Netflix is really botching this whole ‘streaming only’ transition

Will Brinson

Screen shot 2011 08 15 at 10.46.45 AM Netflix is really botching this whole streaming only transitionRemember when we got really mad about the fact that Netflix had switched to a price-plan system that cranked up the cost of having both streaming options AND a disc at home?

Yeah, that sucked. But you know what? I always forget to send the disk back and I’m not paying $15.99 a month for both crappy online selections AND the rights to hold Dexter, Season 2, Disc 3 for perpetuity.

So I canceled my disc-at-home option and, because Netflix was threatening to charge me $14 for said Dexter disc, returned it to them. Two days later, guess what?

A new disc shows up.

But wait! There’s more! Today, an email shows up in my inbox threatening to charge me for the NEW DISC THAT I DIDN’T REQUEST. See: below.

Screen shot 2011 08 15 at 10.33.40 AM Netflix is really botching this whole streaming only transitionNow, I don’t need “Party Down” because I own it on my iPad. (It’s really funny to watch at the gym, limits the amount of time you can actually exercise and whenever there’s an episode like the one where they try to get Ron to do porn, can terrify the smelly old woman on the treadmill next to you.)

And I definitely already switched. Here’s proof, first via my recent disc shipping activity:

Screen shot 2011 08 15 at 10.38.15 AM 640x92 Netflix is really botching this whole streaming only transitionAs you can see, Netflix says Party Down shipped on 8/4/11. (Although, honestly, I can’t imagine it took THAT long to get here.) And now, again from my email inbox. This time in JULY:

Screen shot 2011 08 15 at 10.41.36 AM 640x279 Netflix is really botching this whole streaming only transitionSee what I mean? Nearly an entire month after I switched plans, Netflix is still trying to send me DVDs. And then charge me for not returning them.

This is problematic in that it’s terrible customer service. It’s especially problematic for someone like me, who’s spent the past three weeks moving and isn’t really all that concerned with returning a DVD that I never requested.

Perhaps it’s something wrong with their system where queues are played out regardless. Or perhaps it’s because my account switched over on August 8, 2011 (see: above) that they thought I’d definitely want to have one more disc at home when I returned the disc of “Dexter.”

Or maybe I just returned “Dexter” too soon and this won’t be a problem going forward and I’m an unfortunate sucker when it comes to timing.

But I’m not trying to keep “Party Down.” And I don’t particularly like being threatened for a credit card charge from Netflix when I’ve already changed my account, I never wanted another disc, I’m being charged $7.99 a month for streaming anyway, and I’m in the process of moving and getting my house in order.

Which is something, I think, that Netflix would be smart to do as well.

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