Big shout out to these awesome dudes for wiping all my late fees. Back in the day I was a regular…read morecustomer, and you know how it goes when returning DVDs, sometimes it just slips your mind, again and again. So when I came up to counter one day, I was regretfully informed that I could not issue another DVD until I paid my debt. But even before I had a chance to respond, the dude was like, "Let me have a word to my manager". He came back and told me that they were able to wipe my slate clean.

I'm a big movie watcher, I get lots of DVD's out each week and I usually have to go out of my way a…read morebit to go and get them. When I saw a video store had opened up the road I was so happy but to be honest after going there a few times I went back to my usual in Mt Eden. Their $8 over-night price is normal, however the movies that are in their over-night section are really old! I can get the same movie from the weekly section for $1 on special days at the video store I go to in Mt Eden. They don't update the section enough, some movies have been in that section for months and months! They are quite good at reminding you if a DVD is overdue however, they give you a call on your home phone, however if you do incur a fine, they make you pay the full price, whereas at my usual video store, they cut it in half if you pay on the spot.

There is a great little Crazy Saver $1 and up novelty store located in the same building as this…read morevideo store which provides a source of occupation for children while parents are shopping for videos. If you are after a video for that birthday party get-together for the kids, you can kill two birds with one stone while you collect party treats or gift items from here. United Video New Lynn has a gigantic floor space which displays a huge and diverse range of videos. In an effort to capture the highly competitive video rental market, they've tailored some hard-to-beat deals to get you through the door. Like an everyday bargain of six movies for twenty bucks. One dollar DVDS on not just one weeknight but two, Tuesday and Thursday, and an under four dollar price for new release movies on the same one dollar nights. We have found a couple of times in the past that their DVDs don't work properly, which is a frustration on the night as you either have to make a mad dash back to the video store for a replacement or wait until the next time you go in to rectify the matter. Never a problem with replacements or refunds though and the staff are always keen to set the problem right.

United Video has been my local video rental store for many years now. It was a weekend saviour for…read moremy siblings and after a long Saturday of sports; mum would bring us here and we'd go bonkers finding new movies to watch that night. Years later, I still love going there. They still have an awesome range of classic and old school movies should the mood ever strike, and they take up most of the store. I know almost nothing about gaming but they seem to have quite a large selection of games for most consoles (they've converted what used to be their massive new releases section years ago into the gaming area). You can also hire out Singstar mics and things like that- pretty good for that impromptu karaoke night in! United Video has really stepped their game up with their snacks though. On top of their ice cream freezer and fridges of drinks, they've got even more popcorn, chocolate and American candy available. It may be a little bit pricier than popping over to the supermarket, but its not a huge difference and extremely convenient if you're just keen to gab a couple DVDs and get straight home. I hope they start to extend their television season section- they've got some gems there already (Gilmore Girls, Friends, Alias) so I'm hoping they'll be adding a few more over time.