Should Netflix Remind Users to Return Movies?

Peter writes, "...it seems like Netflix needs to put in place a rule about how long one can keep a DVD.  I just noticed four more films on my queue are now unavailable.  I'm not sure whether they are kept by renters who hold them indefinitely or what the situation is. Because I am certain there are others who are in the same situation as myself, I think Netflix should enforce a rule that a DVD held longer than a month or two should be considered a purchase, and charge the renter full retail price.  This might then put a stop to those people who consider using Netflix as a cheap way of buying DVDs, and allow more renters to enjoy the films that are suppose to be available to them.  I have been a Netflix subscriber since 2001 and the situation of unavailable DVDs is getting intolerable."

What do you think? Should Netflix remind you to return a movie after 2 or more weeks?

Comments

[Tom]

A nudge via e-mail and through the subscriber's home page on Netflix after three or four weeks would be fine with me. Charging for a disc because it has not been returned? Netflix's model is "keep it as long as you like", so that change would be a change in their whole marketing philosophy. Charging retail after having it out for a certain period of time landed Blockbuster in hot water with its customers, I would imagine a similar backlash.

[Alex]

The great part about Netflix vs. the brick and mortars is that you don't have to worry. I have a DVD out that I want to watch soon, but if I don't get to it tonight, or if I leave it at home for a few weeks over vacation and a busy schedule, it doesn't matter. Losing that would be losing a great part about Netflix for me.

[smgpugfaw]

Why on Earth would Netflix charge you a one-time purchase price when they can continue to charge you $10 to $20 per month for holding a DVD?

[EvilDave]

I try to return my DVDs the same or next day. So, this would have little effect on me.

I would go with a 6 months, unless you hit this button to extend for another 6 months.

I feel the Original Poster's pain. Netflix has far too few pre-1960s DVDs and it is very infuriating when one becomes unavailable.
Anything that forces Netflix to increase the size of their catalog wins with me.

[Davis Freeberg]

I'm guilty as charged right now. I've been trying to go through Hitchcock's life's work and have gotten stuck at the silent films. The great part for me is that Watch Now has enough content from my queue that I haven't worried about sending the DVDs back. Maybe this is unfair to other Hitchcock fans, but I know that Netflix tracks which movies tend to have longer hold times and they could have easily purchased 2 or 3 films with the money they've saved by my catatonic DVD usage. I really should just drop down to the one disc plan, but I like the service so much it's hard to question changing anything to save a few bucks each month.

[Bob Loblaw]

What do I think? I think Peter whines too damn much.

[Outsider1]

That would defeat the whole purpose of why Netflix offers a service like keep as long as you want. Yeah there are some people that do take longer than others to watch there movies but thats the freedom Netflix gives to there customers and thats what has made them sucessful. If they were to send reminders or start charging for holding a rental too long then that makes them no better than there competitors. I think Peter needs to just move on from it and start expanding his list of movies on his queue.

[Sam]

I've noticed that too and I wonder if it is related to streaming. If you want unlimited streaming, you still need to have the 1 DVD-at-a-time plan. For me, that means I stream a lot of things... and the DVD sits unwatched at home for a long time.

[tsrblke]

"Unavailable" ususally means something different than a person holding on to a DVD. Netflix seems loathe to change "long wait" to "Unavailable" so I'd imagine that Peter is trying for movies that Netflix has low stock of and/or can't get anymore and most/all of them have broken.
Not to trivalize DVD theft as a problem for Netflix, but I think Peter's argument that people are using this as a "cheap way of buying DVDs" is entirely fallacious. How many do you think you could get away with before Netflix bills your account. You're going to have to maker them as "lost" because the ToS is quite clear that signing up and canceling your account opens you to being charged for any DVDs you don't send back (I quote)

Upon cancellation, you are given seven (7) days to return any outstanding rentals. Failure to return such rentals will result in your Payment Method being billed for such items. We will send you a reminder email concerning unreturned discs prior to charging your Payment Method.

So these people are still paying Netflix at least $4.99/month (lowest possible plan, if it even still exists). Which is not cheap.

[Jenna]

I think 2 weeks is too short. A reminder after a month might be better. Some people are not very responsible and do forget. I don't forget what I have but in my case if I have a disc out after a month, a reminder might make me think about whether I still want to watch it or not. Considering a purchase and charging retail for it? No.

[MCW]

Feedfliks sends you a nudge, whenever you designate, depending on how long you've had your disc.

[Kirby Krueger]

Absolutely not! Part of the appeal of Netflix is that it's on my schedule, no guilt trips involved. If I want to pay my subscription fees and hang onto a disc for months at a time, that's nobody's business but mine.

[matt]

yeah, i agree with these comments. peter, you are being petty. switch to blockbuster if you want to start getting charged for late discs.

[Optimizer]

Uhh ... the whole point of Netflix is that *I can keep the discs as long as I want.* If you really think the reason you're not getting a DVD is because I have it, complain to Netflix, not me. I pay good money and can do as I please.

[Jonathan]

I'd rather have reminders (they'd probably help actually..) than being charged the full disc price.

That's the whole spirit of netflix -- keep it as long as you like, no late fees, no due dates. You signed for that, that's what you get.

I am sometimes guilty of taking forever to return my DVDs too. It's usually because one thing leads to another. Usually, I get the DVDs and my brother sees them and wants to watch them too.. so I have to wait on him, and then I'm always like "agh, too tired now I'll take care of tomorrow." And before I know it, tomorrow ends up being next week.

couple day turn around is my goal.

But yes, I vote two thumbs down for this idea. Reminders yes, due dates no.

That's just the way netflix is.

[Mark]

A reminder after a month is probably not a bad idea. Make it a configurable option on the user's profile and everyone should be happy.

I'm definitely guilty of holding them too long myself. I'm not watching as much on Netflix now as I was over the summer because there are some decent TV shows on right now.

[David Grenier]

I think an email reminder could be an interesting thing for users - "Dude, you've had Hotel Rwanda out for three months, you're obviously never gonna watch it. Why not send it back and get Role Models instead?" but as others have said Netflix actually does better the less times a user turns around their discs, so they have no incentive to remind us to return them.

Unavailable means "all the ones we had were lost or broken." Simply holding on to a movie for a long time does not make it unavailable.

[Barrett]

If people hold on to DVDs because they think it is a cheap way of "buying" DVDs, they are mistaken. If you hold on to a DVD for more than a month or two, you are going to be spending more on that DVD than you would've if you just bought it.

[Angel]

A cheap way of buying DVDs? How does he figure that? Your're paying way more for the DVD vs. buying it if you're keeping it for months.

I think charging customers for the full price of the disc after a month (a used disc at that!) is ridiculous and there most certainly will be backlash. Put more pressure on Netflix to get more discs not punish the customer because Peter is a whiner.

[Seth]

"Should Netflix remind you to return a movie after 2 or more weeks?"

No.

[Jeff]

He clearly likes Redbox and should continue using it.

If Netflix builds up a significant queue of users who would like a disc, perhaps then they can send a REQUEST to a user, nicely asking that the disc be returned for the benefit of others.

[David]

Netflix would never do this. They profit the most when customers do not return discs.

[Ewingo401]

I wouldn't have a problem with reminders as long as they were few and far between. But the idea of switching to a late fee, or purchase after so much time system would be a deal breaker for me.

[Xaionik]

One of Netflix's selling points is keeping it as long as you want.

If anything Netflix should just charge you for the disc and let you own it if you keep it longer than a year.

[Katie Jane]

What is the whole point of Netflix if you can't keep them as long as you want? Didn't you see the commercial where the guy says, "Some of you will be out for a long time," where he was talking about the genre of movies like the romantic comedy? I personally have kept some movies for over seven months because I loved the movie and would take it to friends/family and watch it with them. I don't need any reminders either, I have enough guilt as it is, thank you.

[JDoors]

No freakin' way. I'm paying my fair share however long I hold onto a disk. If they don't have enough disks to go around, get on their case, not mine.

[Peter Nellhaus]

To the people who think I am a whiner, how would you feel if you wanted to see a DVD and found out you couldn't? There are probably several reasons why discs are not available which Netflix clearly needs to address. As far expanding my queue, it's a full as can be all the time.

The problem is that sometimes DVDs that have only been out for a few months suddenly become unavailable. I don't believe I am the only one who wanted to see, for example, the Italian classic "Wife for a Night", even though I had it on top of my queue for several months. What I suggested was one possible way of addressing DVD unavailability that might be caused by subscribers. I was hoping that others might come up with other constructive solutions.

This is not just about me, but is on behalf of other Netflix subscribers who may also feel frustration about DVDs that are unavailable.

[Ewingo401]

I understand where you're coming from Peter. But I think the only option here is for Netflix to buy more discs when they are able to. For example I've had "The Gate" in my saved section for what seems like forever. Its an 80's movie thats been available on DVD forever but Netflix apparently didn't have any copies. But suddenly it became available a few weeks ago and all is well.

I think the main problem here is that there are some movies that only see limited release and if all of the discs that Netflix bought become damaged and/or lost then they aren't able to purchase anymore. There isn't really anything Netflix or their customers can do about that. If anything, I think that the best course of action would be to write whatever studio has the rights to whatever movie and ask them to start producing more discs.

[Yeah, right]

Peter, you still have no shown how paying the monthly subscription to keep one or more DVDs out for months at a time constitutes "a cheap way of buying DVDs". That's pure crapola.

Ifyou don't like Netflix's business model, find someone else, ot get Obama to provide "universal DVD coverage" with a public option.

[Tester]

@Bob Loblaw:

I agree Peter needs to stop his whining.

[Micah]

I'm with everyone else. A rental charge after two weeks is much too short. I really wouldn't have a problem with an email after a month to six weeks saying You've had TITLE for XX days now. How about watching it, you lazy ass?"

[Jerry van West]

Of course, Netflix could put up for streaming more content - especially for those titles which they have fewer copies of. Personally, I think they should take their entire library and put it up for streaming. That way, you can consume it instantly and not worry about returning disks. There should also be a feature to allow you to download a title to consume on a Netbook while you are on a plane or away from an Internet connection as well. Keeping DVD titles and having them also available for streaming allows consumers the ultimate choice in how they want to watch content - that and additional platforms (iPhone, Droid, etc.).

[Moonchakka]

Samir Nagheenanajar from office space voice: "Yes, this is horrible. This idea."

[JDoors]

I'll grant you an e-mail suggestion that if you haven't found "so-and-so" to your liking, maybe another movie, "such-and-such," would be a better choice at this time.

But they better have "such-and-such" available to ship ASAP. If you agree with their suggestion, send that movie back, and you CAN'T GET "such-and-such" ... :(

[Dani in NC]

I agree with the commenter who said it should be a configurable option. It isn't in the best interest of increasing Netflix's profit margin to automatically remind everyone, but it would score them customer service points to give some people the option. I know that I have DVDs that I thought I sent back, but they were actually still sitting on top of my DVD player.

[william]

Just remember next time you want to watch a movie and you have to wait. By the way whoever has "Dead life" please return so i can see it!!!

[Tony]

I can see his frustration, but the idea of doing such is completely preposterous.. I have been irritated lately that a few movies that aren't really obscure or unavailable to purchase have become 'unavailable' by Netflix though.

[oxaca]

no way! the whole point of netflix is that you can keep them as long as you want. it's not like the old days when the one store in town had one copy and you were hogging it. they have several copies at each distro center. you're just looking for someone to blame because you can't get the flick you want right away. watch something else. go outside. learn to be patient.

if you really can't wait to see that one certain film just go get it at blockbuster.

[oxaca]

isn't not being able to get a new movie enough of a reminder to return the old one?

[danny]

Absolutely not. Netflix should not consider it a purchase if you hold it too long. That's the whole point of having it. I've never had a problem with waiting too long for a disc. Put some other things on your queue to watch while waiting for your disc. How is it going to help if they consider it a purchase? Then the disc won't be available any more. Sigh. They have plenty of discs, this really isn't a problem in my opinion.

I've actually received notices from Netflix before, saying the sooner I send a disc back, the sooner I'd get a new dvd. So, I think they already do do this.