar is at about shoulder height right next to the machine.
Now the poor machine is in quite a pickle. It already has all of your change, and it can't give that back to you. It can't give you an iTunes card either. It could give you cash, but it's not going to lay that 9% fee on because you obviously didn't agree to that when you put your change in the machine. What can it do? Give you cash for FREE. After a few minutes of trying, it will simply give up and just give you a slip which can be redeemed for cash at the store customer service counter.
Conclusion
This little trick worked for me, so go ahead and give it a shot. Oh, and I'm supposed to tell you that I didn't think of this one. My good friend Collin over at Virtual Fresh Air thought of it, but he was too lazy to write it up.
Just to kickstart the threadjack? WTF is coinstar? Who puts enough money in them to make it pay? I can see if I had $3 worth of change and needed $2.75 in quarters for the car wash or something, but those machines must cost thousands of dollars. I have NEVER seen anyone using one. Who would put $100 worth of coins in one just to get $92 in bills out?
Just to kickstart the threadjack? WTF is coinstar? Who puts enough money in them to make it pay? I can see if I had $3 worth of change and needed $2.75 in quarters for the car wash or something, but those machines must cost thousands of dollars. I have NEVER seen anyone using one. Who would put $100 worth of coins in one just to get $92 in bills out?
Location: Teetering on the edge of Avenue D Gender:
Posted:
Mar 27, 2009 - 9:07am
Not totally on topic, but here goes anyway.
We've been with Netflix a long, long time. I have put the account on hiatus previously, usually in summer, when we just can't get a movie watched until 10 at night.
We now have HD service with our local cable company, which includes about 10 Starz/Encore channnels. For as often as I get to watch a movie now, I can usually find a movie to watch between those two channels, TCM or UHD (Universal HD) channels. Netflix is suspended right now and I'll probably cancel next month. I caught a couple of episodes of Blue Planet on Discovery HD last night and they were fantastic. I also watched a 30 Rock (Alec Baldwin in HD!) episode in HD last night. Now, if our CBS affiliate would just broadcast in HD so I could watch Letterman and Craig Ferguson in HD... Oh! And Rescue Me comes back next month...do hope that is in HD, too! This is about my only extravagance right now so I'm trying to make the most of it. We are even getting PBS in HD, so Elmo looks REALLY GREAT!
Location: Blinding You With Library Science! Gender:
Posted:
Mar 27, 2009 - 8:40am
Isabeau wrote:
I reinstated Netflix after a year. I wanted to try out one DVD at-a-time plan. After a rapid succession of the first 3, I got an email that asked when did I mail the DVD back, stupid me, I was honest and said the day before. Thereafter Netflix deliberately held back 2-3 days before mailing my DVD - essentially turning my plan into one DVD per week. All the while insistent I upgrade to 2 or more DVDs at a time. I promptly cancelled.
Now they want me back. I wonder if they'll treat me right this time around?
We never had that problem - and I've always answered those email queries honestly. Occasionally, it takes two days to get a disc, but that's very rare - they almost always get the discs the day after we mail them and we almost always get the next one the day after they say they've shipped. We were doing one at a time for about six months and decided to bump up to two at a time and our level of service is unchanged. The once or twice (in almost a year) that they didn't mail the same day they received our shipment, we've always gotten emails, explaining why and when we could expect it.
Yes, but they do fill a need with a service. Ironically, like many of the companies I own stock in, I don't use them. Like so much of my life - I'm not the target demographic.
When I worked nights at the rehab center, I'd go across the street to the 24-hour gas station for coffee, bad junk food, and Redbox movies so, yeah, there were nights that I probably didn't fall asleep and get fired or murdered thanks to Redbox. :)
They are very prompt with me, but they just keep giving me things WAY down on my queue, and I've had to wait over a month for my top 7-8 picks. They never used to be this bad. I think it's because they can't keep up with demand any longer.
We always get what's next in our queue. But we are pretty new users too. I've heard that it can be advantageous to kill your subscription and have some one else in the household sign up for a new one to get better picks.
Note: I also just got "This is Spinal Tap", so I may not be hitting the most popular list, my next up movie is "My Name is Bruce".
Coinstar gobbles up Redbox - I kinda hope they choke on each other - they both are a ripoff for service and selection.
I just got:
The Wackness Thumbsucker The Squid and the Whale
None of which I would ever find in a Coinstar Redbox
Yes, but they do fill a need with a service. Ironically, like many of the companies I own stock in, I don't use them. Like so much of my life - I'm not the target demographic.
Thereafter Netflix deliberately held back a couple of days before mailing my DVD, all the while insisting I needed to move up to 2 per month. I promptly cancelled.
They are very prompt with me, but they just keep giving me things WAY down on my queue, and I've had to wait over a month for my top 7-8 picks. They never used to be this bad. I think it's because they can't keep up with demand any longer.
I've been told that so many people are joining Netflix now, that it's not cost-effective anymore and they can't keep up. They won't buy more inventory, b/c they don't want to be stuck with it once the movies aren't popular anymore. Redbox still needs room for improvement, though.....the one in my grocery doesn't even HAVE Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Rachel Getting Married in its inventory.
Coinstar gobbles up Redbox - I kinda hope they choke on each other - they both are a ripoff for service and selection.
I just got:
The Wackness Thumbsucker The Squid and the Whale
None of which I would ever find in a Coinstar Redbox
I reinstated Netflix after a year. I wanted to try out one DVD at-a-time plan. After a rapid succession of the first 3, I got an email that asked when did I mail the DVD back, stupid me, I was honest and said the day before. Thereafter Netflix deliberately held back 2-3 days before mailing my DVD - essentially turning my plan into one DVD per week. All the while insistent I upgrade to 2 or more DVDs at a time. I promptly cancelled.
Now they want me back. I wonder if they'll treat me right this time around?
Oh, and I just got "This is Spinal Tap" in the mail on Tuesday. Mrs. Islander has never seen it. She will now get my 'goes to eleven' references.
Does Coinstar own the Redbox thing?
I've been told that so many people are joining Netflix now, that it's not cost-effective anymore and they can't keep up. They won't buy more inventory, b/c they don't want to be stuck with it once the movies aren't popular anymore. Redbox still needs room for improvement, though.....the one in my grocery doesn't even HAVE Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Rachel Getting Married in its inventory.
Netflix has come out with a beta viewer. It works on PCs and intel based macs. Click here to read more and find a link to opt in. I'm watching Legend - The Directors Cut on my mac. Not bad if you sit back a ways and watch.
I would be so happy if I could watch all the movies Netflix has online from here in Germany.
