Netflix settlement approved

[dafoe]

The accusations were that they intentionally throttled shipments, not that the shipments got held up by the shipper or that they failed to offer next day service. The faq basically says that unlimited means that you can get as many dvds per month as you want, as often as you want. Obviously all real world restrictions apply, like shipping time. But if Netflix was throttling those shipments than that seems to be a pretty clear, and unneccessary, limit on the number and frequency of your shipments, placed by THEM. Its basically just a deceptive and shady business practice. The settlement doesn't mean they admit this happened or that they are liable in any way, it just means that we can be fairly assured that this practice won't occur in the future.

I haven't been a customer for quite some time. My understanding is that their respnse to the lawsuit was an ammendment to the TOS and their definition of unlimited.

The fact that a lawsuit was necessary for them to be forthright is disgusting.

[adam]

I don't know about that because I don't know what their terms were before the suit, but the terms of the settlement do not require them to amend the TOS or their definition of unlimited. You can read the full settlement from a link on their site. The only language it requires them to change is in their advertisements and it just makes them include the disclaimer, "read terms of service" at the end of ads if the ad mentions anything about unlimited rentals.

[BobK]

Often, I would drop off discs around 6 am (before the Post Office opened) on my way to work. This was the same Post Office where they picked up the discs. Even then, the discs were still not reported as being returned for 2-3 days.

You assume that because the same post office serves both you and the Netflix center that if they didn't get the disks as soon as you dropped them off at the post office that it's Netfilx fault. You might want to check with that post office.

If I drop a letter off at the post office near me (the one that actually delivers my mail) and the letter is addressed to my next door neighbor, it's not a matter of that post office simply taking the letter out of the box and bringing back to the neighbor. All mail sent from that post office is sent to the main post office (about 20 miles away) for sorting, and then routed to whereever it's going. It can take 2-3 days for that letter to be delivered next door.

And not once were they EVER reported as being retuned on the day they received them.

It's entirely possible that they were never actually delivered to Netflix on the day you dropped them off.

[funnel71]

I'm curious what they'll do with people like myself that already get 8 at one time.

[TBoneit]

The accusations were that they intentionally throttled shipments, not that the shipments got held up by the shipper or that they failed to offer next day service. The faq basically says that unlimited means that you can get as many dvds per month as you want, as often as you want. Obviously all real world restrictions apply, like shipping time. But if Netflix was throttling those shipments than that seems to be a pretty clear, and unneccessary, limit on the number and frequency of your shipments, placed by THEM. Its basically just a deceptive and shady business practice. The settlement doesn't mean they admit this happened or that they are liable in any way, it just means that we can be fairly assured that this practice won't occur in the future.

Well the Class action has made them more creative.

Without access on my part to their inverntory from every location I can not be sure that what I see now is a different form of throttling but it sure smells like it.

I live a 20+ minute drive from one of their locations. For the longest time all my DVDs came from that location and were returned their.

Am I heavy user? I'm on the 5 Disc plan. I do not return the same day I get them. I probably end up at 15 discs per month.

I live in New Jersey, this year most of my DVDs are coming from out of state. I've even had one from Hawaii. I see Utah, Texas, California etc.

As I perceive this it is a way around the settlement. They can Turn them around within 24 hours and still show shipped tuesday and anticiapated arrival saturday.

I've got some titles listed that i want to see and then I'll be going to their lowest $ plan if I keep them at all.

[dafoe]

Often, I would drop off discs around 6 am (before the Post Office opened) on my way to work. This was the same Post Office where they picked up the discs. Even then, the discs were still not reported as being returned for 2-3 days.

You assume that because the same post office serves both you and the Netflix center that if they didn't get the disks as soon as you dropped them off at the post office that it's Netfilx fault. You might want to check with that post office.

If I drop a letter off at the post office near me (the one that actually delivers my mail) and the letter is addressed to my next door neighbor, it's not a matter of that post office simply taking the letter out of the box and bringing back to the neighbor. All mail sent from that post office is sent to the main post office (about 20 miles away) for sorting, and then routed to whereever it's going. It can take 2-3 days for that letter to be delivered next door.

And not once were they EVER reported as being retuned on the day they received them.

It's entirely possible that they were never actually delivered to Netflix on the day you dropped them off.

Ok, I'll admit that I have no idea how the postal system works. And I may 100% wrong here. But my assumptons are based on what I feel is the most likely scenario. The only party that has anything to gain by my shipments being delayed is Netflix.

Sure, a dysfunctional Post Office is a possibility. But given all the accounts of throttling, the lawsuit and my other experiences I feel that the Netflix throttling is the much more likely cause. Three days to process through a mail room and/or alternate site? On a regular basis? I just find that a bit suspect. Not only that, but when the movies were sent they almost never took more than one day to get to me.

No offense, but I think we are grasping at straws here. If it walks, talks and acts like a duck: Well, it probably is a duck.

[painkiller]

I had to call Netflix for the second time in less than two months on this issue.

For almost 3 times in a row, after they notify me via email of DVDs enroute to me, they never arrived.

The first call that I made was after 6 days of waiting for that first shipment from them (that apparently went to lal-la land). The person I spoke to suggested I talk to USPS post office that services my location (after he re-sent replacements).

I did that. According to the PO Manager, I was one of 40 NF subscribers that week in there to let them (USPS) know of not receiving the subscribed materials. We had a very amicable discussion between he and I. For everyone's benefit, for the past 10 years at my address I still have the same rural postal deliverer. I have never had an issue of pilfered or non-delivered mail at my place before.

Since that time, it happened again (not getting the 3 discs an email said were going to arrive). I used the website to notify and have replacements sent (again). (This time NF put a hold on my account until I called them. We had the same discussion again.)

Last week, it happened again - I placed a call to NF after waiting the prescribed 6 days because of the same conditions happening again. For the third time.

Now, folks, I do not send 3 discs back the same or next day, but it usually is altogether when they are sent. NF has received them - except for one.

NF's advertising clearly states - send them back - get more.

What's so hard to understand?

[jimmalenko]

*stop press*

Contacting Netflix leads to deliberate "loss" of DVDs

Sources say that when you call Netflix, your details are added to a "delay" database. This database then interacts with a random number generator to decide when your discs will go AWOL.

Nah, just joking


@painkiller:
If Netflix continually bugger up your service, is it conceivable to think about joining someone else, or even taking up an account at your local store, or something ?

[painkiller]

Actually, Jimmalenko, that was my opening salvo with this last phone call.

I asked - point blank - just what is my incentive to remain as a paying customer to this lack of service?

The customer rep said something about my next month's account being upped or changed to my benefit - but I didn't catch those details.

I was more in tune with telling that individual I have responded to all of NF's suggestions to resolve any issues that could possibly be occurring at my end.

I even have considered replacing my mailbox with a tamper-proof lockbox of some kind.

But after satisfying myself that my postal service is not the root of this problem, there can only be two possibilities that come to my mind.

One, the problem is at NF's end.

Two, I am lying about having received those discs.

(And, to cut anyone off at the quick, I am not lying. So 1 is the only answer here.)

[smearbrick1]

*stop press*

Contacting Netflix leads to deliberate "loss" of DVDs

Sources say that when you call Netflix, your details are added to a "delay" database. This database then interacts with a random number generator to decide when your discs will go AWOL.

:lol: Nah, just joking :)


@painkiller:
If Netflix continually bugger up your service, is it conceivable to think about joining someone else, or even taking up an account at your local store, or something ?

I'm trying to understand this, myself. Do some people just enjoy complaining? If you don't like their service, CANCEL IT! I realize they advertise "Unlimited Rentals" but it is physically impossible (unless you have a Netflix warehouse next to you) to be "unlimited" per month in a mail order business. So what if they throttle the queues and give precedence to newer members. It's called b-u-s-i-n-e-s-s. They are probably hoping that the newest customers will see how quick they get their first choices in their queue and run out and tell all of their friends about how fast and reliable they are.

I was an eight at a time customer for about year, then a 5 at a time customer, now I am a 3 at a time customer. I have never (yes, I said never) experienced anything like this with Netflix.

I tried the other services, but they just weren't worth it.

Although the two free in-store movie rentals from Blockbuster were pretty nice.

[RabidDog]

Surely they have broken the 14th Amendment "the right to freedom of speech and the pursuit of life love and happiness, without due let or hindrance, or throttling of your dvd rental queue"
Stand up for your rights!

[painkiller]

The problem I am describing is NOT "throttling the queue."

[somebodeez]

The problem I am describing is NOT "throttling the queue."

PK - I don't know about anyone else but *I* was able to comprehend that, np.

For almost 3 times in a row, after they notify me via email of DVDs enroute to me, they never arrived.

...According to the PO Manager, I was one of 40 NF subscribers that week in there to let them (USPS) know of not receiving the subscribed materials.

Something very odd is going on there.
I wonder if there is some sort of investigative procedure either NF or the PO usually does in cases like this?

[somebodeez]

This might help - maybe you can file a complaint with the PO to get further action:
https://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/mailthft/default.htm

or to find your nearest postal inspector:
http://www.usps.com/ncsc/locators/find-is.html

If NF is indeed not sending your discs but saying that they have, wouldn't that be fraud?
Or if someone is helping themselves to your discs after they leave NF, that's mail theft.
Either way, something fishy sure is going on.

[whitejremiah]

Although the two free in-store movie rentals from Blockbuster were pretty nice.

you may be happy to know, they amped it up to 1 per week now, but i think the coupons are only valid for that week....

[parallax1]

If anyone has ever wondered why American jobs are going overseas or why the American workforce is full of non-resident aliens they need only to read your post to figure out why.

Oh....that must be it. Couldn't have anything to do with slave labor wages and few restrictions on environmental issues....nah.

You should stop while you're ahead....of course that was long ago so never mind.

[JAB285]

Often, I would drop off discs around 6 am (before the Post Office opened) on my way to work. This was the same Post Office where they picked up the discs. Even then, the discs were still not reported as being returned for 2-3 days.

You assume that because the same post office serves both you and the Netflix center that if they didn't get the disks as soon as you dropped them off at the post office that it's Netfilx fault. You might want to check with that post office.

If I drop a letter off at the post office near me (the one that actually delivers my mail) and the letter is addressed to my next door neighbor, it's not a matter of that post office simply taking the letter out of the box and bringing back to the neighbor. All mail sent from that post office is sent to the main post office (about 20 miles away) for sorting, and then routed to whereever it's going. It can take 2-3 days for that letter to be delivered next door.

And not once were they EVER reported as being retuned on the day they received them.

It's entirely possible that they were never actually delivered to Netflix on the day you dropped them off.

Ok, I'll admit that I have no idea how the postal system works. And I may 100% wrong here. But my assumptons are based on what I feel is the most likely scenario. The only party that has anything to gain by my shipments being delayed is Netflix.

Sure, a dysfunctional Post Office is a possibility. But given all the accounts of throttling, the lawsuit and my other experiences I feel that the Netflix throttling is the much more likely cause. Three days to process through a mail room and/or alternate site? On a regular basis? I just find that a bit suspect. Not only that, but when the movies were sent they almost never took more than one day to get to me.

No offense, but I think we are grasping at straws here. If it walks, talks and acts like a duck: Well, it probably is a duck.

A little more info on the PO.

Some local post offices have two boxes. One for local mail and one box for everthing else. The local box means everthing inside your own zip code. The mail is worked by clerks and delivered by the carriers. The mail usually arrives quicker this way. In some post offices, the clerks and carriers have been removed and it is in effect a retail location. With the advance of automation, more and more local boxes are removed and the mail is processed at a regional distribution center. Time is also a factor here. Everything mailed in the morning has a quicker turnaround time that items mailed later in the day. The reason the DVD from netflix has a 1 day turnaround time is probably because their mail is most likely being picked up by the USPS and taken directly to the distribution center and put directly into the mail flow. As one of their biggest customers, I'm sure Netflix is getting this service. If a mail route has a customer with a heavy volume of mail then that mail is either picked up by the customer or delivered in trucks. If it's picked up in the morning, then all mail received after the pickup will remain at the PO until the next day.

[TBoneit]

Well I looked at one of their help wanted adverts since I was curious what they paid. It was right around what I expected actually.

Anyway the adverts were for all their locations, from one of their listings
"The typical days and hours are Monday - Thursday, 7:30 AM - 3:30 PM, and Friday 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM, but flexibility is a must (occasional overnight runs required). We are offering $12 per hour plus an excellent benefits package.

This is a full - time driving position.

The primary responsibilities include:

Load truck for delivery to Postal Distribution Center and Operations Center.
Unload truck at Postal Distribution Center and Operations Center.
Work with Postal Distribution Center for approval of shipments.
Drive shipments between Postal Distribution Center and Operations Center.
May need to process mailers for transporting to post office, including tabbing and postal sorting"

http://jobs.netflix.com/

for anybody curious what else they pay.

So it looks like they pickup and deliver from their distribution center to the USPS distribution center.

FWIW I will, for now be staying with them as I have things in my queue I can't find elsewhere. I just for example watched something I hadn't seen in years. Danger UXB from 1979.

[TBoneit]

As I recall from years ago, you as a mass mailer can get better rates from the USPS if you deliver to them and better if presorted too. Which would most likely be why Netflix delivers & picks up their mail.

[EAO]

This appeared in my queue a few days ago:


I noticed it said "unlimited".
I wonder in what sense does their use of the word "unlimited" means this time?

My understanding is that this 'upgrade' is only a prorated discount until the end of your monthly billing cycle.

The next month and moving forward you will be charged the standard amount for "4 at a time".