Consumers Turn 'White Elephants' into Must-See DVDs on Peerflix; Online DVD Exchange Offers Post-Holiday Alternative to Stringent Return Policies by Enabling Members to Trade DVD Gifts.MENLO PARK Menlo Park. 1 Residential city (1990 pop. 28,040), San Mateo co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. Electronic equipment and aerospace products are manufactured in the city. Menlo College and a Stanford Univ. research institute are there. 2 Uninc. , Calif. -- This post-holiday season, DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. recipients will be able to recycle their holiday gifts without going back to retailers. Peerflix, an online peer-to-peer (P2P See peer-to-peer and point-to-point. ) service that allows members to legally trade DVDs, is reminding consumers to leverage their holiday gifts by trading in the DVDs they received during the holidays for the ones that were actually on their wish list. Industry sources predict that consumers will spend $5.8 billion buying DVDs in the fourth quarter of 2005, up from $5 billion in fourth-quarter 2004.(1) As the market grows, so do the number of people who will receive movies that they have already seen or don't want. Peerflix introduces an alternative solution to 'white elephant' gifts by allowing consumers to trade DVDs among themselves and avoid the increasingly complicated process of returning merchandise. In addition, beginning Tuesday, December 27, 2005 through January 9, 2006, Peerflix will give away a new DVD release to every new user who activates their account. "Loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl don't always give gifts you love. If you wanted The 40 Year-Old Virgin but Aunt Edna gave you Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Peerflix will help you get the DVD you want to watch," said Peerflix co-founder Billy McNair. "Our members don't have to battle the post-holiday mall crowds or make exchanges without a receipt. They simply go online and use Peerflix to trade the DVDs they have for the DVDs they want without the pressure of monthly subscription fees." Besides the crowds, consumers are likely to face strict return policies as they visit retailers this post-holiday season. For example, many stores have started tracking return history and occasionally charging re-stocking fees.(2) Others require receipts for returns and exchanges or impose return deadlines. If DVD packaging seals are broken they may be simply un-returnable. The Peerflix peer-to-peer exchange enables its members to avoid the post-holiday retail hassle and trade DVDs from the comfort of their own home. Each year, consumers are giving away and receiving more DVDs as holiday gifts. Often times, however, people receive DVDs they don't want or don't plan to watch more than once. Using Peerflix, internet users Internet user n → internauta m/f Internet user Internet n → internaute m/f can legally trade the DVDs they receive for those they want to watch without committing to a monthly subscription fee. Users pay $0.99 per trade to access a network of more than 150,000 DVDs, and if they sign up between December 27, 2005 and January 9, 2006, new users can also pick a free new release from Peerflix to help them get started. (1) Hollywood Reporter, October 4, 2005 (2) Consumer World, December 19, 2005 About Peerflix Peerflix offers a peer-to-peer online trading Online Trading Making trades via the Internet. Notes: The use of online trading increased dramatically in the mid to late 1990's with the advent of high-speed computers and Internet connections. Stocks, bonds, options, futures, and currencies can all be traded online. platform for physical goods or services. In its first application, the system allows users to legally trade DVDs directly with one another, across a large, decentralized de·cen·tral·ize v. de·cen·tral·ized, de·cen·tral·iz·ing, de·cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To distribute the administrative functions or powers of (a central authority) among several local authorities. network. Using the Peerflix service, members can get the most out of their DVD collections, maintaining a dynamic and updated library of DVD titles in a cost effective manner. Started in 2004, Peerflix has already grown to become the leading online destination for DVD owners to trade their DVDs. Peerflix is supported by leading venture capital firms Name Location Founding date Managing Partners/Directors Specialty Capital managed 5AM Ventures Menlo Park, CA; Waltham, MA 2002 John Diekman, PhD (managing partner), Scott Rocklage, PhD (managing partner), Andrew Schwab (managing partner) life sciences $200M [1] including Battery Ventures, BV Capital and 3i. The Peerflix service is currently available in both the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and Canada. For more information, please visit http://www.peerflix.com. |
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