I didn't get a chance to read every post so far, but I didn't want to comment on the Netflix thing.

First, we get streaming and Blue Ray / DVD's. We don't get a chance to watch more than 1-2 movies a week, but receiving the hard copies is best for most newer movies that aren't available via streaming, unfortunately. So it's worth it, and cheaper than the theater. Also, the increase in pricing for us with the Blue Ray option is only about $7 bucks a month. It sucks, yes, but not exactly back breaking if the previous amount was affordable. We like movies and watch almost all of them at home, so it's no unreasonable to pay ~$18.00/month for that entertainment.

Another point is I know several people who all use one Netflix account. For example, person A pays for the account and 3-4 other families use it. That's obviously a lot of bandwidth being transferred for one account and I'm sure many do this. I guess it could be considered stealing and perhaps that has some minimal impact on the consideration of price increases as well.

My main point is the pricing is still fair for the service I receive. That may very well change after another few price increases, but for the 'home-body' that watches ~8 movies a month (with the option to watch many more)for about the same price as one movie out, it's worth it . . . for now.

Originally Posted by: doddpower 

YEA! 👏 Back on topic. A plus for you.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

This message is gonna fix this thread, or break the whole board.

Originally Posted by: Zero2Cool 

Netflix continues to take a pummeling from subscribers  who are so enraged by the company's unilateral decision to separate its DVD and streaming plans − and increase prices as a result − that they're threatening not only to cancel the service, but also showing up by the tens of thousands to blast it on Facebook.

Yesterday, we reported on the initial reaction to the changes, and by last night we'd seen more than 9,000 comments on the Netflix Facebook page, which has 1.5 million fans. (There are 23.6 million Netflix members in the U.S. and Canada.) By this morning, nearly 30,000 had registered the summer of their discontent with the rental service that used to ride high on the loyalty of customers who loved not having to pay late fees and receiving their discs in their mailbox. The red envelope was something of a little treat at the end of a long day.

But now, customers are seeing a different kind of red.

For many, Netflix's streaming selection, while growing and improving since it became a perk about four years ago, still can't get anywhere near its vast volume of DVDs. And because of that, folks supplemented their streaming plans with at least the one DVD out at any given time option, for about $10.

But with the announcement that the same service would cost almost $16 — about 60 percent more than what they're paying now — people snapped. In these tough economic times, this little bit of entertainment counted for a lot. And now, subscribers are demanding to be heard. We want to hear from you, too. Take our poll and let us know if you're going to follow through with threats to leave Netflix, or if you've decided against it.

We're wondering if people have followed through on cancelling, if Netflix will increase its instant selection to make up for those who will cut DVDs from their plans and if Netflix will cave to the torrent of negative reaction and restore its merged plans. We also want to know if Netflix deleted comments from its Facebook page, as some have indicated on the site. Some complained that they didn't even get the courtesy of an email and only found out through sites like ours, or on their Facebook.

We asked these questions and more, but we still haven't heard back from Netflix. We tried again this morning to contact them. We'll update when and if we hear from them.

UPDATE: Steve Swasey, vice president of corporate communications for Netflix, got back to us this afternoon and responded to our questions.

He said the timing of the price change was "appropriate" and that "$6 more is a remarkable value, a latte or two every month. For most folks it’s absorbable," adding Netflix was "sympathetic to those in terrible financial straits."
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But, he said, the reaction was "expected." "We anticipated some folks were not going be happy with the change. It didn’t surprise us."

Swasey said, "30,000 or so is a sub set of 23 million subscribers. They're not speaking for the majority. But, their opinion is important and we value them."

(We hope Swasey has invested in a flak jacket.)

For Netflix, he said, the separation of the plans was a consumer-focused decision that "provides a simpler, easier Netflix experience. Some people don't want streaming, some only want DVDs." He also said Netflix would be devoting more resources to DVDs, while also adding that Netflix's future expansions, such as Latin America, would be streaming only.

Streaming titles numbered about 20,000 a year ago, he said, and while he wouldn't reveal how much they've added, he did say it was "more than you can watch in a lifetime."

No word on how many cancellations will come, or have come, out of this, but Swasey suggested the company would provide that information when it releases its next earnings report on July 25.

"We would like those members to stay with Netflix, but the reality is people will leave. We'll make it up over time and the service will continue to grow. I don't want to sugarcoat this. We do expect a certain amount of people to leave the service," Swasey said. Besides, "Netflix members already go to Redbox, order cable, go to theater and Amazon."

He said everyone should have received emails about the changes, so they are looking into what happened with that. As for customer service being down yesterday, he attributed that to the extremely high call volume that overwhelmed their 800 or so reps. And as to accusations of deleting Facebook or other online comments? He says that isn't happening.

Check out this video that reports on how subscribers took to social media to express their anger:

Netflix continues to take a pummeling from subscribers who are so enraged by the company's unilateral decision to separate its DVD and streaming plans − and increase prices as a result − that they're threatening not only to cancel the service, but also showing up by the tens of thousands to blast it on Facebook.

Yesterday, we reported on the initial reaction to the changes, and by last night we'd seen more than 9,000 comments on the Netflix Facebook page, which has 1.5 million fans. (There are 23.6 million Netflix members in the U.S. and Canada.) By this morning, nearly 30,000 had registered the summer of their discontent with the rental service that used to ride high on the loyalty of customers who loved not having to pay late fees and receiving their discs in their mailbox. The red envelope was something of a little treat at the end of a long day.

But now, customers are seeing a different kind of red.

For many, Netflix's streaming selection, while growing and improving since it became a perk about four years ago, still can't get anywhere near its vast volume of DVDs. And because of that, folks supplemented their streaming plans with at least the one DVD out at any given time option, for about $10.

But with the announcement that the same service would cost almost $16 — about 60 percent more than what they're paying now — people snapped. In these tough economic times, this little bit of entertainment counted for a lot. And now, subscribers are demanding to be heard. We want to hear from you, too. Take our poll and let us know if you're going to follow through with threats to leave Netflix, or if you've decided against it.

We're wondering if people have followed through on cancelling, if Netflix will increase its instant selection to make up for those who will cut DVDs from their plans and if Netflix will cave to the torrent of negative reaction and restore its merged plans. We also want to know if Netflix deleted comments from its Facebook page, as some have indicated on the site. Some complained that they didn't even get the courtesy of an email and only found out through sites like ours, or on their Facebook.

We asked these questions and more, but we still haven't heard back from Netflix. We tried again this morning to contact them. We'll update when and if we hear from them.

UPDATE: Steve Swasey, vice president of corporate communications for Netflix, got back to us this afternoon and responded to our questions.

He said the timing of the price change was "appropriate" and that "$6 more is a remarkable value, a latte or two every month. For most folks it’s absorbable," adding Netflix was "sympathetic to those in terrible financial straits."
advertisement

But, he said, the reaction was "expected." "We anticipated some folks were not going be happy with the change. It didn’t surprise us."

Swasey said, "30,000 or so is a sub set of 23 million subscribers. They're not speaking for the majority. But, their opinion is important and we value them."

(We hope Swasey has invested in a flak jacket.)

For Netflix, he said, the separation of the plans was a consumer-focused decision that "provides a simpler, easier Netflix experience. Some people don't want streaming, some only want DVDs." He also said Netflix would be devoting more resources to DVDs, while also adding that Netflix's future expansions, such as Latin America, would be streaming only.

Streaming titles numbered about 20,000 a year ago, he said, and while he wouldn't reveal how much they've added, he did say it was "more than you can watch in a lifetime."

No word on how many cancellations will come, or have come, out of this, but Swasey suggested the company would provide that information when it releases its next earnings report on July 25.

"We would like those members to stay with Netflix, but the reality is people will leave. We'll make it up over time and the service will continue to grow. I don't want to sugarcoat this. We do expect a certain amount of people to leave the service," Swasey said. Besides, "Netflix members already go to Redbox, order cable, go to theater and Amazon."

He said everyone should have received emails about the changes, so they are looking into what happened with that. As for customer service being down yesterday, he attributed that to the extremely high call volume that overwhelmed their 800 or so reps. And as to accusations of deleting Facebook or other online comments? He says that isn't happening.

Check out this video that reports on how subscribers took to social media to express their anger:

Originally Posted by: wpr 

"What's the big deal? Customers can afford it" is becoming an increasingly common refrain among vendors these days. It ignores the fact, of course, that real wages have been stagnant in this country for over 30 years, and that the average savings rate varies between negative and a couple of percentage point. It is also beside the point. Just because customers can theoretically afford every price increase that comes down the piked doesn't mean they want to or should have to.

Originally Posted by: Nonstopdrivel 

Generally you are correct.

But in this case? Not so much. $7 a month for an OnDemand-like service that would cost me personally at least $70 a month from Comcast is a service that is almost highway robbery.

Originally Posted by: Formo