Before streaming services took over the industry, people physically rented movies to take home and watch. Rental fees are a thing of the past now, but they once were a very expensive problem for numerous people. Even the few DVD rental services that are surviving, like Red Box, find a way to penalize customers who don't return the product. One Oklahoma man is facing a warrant if he can't pay a $218 overdue fee for renting the movie Ted years ago.
Ted is a hilarious movie, but it certainly isn't worth prison time. According to KTRK, Lonnie Perry rented the film four years ago, and paid around $5 or $6 dollars. "I lived in Claremore at the time, just a regular weekday," stated Perry. "I went home from work, stopped by and rented a movie, then went home and watched it." Not long after renting the film, Perry became homeless. He packed the DVD with what he had and ventured on with his life, forgetting to return the movie. He wasn't reminded until he received a call from the Rogers County DA. The store had tried to contact Perry for an extended period of time, but they couldn't find him. At that point, the DVD was considered a stolen item, and the store reported it to the authorities.
"I just don't have that kind of money right off. I'll get it and I'll pay it, I'll do what I have to do. But I just think it could have went a different route," Perry explained. "I understand the video place having to do what they've got to do. But there's other means of trying to get ahold of people without throwing a warrant." The store will receive $19 for the DVD and $25 for lost profits. The DA takes the remaining $174.