Netflix Popup Ads Still Annoy

I know I've written about them before, but I'm still getting complaints about them:  "I keep getting pop-ups from you people and do not wish to receive them at all. I could find no way to unsubscribe from these pop-ups that come on my computer every time I log into Safari."

Here's a typical Netflix pop-under ad and the offending periodical: 

The ads must really work, because a lot of big sites are using them. What do you think about pop-under ads?

Comments

[Ewingo401]

Seriously people, just use firefox and the adblock plus extension and never see another ad again.

[Jessica]

Netflix's pop-under ads are so annoying that I am about to unsubscribe from Netflix altogether. I thought we were finished with annoying small windows years ago...

[RevRagnarok]

They're just like STEAM and Half-Life 2: they can only pull it off because they are so insanely great. Every time I see one of the ads, I feel a little guilty that I am supporting a company that advertises in that way.

BTW Ewingo401 - not all of us have access to FF and extensions at work, which is where I see them.

[Tom]

It's not necessarily netflix - netflix pays affiliates $9 per new subscriber, which is why they push it so hard. Can easily be affiliates trying to force sales.

[Sverre]

Pop-up/under ad?? I had forgotten those still exist. Seriously (to quote a previous poster), I thought everyone used pop-up and ad blockers these days.

[Wade Menard]

If everyone used ad blockers the Internet would be a depressing place.

Unless you are only interested in subscription sites and piracy that is.

[MCW]

Netflix is still one of the worst offenders... go to IMDB.com to get a free pop-under from Netflix.

To the people who say "Use Ad-Blocker", it gets extremely annoying to have every GOOD pop-up be blocked, not to mention constantly closing the yellow "Pop-Up Blocked" bar that obscures the window. I personally think the yellow bar is worse than the AD itself!!

There just has to be a better way to promote Netflix... I would think the "Sign up friends, get free rentals" codes they send out would be the best advertisement there is. Pop-unders and ups are so 1980...

[S]

MCW -

There are plenty of browser plugins you can download for programs like Firefox that discreetly block ads and popups, without the yellow bar or any indication that an ad was blocked in the first place.

I realize this may not be the solution you're looking for, but hey, it's worth a shot.

[Seth]

Both Internet Explorer and Firefox have built-in pop-up blockers.

Just turn them on and you won't see these ads.

[Seth]

However, I should add:

Reed you don't seem like a pop-up kind of guy. C'mon. It's not classy.

[Edward R Murrow]

C'mon, the only reason to use the internet is so we can enjoy pop-up ads and tracking cookies. I'm guessing that Netflix is still using tracking cookies, aren't they?

[banter]

If they keep my membership cost down I don't care.

[Jeff R.]

What ads?

Adblock Plus is the best thing in the world (well maybe not the best, but pretty damn close).

I installed FF on my work machine just so that I could browse without having popups/popunders, and every other type of crap ad filling my screen. The internet is now a wonderful place.

[Big Jon]

Clearly they must use them because they work. Can't imagine Netflix would throw money at something just because,

[sarah]

every time you use adblock an independent blogger or media publication cries. you're taking food out of their mouths. i don't go to websites that are big pop-up offenders. in fact, outside of inline ads, the only ones i see are the netflix pop-unders. and no i don't care. it doesn't grab my attention away and if it helps keep overall costs down i don't care.

i think there are more innovative ways they could be advertising. Like if they had a robust index of their watch instantly titles and someone did a google search for that movie they could pay for a google sponsored link that says "watch XXX legally, instantly, right now on your computer!"

The pop-under just seems so circa 1998

[BoB]

I run Firefox 3 with AdBlock Plus. What are these "pop-ups/Pop-unders" you people are talking about?!

I do not see these things! ;)

[Jeff from Knowzy]

Nobody likes pop-up/under ads and every major browser blocks them.

Ad networks are exploiting weaknesses in pop-up blockers to get their ad through. This is what I particularly despise.

It has led to a tit-for-tat war between browser makers and advertisers, with ad-networks finding deeper and more intrusive ways of getting past the blockers.

This kind of behavior is blurring the lines between advertisers and ad-ware/spyware/malware. Both try to find holes in your computer's defenses to put their crap in your face.

Exploits often leave "back doors" for others to take advantage of for much more insidious purposes. Your encrypted connection to Bank of America is meaningless if someone installed a key logger through a back door.

Netflix, this is more than just an annoyance. You are enabling a criminal enterprise and it must stop.

[nahdude]

babies

[Big Jon]

"Netflix, this is more than just an annoyance. You are enabling a criminal enterprise and it must stop."

Ok, must be all Netflix's fault. Nice link off your name there Jeff. Totally adds credibility.

[Jeff from Knowzy]

I'll give you that the last statement is over the top. I let my rant get away from me.

But will you deny that ad networks are exploiting weaknesses in web browsers to get these ads past the built-in ad blockers?

Of course you can't pin this entire problem on Netflix. However, they can choose not to support companies that use malicious code to circumvent a user's wish to not see pop-up ads.

Netflix is normally classier than that.

[Rich]

Netflix has had HIGHLY questionable ad practices for years. I first became interested in Netflix in 2003 but their popups and reports of throttling (e.g. Manuel's Netflix site) convinced me they were an unethical company unworthy of my business.

It was only in 2007 that I decided, due to a combination of my interests and the fact they cleaned up their act somewhat in terms of customer honesty, to finally become a subscriber. And it was due to a snailmailed solicitation, since I had long blocked their online ads. In this case their online activity COST them a subscriber for a long time.

[Big Jon]

"But will you deny that ad networks are exploiting weaknesses in web browsers to get these ads past the built-in ad blockers?"

Nope, I see your point and agree about the networks. Still, it'll be hard to convince any business to make a move that, technically, would inhibit growth. I guess it just has to reach a critical mass of public outcry (canned spam anyone?)

[Lamont]

I just removed the FLASH program from 2 of my computers. You wouldn't believe all the crap it stops from appearing- almost all of the ads are not visible now.

I have a 3rd computer for youtube, vids, etc. I do use Firefox but have not found it to automatically block all these pop-ups like I think it did when it first came out.

[Odacom]

What is really annoying is that I go from my paid Netflix account to my paid IMDB account and I still get an add.
Please write the cookie from my account to not show ads for service I already pay for.

[rjm]

I really, really HATE the netflix pop up ads.

My browser blocks most everything else but not NF.

Really pisses me off. Like Geico. They have NEVER ever been the cheapest for me but I get all kinds of ads, all kinds of ways.

NEGATIVE !

[thatguy]

I get these from netflix and I can assure them, they'll never see one red cent of my business.

[Al]

Okay, so I surfed around and found a lot of people complaining about Netflix "popups". Some get the fact that they are not "popups", nor "popunders", but are instead web content served to your browser, albeit without your consent, via Flash. If you have Flash turned on, you'll be getting Netflix.

All you need to do is block the domain that is serving these to you. I was getting them from our local newspaper site, from the same ad serving entity. I saved the URL a number of times to confirm they were coming from the same place, which they are.

I then used my OpenDNS account to block the domain serving them. Now they do not get to the computers on our network any longer.

Problem solved.

[sampsl]

Um - I AM using FireFox! Maybe it's just not as secure as it once was - ever think of that?

[Ivan]

What I think these dumb companies fail to see if that even a potential customer might be turned off and never subscribe to their service just because of the means they used. I know, I for one will NEVER subscribe to any company that causing my annoyance level to rise with their relentless pursuit of profits.

[BELLA]

HATE NETFLIX POP UPS SO MUCH THEY ARE SO ANOYING AND FIREFOX DONSNT BLOCK THEM!

[M Carter]

TO THE JACKASSES WHO BLITHELY SAY "JUST GET A POP-UP BLOCKER" OR "JUST USE FIREFOX" ETC:

THESE ARE NOT POP-UPS! THEY'RE POP-UNDERS AND THEY'RE MORE INSIDIOUS. BESIDES, MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME ALREADY HAVE POP-UP BLOCKERS, FIREFOX, ETC AND STILL NOTHING WORKS! I PERSONALLY HAVE ALL THE HIGHEST SETTINGS FOR MY BROWSER AND DIFFERENT BLOCKING TOOLS. NOTHING WORKS.