Netflix Charges More for Less
Ripping Off Consumers During Hard Times
By: Charles Giuliano - Jul 14, 2011
During the Great Depression folks went to the movies. They even had Dish Night where a housewife might pick up a set of dinner ware. It came to be known as Depression Glass. We use ours every day.
Hey, with movies at over ten bucks a pop, and mostly crap anyway, during this Great Recession most of us stay home and watch Netflix. Maybe with some microwave popcorn to get that mall like ambiance.
Did you get a letter/ e mail like this?
Dear Charles,
We are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming into two separate plans to better reflect the costs of each. Now our members have a choice: a streaming only plan, a DVD only plan, or both.
Your current $14.99 a month membership for unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs will be split into 2 distinct plans:
Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month
Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 2 out at-a-time (no streaming) for $11.99 a month
Your price for getting both of these plans will be $19.98 a month ($7.99 + $11.99). You don't need to do anything to continue your memberships for both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs.
These prices will start for charges on or after September 1, 2011.
You can easily change or cancel your unlimited streaming plan, unlimited DVD plan, or both, by going to the Plan Change page in Your Account.
We realize you have many choices for home entertainment, and we thank you for your business. As always, if you have questions, please feel free to call us at 1-888-357-1516.
–The Netflix Team
It started with the airlines and banks.
Tacking on fees and surcharges.
Charging more for less.
Increased prices but no real improvement of goods and services.
Of course we the consumers are always told that their cost increases, regrettably, are being passed along to customers.
But when there are market adjustments and fluctuations, which increase their profits, they never reverse fees or give back to the customers.
Like, don’t you just go nuts every week at the pump when you gas up? Why is this station five cents cheaper than that one? Just after you fill up you drive a block or two and are pissed to find that you might have saved a dime a gallon.
Driving home from theatre the other night, the tank less than half full, Astrid suggested that I hang a right to fill up at what she has identified as the cheapest station. By then I was tired and would deal with it tomorrow. Late at night is not the best time to be trolling for bargains.
Truth is we pump a lot of gas covering the arts all over the Berkshires during high season.
But, guess what, unlike the airlines, banks and Netflix, we are not going to pass this cost on to our consumers.
You can still check out all the content on this site absolutely free.
Yeah, I know, I’m nuts.
Hey, nothing much makes sense any more.
And with the mess in D.C. and the Government due to default I may not get my Social Security check this month.
Thanks in large part to the stupid Tea Party yahoos.
Now that really pisses me off.
Compared to which paying more for Netflix is a tempest in a tea party pot head.