Movies For The Road

A review of the Peerflix online DVD trading service

by Charlie Kerekes, 12/8/2005

Every once in a while we all run across a product or service that we didn't know existed, weren't looking for, but as soon as we saw it, we recognized it as a perfect fit for our needs. Recently I had such an experience when I learned about Peerflix.

Trade DVD movies for $0.99 and no due dates at Peerflix.

The Service

Have you ever gone to a store that buys and sells used DVD 's? They buy the titles you no longer want for a small amount of cash; you buy another used DVD at a discount. Now you can trade DVD 's online in a similar fashion using the Peerflix service.

My initial reaction to this service was enthusiastic because over the years I have been looking for a solution to rent DVD 's online. On multiple occasions I have considered rental services like Netflix and Intelliflix, but I do not watch enough movies to make those solutions cost-effective.

Then I found out about Peerflix. It is not designed specifically for the RV community, but the movie-watching public at large. However, its near-perfect fit for the RV lifestyle was quickly apparent to me. Now that I have tried the service and experienced several trade cycles, I will share my experience with you and provide a few tips to make it even a better fit.

How It Works

You, and a lot of others like you, have DVD 's to trade. Peerflix steps in as the facilitator by providing an online system that works like this:

• You enter the list of DVD 's you wish to trade.
• You create a list of DVD 's you would like to receive.
• Peerflix finds other members who either want your DVD 's or have a DVD you want.
• Once both parties of the transaction have been located, Peerflix notifies the sender by email to initiate the trade.
• You send your DVD 's to the persons requesting them to earn trade credits, called peerbux.
• When you have sufficient credit, others will automatically send you DVD 's you have requested.
• Traded DVD 's are yours to keep or trade again; no due dates nor late fees.

The DVD trading machinery works on two types of currency: dollars and peerbux. Dollars are spent in the amount of $0.99 per trade for each DVD you receive. After signing up to try Peerflix, your account will contain a credit of $0.99 so that you may complete one free trade.

The second currency are the peerbux. These are the trade credits you earn each time you send a DVD to another member. Each movie is worth one, two, or three peerbux. For example, I listed Big as my first DVD to trade, to which Peerflix assigned a value of two peerbux. A day after listing it, someone requested Big. I dropped it in the mail and Peerflix credited my account with two peerbux. This is the recommended (and free) way to earn peerbux, but they can also be purchased.

Once I had two peerbux to my name and the initial $0.99 trade credit, my account had sufficient currency to cover the first movie that I wanted. That same day another member mailed the first DVD on my want list and my account was debited the $0.99 transaction fee and the two peerbux.

Five DVD Trading Tips for RVers

Unique aspects of the RV lifestyle, namely lengthy mail delivery times and frequently changing shipping address, requires a few adaptations to make the DVD trading service a better fit to the roaming lifestyle.

Tip: List your DVD 's to be traded after receiving envelopes

Peerflix now offers two envelope options: pre-printed envelopes sent to you by Peerflix or envelopes printed on your own printer. If you have a printer, skip this tip because you will be printing your own envelopes.

Upon signing up for the service, Peerflix mails an initial supply of envelopes, which require only a single first-class stamp. In my eagerness to try the service, I entered a few movies on my "DVD 's I Have" list right after signing up. As a result, the very next day a Peerflix member requested one of my movies. Having no official Peerflix envelopes, I used a large envelope folded in half and addressed it manually. If you end up creating your own envelope like I did, be sure to weigh it because it may require more than one stamp—my envelope required two.

Tip: Use your mail forwarding address for the least hassle

If you are a snowbird or fulltimer, chances are that you have a permanent mail forwarding address. Even though this will lengthen delivery time, consider using it as your DVD shipping address so you don't have to worry about changing it every time you move. All traded DVD 's are sent without the case, so it adds very little bulk to the forwarded postal mail.

Tip: Use your current physical address for faster delivery

If you are staying in one place for a while and want faster gratification, consider using your current physical address. However, if you choose this option, be sure to log into the Peerflix service and change your shipping address each time you move. If you use an RV departure checklist, consider adding an item for updating your Peerflix address about a week before changing locations.

Tip: Hold all DVD deliveries during moves

Peerflix is designed for the general public and currently lacks the feature to place a hold on DVD trades. Whenever the following three conditions are met, a DVD is automatically mailed to your current shipping address without any action on your part:

• Your account has at least $0.99 credit
• Your account has sufficient peerbux for one or more movies on your "DVD 's I Want" list
• Another Peerflix member has one or more of the movies you want

If you are not using a permanent forwarding address for the DVD delivery, you may need to put a hold on all trades during transitional times. The easiest way I found to stop deliveries is to remove all titles from the "DVD 's I Want" list.

If you are unable to send DVD 's for a while, prevent others from requesting a movie by removing all titles from your "DVD 's I Have" list. Removing a DVD from this list automatically transfers it to the "DVD 's on hold" list. When you are able to send again, release the movies from the "DVD 's on hold" list back to the "DVD 's I Have" list.

Tip: Ignore premature requests to send DVD's

Peerflix covers the cost of lost or damaged DVD 's. To implement this system, they need feedback from you to determine if the DVD has arrived and in what condition. Non-RVers will typically receive a traded DVD within a week. During transit, the DVD title is on the "DVDs that have been mailed to you" list with a "Confirm Receipt" link. If a trade is not confirmed within a span of time considered reasonable by Peerflix, the system marks it as Auto Confirmed and transfers it to the "DVD 's I Have" list.

If you are roaming the country in a recreational vehicle, chances are that postal mail takes longer to catch up with you and your movies will be automatically transferred to your "DVD 's I Have" list, more often than not. This is a concerned because it makes it look as if the movie is available for trade, but you haven't received it yet.

When you receive a request to send a DVD which you have not received yet, simply ignore it; another member will send it. According to Peerflix, this is acceptable and it will have no adverse effect on your account.

Near-Perfect Fit

With Peerflix, I have finally found an alternative to renting DVD 's that fits my needs better: inexpensive, no monthly fees, no due dates, and saves the fuel that traditional renting requires. Granted, patience is a must to enjoy trading DVD 's this way, but haven't we joined the RV lifestyle for the slower pace?