Sometimes it is the Mailman...

It's extremely rare, but sometimes it is the mailman who is stealing the Netflix envelopes, according to this story on 9News.com.

During a two-month period last year, hundreds of DVDs intended for Netflix customers in Lyons, Colorado never arrived at their destinations. Investigators say the problem stopped after postal inspectors caught two postal workers red handed.

Andrew Rivas, spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Inspectors office in Denver told 9News, "at the time we were receiving these complaints it was among the largest reported losses in the United States from Netflix."

There are thousands of postal workers and more than a million of DVD's being mailed by Netflix each day, but I've only heard of a few cases that involved a postal worker. The story reports that it was easy to find the theives since the thefts were limited to a single zip code.

Don't miss the video coverage of the story.

Thanks to Phill for sending this in.

Comments

[CfF]

How did you find this story?

hello? - at thr bottom of the post.
"Thanks to Phill for sending this in."

[CtF]

"hello? - at thr bottom of the post."

I want something more than 'Phil'.

[E. Craig Crawford]

"The story reports that it was easy to find the (two) theives since the thefts were limited to a single zip code."

Their names were probably "Dumb" & "Dumber." :-)

[Chris Coyier]

I've always thought that would be a serious temptation for mail workers. Although.... if they just want to watch a bunch of movies, they could just sign up for Netflix. It's a little less illegal that way.

[Morgan]

It's obvious that Mike and a group of Netflix shills (rhymes with 'Phill') orchestrated this whole thing. They paid off these postal workers to take the fall and then used their inside guy at the news station to publicize the postal service's failure.

It's just a clever trick to cover up the fact that Netflix throttles every customer in Lyons, Colorado.

Sure, the USPS workers were stealing DVDS, that's what they want you to believe. I'm not buying it for a second.

[Mike K]

This story, like many on the site, are sent in by readers.

- Mike K

[PlungeBob]

Maybe that is what is going on...my local postman may have
scored with me...

...for the record, I decided to try the multiple disk in one
envelope this week.

The discussion of this tactic lead me to check my envelopes
and indeed I found that some of them were going back to
Timbuktu (sp?).

So, I stuffed three disks into the one going to my local, proper, D.C.

They were sent back Tuesday, and as of this morning,
Friday, they are not being acknowledged as received.

Is this Netflix "payback" or did they forward the disks
to where they "belong" ....the other side of the country?

Anyway, I am tired of this and have lowered my membership to a
still-lighter level. Shills rejoice.

Cheers!

[Tim]

"Postal inspectors wouldn't comment on the status of Durante's case, saying it was still under investigation."

The two women caught are postal employees. They'll probably keep their jobs, maybe get a raise.

[Matt]

PlungeBob - I've often sent back 2 DVD's in one envelope, but a couple of weeks ago I tried to mail back 3 discs in one envelope. NetFlix STILL hasn't received them (I reported them as missing a while ago).

I won't be doing that again.

I have mailed 3 per envelope for months now, without any problems. Sometimes I just do 2 per envelope. Rarely do I send just 1 in an envelope. Why? Because I want to use LOCAL envelopes to minimize their throttling ways. The more I stuff in each envelope, the more they have to send from other cities to drain my stash. I just sent back 2 yesterday, and the lying pricks are pretending not to have them yet so they can throttle me some more. The solution: return everything in 5-15 min.

[PlungeBob]

Matt and Anonymous,

Thank you for the data, even if it was a tad confusing.

I may try it again, but I am not sure.

(I do not believe that it was the mailman, really)

"Thank you for the data, even if it was a tad confusing."

Nothing confusing, PlungeBob. Netflix is just more likely to throttle people who return 2+ movies per envelope. They're already the type of people who get flagged for throttling. We come to expect an extra day or two for them to admit our returns back (even though USPS most often delivers them over-night). They pretend I sent DVDs to a far away city, even though I look at every envelope and shred the ones to other cities.

Also, you may be putting the movies in your mail box to return them. I never do that. I always drop them at the box INSIDE the Main post office. (At least INSIDE my local post office.) I started doing this after a return to Nicheflix never arrived. That was dropped at a box outside the post office. None have disappeared since I started returning INSIDE the Main Post Office.

I have never lost a DVD with Netflix. USPS lost one from Blockbuster on its way to me, and one going back to Nicheflix. I do think postal workers are stealing them, but they do it infrequently so it does not raise any flags. Also, they occasionally deliver mail to the wrong house. (Same address, different street - very common.) Those people may cut open the envelope and watch the movie if it interests them, then mail it back when they finish. I've never had someone bring a DVD back that was delivered to them by mistake, but I'm sure it's happened. Luckily, most people are honest enough to at least return the movie to Netflix...

" Those people may cut open the envelope and watch the movie if it interests them, then mail it back when they finish."

I wish my neighbors were so considerate. One day, the day I was expecting my paycheck, I got NO mail at all even though my neighbors got theirs. No one tried to cash in my paycheck. I can only assume that one of my neighbors got my mail, and instead of returning it to me, or the post office, threw it out in the trash because he/she was just too damn lazy.

"I want something more than 'Phil'."

How about: "Deep Throat, Jr."?

Your mom gave me "deep throat" last night.

...and then you woke up.

"Your mom gave me "deep throat" last night."

That was a lame attempt at trying to jump in with others who truly are funny here. Stop trying to keep up with the big boys, Junior.

I seriously doubt there is any singificant theft by postal employees. This kind of thing is much easier to track than most realize. there are much more valuable things to steal in the mail, and since it is a federal crime and a felon and often prosecuted, postal worker are very unlikly to take DVDs.

[Robert Moore, OK]

I have been told by a postman about his fellow posties taking dvds home to watch and returning them after done.

I doubt it Robert. It is about the dumbest way to yak a high risk a high probability felony conviction

"I have been told by a postman about his fellow posties taking dvds home to watch and returning them after done."

Balogny! How many would risk loosing that high paying postal job, benefits & perks just for a $20 netflix subscription?! Not to mention "theft of mail" is a felony.

Its like any other profession - its made up of human beings. There are bad apples in everything. You just don't hear about garbagemen, librarians, fast food workers, etc. because that's not "news". You only here about it when policemen, doctors, letter carriers, politicians, etc. screw up. Which leads one to think the professions have a higher rate of corruption when they don't!

I want something more than 'Phil'.

Why? There's a legitamate link to a news story. Do you think Mike made a fake news station, hired actors, filmed it and crated a fake news web site to post it on?

Also, this does happen. Does it happen a lot? Nope, but there have been several busts involving mail carriers deciding to keep DVDs over the years.

So ease up. It's just one story about one guy. I'm not Mike but I'm pretty sure that's where the implications stops.

[Phill]

In case you're wondering, I saw this story linked on fark.com, and thought it would be of interest here. Wow, sometimes you guys scare me. It's no wonder I just lurk.

[Jake]

I wonder how many of the stolen DVD's were scratched, cracked or generally unplayable?