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How Netflix Fucks You Over

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11 2006 9:49 AM

Submitted by Shalome. Edited By Shalome.

If you rent a lot of movies from Netflix, you may find yourself on NetFlix's secret "good customer" list. However, unlike most businesses who reward frequent customers with discounts, specials, and freebies, it turns out that Netflix punishes frequent customers with slow delivery times.

Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix didn't publicly acknowledge it differentiates among customers until revising its "terms of use" in January 2005 — four months after a San Francisco subscriber filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company had deceptively promised one-day delivery of most DVDs.

"In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we give priority to those members who receive the fewest DVDs through our service," Netflix's revised policy now reads. The statement specifically warns that heavy renters are more likely to encounter shipping delays and less likely to immediately be sent their top choices.



The promises Netflix makes on the "How It Works" section of their website:

With Netflix you can rent as many DVDs as you want from the comfort of your home and have them delivered to your door in about 1 business day!

You keep a revolving library of up to 3 DVDs at a time and can exchange them for new available DVDs as often as you like.



Cute, Netflix.

 

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SHARK

SHARK

Los Angeles, CA
August 2004

FEB 11, 2006 02:29 PM

my favorite part is there isnt a phone number so you can actually talk to a person if you have issues

imagoldfish

imagoldfish

Chicago, IL
April 2003

FEB 11, 2006 02:42 PM

This is ridiculous. Sure, you can spin the facts to make it seem like Netflix is intentionally fucking people over, or you can look at it in a different way - they're trying to keep work for the greater good. I rent lots of movies from Netflix. I have over 400 movies in my queue. So if I'm bumped down on the waiting list for a new movie, it bothers me a whole lot less than it would bother someone who only has 10 movies waiting and doesn't get movies from them that often. It makes sense. You can see it as "punishing" better customers, or you can see it as a prioritization issue - they have a whole shitload of orders to deal with, it makes sense to satisfy the people who don't watch movies as often first, rather than the gluttons like me who watch 3 movies a week. It's not like they're intentionally holding back movies, it's that they're organizing around certain priorities. Look at the actual facts of the case, not the critics' interpretations of them.

As has been said many times already in this thread, they're still providing a fucking phenomenal service for a damn good price. I'd rather wait an extra day for my movies than pay 5 bucks extra per month. If it's that important to you to have movies at home constantly, bump yourself up to the next plan rather than screwing over the rest of us.

fpkk

fpkk

United Kingdom
June 2003

FEB 11, 2006 02:50 PM

I always feel that if I was that desperate to see the Fantastic Four or The Interpreter I would have gone to the cinema to see it, or bought it on DVD. It's on my queue and at some point it will turn up.

On the other hand I have no recourse if I want to see R-Point or The Wishing Stairs but to either buy them or add them to my queue and as it happens no fucker wants to see either of them except me, so these titles alway arrive quickly.

I am, of course, referring to the nearest UK equivalent who are called ScreenSelect, from what I can tell though they run an identical operation. It wouldn't surprise me if somewhere down the line they weren't owned by Netflix.

NotoriousCAT

NotoriousCAT

Atlanta, GA
January 2004

FEB 11, 2006 02:56 PM

I actually like the Blockbuster online service, and have had very little problems with it. whatever

Idjit

Idjit

HOPEFUL

I'm lost

FEB 11, 2006 02:58 PM

capitalistfig said:
Also, NetFlix, if it engages in this practice of slowing down users, has an obligation to publicly announce on their site or in the terms of service that it will be "throttling" certain subscribers based on high rental frequency.



Um, did you read the article?


Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix didn't publicly acknowledge it differentiates among customers until revising its "terms of use" in January 2005 _ four months after a San Francisco subscriber filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company had deceptively promised one-day delivery of most DVDs.

Dogslife

Dogslife

Toronto, ON
April 2003

FEB 11, 2006 03:13 PM

Zip.ca just implemented a service charge for high volume customers: on my "4 discs at a time" plan they'll ship me 11 discs per month. This plan used to be called "unlimited," but now they charge a small fee for every disc after the 11th. And they'll ask first so I can decline number 12 for the month if I decide I should be doing something else with my time.

I worked it out and realized that if I ever have the time to make them send me 12 discs in a month (so I'd actually be watching more than that if you count what would be in my posession from the previous month) it'll be because I'm unemployed.

I think I like this better than Netflix' solution. I'd rather be cut off than have to deal with a slowdown.

[Edited on Feb 11, 2006 6:11PM]

Keith

Keith

Oklahoma City, OK
August 2002

FEB 11, 2006 03:26 PM

Idjiit said:
You know there have to be people out there who rent 3 movies, copy them as soon as them come out the door and get them back into the mail immediately - some even dropping them in a post office box the very same day the get them.


This is exactly what I did and will do again.

KMFCM

KMFCM

Peekskill, NY
September 2002

FEB 11, 2006 03:28 PM


hmmm

well, I was thinking of getting a new Netflix account

(I had one back in 2002, but stopped it when I was laid off)

and well, I think I'm gonna try it anyway.

I never used to watch them that fast after all.

MrStitches

MrStitches

Sag Harbor, NY
November 2003

FEB 11, 2006 03:52 PM

LuLuKiTTyFoo said:
I actually like the Blockbuster online service, and have had very little problems with it. whatever


The last time I looked through blockbuster's site, netflix still had a much better selection. But I like that with Blockbuster's thing you can rent one move a week from an actual store. Every once In a while I just want to go and pick up a movie that I hadn't picked out 4 days ago. But I think I'll stick with netflix anyway. I've been really slow watching my movies lately anyhow.

Click_Here

Click_Here

Glen Head, NY
October 2002

FEB 11, 2006 04:06 PM

Typically it takes 2 days for me to get movies. (Mail them back monday morning, get them Wednesday)

They screwed me one month, when I was actully thinking to suspend my account for a while.

It seems towards the ned of the month, or towards the end of a billing cycle, they dont operate as quickly. Since you can not cancel until they have all the movies back, they got me for one month extra. I mailed them more than a full business week before the end of my cycle. How lame is that.

battlin_albright

battlin_albright

Dayton, OH
June 2004

FEB 11, 2006 04:31 PM

I thought this was going to be about how they screw you over on their free trials by bouncing your bank account. surreal

Unfortunately, I still like it and will probably join up again as soon as I have a decent amount of money funneling through my bank account.

willdog426

willdog426

Farmington, CT
May 2004

FEB 11, 2006 04:34 PM

Brie said:
It's still better than blockbuster.



actually, blockbuster's online plan is slightly better. the prices are the same, but you get 2 free instore rentals per month that can be used for any movie or game.



NotoriousCAT

NotoriousCAT

Atlanta, GA
January 2004

FEB 11, 2006 04:37 PM

MrStitches said:

LuLuKiTTyFoo said:
I actually like the Blockbuster online service, and have had very little problems with it. whatever


The last time I looked through blockbuster's site, netflix still had a much better selection. But I like that with Blockbuster's thing you can rent one move a week from an actual store. Every once In a while I just want to go and pick up a movie that I hadn't picked out 4 days ago. But I think I'll stick with netflix anyway. I've been really slow watching my movies lately anyhow.


At the time when we chose (probably a year ago now) Blockbuster had more British tv shows and to my husband that was a deciding factor.


[Edited on Feb 11, 2006 by LuLuKiTTyFoo]

willdog426

willdog426

Farmington, CT
May 2004

FEB 11, 2006 04:41 PM

also, if you want to rent without a plan, try DVD Overnight
you have to rent at least 2 at a time and you can even rent porn. the only drawback is a long wait for popular stuff.

blauenaugen

blauenaugen

Urbana, IL
July 2005

FEB 11, 2006 04:50 PM

Coi said:
Blockbuster is festering shit and local rental places charge exorbitant late fees.



I agree about Blockbuster. I work at a local rental store, so I may be additionally biased. Just wondering, how much of a late fee would you or other posters consider to be exorbitant?

[Edited on Feb 11, 2006 6:49PM]

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