Netflix discriminates against frequent renters

[Aegmorgil]

I did pretty well with Netflix, the occassional throttle here and there, but lately it's nasty. I was gone for a few days, and I had five build up in my mailbox. Watched them over weekend, stuck back in mail Monday. Email Tuesday said they got them. ONE shipped tues, TWO wed, ONe thur and one Friday. They just sat there with ship dates on them for awhile, and then a day later they were "shipped" with an arrival date of whatever it was they chose. Sent a very rude email to them, which has theoretically been passed on. I don't mind a throttle here and there, but not four of thenm all at once! They deny the term "throttling" too by the way. Like doing that would impovee my mood at the time. "Well, then whatever the F you call it then!" May have to quit them (again) after this. BB doesn't seem to have the variability, but they seemed fairly straightforward.

[jm1647]

The one thing I noticed about BB is they say they will ship another DVD or the next in your queue if you don't get one within 3 days after it was shipped. Netflix has a 5-6 day each way.

[photo_angel2004]

BB is much slower LOL

[jm1647]

Well "2 outta 3 ain't bad" were nice lyrics by MeatLoaf - I just reported my first unreceived DVD to BB from my first order of 3. They were listed as being shipped on the 26th and to be here by the 28th.

The USPS says they can get anything to anywhere in the continental US in 3 days.

Looks like I'm off to a lousy start right from the beginning with BB.

[Gary D]

@ jm1647

When your introductory period is over, (and the trouble/throttling begins), use a "track & confirm" feature on one of your returns. This will tell you what is happening. Also put all 3 in one envelope.

http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm

[floresdave]

if the stuff that is happening to you guys was happening to me i would be pissed. I don't know if i have an extremely good distribution center or what, but i'm thankful i'm not having those problems. My mailwoman is really good too so that might help. I chose not to accept the settlement from netflix because it is ridiculous. i haven't experienced any problems, but for those who have it's a slap in the face and that is wrong on netflix part. I will never go to blockbuster or subscribe to their service because of the poor service they gave me before i joined netflix. I email netflix regularly on ways to improve their service and occasionally get response but nothing concrete.
Really if there was a better place to get movies i would do it for so far netflix seems to be my only option. I really can't see any online movie service not having the same issues because they are all set up essentialy in the same way.

[mahoney19]

I have never had a problem with throttling from Netflix. I live about 100 miles from the nearest netflix shipping facility(las vegas) mailed 3 movies wensday morning got three more back today in the mail. I normally always have a four day turnaround from the day I send the movies back. I only get older titles that cannot be found at local videos stores and bbc programs though.

[floresdave]

i remember before netflix how bad renting movies was. 3.99 per movie late fees only about 500 titles to choose from at blockbuster. Even my platinum rewards plan only gave me rent 10 get one free and rent new release get old movie free MON-WED. Netflix caused blockbuster to reinvent the way they rent movies. I think it's said that netflix wont resolve the issues with customers that are having poor service and in turn are taking a beating in the press and leaving so many without an efficent way to rent movies.

[jm1647]

I started renting DVD's about a year ago from NF starting out getting around 20 a month mostly all new 2005 releases. That's almost 7 turnarounds on the 3@time plan. Now I am lucky to get 4. King Kong has been in my queue since it was released. It went from now to, short wait, long wait, very long wait and down to short wait and back up again. I have never received it yet.

With the total amount of movies I have received, almost 200 in 12 outta of the last 13 months (I got real busy in December and forgot to send 3 movies back) it is definitely not a bad deal . The thing is it is not "Unlimited" but when and how many they want they want to ship them to you. This is stated in the TOS on NF site. When I first started it stated the high end average was around 13, it is now down to 11. The TOS also states each center will only handle so much each day. I am in the Philadelphia, PA. area so maybe the distribution center I am near has been reaching it's quota earler now than when I started.

Also I am not ruling out the possiblity that somebody in the USPS is watching them either. The NF envelopes with that little round seal with the red stripe can be removed, the envelope acts like a tank tread, you roll it around and the DVD comes out without damaging the shipping envelope, and the seal can be put back on with out being able to notice any tampering.

[copyless]

After reading all these posts, I am starting to feel special.

[codajohn]

Here's a hot one!
I sent back a damaged DVD back to Netflix. I sent an on-line response requesting a re-order of the same title.
Well, today I received the same damaged DVD. Sounds like another way of keeping the monthly rentals down.
I called to complain. The customer rep. said she would perform a one time "Bonus Request." This means that they would not have to receive the damaged DVD before sending out another. She told me to hold onto it until the other one arrived. Big deal! They already cost me two weeks with this DVD.

[MikeyBK]

Here a hot one!
I sent back a damaged DVD back to Netflix. I sent an on-line response requesting a re-order of the same title.
Well, today I received the same damaged DVD. Sounds like another way of keeping the monthly rentals down.
I called to complain. The customer rep. said she would perform a one time "Bonus Request." This means that they would not have to receive the damaged DVD before sending out another. She told me to hold onto it until the other one arrived. Big deal! They already cost me two weeks with this DVD.

What she failed to mention was that you would need to return 'both' those disc in order to get another one in place of them. Sounds like that damaged disc 'might' get lost in the mail for a while!

I just got fed-up with Netflixes' antics and have gone over to Blockbusters online. Their not as fast, but with the weekly in-store coupons, I have been completely satisfied with how much better they've gotten!!

[jschu77]

Don't know why I still Netflix...they do have a better library than BB, but yes the turn around time is suspect....I want to find out about that guy in Cali. Basically, they don't like people that return movies really fast. When returning a movie, I try to time it perfectly, so that I can get a new release when they come out...sometimes they screw me.

[jschu77]

Actually, I heard that Netflix is trying to sue BB for taking their idea of shipping movies through the mail....So being crappy isn't the only thing they have in common.

[MikeyBK]

When returning a movie, I try to time it perfectly, so that I can get a new release when they come out...sometimes they screw me.

That's why the change to BB was a good move for me. Now I can get atleast ONE new release every week with the in-store coupons. No more of that 'Long Wait' crap!! Netflix made me wait for nearly two months for Cinderella Man!


Also forgot to mention that they have sent me some 'queue' movies from local BB stores, so i'm gathering that this will become more of a main method and would better the speed of turnarounds.