Netflix Help File on "Throttling"

Nathan discovered that Netflix has posted a FAQ about "throttling."

Q: What is “throttling” and does Netflix “throttle” its members?

A: Throttling” is not a term we use at Netflix, but is used by people who incorrectly believe Netflix intentionally tries to reduce the number of DVDs a Netflix member who is a frequent renter receives, by delaying his or her DVD shipments or returns. Netflix does not do this.

This confusion may have arisen from two scenarios in which infrequent renters may get preference over frequent renters.

The first scenario is if a customer requests a DVD, and their local distribution center does not have enough copies to satisfy demand, but there are other copies of the title available to the customer from another distribution center In this scenario, the DVD is generally shipped to the customer from the other distribution center the following day. We do this in an effort to deliver the DVDs listed highest in the customer’s Queue. Other factors being equal, these “cross shipments” happen more often to frequent Netflix renters. Cross shipments only happen if the local distribution center is short of the desired title; cross shipments are never artificially generated to slow a frequent renter.

The second scenario is when there is more demand for a title than we have copies of that title. On those occasions, we ship the available copies to the subscribers who, other factors being equal, have been renting less frequently. The subscribers who do not get their first choice will generally get their next available choice sent that same day from their local distribution center, and there is no delay incurred.

Returns are promptly processed as they are received, and there are no preferences in how they are processed.

For more information about shipping and receiving DVDs, please see our FAQ on “How does Netflix process and ship DVDs” and our Terms of Use.

Comments

[Complication]

Queue flame war in... 3... 2... 1...

[badlydrawnjeff]

It's about time Netflix officially addressed the nonsense coming from people.

[brent]

First I will say that I love Netflix and prefer it to any of the alternatives.

Back to Throttling... It does exist no matter what Netflix calls it. They defined what I consider throttling in the FAQ "The second scenario is when there is more demand for a title than we have copies of that title. On those occasions, we ship the available copies to the subscribers who, other factors being equal, have been renting less frequently." That much is true.

I for one don't think this is truthful on Netflixes part: "The subscribers who do not get their first choice will generally get their next available choice sent that same day from their local distribution center, and there is no delay incurred."
Once Netflix marks me as a heavy user, my delivery gets delayed by about a day for the entire next month. I know it happens, it cannot just be a coincidence as it has happened to me many times in the past.

[brent]

I can't believe I just typed "Netflixes".... Oh well, Note to self, proof my comments before clicking go next time :)

[Hunter McDaniel]

They could have saved themselves a lot of grief by putting this in the FAQs, say, about 4 years ago.

There is one more scenario where I believe they MIGHT use priorities, which is on busy days when they don't have enough staff to get everything out. It is certainly the case that when I get next-day shipments (from the local DC) it is usually on a Tuesday, which is their busiest day.

As for brent's assertion I can only say that this has never happened to me, even when after months when I rented almost 20 discs.

[CJ]

Let's see, following the NF reasoning, then I should have a second account with just HD-DVD and Blu-ray titles in order to have a better chance of getting new releases in Hi-Def.

I suppose, eventually, NF (and BB) will have separate queues for Hi-Def titles as more titles become available.

[eviltimes]

LIES ALL LIES !!!

Who are these jokers kidding? I am being throttled as we speak, er type, whatever. No new releases for up to 6, count 'em: SIX months. Although 3 is the standard delay. I've also had new movies shipped to me in DC from Alaska! When throttling is in full attack mode, they don't even register my returns for 3 to 6 working days!

They are pure unadulterated evil.

[Bogarts_Falcon]

WHAT A CROCK OF BULLS***!

I guess that's why there was a successful lawsuit awhile back.

The following is addressed to whoever, from Netflix, is reading this;

If BULLS*** were money, your company would have enough to own the whole freaking world!

[MiniMonkey]

Long time reader... first time commenter. I've been with Netflix since 2000. I've gone through periods of heavy use and very low use. The only thing that has ever changed in these periods was the availability of in-demand titles. From my seven years of experience, everything stated in the FAQ is 100% accurate.

Not only is it accurate, but I think it's completely fair. When there aren't enough DVDs to go around, someone is going to have to wait and it seems to me that us heavy-users are the most logical people to be made to wait because we pay less per DVD rental.

[wolfgang613]

Eviltmes, are you saying that the new releases are being delayed for 6 months or that they were not sent out on the release date to you for 6 months. I am confused. Also it is not uncommon for the USPS to take a few days for proses the mail. Especially at big mail hubs. It might be a post office delay and not a Netflix delay. I have seen this happen more then once.

[rjm]

Netflix DOES throttle. Despite them saying
"Netflix does not do this."

Its been PROVEN repeatedly by THOUSANDS of customers.

I have personally sent back 2 discs in one envelope on more than one occasions and they pretend not to get one of them untill the next day.

I also believe they are holding off on shipping my DVDs a day while showing they were sent, they dont get here the next day like they should. I believe they are holding them in their office.

By the way, whatever happened to the lawsuit over it ? Did anyone ever get a free month or did the laywers just get their millions and walk away ?

[SykoByte]

I have a friend that was "throttled" very badly. They eventually started placing more and more of his movies on "Long Wait" and "Very Long Wait", and I'm not talking new releases either. And when he would send movies back, they would take longer than a day for Netflix to receive them even though I was in the same area (with a Netflix shipping center) and I only had 1-day turn-around.
We even placed the same movie (and not a new release) on each of our queues and his came up as "Very Long Wait" and mine came up as "Available Now".
I haven't really been throttled by Netflix, but I saw my friend's account and he was throttled incredibly bad. Eventually he just had to cancel because it was a big rip-off for him.
Another friend of mine started out great, but now he always has a 2-day turn-around rate when it was always one day before.
I'm just thankful Netflix hasn't screwed me over yet, and for reasons I do not know.
But yes Netflix throttles, it's a fact, no matter what they may state. I just don't understand how they pick and choose which members to throttle, because I've rented just as much and just as long (if not longer) as my friends have, and I haven't really had any problems.

[xoxo]

"I believe they are holding them in their office."
oh yeah, i am pretty sure they have the time to sit around and pick on you out of millions of customers that they have to serve.
it's funny how people trip over new releases. don't you guys realize that you need a get a life and maybe start worrying over more important things in life...than just sit and b*tch over new releases. does it really make you feel like a better person if you have the new release right when it comes out?? does EVERY business throttle you if they are out of something when YOU want it?? I think not. So really.
and i must state that i don't work netflix, and never have, but i believe that it is fair that sometimes preference is chosen. if i was a renter that didn't rent that often, i would like to know that i am not pushed aside over someone who rents all the time. that's just me.

[MiniMonkey]

To be clear, there are several in-demand titles that are not new releases.

I can't explain the postal delay, except that it could be an issue with your friend's specific postal center (even if you live in the city, you could be serviced by different postal centers).

If anything, the fact that you've rented just as much for just as long as your friend and haven't experienced these delays should be proof that Netflix doesn't throttle by delaying processing or shipments.

[Lamont]

They do throttle, they say so themselves in another one of their fine print terms where they state they artificially limit the number of dvd's that are sent out from each center per day.

I had a return come in this Monday and the next disc on my queue (not a new release) was shipped to me on Tuesday from my local DC, for no other reason than throttling. (I have been renting alot this month as I have had to stay home and take care of my dog that just had a liver tumor removed; I have to feed her every 2 hrs from 6am- 12 am and administer 14 pills/day!)

Statements above about 2 discs being returned in the same envelope and only one being acknowledged as returned are correct, it has happened to me also (that was the summer I was home recovering from ankle surgery).

And quit the personal attacks, telling people to "get a life". Who are you to judge? What people do with their free is really nobody else's business (unless they are out committing crimes). There can be illness, disability, unemployment- have some compassion and get off your high horse.

Remember, it is the "unlimited" advertising that sticks in peoples' craw; as others have said in the past, people are willing to pay more if they go over their "allotment" but I imagine this is administratively too burdensome.

[xoxo]

really, there is no reason for an attack because obviously you know everything. except if you didn't notice, actual HUMAN BEINGS pack those envelopes. and those HUMAN BEINGS do need to go home sometimes so yes there is a limit to everything that is shipped. think about it, most people have a designed shifts at work, and just like most everybody else, so do these human beings and i don't blame them for wanting to go home after 8/ hours of stuffing envelopes just so that you can have your movie on a tue rather than on a wed. i am sorry i dont mean to be mean, but don't be unreasonable. there is a limit to everything. its very obvious...there is a limit because those people don't live in those warehouses and ship movies 24/7.

[Lamont]

Please tell me- why is shouting to make a point necessary? With most companies, when there is extra work to be done there is something called "overtime", where employees who want to work extra hours are paid time and a half. There is also something called a "second shift". There are also staggered shifts and other ways to get all the discs sent out the same day, if they chose to do so. They do not.

Please! Stop these ad hominem attacks! I did not call you a know it all, why do you name call beacuse I disagree with you?

[hueristix]

I think Netflix has a giant database where you may be on the "poo" list. I think one way to get there is to bad mouth them in forums. They love me, maybe because they read this site?

Whatever the reasons, I get a lot of movies each month, some being new releases, blurays, and HD-DVD.

My service is so good I never even once considered switching over in the height of the 'coupon madness.' Or selling my temporarily tanking stock.

Netflix is one brand I really respect. In fact, I straight up think some of these throttling claims are by schills.

In the end, the consistently great service of NEtflix will earn them more long term customers now that the coupon fraud of 2007 is behind us.

[Ama]

All I know is that whenever I'm heavily renting, I notice there are always A LOT of "waits" in my queue. And during periods when I'm not renting as much (like right now) every single movie in my queue is available now.

[xoxo]

no shouting matches at all, in fact as valid as your point is, movies are shipped with the us postal service. there is so many hours in the day that they deliver mail, and so many days a week that they deliver that mail to us. so really, there is no point of working second or third shifts if there is nobody there to deliver it.

[Old Timer Too]

After all the hassle of BBOL and their new programs and unfulfilled promises, I decided to give NF another chance. I left them around 18 months ago after they refused to acknowledge that they had provided the equivalent of 6 at-a-time plan when I paid for 8 at-a-time. They weren't shipping from far away centers, but they were certainly delaying getting discs shipped.

Obviously, as a "new" first time renter, they are making sure I have a "good" experience. I have a strong mix of older titles and only one has a "very long wait" on it (as the first title in a TV series.

I moved another "very long wait" to the top of my queue and it was shipped the next day. This was part of the initial shipment, so you know that as a new account, I'm getting premium treatment.

Do I appreciate it? Not if it means that someone else who has been a steady renter is getting shafted. To me that is unethical to the extreme and so, we'll simply wait and see what happens.

In the meantime, BBOL still has problems and as long as those continue... well, we'll just have to see, won't we.

[profpudwick]

MiniMonkey, I'm not sure I agree 100% with your comments, but I wish you would post your very well stated thoughts more often!

[profpudwick]

Wolfgang613, you wrote: "... it is not uncommon for the USPS to take a few days for proses (sic) the mail. Especially at big mail hubs. It might be a post office delay and not a Netflix delay. I have seen this happen more then once."

I am sure you are right but can you please tell us how you know it was USPS delay, and not Netflix delay?
Danke und Beste Grüße

[profpudwick]

Sykobyte, you wrote: "I haven't really been throttled by Netflix, but I saw my friend's account and he was throttled incredibly bad. Eventually he just had to cancel because it was a big rip-off for him."

You may be right in your analysis of your friend's rentals, but I have to ask you whether you can state that his per-DVD rental cost was at a level that allowed Netflix to make a profit on their doing business with him? (They have to do that to stay in business.)
Regards,

[profpudwick]

Lamont wrote: "And quit ... telling people to "get a life". ... There can be illness, disability, unemployment- ... it is the "unlimited" advertising that sticks in peoples' craw(s) ... people are willing to pay more if they go over their "allotment" but ... this is administratively too burdensome."

Lamont brings up good points, but I have a different slant. First, we need to keep in mind that Netflix is a business. Unless they make enough revenue to cover operating expenses, they will not continue to stay in business.

So of course they throttle, but we don't need to get emotional about it. Look at it as a business plan. Pretend you are a server in a restaurant, and you have one big tipper and one bad tipper. Whom would you serve?

Netflix is like that server.

My advice: If you feel you are being throttled, up your slots by one or two. Yes, pay another $6 or $12 a month to Netflix. Like Lamont said, go ahead and pay more to ensure better service.

Like a person tipping in a restaurant. No burdensome adminstration there.

And use the Watch Instantly! No throttling with that!