Have you been 'Throttled' by Netflix???

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

I think I have. Sometimes I am a heavy user and sometimes not....it all depends on the schedule. I like to watch movies when I work out and I have not been working out enough lately.

It is pretty amazing that Netflix does this and I did see a change in my account after heavy usage....they have software that detects this.

There are ways to fight back.

http://netflixunderground.blogspot.com/

3/16/2005
Netflix Tactics

The theory is that Netflix maximizes their profit by decreasing the monthly rentals of heavy users with a series of various delays. Here are the most common tactics that Netflix could use to slow down your flow of DVDs. Note that this section is theoretical and can be proven
conclusively only with internal Netflix documents.

Late Afternoon Shipping
Netflix sometimes ships DVDs in the late afternoon. This makes it harder on the post office to get the DVDs to you the next day. This often adds a day to your turnaround time.

Delayed Check-In
Netflix will not always check-in your DVDs on the day that they arrive. Netflix will sometimes increase your turnaround by simply holding your DVD for a day or two.

Delayed Shipping
Netflix should send out your replacement DVD the same day they receive your returned DVD; however, they often push your ship date back a day. This allows them to automatically increase your turnaround time by a day on each DVD.

Alternate Distribution Center
Netflix will send your DVDs from alternate distribution centers that are outside of your local area. Depending on distance, this tactic can easily add an additional two or three days to your turnaround time. (See Comments for details.)

Monday Delivery
Netflix will hold your replacement DVD and ship it so late in the week that it is almost impossible for the DVD to arrive before Monday. This throttling measure not only adds days to your turnaround time, it can leave you irritated all weekend.

Missing DVDs
Netflix will sometimes throttle you by "losing" a DVD for an extended period of time. This missing DVD tactic will effectively reduce your three-out plan to a two-out plan. This virtual plan downgrade can go on indefinitely. When this happens, the burden is placed on you to discover the problem and report the issue to Netflix. Each time this happens to you, you will probably end up having to report the DVD as lost to restore your full flow of DVDs. Even though Netflix will almost always blame USPS for the missing DVD, there have been many reports of Netflix suddenly "finding" DVDs when customers start asking questions.


Posted by Editor @ 4:10 PM

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I heard a negative story on the news last week about Netflix. I think there maybe a class action law suit in the works.

[CaliDave Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close CaliDave]

I have never used Netflix.. I used blockbuster for a while.. but having Tivo.. there are too many things on TV that I already dont have time to watch.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

NetFlix

We have the basic service - 1 DVD at a time. Turn around seems to be very quick. That's except for the 2 week trial we had, it took a couple of days for the first movie to be logged in.

All in all, we think it's a great service. And much more cost effective than the video store.

[beachsands Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close beachsands]

I have never used Netflix.. I used blockbuster for a while.. but having Tivo.. there are too many things on TV that I already dont have time to watch.

I have the DVR as well, and like Dave never have time to watch what's even on TV. If its a movie that I have recorded, I will run it off on a VCR tape and watch it later, sometimes a month or two down the road.


Joel

[timbuktu Member Find all posts View Profile Close timbuktu]

I have had great service from Netflix. I get one DVD at a time. If I mail it on Monday I receive the next DVD on Wednesday. and so on.
And I am in Maui.............

[Dave_H Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dave_H]

I have been a Netflix member since the very beginning. I don't have any reason to suspect that any of the throttling techniques has ever been used on my account. In fact, service is much faster now than it was when I first joined. It used to take 4-5 business days to turn around a movie.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

For the most part I have been happy with Netflix. I did notice the throttling when I was working out a lot and watching a lot of movies. I was suspicious at the time as they used to be so efficient with the returns and sending a new movie. Then they started slowing down the returns I sent by not recording them promptly and delays in shipping back to me....basically much about what this web site talk about.

I have also noticed that many of the new releases take much longer for me to get but my movie list is so long it is not that big of a deal to me. Lately I have had several damaged dvd's come my way so the quality seems to be off. I am on the 3 dvd plan.

Now if I can start working out more and watching more movies then we shall see what happens.

I refuse to use blockbuster based on the games they used to play with late fees and such and have boycotted that company for over six years now.

[falmouth3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close falmouth3]

wait lists on Netflix

A few on the movies I have on my queue say that there's a "short" wait or a "long" wait to see them. I've been re-ordering my cue to avoid the wait. But I've been wondering, how does Netflix handle it if your next moving has a wait? Do they just send the next one in line or do you wait until it becomes available?

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Yes that is what they do. I move all my movies with a wait to the top of my cue so I get them when they become available....otherwise I just get the next one on the list.

A few on the movies I have on my queue say that there's a "short" wait or a "long" wait to see them. I've been re-ordering my cue to avoid the wait. But I've been wondering, how does Netflix handle it if your next moving has a wait? Do they just send the next one in line or do you wait until it becomes available?

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Deadline coming if you want to opt out of the NF settlement

Update: Currently the deadline to register is June 26, 2006. Please see Important Dates and Information for updates on the settlement timeline from time to time.


http://www.netflix.com/settlement

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Thanks for the info. We have used Netflix for a while now. Although we never had a problem with turn around time, the condition of the disc's is another story. They are constantly skipping, and returning to the beginning of the movie. It is the most annoying thing, and we are considering giving it up.

We have had to go rent at blockbuster twice now movies that were received but not viewable from Netflix. They do credit you when this happens, but still.....

[Icarus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Icarus]

When we lived on Kaui we were netflix subscribers. Back then, the discs were delivered from California and it took about a week to turnaround a disc. But the kicker for me, was when I realized I had the same 4 dvds (I was grandfathered in at the lower rate for 4 dvds out at a time) at home for like a year, I realized that I wasn't using the service very well, so when I finally returned all the movies, I canceled the service.

Since then, I think I read somewhere that they opened a distribution center on Ohahu, I imagine it would probably be a better deal for me, if I actually watched the movies and turned them around in a reasonable time.

Have you figured out what your threshold is for getting throttled? Is it done monthly (do they reset it each month until you go over the threshold?)

-David

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Have you figured out what your threshold is for getting throttled? Is it done monthly (do they reset it each month until you go over the threshold?)

-David

David,

That issue is covered in the link in the original post.