Is Netflix a Rip-off?

[Admiral James Kirk]

Early last year I signed up for the Blockbuster Online service. Why? Because it had unlimited in-store exchanges for both games and movies and the price was right.

A few months later they dropped the game exchanges but still kept the unlimited in-store movie exchanges. Then many months later they raised the price. It was just a few bucks but it chapped my ass a tad.

Then they raised the price again a few months later. Still annoyed but I rented movies every week so I kept it.

Then a couple months ago they raised the price again. That did it! I changed plans! Five in-store exchanges a month plus unlimited mail-in rentals.

Basically I'm now paying for this "service" what I was paying last year for a service that had infinately greater value. I'm finding myself resenting it greatly and am considering firing their asses and going with Netflix.

Any real value with Netflix or do they just buttfuck you like Blockbuster Online does?

[benny]

Honest to god, I've been with Netflix for four years now and have never had a problem with them. I've moved a couple of times, changed card information, rearranged my queue...I have the one at a time plan (8.99/month) and can get seven or eight movies per month. I love Netflix. Period.

[TheMurph]

I love Netflix. They have consistently beaten my expectation of what kind of service I would receive when I first joined. My movies are delivered promptly. My price for service has went down. I've gained unlimited access to movies online (not a big library yet, but growing), I've had great movies recommended to me that I would have never thought to watch on my own... In short Netflix is awesome.

The few issues I've had (damaged discs, only 2 though) they've quickly issued new discs and I received within a day or two.

[Captain Dago]

We've had the Netflix "three-at-a-time" plan for about 4 years now and have been very, very happy. My biggest complaint is that we often seem to get dirty discs (keep windex and paper towels handy). I also wish they did a better job stocking slightly obscure movies and that they had more of the available Doctor Who. But those are very minor complaints. By all means, make the switch.

[Warp Coil]

benny wrote:

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Honest to god, I've been with Netflix for four years now and have never had a problem with them. I've moved a couple of times, changed card information, rearranged my queue...I have the one at a time plan (8.99/month) and can get seven or eight movies per month. I love Netflix. Period.

Agreed. Very happy with the service. There have been a couple of times a disc hasn't delivered (it appeared like a week later... probably a mix-up with the post office, not Netflix), and there have been a couple of scratched discs with playback problems. However, overall, it's been pretty nice and for $9 a month, it's a great deal.

[Messianni]

Captain Dago wrote:

---

We've had the Netflix "three-at-a-time" plan for about 4 years now and have been very, very happy. My biggest complaint is that we often seem to get dirty discs (keep windex and paper towels handy). I also wish they did a better job stocking slightly obscure movies and that they had more of the available Doctor Who. But those are very minor complaints. By all means, make the switch.

TheMurph wrote:

---

I love Netflix. They have consistently beaten my expectation of what kind of service I would receive when I first joined. My movies are delivered promptly. My price for service has went down. I've gained unlimited access to movies online (not a big library yet, but growing), I've had great movies recommended to me that I would have never thought to watch on my own... In short Netflix is awesome.

The few issues I've had (damaged discs, only 2 though) they've quickly issued new discs and I received within a day or two.

I have to mirror exactly what as said here. I love Netflix, having used them for about two years now. I've only ever had two bad discs (Six Feet Under and, recently, Blues Brothers) and they were very prompt about allowing you to report it damaged and send you a new one while you send the old one back. My subscription has gone down as well (I use the 3 at-a-time unlimited plan). It helps that one of their distribution centers is only about 10 miles away from my home too. :thumbsup:

[God Magnus]

I've been with Netflix about three years now and have had a very positive experience overall. Their delivery has always been timely and the price is worth it.

The entire time I've been with them I've only received two discs that could not play. One was too scratched up (an Alias disc, I forget what season and a Babylon 5 disc that was cracked). Both discs were replaced quickly and I was even given an additional disc to view for my trouble.

[Christopher]

The only problem I've had is that there's sometimes a "Very Long Wait" for new, in-demand releases; if you really want to get your hands on something right away, you might be better off going to your local video store. Also I've had the problem of getting dirty or scratched disks, but borrowing DVDs from the library carries the same risk (and those are free).

[OmahaStar]

To echo what others have said, I've been very happy with Netflix's service.

I'm on the two discs at a time plan, and besides "popular" material, I've rented some rather obscure dvds and haven't had any problems. They carry a wide selection of Doctor Who (everything that has been released in the states is available there. I'm not sure what the complaint above was about having more of the released Doctor Who on there, though there's certainly more in the UK than in the US), which was the reason I signed up in the first place.

I know of some who get dvds and watch them the same day and return them that night. I've heard of "throttling" and stuff like that, and it concerned me enough when I signed up that I kept a spreadsheet with the dates I sent discs back and when Netflix said they were sent, and when I received them. After a few months, I realized it was completely pointless, because they always came through exactly the same way. I send the disc. They receive it the next day and ship the next disc that same day, and I get it the next day. So if I return a disc Tuesday, I get its replacement on Thursday. Weekends don't count, since they're Monday through Friday only.

Somehow, they even receive and ship on holidays. Three times now I've returned a disc that they should not have received when they did due to a postal holiday, whether it's Christmas or Presidents' day or whatever, and they have indeed received em and shipped out the new one that same day, so I still get them the day after the holiday.

I don't know how they do it, and don't care, I just know I get my discs.

Now, with all that said, I have had three "issues" ... One was the disc "Monster Squad" ... It locked up at the same spot no matter what dvd player I used (tried a few). Cleaning didn't help. I went on their site and let them know about the issue. They sent a replacement that day, I had it the next, and sent both copies back. The replacement played just peachy keen.

The other was a two-disc set. I don't remember what it was ... some tv show. Anyway, they didn't arrive when they should have, and didn't show up the next day either. I did one of those "missing disc" buttons on their site and they shipped out replacements the same day. The originals never did show up, must have gotten lost in the mail.

Considering the hundreds of discs I've gone through with them, three isn't bad at all.

Now, with all that said, I generally do two discs a week, as I don't have time for more ... usually. Sometimes I can go through four a week, but not very often. Of course, YMMV.

[Twilight]

I love Netflix and have never once had a problem.

If you think about it, the deal is fantastic if you're a movie buff - I get the two movies at a time unlimited plan. I always get my new movies immediately (though I might be lucky because I live very close to a Netflix distribution facility).

The selection is also superb with tons of obscure indie flicks. It also works beautifully for television DVD sets. Helluva lot better way to keep up with TV - no commercials, and no buying the expensive sets that you'd really only watch once.

So yeah, I've never been fucked by Netflix and I've been with them two years. No problems whatsoever.

[Star Wolf]

The price never changes. Sometimes there is a long, long wait. For some reason disc 2 of season 4 of The Wire arrived weeks after the rest. I do a lot of foriegn films and the local center has to send out for them. Besides that all is good.

[Urgent Sky]

I subscribed only a few months ago and I'm liking it so far. My only gripe has been the length of time it took to send and receive movies during December. I guess the delays were due to the holiday season and all the extra mail that the USPS has to deal with.

[AstroSmurf]

I have been with them for almost five years now and love them. My only real complaint has been getting a scratched disc every once in a while but other than that I can't complain. It is fast, easy, cheap and efficient. And with all the foreign movie titles they have available, I am a very very happy.

Of course, the only drawback I found is that I have to use a video rental store (locally owned) for new releases. But since most new titles are not all that pressing for me to see, it is something I can live with. And as long as Blockbuster is not getting anymore of my money, I don't really care. I haven't spent a dime in one of their stores in almost seven years. (It is never a good idea for a store or company to piss me off. When I cut you off, I cut you off. Exxon/Mobile hasn't seen a penny from me since 1995.)

[Chess Piece Face]

I've had netflix one at a time for over a year with zero problems. I love it. Now I have Apple TV and I may just rent movies there so I don't even have to go to the mailbox.

[LitmusDragon]

Netflix has been great. My only complaint is that they do not have the first season of Farscape anymore for some reason. Then again, most retailers don't have it either.