Students will no longer be able to pick up newly released movies at any time of the day near campus.
DVDNow rental boxes, the automated DVD rental machines, will be moving farther from campus, said Tobi Sander, the GrandMarc’s director of community operations. The DVDNow kiosk in the GrandMarc has been removed, as well as the one in the 7-Eleven on University Drive.
Armaan Holdings, the company that leased the DVD rental box, removed the DVDNow kiosk from the GrandMarc on Saturday, Sander said. The DVD rental box was put in the GrandMarc at the beginning of this semester.
Armaan Holdings has sold its franchise, Sander said. The new company is based out of Houston and will be moving the rental box to the Houston area, she said.
“It has nothing to do with the GrandMarc or TCU students,” Sander said. “The (company) just no longer owns the equipment.”
Officials from Armaan Holdings could not be contacted because the phones are disconnected and its Web site has been taken down.
The company moved a DVD box to the GrandMarc because it thought it would be more profitable, she said.
The closest DVD rental box to campus is now the Redbox DVD rental unit in the Albertsons on South University Drive and another one in the Walgreens on West Berry Street. An employee at the 7-Eleven on University Drive said the store will be getting another DVD rental unit soon.
Vice President of Student Government Association Matt Dietrichson said SGA has tried to get a Redbox movie rental kiosk on campus. Redbox placed TCU on a wait list behind others with larger orders.
Only two residents have sent e-mails expressing that they would like to have another rental option in the GrandMarc, Sander said.
Kristin Laird, a junior fashion merchandising major, said she would miss the convenience of being able to go downstairs from her room and rent movies. “It was great when it was raining to be able to stay inside and rent a new movie,” Laird said.
The GrandMarc is looking for another DVD rental service but it is a long process, Sander said. When management decided to lease the DVDNow it took three months to get it put in the GrandMarc, she said.
GrandMarc has contacted Redbox DVD rental company but it has not responded, Sander said. GrandMarc management is still looking at what other movie rental options are available, she said.
All movies that were not returned to the DVDNow box by Nov. 6 were automatically purchased by the resident who rented the movie, Sander said. A $29.99 charge went to their credit account that was used to purchase the movie, she said.
