April 28, 2003
What is wrong with Netflix?

Has the service simply gotten too popular?
I love netflix, really, I do. DVDs delivered to my door, no late fees and the movie selection is really very good.. but lately it's been one problem after another.

One of my movies was lost while returning and one never arrived here.. that hasn't really been a problem (yet) since they just marked one returned and sent me a replacement for the other.. except I can't help but wonder if they will decide to suspend my account if this happens again? Perhaps sending DVDs out in big, bright red envelopes that can be spotted a mile away isn't such a great idea after all?

Another problem.. out of the 25 movies in my current queue two are of the "very long wait" status and have been for the last 4 months.. (yes, that's a very long wait indeed). Three are "long wait" and one of those has also been in my queue for more than four months.. Four are "short wait" but (speaking from experience) it will probably turn to "long wait" or "very long wait" soon enough..

Maybe it's time to buy more copies? Perhaps put a limit on how long one can keep a movie if others are waiting.. (one month is more than enough, really). The idea of "no limit on how long you can have it" is wonderful, but frankly if someone needs a movie for more than a couple of months they ought to just buy it.

I have a feeling if netflix doesn't make some changes soon they will start losing customers and I would hate that since it really is a great service.

Posted April 28, 2003 10:31 PM in Random
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Comments
On April 29, 2003 06:07 AM gregory added:

I actually had a few movies removed from my queue because they'd no longer be available. Which just seemed odd. I can only remember what one of them was, The Last Days of Disco. I haven't seen it, so I don't know if it is that great, or if it is insanely popular, but it makes no sense that it would just stop being available.

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On April 29, 2003 11:34 AM Calvin added:

I like the "no limit on how long you can have it" aspect of netflix. Of course, I'm one of those that hold on to movies for long periods of time - I've had the same three movies for a few months now. Why do I do that? Sometimes its because I don't have the time, other times my wife is busy, or other times I just don't feel like watching the movies I have. Maybe netflix should send us a curtesy email asking us to return our movies in exchange for another and give us some way for me to return a movie and mark as 'I didn't watch it, leave it in my queue for later'.

But they definitely shouldn't take away the "no limit" part, that's the main reason I use netflix.

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On April 30, 2003 12:02 AM Techie2000 added:

Or how about an option to buy the DVD? You have the DVD, you like the DVD? Then you can buy it for $8.

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On May 2, 2003 07:58 PM bdh added:

I dropped my account in March - too many damaged disks showing up here (which you can blame on them) and also the mail was just too slow (which is just that the post office here sucks).

Instead, ReplayTV now gives me plenty to watch :)

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On May 10, 2003 04:21 PM karl added:

You do realize that with Netflix's patented selection system, customers who rent more frequently have a lower priority and therefore get the DVDs they want less often?

I dropped Netflix about a year ago.

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On October 29, 2003 04:01 PM Matt added:

NetFlix is a lost cause. All the Blockbuster CEO's and investors are laughing at them. So they got big that just means the fall will be harder. The average Blockbuster customer rents 3 movies per visit, keeps those movies a week, and doesn't have late fees. That's still cheaper then NetFlix, and Blockbuster has a better selection. If there's a problem they fix it instantly not in 3 months. New releases are guarenteed in stock so if they run out you get it for free, not scratched up 4 months later. NETFLIX SUCKS!!! LONG LIVE BLOCKBUSTER!

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