DawnM Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 when the post office stops offering next day delivery and has all their cut backs? I really wonder how this will effect DVD shipping. And yes, I know many of you don't do the DVD portion so it won't effect you at all. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josie Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I think that Netflix is heading in the direction of only streaming, so I think any postal changes may just send them there faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Netflix never used next-day shipping....it was regular first-class postage. The quickness of DVD delivery came because they have their facilities all over, many hubs to ship from, so most likely, your DVD was coming from a facility an hour or so away. Also they worked 24/7, so there were always people working at the facility getting the DVD's out. When I had DVD option, it was 3-5 day turn around between sending the movie back and getting a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Netflix never used next-day shipping....it was regular first-class postage. Right... but regular first-class is likely about to take longer due to post office cuts. It will be interesting to see what Netflix does. They're still recovering from their disastrous attempts to change this year. Streaming has its own issues too. I can't imagine Netflix being able to charge the same amount with delayed shipping. Maybe they'll drop the price some (ha) or go to an alternate delivery form (but no idea what). Maybe this'll be the death knell for their dvd service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 But I thought one reason they had DVDs is because the producers of some of the shows/movies didn't allow streaming. So, what will happen with those shows/movies? Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Netflix never used next-day shipping....it was regular first-class postage. The quickness of DVD delivery came because they have their facilities all over, many hubs to ship from, so most likely, your DVD was coming from a facility an hour or so away. Also they worked 24/7, so there were always people working at the facility getting the DVD's out. When I had DVD option, it was 3-5 day turn around between sending the movie back and getting a new one. Yep. Out here in the non-metro area, we don't get next day. They seem to get scanned in the next day, and the next one is sent when that happens, but it's more like a 3 day turn around for items in the metro hub, and sometimes 5 if it's something that isn't stocked all over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I saw a statement from Netflix saying that most of their customers want to watch their movies on the weekend, so they'll still be able to get movies turned around in time. But when we had DVD service, I really liked mailing a movie on Monday and getting the next one on Wednesday. This will be the death knell for DVD service by mail (as Netflix was headed away from anyway). More people will use Redbox, etc, or pay per movie from a service like Vudu. That's what we've done since dropping Netflix DVD - we've picked up maybe one or two movies per month from Redbox, and rented a couple from Vudu over the last few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Maybe this'll be the death knell for their dvd service. I hope not. Streaming is not available to us, and the DVD shipping is an affordable way for our household of cinephiles to watch many movies we otherwise would not have access to... not to mention their DVD library is much more extensive than their streaming library. I'm happy to wait another day or two for my movies to arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Oh noooes, I hadn't thought about that. Well, I guess we have streaming, but sometimes that doesn't help because I want immediate gratification of the movie I'm in the mood to see, not the one I have the ability to see instantaneously. Ridiculous, yet true. :D:001_smile::glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretchen in NJ Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 When Netflix nearly doubled their rates, we canceled and started going to our local library for free DVD rentals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I'm wondering myself. We like the DVD and streaming option, and I'm hoping for the best:001_huh:. when the post office stops offering next day delivery and has all their cut backs? I really wonder how this will effect DVD shipping. And yes, I know many of you don't do the DVD portion so it won't effect you at all. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 If first class mail is going to take a day longer, shouldn't that just mean that our Netflix discs just take a day longer to arrive? Some may perceive a loss of value in the slower turn-around, but I think that will be balanced by the increasing number of internet providers that are capping service (or charging premium rates for those doing lots of streaming, etc.). I just don't see amazon and hulu and vudu and everyone else offering the variety that Netflix has. Netflix is in danger of losing more of its customer base, but I think they have time to still turn things around. With the rate hikes, we dropped down to disc only service (2 out). We're just trying to time things so we always have a disc here and one in route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allearia Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 We are planning soon to just start using Amazon. You can rent something newer when you really want to for around $4, and do free streaming from either Netflix or Amazon otherwise. If we just do the Amazon Prime streaming and drop Netflix altogether, we could rent around 8 movies a month for the $26 we are paying for Netflix with 3 DVDs out. So it really depends how much of the non-streaming stuff you watch. and whether you already have someting to stream Amazon to your TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I suspect it will just be slower. It would be nice if they let you have one more disc without upping the price. But I don't think it will happen. With regards to the Amazon service--is there anyway to get that without hooking a computer to the TV? Do they have a Wii channel or anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 One day extra minimum per leg.....so the 2 day will be 4 day minimum. The problem is, I think it is going to be worse than that.....with the cut backs of the postal system, it could take 6 or more days. Dawn If first class mail is going to take a day longer, shouldn't that just mean that our Netflix discs just take a day longer to arrive? Some may perceive a loss of value in the slower turn-around, but I think that will be balanced by the increasing number of internet providers that are capping service (or charging premium rates for those doing lots of streaming, etc.). I just don't see amazon and hulu and vudu and everyone else offering the variety that Netflix has. Netflix is in danger of losing more of its customer base, but I think they have time to still turn things around. With the rate hikes, we dropped down to disc only service (2 out). We're just trying to time things so we always have a disc here and one in route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Our library is awful for DVDs. They have one shelf full and it is 1980s movies at the newest, but mostly foreign films. They have a few documentaries, but they too are very outdated and mostly travel films. And that is the large city library! Dawn When Netflix nearly doubled their rates, we canceled and started going to our local library for free DVD rentals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 This will be the death knell for DVD service by mail (as Netflix was headed away from anyway). More people will use Redbox, etc, or pay per movie from a service like Vudu. That's what we've done since dropping Netflix DVD - we've picked up maybe one or two movies per month from Redbox, and rented a couple from Vudu over the last few months. Redbox never has what I want to see. I'm often looking for older movies, and since Blockbuster has closed almost all their stores, Netflix is the only place to rent older movies and TV shows that are not available on streaming (that I know of). As an example, I wanted to rent "Elf" this year. Redbox didn't have it. My only option was Netflix, buying it, or trying to catch it on TV. I'm not too concerned with a delay in shipping. I tend to keep DVDs for longer than a few days anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 When Netflix nearly doubled their rates, we canceled and started going to our local library for free DVD rentals. I've had horrible luck with movies from our library. Lots of scratches and skips. Same thing with audio books. I finally gave up on using them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 I hope not. Streaming is not available to us, and the DVD shipping is an affordable way for our household of cinephiles to watch many movies we otherwise would not have access to... not to mention their DVD library is much more extensive than their streaming library. I'm happy to wait another day or two for my movies to arrive. :iagree: We have streaming but I am happy to wait an extra day or two to have access to thousands of DVDs that we may not have access to otherwise such as educational ones;). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Well, since many, many movies and shows aren't available through streaming this is basically irrelevant. I'll get my dvd's at whatever speed I can. I'm not about to drop that part of my service. That would only be hurting me. :) My library isn't an option due to a virtual nonexistance. :) I'll get 'em when I get 'em! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHomeScientist Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 If I understand correctly, the USPS is proposing a change in delivery standard for first-class mail from 1-3 business days to 2-5. The impact for any particular person will depend on whether they close the facility that currently serves you. For example, we live in Winston-Salem, NC. Our mail facility is in Greensboro, about 30 miles east of us, where there is also a Netflix distribution facility. The USPS has already announced that the Greensboro facility is not among those to be closed, so we'll probably continue to get one-day service each way to and from Netflix. Someone who currently gets one-day service from Netflix and who lives in an area served by a facility that does end up being closed will probably see that change to two or even three days each way, depending on where the facility is located that takes on servicing their mail. We've been Netflix subscribers for many years, and have probably rented 1,500 or more discs from them. When they added streaming, we stayed with the 3-disc plan we were then on, and didn't bother for some years to buy a Roku to watch streaming. When we finally bought a Roku a year or so ago, we found that we were watching mostly streaming, but we stayed on the 3-disc plan anyway. When Netflix increased their prices, we decided to drop down to 2-discs plus streaming. Then we finally realized that we were watching streaming almost exclusively except when new seasons of some programs my wife likes were released DVD-only. So we downgraded to streaming-only, planning to go back to a 2- or 3-disc plan for a couple or a few months when there's more DVD-only stuff we want to get. I know most people were unhappy about the price increase, but I was actually in favor of it. I want Netflix to greatly expand their streaming catalog, and to do that they need money. I'd happily pay them $30/month for streaming only if they had everything available streaming that's currently disc-only. We compared the alternatives, and even with the higher prices there's nothing that comes close to the bang for the buck that Netflix offers. Amazon Prime is fine as a secondary source of streaming, but its catalog is tiny. Renting, let alone buying, material is very expensive compared to what Netflix charges. Hulu, even in the pay-for version, has commercials that can't be skipped, and we simply won't tolerate commercials. All the other alternatives simply cost much too much relative to Netflix for what you get. And, no, I don't have stock or any other interest in Netflix, other than as a happy customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 We almost never watch our Netflix discs the very day we receive them. So I wouldn't consider waiting an extra day to get my discs by mail a big issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in AL Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 If I understand correctly, the USPS is proposing a change in delivery standard for first-class mail from 1-3 business days to 2-5. The impact for any particular person will depend on whether they close the facility that currently serves you. For example, we live in Winston-Salem, NC. Our mail facility is in Greensboro, about 30 miles east of us, where there is also a Netflix distribution facility. The USPS has already announced that the Greensboro facility is not among those to be closed, so we'll probably continue to get one-day service each way to and from Netflix. Someone who currently gets one-day service from Netflix and who lives in an area served by a facility that does end up being closed will probably see that change to two or even three days each way, depending on where the facility is located that takes on servicing their mail. Re the parts I bolded: We don't have the same turn around that others have mentioned, 5-6 days for us, so the change in delivery times will already affect our delivery negatively. I read an article that likened it to going back to the Pony Express!! Add to that the fact that the USPS distribution center here is on the chopping block, our mail will be sent now with a two day delay over current delivery times (according to local officials who are against the closing). We currently have both streaming and DVD with Netflix, and are about to cancel the DVD option, OR drop down to the one disc option. Should the USPS close the distribution center here, we are likely to drop the DVD portion completely. As an aside, I think the USPS changing the first class delivery speed is another shot in their foot. I now pay all but two bills online, and I will be signing up for the other two next month--- there is a fee associated with those, but it's cheaper than a late payment if the USPS takes too long. Already, I try not to use the USPS too much because of the amount of misdirected and damaged mail we put up with. I think if they fixed their quality control problems, they would find themselves back in the black and not have to resort to cost cutting measures that chase customers away. Now back to our regularly scheduled USPS/Netflix discussion..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 When Netflix nearly doubled their rates, we canceled and started going to our local library for free DVD rentals. We tried that but the time allowed for DVD's was never enough. We either had to return them before we finished watching or ended up paying late fees. I can keep a Netflix DVD as long as I need to. Redbox never has what I want to see. Netflix is the only place to rent older movies and TV shows that are not available on streaming (that I know of). Yes, this. There have been a number of older movies or tv shows that aren't available on streaming. Netflix was the only way for us to see them without buying the DVD. We cancelled our Directv, so Netflix is still a bargain for us. It seems they're not concerned that the cutbacks will be a problem. http://www.forbes.com/sites/thestreet/2011/12/06/netflix-prepared-for-post-office-slowdown/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brilliant Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 As an example, I wanted to rent "Elf" this year. Redbox didn't have it. My only option was Netflix, buying it, or trying to catch it on TV. Well, you just need to buy Elf - don't you watch it every year? ;) We own all of the Christmas classics that we like, because it was too hard to get them from any rental source (Netflix, library, etc.) during the holidays when we actually want to watch them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 We use both streaming and dvd by mail - most of the more obscure foreign films and older BBC series we like to watch are dvd only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHomeScientist Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Already, I try not to use the USPS too much because of the amount of misdirected and damaged mail we put up with. I think if they fixed their quality control problems, they would find themselves back in the black and not have to resort to cost cutting measures that chase customers away. That's interesting. When I was in business school back in the early 80's, we had a case study on McDonald's restaurants. They were and are known for having the best quality-control of any chain. Not necessarily the best quality, you understand, but the best quality control in the sense of maintaining absolute consistency. They go to extremes to make sure that the Big Mac you buy in Peoria is as close as possible to identical to the one you buy in Miami or Honolulu. I suspect USPS service quality varies according to one's local post office staff. In the last 1,000 or so discs we rented from Netflix, we had only one damaged in the mail, and fewer than 10 that took more than one day in transit either direction. In fact, that was a major factor in my decision to use USPS rather than UPS or FedEx for my business. I buy a lot of components from numerous wholesalers for our science kits, and those vendors ship by all three methods. I have had numerous boxes nearly beaten to death by UPS and FedEx--some literally with holes ripped in them and stuff falling out--but never any significant damage of boxes shipped USPS. Nor have we had any complaints of damage from our own customers, except one case where the letter carrier left the box on a porch the day a hurricane came through and flooded everything. I've been as guilty as anyone of criticizing the USPS, but I really think they do an excellent job at reasonable prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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