Netflix IS Netflix Withholding Rentals

[westlaw]

I share a 8 out Netflix plan with my roomates. We've averaged to rent 100 DVDs per month since November of 2003.

But for August 2004, netflix has delayed our shipments [or have sent us broken DVDs] and we were only able to rent 60 DVDs for that month. So we went from 100 to 60 DVDs in just one month!

Now, for this month, September 2004, we have only been able to rent 35 DVDs! ALL THIS MONTH, Netflix has delayed shipping our DVDs by two days on average.

IS ANYONE ELSE experiencing this?

I live less than 30 minutes from their San Jose Fulfillment center. If I place a DVD in the mail by 4pm, Netlfix gets the DVD and will list it as recieved by 8am the next morning. We were able to rent only 35 DVD's this month, NO MATTER how fast we returned them.

WHAT'S UPWITH THIS BUSINESS TACTIC? I've sent Netflix 6 emails demanding answers and they never responded to my charges that they are doing this intentionally.

Years ago when I had a Netflix membership, Netflix would blame delays on the Post Office operations. But today, intentional delays seems to be a part of their business model.

[Supreme2k]

100 a month is very excessive (over 3 a day). If I ran Netflix, I'd either delay or cut off someone with that much activity. Plus, I'd be very suspicious of copying.

But that's just me :P

[westlaw]

100 a month is very excessive (over 3 a day). If I ran Netflix, I'd either delay or cut off someone with that much activity. Plus, I'd be very suspicious of copying.

But that's just me :P

When you have 4 roomies, each selecting and viewing the movies, I don't think that's excessive at all. I think that's a good deal and getting your money's worth. I thought unlimted DVDs meant just that!

In any event, I've asked our state attorney general to investigate this practice. I've been searching the net and I find that I'm not the only one who has picked up on Netflix intentionally delaying shipment of DVDs which are marked as available.

[Capmaster]

We belong to the 3-out plan. We're waiting to see what happens, because it seems like there have been some unexplained delays. But, with the US Postal Service being as spotty as it is in our area, it could very well be there that the delays are coming from.

If that's what Netflix is doing, I'll be the first in line to cancel my membership. That's unethical and fraudulent. It's a shame because in all other aspects of our dealings with them, we're happy as clams.

[Heywould3]

i am not or never have been a member of netflix but i have read on atleast one other forum this exact same accusation. it seems to only happen to people that use it highly.. im not saying that its right because they do claim unlimited.. but from what i have read after a few months the service gets slower and slower untill you get fed up.. works perfect for the casual renter from what i have read.

[winifreid]

Are there that many good movies out there?
There is no question they hold back returning DVDs. I get around 22 disks a month on a 5 at a time plan and even then they usually wait a day or two before sending mt return after they receive it. I suspect your days of 100.month are over and plan on a max of 35.

[chako]

I began last month on the 3 at a time plan. They were good for the first 2 weeks but now it seems like they're taking their sweet old time. I'm cancelling since I join Blockbuster's deal. They can't deny me there. They can just get tired of seeing me come in daily for my two rentals.

[Heywould3]

wow some of you guys watch alot of movies :P

[BJ_M]

100 a month is very excessive, is right -- even with 4 room mates and say 2 TV's going at once .. 4+ hours of movies a day .... yeks ...

i would say go to school more or get a life outside television as that is unhealthy and i think they are trying to help you save your mental state . :

or they suspect you are copying them or re-renting them ....

[westlaw]

wow some of you guys watch alot of movies :P

Some of us are retired, slackers and film students and movie buffs.

Myself, I don't watch Cable or Network TV. Netflix has been a nice alternative for me... watch the movie you want, when you want, and *supposedly* as many as you want.

I would imagine that few netflix members watch each and every movie they've rented from Netflix. I know I don't. You get some movies that are just plain boring and bad. You find yourself thanking God for Fast-Foward and Chapter Skip on the Remote. LOL

Still, unlimited DVDs should mean just that! It would be so easy for Netflix to mark the word "Unlimited" with an asterisk and set a monthly cap, based on the plan you subscribe to... but noooooo that would be too much like the truth!

[westlaw]

[quote="BJ_M"]100 a month is very excessive, is right -- even with 4 room mates and say 2 TV's going at once .. 4+ hours of movies a day .... yeks ...

Hmmmm.... 4+ hours, about the same amount of time computer nerds spends daily surfing the net... and we don't infer that they are downloading illegal movies and music.

Edit

[BJ_M]

nah -- we are at work is all

[junkmalle]

It says "Rent all the DVDs you want" and "With Netflix you can rent as many DVDs as you want..." all over their web site.

But I noticed in their Terms of Use agreement is says "We reserve the right to terminate or restrict your use of our service, without notice, for any or no reason whatsoever."

Heheh!

[AarontheRipper]

I had the same problem with netflix a couple of months ago. The first month was great. I was on the 3 out plan and I was usually getting through 6-8 movies a week. The second month I noticed that they werent shipping me movies the same day that they reported that they had received them. The third month was horrible. Two or three days from the time they received the movies until they sent the new ones. I cancelled after that.

[cellmaniac]

I recently canceled my subscription to Netflix after being a member for about 11 months. Initially, the service was great....they would receive the movies I sent back in a day and I would actually recieve my new movies the day after. I noticed a couple months ago that it was taking 2 days for Netflix to receive my returned movies and another 2 days to receive the new movies.

My guess is that Netflix has become very successful and they cannot keep up with the demands of the increased subscribers...and to top it off, they increased their prices. Still, Netflix had better turnaround times for receipt and sending movies (in the SF Bay Area) when compared to Blockbuster, Walmart, and Mentura DVD.

In regards to getting the new releases when they actually do release them, you need to send your viewed movies back on Saturday so they will receive them on Monday. Netflix will usually ship out Tues New releases on Monday Afternoon.

[GabeB]

I've noticed the same here. I rent probably 30 movies a month on the basic 3 dvd plan. In the last month or so they've started delaying receiving and mailing my dvd's. In the same time they've also raised their prices. What's up with that? Anyways, I too will cancell as soon as I get these new releases.

[andkiich]

I noticed some slow down over the summer months, but now, the turn around seems to be 2 or 3 days after I send the old ones back.

[chas0039]

There is no question that Netflix delays rentals to members who are renting "excessively". There has been a statistical analysis of the availability of rentals to established members and to new members and there is a significant difference between what new mwmbers get and what old members get. This was run about a year and a half ago; I have read the study and the statistics are valid and reliable. Additionally, Netflix has admitted that they lose money on members who get more than 10 rentals on the 3 out plan so they have a real reason to monitor the rental rate. I find it VERY significant that when you talk to them they have, at the tips of their fingers, the exact number of rentals you have had in the last 30 days as well as the exact cost per rental. There is no reason for them to follow this information unless they intend to use it.

[wulf109]

Netflix can be erratic on the time to turn DVD's around. But compared to Blockbuster they are lightning fast on delivery. People on this forum like to dump on Netflix but the truth is they are the best of a sad bunch.

[Supreme2k]

As junkmalle pointed out:

Netflix Terms of Use

Right to Terminate
We reserve the right to terminate or restrict your use of our service, without notice, for any or no reason whatsoever.

There's their loophole. If you're getting 35 in a single monthly period, consider yourself lucky (especially lucky to have so much free time on your hands).

Unlike watching or copying a video, web browsing can be done from your computer while you work. Plus, web browsing can accomplish much more than renting a video. With video rentals, the choices are viewing or copying. So when the rentals are excessive, believing that at least some copying is going on is not out of the question.

BTW, this topic has gotten 6 pages of coverage already.

[jimmalenko]

BTW, this topic has gotten 6 pages of coverage already.

Not again......................................

[Faustus]

A friend has had this problem. Of course he's not renting THAT many movies. WOW.

I've been delayed a few times or at least it seemed so, and I really dont rent that many... MAYBE 9 a month.

[painkiller]

Just a couple points to consider. As a friend. Somewhat.
To anyone that may care.

Such a high volume for a group of 4 just for themselves.
Magnify that by as many other folk that push the literal definition to the extreme (in this case, "unlimited").
Driving up the turnaround frequencies of members returning/obtaining plastic discs in paper envelopes through the USPS is bound to produce breakages. To be expected, in fact.
So Netflix may be bound to consider changing their policies due to those members that push to the extreme their definitions.

Bound to affect us all, because of a few.

Lastly, as a diabetic myself, you should seriously reconsider your inactivity to solitary lethargic video entertainment. You will hate yourself later (sooner?) in life if you let yourself baloon and acquire this illness.

At least get some serious exercise for goodness sake.

[skebenin]

There seem to be an awful lot of paranoid NetFlix users.

Hey, listen up. They really are out to screw you. If I were you, I'd cancel my membership pronto.

[jimmalenko]

There seem to be an awful lot of paranoid NetFlix users.

Hey, listen up. They really are out to screw you. If I were you, I'd cancel my membership pronto.

Here here

There's always someone who wants to push the envelope just that little bit further.

[Devanshu]

If a blockbuster near you offers a movie pass program, cancel your netflix and start the movie pass. It works the same way as netflix except you have to go to the store to get the movie. This way, you can get a 100 movies a day if you like.

[aero]

100 a month is very excessive, is right -- even with 4 room mates and say 2 TV's going at once .. 4+ hours of movies a day .... yeks ...

actually for four people that is less than one movie per day per person.

On another thread someone idiotically implied this means you are copying (someone is also sarcastically doing it here). . I have my father in law and three kids all of different ages. they don't watch the same movies. Whn I would rent four from blockbuster, before I even know what a dvd burner was I would often return all four the next day.

what is with the dumb remarks to the effect of if you watch that many mioves you shoudl get a life remark?

If you have three kids and they watch less than the US average, that is at least 200 hours of tv a month! sorry it is a fact.

after all, shouldyour ISP make assumptions and throttle your connection of you spend over 2 hours on line a day? by some of these arguments how many people you have in your household doesn't count!

I am not saying Netflix shouldn't follow their profitability, but there is nothing wrong with noting it here and people here should not be dropping snide remarks as to how it is someone can rent that many movies.

[aero]

Lastly, as a diabetic myself, you should seriously reconsider your inactivity to solitary lethargic video entertainment. You will hate yourself later (sooner?) in life if you let yourself baloon and acquire this illness.

At least get some serious exercise for goodness sake.

no offense but if you are the average american even watching 1.5 films a day would not add up to a fraction of the sedentary time spent online and wacthing broadcast television. Why is choosing 90 minutes of high quality film somehow more mindnumbing than 3 hours of "survivor 18" and foxnews?

[venomva]

I just started using Netfilx (free trial) and I've noticed a drop in delivery and shipping already. After I get these 3 DVDs today I'm going to cancell and join Blockbuster.

[Dj Petro]

I was with Netflix for over a year and I NEVER had them delay shipments. My Distro was in Texas and I am in Oklahoma so it was two days there and two days back... steady. The only reason I quit them was because I could find some DVD with Blockbuster that I could not with Netflix, plus I could rent two from a store to fill shipping gaps if I needed to.

_