Having read many of the complaints here and several rebuttals by those with blinders on, I am compelled to register my own report.
I came here to tell of how I have been a loyal customer of Netflix for over three years. During that time, I had grown accustomed to many of their poor practices. I could never say that I was totally satisfied, but, at least in the beginning, they usually pacified my complaints with some amount of customer service. For instance, at least once per year, we would go through a spell were it took an unacceptable amount of time to receive movies ordered or the wrong title would arrive. Until this past year, when I complained, they would credit part of my monthly membership fee and apologize.
Now, I may be the exception, but I signed up for Netflix because it allowed me to receive far more movies at a much lower net price than if I had continued at the video store I used to us. Ninty percent of the time when I receive a movie, I watch it that night and return it the next day... Sometimes, I am even able to watch a movie as soon as the mail arrives and get it back to the post office that evening before the last mail pick up. The point is, I expect to get my monies worth.
I say that because recently, while reading some of the legal mumbo jumbo on their site, I read where if they have a customer like me and one that only orders one or two titles, they will send a movie (say a new release) to the one with only a few titles in their queue before someone like me with 60 or 70 titles despite my having had the title in the queue longer or having been a customer longer. That explained why I often times have several movies with long waits. I felt that is a poor policy.
Between that and the issues with delayed delivery dates (some due to mail, some due to Netflix shipping a title from the other end of the country), I searched and wrote the President of the company in California (never received a reply). Like so many others here at consumer complaints.com, I am frustrated, also, by the lack of means to communicate with Netflix. Undoubtedly, this is because they received so many complaints when their website did allow you to email a complaint or comment. (Yes, their site had this feature when I first became a member.)
The last straw...
Things had settled down since the last instance of delays and mis-shipments in September and I thought everything would be OK for a few more months when all of a sudden around Christmas time (I'm a teacher), I wasn't getting half the movies I was expecting as per the site. As usual, I filed a report with them stating I never received the movie... First one, then another. Over the two weeks, I received maybe two movies. My son received each of his at the same address. One movie, Hancock, was supposedly shipped twice... Neither made it to me!
The result, my account put on hold. I called and all they could do was tell me I was considered a high risk address and would have to go get a secure address (ie. Post office box or box at a pack n' ship store). I'm sorry, but I am the CUSTOMER. If Netflix is having trouble getting their merchandise to someone, it is THEIR RESPONSIBILITY to find out why, not the CUSTOMER'S! Maybe they should consider sending movies certified mail or by some other means if the post office is losing shipments. Track the mail for awhile and see what's happening. They are the BUSINESS. NEVER, EVER, should any business make the customer feel like it is THEIR FAULT.
Of course, we all know, no one is taught properly about customer service these days... That is why so many businesses fail. The customer may not always be right, but that old adage means that good customer service means you treat them as though they are right because you VALUE THEIR BUSINESS.netflix does not value our patronage at all and sooner than later, they will go out of business because someone will come along and provide the same products for the same price and provide MUCH BETTER SERVICE.
The end result of my recent experience... I cancelled the membership and demanded a refund for the current month as it had just started! I'm not holding my breathe.in fact, I wonder now if this wasn't orchestrated by Netflix because I had complained so often and sent a letter to their president... I guess it doesn't matter as it is behind me. There are too many other options for me to worry about a company that probably won't be in business in another year or two.
For those of you with blinders still on, I hope you continue to get the level of satisfaction you think you are enjoying and that no problems ever arise for you. However, before rebutting my comments as you have others, consider that you are not necessarily indicitive of the norm. And, yes, I realize that my situation may not be the same as yours... That is why I give so much detail. I trust those who read this will use the information however they see fit. Just be cautious.
Kevin
Spring Hill, Florida
U.S.A.
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