Netflix--you will not believe this...

[Katherine Brengle]

Okay, so yesterday I emailed the PR/press department at Netflix and told them that I was writing an article about Netflix and the problems some customers have experienced (like the ones we were talking about here), and slipped my personal complaint in as well (there is no easy way listed on the website to complain about this particular problem), figuring they would get it and just ignore it.

Today, I have a reply from the PR person, with the guy's CELL PHONE NUMBER to call and talk about the article.

Needless to say, I have no interest in writing the article--just thought that the only way I would be able to get through would be to play the "press" card. All I want is to get my movies in a reasonable amount of time (btw, they are STILL not here).

One the bright side--now I know that that works, lol.

[LynneSin]

1. There was a class action lawsuit and I got an email for a free month

I'm cancelling it again when it's overwith. One fricking week to wait for new DVDs - total bullshit!

[northzax]

2. um, you mean they are responsive to press?

big deal, they should be.

[Katherine Brengle]

4. No, it isn't that--

it's that most of the email was more or less a rant on how it takes 10 days for movies to get to my house, so I was surprised that they took it seriously.

:shrug:

[LoZoccolo]

3. Maybe you could consider this post to be "the article". n/t

[Ravenseye]

5. Nice

Yeah when I wanted to complain about being throttled it was impossible to find anyone to contact. Bright idea there to contact the PR department. Fat lot of good it'll do you though.

[Radical Activist]

6. So....where's the phone number?

I've had the same problem. They don't provide any place to complain, which is what made it so incredibly irritating to see the CEO make outrageous statements in the press about how they don't get any complaints. What a total jerk.

I think you should post the cell phone number all over the internet so that all of us who are getting throttled finally have a place to call and complain. :evilgrin:

[LisaLynne]

7. Wow! You know, I have never had any problem with Netflix.

I always get my movies in one or two days. I guess I must not watch enough of them to get on their bad side or something. And here I thought I was ripping through them! :)

[Katherine Brengle]

8. Due to the fact that it now takes over a week, on average, for...

movies to reach me, I usually only end up renting about 6 per month (in two mailings of three at a time). For $18, I could rent VHS tapes at my local video store and I could have them WHEN I actually wanted to watch them.

The whole point of Netflix was how convenient and cheap it is supposed to be--they need to change their marketing if this is no longer how they operate.

Bah.

[northzax]

9. well, then, resign the service

if you are paying too much for what you get. I use the blockbuster service myself, and tend to stagger my returns, usually about two-three days for each one, but I always have at least one on hand.

[ET Awful]

21. And you would also have to return those movies at exactly the right

time or be charged late fees. In many places you'd also be charged another fee if you didn't rewind the tape. You'd have sub-par quality of VHS as opposed to DVD. You'd have to take the time to drive to the rental store, make your selections, drive home, then drive back again to return them.

Seems to me that putting something in a supplied envelope and dropping that in the mailbox is much more convenient.

Of course, you're entitled to your opinion, but I think you're leaving a great deal out of your equation of what is or is not convenient and cheap.

[LisaLynne]

34. Yeah, I have heard that people were having problems.

I totally agree that if they are purposefully holding stuff back, it's a problem. I hope you get some where with them!

[ET Awful]

20. Same here. Mine are almost always on time.

There have been a few times when they mailed it and the post office didn't deliver it until the day after Netflix predicted it would be there, but over all, I haven't had many problems with them.

I did have a streak of about 3 or 4 shipments in a row where one DVD was damaged out of the 3 I received each time. That was frustrating, but not something I'll hold against them.

[thinkingwoman]

28. Me too

I'm happy with them.

[Jokerman]

10. Dropped Netflix for Blockbuster and Blockbuster is even worse.

The first two months with Netflix every disk took one day there and the replacement took one day to come back.

The third month I was "throttled" and suddenly each disk took 2-6 days each way.

We've been with Blockbuster for two months and I've yet to get a disk in less than 3 days. Most take 5 days or more plus they never ship a replacement the same day.

Also in two months with Blockbuster I haven't received a single new release. They all are listed as "long wait".

[ET Awful]

23. Blockbuster also used to have a habit of listing every movie ever made

and then telling you the availability was unknown if you tried to get something obscure.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

11. We copy them as soon as they come in the house

and send them right back. At first we'd get them back in one day, now it is about three and holding.

[Mojambo]

14. It's my understanding that this is why they are "throttling"

I copy some too, but I'll still generally wait a day to send them back.

I haven't noticed a slow down in receiving, I think, because of this.

[Bridget Burke]

12. So far, I haven't had any serious problems with Netflix...

Perhaps I'm not requesting The Latest Release That Everyone Wants....

[Ratty]

13. I'm impressed with Netflix customer service.

I too had a problem that didn't fit in one of their categories so I just used the contact form to describe it. Got an answer and a solution in a couple of days from somebody who was sympathetic and helpful (and gave me a free coupon for an extra rent (4 out at a time) for good measure).

[Starbucks Anarchist]

15. Do you rent a lot of movies from them?

I heard that if you are a frequent renter, they'll take longer to get to you, while people who don't rent so much get theirs faster.

Personally, I don't use it that much, and my DVDs come in two days. Of course, I live in a major city, so that might also affect it.

[Oeditpus Rex]

16. That's liable to come back and bite you

Any half-assed PR guy's gonna ask you what publication you work for, and he'll want to know when the story's gonna run and a URL where he can read it, or where he can get a hard copy.

[Heidi]

17. That's _exactly_ what I thought.

It's not a good idea to lie about something like this. Further, it also could make it more difficult for credible journalists to get sit-down time with NetFlix reps.

[bridgit]

18. what problems "were (we) talking about here"?

cause the only problem we ever had was the occasional cracked, or non-play disk :shrug: we, otherwise, seem to have the turn around cycle dialed in :thumbsup:

[GalleryGod]

19. We've now rented over 650 films from Netflix...No Problemas

I guess we're the minority report,here, we even pay for Barb's Mom, two accounts on one credit card..never a snafu.
Never a late delivery.
No evidence of "throttling".
If you're waiting a "week" for a delivery..in the Philly area? It might just be "personal"

:shrug:

[Ravenseye]

22. Sounds like you're on a special account

The number of people who have been throttled is pretty extensive. Maybe someone put a 'nice' flag on your account or something. ;)

How many do you rent at a time, and how quickly do you return them? Maybe you don't do it fast enough for them to throttle you.

[GalleryGod]

25. Average 12-15 per month.

3 @ a time.

[Ravenseye]

29. Yeah doesn't sound fast enough

At 3 at a time you'd have to be going through probably 20 or so a month to start worrying about throttling. Some poeple on 3 at a time can easily get to 30 a month, and then theyr'e definately throttled.

Like for me, I was on 1 at a time, and the first month did about 8. By the third month I had been throttled back so it was tough to do 4 in a month.

[GalleryGod]

31. Well..it's just a "back-up" to us..we see about 5-6 first run movies

a month...go to a Broadway Show every 6-8 weeks..So Netflix isn't our entertainment epicenter by a long shot...then there's Flyers tickets, Phillies tickets and Eagles(season) tickets.:party:

[Ravenseye]

33. lol

That's alot of tickets. ;)

I only leave the house for free things because I'm a cheap bastard. Free concerts, free shows, free events, etc.

[LynneSin]

24. I re-upped again and they already are sucking

First shipping I had the very next day.

I had the videos for 3 days and returned them. That was over a week ago. Still waiting for my next three which were suppose to be in my mailbox on the 13th (that's what my netflix account says).

They are bullshit

[WolverineDG]

26. Report them as lost

I had this problem when I never got a notice that dvds I had returned were received. I got replacements sent immediately (although the "lost in the mail" was noted on my account). Several weeks later, they showed up at Netflix (apparently getting there by way of Outer Mongolia) & the note was taken off of my account.

dg

[LynneSin]

30. I did that once and it took forever to get it off my account

They just have horrible horrible service. I mean, if they hadn't of promised such prompt service I suppose I wouldn't be upset about getting new DVDs every 10 days. But that wasn't the promise. Hell for $25, I can get unlimited at my local Blockbuster and that's as often as I stop by my local store

[WolverineDG]

32. I haven't had a problem

& I live in the armpit of the universe, far away from their distribution centers. I don't know why some people have so many problems w/getting their dvds. :shrug:

dg

[GalleryGod]

35. It mystifies me,also, WDG.

All though..I've found out from others our 15 movies a month isn't enough to kick-in "throttling"....I wonder about my fellow DUers if they're watching more than that:shrug:

Be that as it may...no problems with NetFlix.

[WolverineDG]

36. Luck of the draw, maybe?

Who knows? :shrug:

I'm going to hang on to Netflix. The only Blockbuster left locally is waaaaay on the other side of town & would always insist that I had "late charges" for not returning videos on time, which was BS. They could never prove it & so would remove the charges, but the next time I went to get videos, I had to go through the same damn argument. I finally had it with them & their crappy selection & joined Netflix. Haven't looked back since.

dg

[GalleryGod]

27. My brother, in Marina Del Rey, has had the same problem...

and he can literally ride his bike to the Netflix Depot.