I'm having huge problems with Netflix... or with my Post Office, not sure which is to blame.

First of all, I had to return two DvD's in one red envelope because one envelope got ripped. They didn't check it back in and so blame me for losing it.

Now 2 DVD's haven't showed up that they claim to have sent me. However, I can easily believe it is the post office because they're constantly misdelivering the mail in my neighborhood. Also, one time I found the mail deliverer left my netflix DVD's just sitting on TOP of my communal mailbox thing. Doofus.

Anyone else have issues with Netflix?

Their service had been really good up until a couple of weeks ago, when things started taking forever to get back when I returned them. I mean, I mailed two DVDs on wednesday, they received one of them on a thursday but didn't 'receive' the other one until the following wednesday? I could walk from my house to their distribution center in that amount of time.

Like you, I don't know if it's a problem on their end or a problem with the post office. I suppose the one they received late could have gone to New Jersey first, maybe it was hanging around with lost luggage somewhere.

That being said, the vast majority of the time they're pretty fast in turning things around and the time spent in transit seems to be pretty reasonable. I just upped my subscription to 4-at-a-time, as I'm watching more stuff now that Iagoe is spending more time studying.

I was looking around on the Internet and I think what you've run into is that if you return too many movies too quickly, they "throttle back" your service and receive the DVD's more slowly. Google for "netflix problems" and you'll see what I mean. :p Basically, they have it so you can't get more than 20 movies a month from them.

That seems odd, as they just rolled out their "up to 8 at a time" subscriptions. It would be rather odd for them to try to limit you to 20/month but allow you to have up to 8 at a time.

hrm...

The flip side is that many of the things I ask for aren't "common" rentals, I don't imagine. So I thought it would have more to do with the fact that they probably only have 3 copies of the 4 hours PBS documentary on Napoleon, so it takes longer to get from/to whatever location they have the DVD at. If that makes any sense.

The ones that I seem to have had lateness issues with have all be more obscure DVDs, and not ones people would be likely to rent on a regular basis.

Netflix has ruined me. Where I used to spend maybe *maybe* one night a week in front of my tv, now I spend 5 nights a week or so. I blame NetFlix and the BBC for making television series which are intellectually engaging, with characters who are believable and not the fluff tripe that our networks seem to churn out of whatever vat of ideas they keep in the back. Nearly all American tv shows seem to all come out of the same vat of ideas...I mean, how many different versions of CSI (with its incorrect science/medicine) can they air at one time anyway?! So instead I'm watching British tv shows. My only gripe about the British tv shows is the lack of closed captioning; I have a difficult time understanding what's being said at times, especially if the accent is thick or the person's mouth is obscured (being partially deaf, I can read lips with a reasonable amount of success).

Now I'm off to go watch Cracker!

Well, they apparently figured out they can make money at $2.00 a DVD, so if you're on the $20 plan that is 10 a month.

Really, I know my Blackadder DVD doesn't have subtitles. It is bad they don't have closed captioning! I like watching movies with subtitles on so I don't miss any dialogue.

I had that happen once, I just went to netflix.com and submitted that a report that one was lost in the mail and it was immediately taken off my record and they sent out a new one.

Although netflix turnaround time definately has gone down =/

I just went to netflix.com and submitted that a report that one was lost in the mail and it was immediately taken off my record and they sent out a new one.
/nod
I've done this as well. Only 1 DVD has yet to show up, but they've already taken it out of my queue and I'm sure they've marked it off as a lost DVD. I've been with them long enough, they don't really question me too much through their automated system. They will, however, start to investigate you if you claim too many as lost.

Although netflix turnaround time definately has gone down =/
/agree .. Apperently that was the whole point of a recent law suit that was settled. Go fig, people actually sued Netflix cause they didn't get their DVDs in time. lol

Well, I've had 2 lost in the mail, probably the same delivery and one I know was returned to them but they didn't re-inventory it. So I expect them to kick me out any day now.

I got something in the mail from Netflix that they were settling a case out-of-court about misrepresenting their service as "all you can watch". Apparently those of us who were there customers get a slightly upgraded service for 1 month... 4 disks instead of 3. Hoo boy, I'm underwhelmed.

Yeah, try finding the paperwork on their website though ;)

I was fuming about being 'throttled' for a while, but the more I think about my various other options, even with being 'throttled', NetFlix is still a better deal than anything else out there.

I'm too lazy to want to deal with a store, and most video stores don't carry the kind of thing I like to watch. The other 'by mail' services also don't have the selection that NetFlix has. And really, it's still a heckuva bargain, even being kept at 12 a month (although if you upgrade to 4 at a time, they'll up your 'throttle level' a bit).

I think you had to have been a customer during a particular time period and will get something in the mail that says you're eligible. But I put in "netflix class action lawsuit" in Google and found the proper link.

I briefly joined Walmart's DVD service and thought it was just as slow or worse than netflix. I'm with you, I don't like going to a store, much nicer to have them delivered.

/nod, you had to have been a member since prior to a certain date. I've been a member since '99. I got one, too, but didn't do a think. Extra DVD for 1 month. Big whoop.

Netflix has ruined me. Where I used to spend maybe *maybe* one night a week in front of my tv, now I spend 5 nights a week or so. I blame NetFlix and the BBC for making television series which are intellectually engaging, with characters who are believable and not the fluff tripe that our networks seem to churn out of whatever vat of ideas they keep in the back.

Yes, I like Benny Hill also.

The BBC didn't make Benny Hill. I'm sure they'd have liked to though in reterospect.

I'm currently watching Rumpole of the Bailey, which I find to be mediocre, but better than anything in US tv atm. The very first series we watched was Upstairs/Downstairs, which is still one of the best ideas for a tv show I think I've ever seen.

Wow! You people must be as old as I am to remember Benny Hill. ;)

I saw Sideways last night. I hated that movie at first but fortunately it did get better. Still, not exactly sure why it was so popular. There seems to be a trend with making movies where the main characters(s) are almost entirely dislikable.

I'm not sure about the people, but the repeats must be very old if there's Rumpole of the Bailey and Upstairs Downstairs. :)

There need to be far more grotesque characters in US comedy, not less. Get rid of all the perfecty groomed people in nice apartments and get some people you can really laugh at. Jerry Springer goes sitcom would be good.

That sounds like "My Name is Earl". :p Although it seems to have disappeared from the program line-up, sounds like it got cancelled.

I'm not sure about the people, but the repeats must be very old if there's Rumpole of the Bailey and Upstairs Downstairs.

Oh, sorry for the confusion, I'm not watching them as repeats, I'm actually renting the series from NetFlix because it isn't on the air here, and I wanted to see them. I simply adored Up/Down, and Iagoe and I still make jokes about Hudson. I need a Hudson in my life. Rumpole, while entertaining and certainly tickling some of the more intelligent bits of my brain, seems to be lacking something that Up/Down had...not sure if Rumpole is a bit too two dimensional, or if it's that the show doesn't seem to be able to figure out whether it's a crime show or a show about Rumpole being a bit of a goof or what, but it doesn't quite grab me like Up/Down did.

Next on the list (hopefully to arrive during Iagoe's winter break between semesters) is Red Dwarf, which I've heard really good things about, but never seen.

Oh, and if anyone cares, the PBS 4 hour documentary on Napolean was really good if you don't know much about him but want to learn more.

I'm finding NetFlix to actually be educational. We watched all 14 episodes of Sharpe's Rifles (English sharpshooter during the Napoleanic Wars), which got me interested in the Napolean's rise to power (and the French Revolution) which I knew not quite nothing about. So first I started renting documentaries on the French revolution, then documentaries on Napolean. Fascinating guy he was.

So while NetFlix is going to 'throttle' me for burning through DVDs, at least I can rent pretty much whatever suits my fancy.

Video Stores suck! They never have what you want, when you want it. Go to your local Blockbuster again and try to rent. You'll be going back to netflix in a heartbeat.

Post Office does screw up alot with netflix though. My apartment building has about 420 apartments. I can't even count how many times I've gotten other peoples DVD's along with mine.

Benny Hill pwns.

Post Office does screw up alot with netflix though. My apartment building has about 420 apartments. I can't even count how many times I've gotten other peoples DVD's along with mine.

I am constantly getting other people's mail, I'm sure they're getting mine too. One day, the postman just left my DVD's sitting on TOP of the communal mailboxes.... No wonder I've had so many issues with them.

Never had any issues with mine. My postman has been very good at sorting the correct mail. In the 2 years I've lived here, I've only gotten 1 piece of mail that belonged to a different apartment. Everything else has just been addressed to the old tenents.

Interesting article I saw today. Made me think of this thread....
Frequent Netflix renters sent to back of the line (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11262292/)

Yup! They'll also throttle you if you report DVD's missing too. I have had 3 I didn't get and my service is incredibly slow, even though I watch movies at a snails pace. I really should cancel, my DVR keeps me entertained enough.

There need to be far more grotesque characters in US comedy, not less.
Exactly, we desperately need more shows along the lines of League of Gentlemen.

Yup! They'll also throttle you if you report DVD's missing too. I have had 3 I didn't get and my service is incredibly slow, even though I watch movies at a snails pace.
They throttled me, the bastards. I foresee problems in their future as more and more people download their media rather than waiting for it to come in the mail.

I really should cancel, my DVR keeps me entertained enough.
Yeah, those things are incredibly convenient. They are well worth the cost even if the only thing you use them for is forwarding past the commercials.

I actually use them a lot to record things that are on past my bedtime! Which is pretty much all the shows like Lost and Desperate Housewives and The Daily Show.

If I had cable or statalite, I would use a DVR, too. But as it stands now, I don't watch TV making use of a DVR pointless.

Luckly I have yet to be throttled. I don't get movies that often. 2 a week is about my average.

It seems they'll 'un'throttle you too after a while. My life has gotten too busy lately to be able to watch many movies, and now I'm getting my replacements pretty quickly.

Benny Hill pwns.
I can still hear the theme music and see old men chasing semi naked women.

School is taking up a lot of time recently so the TV isn't getting the love it used to. Been enjoying Red Dwarf and looking forward to Blackadder coming soon.

Replying to an old part of this post, but if you hadn't noticed Panamah, My Name is Earl is not gone.. but like many shows on the main networks, they are screwing with the schedules big time, showing an episode, then stopping for a month, then show a few more and repeat.

Yeah! What is up with that? It is really making me mad! :curse: My Name is Earl is SOOOOO funny. The last one, where the beautiful, smart professor whose laptop he stole, fell in love with him, was hilarious!

Hehe, I need to catch up on My Name is Earl, have three or so waiting to watch =-p They're doing the same thing with Numb3rs, Bones, House, and Veronica Mars (and I'm sure many others) though, so damned annoying =-(

They're doing it to Lost and deperate housewives too. Bastards!