NetFlix is a little Shady

[defense]

Just thought i'd post this since i've read so many netflix posts and polls.

I've never really had any beef with netflix up until recently. I am on the 3 movie a week plan....and there just so happens to be a warehouse less then 10 minutes away from me. Most of the movies I get come from that warehouse....and I get them within' a day! So if they send a movie on for example..the 10th of the month..I'll get it on the 11th...even though the site estimates the time i'll receive it is the 12th.

Now in addition..I get my mail in the morning....and I said to myself..you know...I get about 3-5 movies per week..but I should realistically be able to get 9! So I had some vacation time about a month ago or so...and made it a point whenever I had time to watch the movies coming as fast as I could. The good thing is the mail around the block gets picked up at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.

So I would take the movies back and dump them in the mail box...and sure enough..the very next morning..netflix would send me an email saying that my movies had been receieved...and ALMOST always..within' an hour or so the site would update with the new movies being sent out. Well I was able to get 6-7 movies per week at this time.....but check this out..after only a week or so...something happened to where..when netflix received my titles back..they weren't sending more titles until LATE THE NEXT EVENING! This happened any time they got the movies back within' a day. I got pissed and called them about it...and they told me it was nothing they did...my turn around time is good..blah..blah..blah.

But they clearly did do something....i'm on a 3 at a time plan..and they clearly don't want to get me 9 movies a week. Now granted...at this time..even if I wanted to..I couldn't get the movies back as fast as I did...but when I had time off...I made it a point to test this...and sure enough..netflix started sending my movies out almost two days later. If they got them back in the morning of the 11th..they wouldn't send another title until LATE EVENING (after the last mail run) "BASTARDS" ....on the 12th. When they usually would of sent the next title out in the morning or afternoon of the 11th.

Being that Netflix doesn't deliver on the weekends...it's pretty obvious..that little stunt changes things drastically..instead of being able to get up to 9 movies a week....in some instances I would only get 2 MOVIES A WEEK! Because they'd make sure to send one title from California...and the other two titles would come from the local warehouse...but they'd send them out..basically..TWO FULL DAYS LATER......SHADY BASTARDS......anyway....i'm getting an average of 3 movies a week now..and that's fine...I just think that's pretty damn shady to operate like that....but it's no biggie..i'm cool with 3 movies...

just curious though..has anyone else tried to see the max number of movies they can get from Netflix..and observed similar operations? Obviously...unless you have a warehouse right next to you like me...and get your movies within a day and vice versa..you probably woudln't...but anyone?

[RabidDog]

Couldnt this be also due to your selections being exhausted? eg the ones readily available have been sent then they have to scratch around a bit for the less common ones?

[housepig]

just as a devil's advocate, is it possible that they have just experienced an increased demand for thier service, what with every big-box retailer and every third website banner ad pimping their wares?

maybe they got more customers routing from 'your' warehouse all of a sudden, and they can't keep up like they used to?

the only way to truly test it would be to have someone else near you open up an account and try the same thing - does Netflix let that member "get away with it" for a few days before clamping down, or do they experience the same lag you are now running into?

[g_shocker182]

Could you send me a link with their "X rentals a week" plans?


Hey don't be mad I get my mail/ packages around 5-6pm everyday

[defense]

No don't get me wrong..i'm not mad at all..I thought I mentioned that...I was mad initially when I saw what was happening.

@RabidDog...I would of thought the same thing initially..however..it was too obvious that they were only doing this whenever I sent back movies on the same day I was supposed to receive them..lol. For example...if I were supposed to receive a specific movie on the 11th...and I received it on the 10th...and sent it back on the 10th...THEY ACTUALLY got the movie back on the 11th! LMAO....in that instance...they immediately sent me an email...sure enough..saying that my movies had been received...HOWEVER, they didn't send the next movies out until almost two days later. The site would update late in the eveining..maybe 7 or 8 EST ...and of course..that means the movies weren't going to be shipped until the very next day after the first full day. SO BASICALLY TWO FULL DAYS...after they received my disks. And no..it doesn't have anything to do with my selections being exhausted..because almost all of them are old movies..netflix is a bitch for new releases....in order to get a new release..you have to have a movie or movies come back the day before or the same day the new release hits..or else you won't get it in most cases.

Housepig wrote:

just as a devil's advocate, is it possible that they have just experienced an increased demand for thier service, what with every big-box retailer and every third website banner ad pimping their wares?

maybe they got more customers routing from 'your' warehouse all of a sudden, and they can't keep up like they used to?
Housepig wrote:

I thought this as well...but here is the thing...since I have been only receiving 2-3 movies per week...they get them back within 2-3 days as opposed to 1 day....and sure enough..my next title shows SHIPPED almost immediately after they get the titles back. So it seems like there's more to there then just increased demand.

I watched this closely...after it happened the first time...I didn't think much of it..but it KEPT happening again..as if there is some unwritten policy to assure that a person doesn't get 3 times their plan amount. I should of absolutely been able to at least ONCE get 9 movies..but netflix made sure I didn't. Now that i'm sending the movies back days later...they immediately send out my next release.

Seems very shady and peculiar to me.....no?

@ GShocker..basically there are 4 plans I believe via netflix...one of them is 3 at a time...which basically means "three a week" .one is for 5 at a time and 8 at a time.

Then there is one for a total of 4 PER MONTH. Two out at a time..but that one doesn't make sense because it's $13.95. Mine as well go with the 3 at a time deal for $19.99 if you're gonna do that.

[g_shocker182]

@ GShocker..basically there are 4 plans I believe via netflix...one of them is 3 at a time...which basically means "three a week" .one is for 5 at a time and 8 at a time.

Then there is one for a total of 4 PER MONTH. Two out at a time..but that one doesn't make sense because it's $13.95. Mine as well go with the 3 at a time deal for $19.99 if you're gonna do that.[/quote]

Thanks!

[birdygal]

They have changed. I have been a member for a year now and I used to get movies delivered in 2 days now it takes 4-5 days, to and back I doubt the post office got that much slower. I am 300 miles from their warehouse
I can't complain about it till next year they had a software screwup on a lost movie and they accidently sent me the 35 movies I had in queue in 2 days

[defense]

...The crazy thing is that i'm about 15 miles from their warehouse in Ft. Lauderdale. I am perfectly fine with 3 movies a week now..but it wasn't the movies that pissed me off. It was the fact that I could clearly see they were holding movies for approximately TWO DAYS when they got my movies back within' one. It isn't all computerized as some may think.

It was clear..because it happened quite a few times over the course of that two week period as well as randomly when I had extra time and sent the movies back quickly. Each time they got the movie back in one day...the next "AVAILABLE NOW" release didn't ship that morning..nor did it ship that afternoon...nor did it ship that evening....NOR DID IT SHIP THE NEXT MORNING....OR THE NEXT AFTERNOON.....it shipped that NEXT EVENING. Which means the mail didn't go out until the FOLLOWING MORNING..which means that they were sending the releases out TWO FULL DAYS after getting my movies back.

This is NOT what they specify in their contract. They say that as quickly as they get the movies checked back in...is as quickly as the next titles go out. That's what bothered me...I could care less about the movies as I don't hoard my collection and I probably have a tenth of the disks then most.

With that being said..they may of changed by you..but not by me. When they get a movie back 2-5 days later...my next title is shipped that MORNING they get it back. Yea..every now and then something may happen to make it ship later..but i'm talking about for the most part. So it's no coincidence that they are making sure they send the next titles in my QUEUE out later when they get the movies back much quicker then estimated. And of course it isn't just me...it must be anyone who is so close to the warehouse that they can not only get a movie within a day...hell..maybe even the same day as it's sent out...but have that movie back the NEXT MORNING! That is what happened with me...and I'd love to hear anyone else that close to a warehouse that has returned any movies equally as fast..to see if they noticed the same.

I can't complain about it till next year they had a software screwup on a lost movie and they accidently sent me the 35 movies I had in queue in 2 days

Damn..that's crazy..how did the mailman get all those disks in your box at once?

[aviationwiz]

The only times when Netflix has DVD's of mine that don't ship the same day they recieve them, it's only because it's a rare, and less-common title. "Normal" titles are always shipped ASAP.

[sitlet]

yep, i have pretty much the same problems as all of you with netflix recently. but the thing that pisses me off the most is the amount of scratched/damaged discs i get. i would say at least 25% of the movies i get, i ave to send back because they are cracked or too scratched to play. then i have to deal with sending them back and waiting 4-5 days to get a replacement.

i plan to cancel my account at the end of this billing cycle. im gonna get that thing at blockbuster. its either 2 or 3 movies at a time for 25 a month. that way, when im done with the movies, i just drive 3 blocks away and get some more. and i can do that all day, all week long.

[redwudz]

I'm on the old '4 at a time' plan and Netflix still honors it. No real complaints. I get about a 3-4 day turnaround. Really for me is the cost per video per month. I pay $21.40 month. With my turnaround, that is about $2.50 per movie. Considering that I would have to go to a video store, rent a movie, drive home, then return the movie, another drive, though some rental companies have a drop box. Anyway, the convenience is worth it, but just barely. Yes, they are a pain in the ass sometimes when they send me a cracked DVD, but generally, considering the alternatives, they are the best choice in my location.

[Defcon]

I can understand that, but to me it's still an awesome deal (3 at a time plan) considering that if went to Hollywood Video the charge me $4.00 for each DVD. I usually average 6 a week thru Netflix that 24 DVD's a month....

At Hollywood Video that would cost me $96.00

[flaninacupboard]

i used a service called lovefilm, and been happy with it so far. service just upgraded, £20 ($36, wow the dollar sucks at the moment!) a month for 4 titles at a time. i like it because they have some less popular stuff and tv series, something rental shops simply don't have.

[Devanshu]

Screw netflix...go to blockbuster(if a one near you is participating) and get 2 out at a time for 20 bucks or 3 out at a time for 25.

[flaninacupboard]

i'm so gonna report your ass for advertising!!