Netflix Makes it Easy... to Leave
Some of you long-time readers may remember my dilemma upon first learning that Apple was introducing a movie rental service for Apple TV. I've been a long-time (and very happy) Netflix subscriber, and I knew my budget wasn't going to support a lot of on-demand rentals alongside my Netflix subscription. Eventually, I knew I'd probably have to make a choice, and I wrote about the mental struggle between ultimate selection and ultimate convenience in this blog some time ago.
I've rented quite a number of movies on Apple TV recently while still maintaining my Netflix subscription for those obscure releases and older titles I wanted, but I knew I was coming to a time when a choice had to be made. The nice folks at Netflix made it for me today, and in so doing pointed out the ultimate weakness which was probably going to push me in this direction anyway.
I moved to a new home about a year ago, in a much nicer residential neighborhood. A new DVD home theater system with Dolby 5.1 surround sound was one of the first housewarming presents I bought for myself, followed quickly by a big-screen HD TV and Apple TV unit the first week of the Apple TV's release. This house has a lovely big family room, and I wanted Mrs. CouchGuy and I to really enjoy movies at home in a way we could not in the tiny living room in the old place.
Netflix was a big part of this at first, and our subscription migrated with us across town. We soon ran into problems, however. For the first time in my long association with Netflix, disks that I was shipped turned up missing. My old neighborhood was becoming less savory all the time (part of our reason for moving) and mail theft was something I'd experienced there more than once — but I had never lost a Netflix disk, even though I regularly received them and left the returns for the mailman in a rural-style mailbox that had no door on the front. After moving here, disks started vanishing every now and then, sometimes in twos and threes. Nothing else turned up missing — just Netflix disks incoming. (I never lost one outgoing, even though at the time I was still leaving them for the mailman to pick up.) I thought some local film fan must be removing them from my mailbox while both my wife and I were gone.
I took action after the third widely-spaced incident, and invested in a large metal security mailbox. The box locks and has a trick drop-door that allows the mailman to leave even large magazines and small packages, but will not allow them to be removed without a key. In retrospect, I should have done it earlier, but I couldn't get over the fact that I was losing disks here in this nice friendly neighborhood when I'd never lost any at the old place, surrounded by meth labs and wandering drunks. The box wasn't cheap, but I was determined not to lose any more disks. I quit leaving disks for the mailman to return (no way to do it with the security box anyway) and started dropping off my returns at the main post office downtown on my way to work. This slowed down my throughput on my 3-disk subscription a lot, since I only pass the post office on days I drive my wife to work (2 or 3 days a week), and reminded me that I quit using Blockbuster and their ilk in the first place because I never seemed to get around to returning disks on time. But hey, this is Netflix — no late fees.
Then, after weeks of safe and secure Netflixian harmony, two disks went missing. OK, now I knew it wasn't my neighbors, anyway. Netflix suspended my account when I reported the loss and I had to call customer service. When I explained that I had put in a security mailbox and that the disks had simply never been delivered, they told me to report it to the USPS (which I did — they told me the sender should make a report, since I had clearly never received the disks) and (after a three day wait) Netflix restored my account privileges. Then, early last month, three disks were shipped within days of each other. Two disappeared, the third arrived just fine. I waited awhile, hoping they had just been delayed. Eventually, though, it was obvious they weren't coming and I reported their non-arrival.
Netflix suspended me again. This time it took almost a week before I had a chance to call them to discuss it. The customer service rep was very sympathetic. I asked her "Is there anything else I can do on my end to help with this?" I once again reported the missing disks to the USPS (no reply from them so far). The nice customer service rep suggested I might want to provide a different mailing address, but neither my wife or I can receive private mail at our workplaces, and any other destination would require me having to drive out to get my disks — and if I have to do that I may as well be back with my local video store, less than a 60-second drive from my new home. The rep was unable to approve restoring my account at her level, and promised to kick it upstairs to her supervisor.
Today, I got a nice email from Netflix, reproduced below:
Yikes.Hello,
We are sending out this message in an ongoing effort to improve our service and protect our customers’ interests, by continuing to provide large inventories of titles for our Unlimited Rental Service.
Given the unusually high number of discs unaccounted for, it appears that your shipping address is located in a high-risk area for our merchandise. As we are concerned about future shipments to your address, we feel it is in Netflix’s best interest to discontinue our business relationship with you. Please understand that we do not blame you for this.
We hope that by being alerted of this situation, you may be encouraged to locate the problem in your area and recover any additional mail that may have been compromised. If you are able to locate any of the titles that have been marked as lost on your account, or have additional information that would aid us in the recovery of our merchandise, please let us know. At that time, we would be willing to reconsider our decision and cancel any investigations that may need to be initiated. Please understand that we do not blame you for these losses.
Netflix must receive all outstanding rentals within 14 days of cancellation or we will automatically charge your credit card a replacement fee for the unreturned DVDs. All items in your Rental Queue will be deleted and you will no longer have access to your Rental Queue.
As a courtesy to you we have credited the last month of service on your account. We appreciate your past patronage and understanding in this matter.
Sincerely,
Netflix Customer Support
I suppose I can't blame them for not wanting to lose any more disks (although, realistically, they do cost them a mere pittance — Netflix duplicates most of it's disks under license, which is why so many of them have those generic one-color labeling instead of the colorful labels on commercial disks). I have no outstanding rentals — I just returned my last disk a few days ago, so we're square.
Still, I feel somewhat grumpy about the fact that I spent a chunk o' change on a security mailbox and proved that it wasn't in many way my fault that the disks came up missing. Maybe my carrier, or someone at the local post office, or someone anywhere along the way between the Bowling Green, KY warehouse and my home got them — but if so there was not a damn thing I could reasonably do about it that I have not done. Netflix says several times that they don't blame me for the loss. OK, so why is it my account that's been ended? They also say that my shipping location "appears to be in a high risk area for our merchandise". No, the disks are never getting to my area. The risk is obviously elsewhere. (Hint: those bright red mailers are a flashing neon sign that says "steal me"...)
I'm willing to ignore the veiled accusation that I really have squirreled the disks away myself and am just pretending I never got them, and that they might decide to send Guido and a few of the boys over to talk to me if I don't give them back. "If you are able to locate any of the titles... we would be willing to reconsider our decision and cancel any investigations that may need to be initiated." Oh, please. Gang, I'm a high-tech CouchGuy. If I wanted to steal from you, I wouldn't have to steal the disks, I'd just steal what is on the disks. Duh. Call me a thief, OK, but when you imply that I'm a dumb, low-tech, early 20th century sort of thief — well, that's just damned insulting!
The final indignity is that I don't even get a chance to appeal, discuss the matter further, or even send a polite goodbye note or a copy of this blog entry to the company I have been with so long. When I log in to Netflix's website, I no longer have access to any feedback links. They no longer post a customer service email address, and the bottom of the letter above pointedly warns me that no one will read any reply I send to that email address. I could call customer service and wait on the phone to talk to the same low-level rep who didn't have the authority to do anything but kick my case upstairs a few days ago. Or I could probably use my contacts (maybe one of you) to dig up a solid email address that would be seen by someone at Netflix. But what's the point? They just made it easy for me to move on.
So I'm out of the DVD rental end of things altogether, and it is probably just as well. Apple's selection will grow, and I'll stay on the cutting edge with downloads and digital delivery, avoiding the whole physical disk problem that lost me my Netflix connection in the first place. Think of it as (enforced) evolution in action.
Bye, Netflix. I will miss you for a time. I don't think it will be a really long time, though.
Meanwhile, I still have this week's 99 cent special already downloaded to watch on my Apple TV. I can do quite a few of those for the price of one month's Netflix subscription.
I feel better already.
It might be noted that active Netflix accounts can be placed in a 90 day suspended status. This will allow you to see if you can live without Netflix without losing your account, settings and history. No fees are incurred to suspend or during the suspension or to reactivate the Netflix account. It's what I'm doing to see if Apple TV is truly my single solution (FYI, it appears to be!).
Reply to this
I had a similar problem in Miami for a few weeks. Most movies on two shipments were lost. I did file a USPS complaint and the local postmaster general called me to investigate. The only thing wa that there was a new employee delivering to the building. Who knows. Thing is my account was reinstated and I never had a problem again.
1. Netflix is great and to be honest the HD quality and extras you get on Blue-Ray (or other HD formats) cannot be equaled by downloads. It won't be for a long time. Downloading a 5GB movie is one thing but 25GB? Bandwith is not there yet.
2. Netflix is a business and the rights to those discs costs them a lot of money. I am certain that they have to report to licensees the amount of copies they make (if this is how it works) and said licensees would probably not be happy with them losing thousands of movies a year.
3. I don't know what kind of town you live in that you don't seem to have those big blue USPS drop boxes. I never go to the PO to mail! I dropped my movies at a blue mail box on Wednesday and got an email from Netflix yesterday telling me they had received them all. 1 day!
The people to blame in this case is the USPS. There is a high rate of fraud in their sorting facilities or local post offices. This happens to a lot of people. In most cases investigations lead nowhere. You would think that USPS would have cameras everywhere and makes sure no one left their facilities with anything but the shirt on their back. However, we have seen the caliber of employees at many post offices and to be honest many don't give a crap.
Reply to this
1. At this point, I can't see enough difference between Apple TV HD and Blu-Ray to matter enough to get me to spend a potful of cash on a Blu-Ray player. YMMV.
Reply to this
As a 6+ year career Rual Letter Carrier I take strong exception to your comments about "blaming" the Postal Service for your Net Flix lost discs. Of all the places I've worked and jobs that I've had I've never worked with a more honest, hard working and trustworthy group of people ever! Postal carriers think of their customers as 'extended family' and would never risk the loss of trust or a very hard to get career over a couple of 'worthless movie discs'. Mail theft is an ever growing concern for all of us (I know,I work in the state that has the highest rate). More likely the discs we're being stolen after delievery..surely not by your mailman would handles dozens of Net Flix discs daily...
Reply to this
Thanks for your comments! I can speak only for my own case, but I certainly trust my own postal carrier. I've never lost ANY other piece of mail that I know about -- just Netflix discs. I get a lot more valuable mail than that, and I doubt my own carrier had anything at all to do with the Netflix losses that caused the company to terminate my account.
Reply to this
I like how they said " we don't blame you for these looses but We are canceling your account and by the way we will charge your credit card for missing DVD's but we don't blame you" Then why do you have to pay for missing discs? The direct delivery of a physical media will always have a rip off potential. I really enjoy my AppleTV. Photos and music on my main TV rocks alone but now with PODCAST and YouTube and Movie Rentals there is not much more it needs to do. All of my .MAC videos look great on it and since starting to put up some of my widescreen videos on my YouTube account MOTEEV the videos resize perfect to my 16x9 TV format and look really great. The future is here today so good riddens to Netflix and hello AppleTV.
Reply to this
Hi Guy,
You need to complain to the right people. Netflix has acted in their own interest, as any business should, and let's leave them out for the moment.
Go to your post office and ask to see the Postmaster. File a written report (just cut and paste a few lines from what you've already written). Then write a short letter to your congressperson.
Nothing will happen that will immediately or directly benefit you. But things will happen. And it will only cost you a few (more) minutes.
When the postmasters and their governmental overseers never hear about the theft happening under their noses, of course they do nothing.
They may also do nothing when they do hear about it, but they will do nothing when they don't hear about it. You need to let them know.
I stayed with my 4-year old daughter overnight at a federal family campground in the local mountains (Chileo Family Campgrounds). We paid $8 or so to rent a spot. All night long, drunken young men were screaming the F word and fighting, and throwing things. The campground Forest Service employee had left earlier, after trying to sell us firewood, maybe to go sleep someplace quiet. A French family, on vacation, packed up their stuff after a few hours and left.
This was my first experience camping with my little girl. I felt that something precious had been taken away.
I wrote my congressman (David Drier). Nothing happened for about 3 months. Then I got about 8 letters. His letter to the Forest Service (I think-- maybe Interior Dept) asking them to check on my complaint. Then a copy of their letter asking the Park Director to check. Then his letter asking his employees to check. Then the result of that investigation as reported back through all those people to my congressman, then his letter to me.
I would think that all that trouble I caused for the park employee who abandoned his post, or for the Parks adminstration itself, may have made the next family's experience better. I dont' know, as I've never gone camping again. (I had enough of it in the Marines anyway.)
You may never get your Netflix account back, but you can help others, by letting the right people, and that's not the readers of this blog, what the USPS did to you.
Back to Netflix-- why not just ask your wife to sign up with them? Is she on the outs with them as well?
Vern
Reply to this
Write here:
Reed Hastings
CEO, Netflix, Inc.
100 Winchester Cir.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
I'm certain that Reed or one of his corporate assistants WILL get back to you. Writing the ivory tower is almost the way to go nearly 100 percent of the time. I have written CEOs with great success. On rare occasions the CEO himself will call me, but I usually will get someone from executive level customer support (ie the customer support agents who work directly underneath the CEO).
Reply to this
I know this is very after the fact and probably won't matter... but I was wondering so.... did you ever think that maybe you had a similar address to something else in the city?
Perhaps, you're on 5th Street and there's also a Fifth Avenue... or something of the like. In that scenario, some random person would occasionally get little delivered bundles of DVD joy and perhaps being not quite as ethical as you... keep them.
I don't know... that's the only way I could explain it... especially with the mailbox.
That's also assuming that your mailman is not a crook and that you didn't just forget to lock your box.
Anyway, great blog... really enjoyed it!
Reply to this
OK, here's at least part of the scoop. My wife and I are mailmen in the San Fernando Valley and my wife, by an amazing coincidence, is our mailman at home. It's a bit of an upscale area (how we got there is a long story) and we all get Netflix by the ton. They drove our local Blockbuster out of business, not that I miss never finding the movie I wanted there.
Anyway, we have to handle Netflix in a special way as they can not just be tossed into the regular mailstream. This is so they avoid the automated letter sorting machinery. This machinery has all sorts of twists and turns for the letters riding along in a track. As you might imagine, this trip through sorting Nirvana (for letters, anyway) is not a good thing for any hard or irregularly shaped object, much less a stiff, yet brittle, object like a DVD.
When we come back from the street we segregate these discs into a separate tub. The tub gets sent to our local Mail Sorting Center and (this is my theory) Netflix has their own truck run to pick up the discs each night. I say this because when I mail in a disc I have an email from Netflix by 6am the next morning telling me they have received their returned disc at the center in Santa Ana, about 60 miles from here. Pretty spectacular service but I doubt we could accomplish this through normal channels.
Ever received a shattered disc? I have and it was pretty obvious the reason was that the disc had, in fact, made the ill-advised trip through the sorting machinery. Bad, very bad. They seem to be experimenting with making this work as once in a while we will see discs in the machine-sorted mail. This might work for some percentage of discs but, on the whole, it does not. Or maybe some new employee has loaded them incorrectly.
Depending on the level or generation of your local sorting device the damage could be so bad that you might never see any part of it. The degree of damage could easily be exacerbated by the distance, and number of sorting centers, your disc must travel through to get to you.
This is only my first choice of any number of scenarios that could go wrong on this trip. Somebody else alluded to the parallel street problem. The neighborhood I live in has three parallel north/south streets, all with exactly the same street numbers. I had the next route over for a while (same developer - brilliant!) and two more streets (running between the same east/west streets), with houses carrying (you guessed it) exactly the same numbers. Anyway, I doubt your regular is the problem (but then again...). Since you are new the 'hood maybe a check with the local delivery supervisor could enlighten you to the possibility that you may live on an auxiliary route (no regular) or other potential problem. Even though you have dropped Netflix, there may be problems with other mail for you. It would be good for you to know about your route. But I'll stick with mechanical trouble rather than human trouble as my first choice.
Terrific website, by the way!
Reply to this