Bye Netflix — Your Time is Up
In case you forgot tomorrow is the last day to cancel or change your rate plan on Netflix. Starting September 1st Netflix will introduce a new plan that is 60{9eb845e9932a4c0558a0305a78bf1c2d5042d8a06323e6cdeacdb9c8597fbf65} higher than the current DVD/Streaming option today. Not only are they raising the prices without any help from you (read: they will raise the rate automatically) the execs at Netflix actually had the nerve to mask this change as a good thing for users. Sure, raising rates is always best for the user.
Okay, here goes:
Dear Reed Hastings (Netflix CEO),
I have been a Netflix customer for quite some time, you know, when all popup ads were from Netflix and every 3rd spam email was your friend asking to join because it was the hottest thing since Pets.com. Well fast forward a few years and you guys have forced me to cancel a service I once loved. You have decided instead of building a better product to screw everyone that helped your company get to where it is today. Rather than realize not everyone* has the ability to pay more for less you decided to make the product basically worthless. With so many better options, Redbox for DVD/Blu-Ray rentals and Hulu Plus, torrents and so many other sources for online content, Netflix doesn’t serve a purpose.
You could have grown the company while working with more providers to beef up the streaming service, remove stupid expiration policies on streaming content and then (after you built up streaming) split the two options. However as it stands right now with device restrictions and limited library I wouldn’t be surprised if your companies marketshare started to slip.
Lastly, as a developer, i’ve loved working with the Netflix API in the past but you even started to make that suck.
Its time to close our accounts, just like we did those annoying popup ads back in the early days of the web.
Sincerely,
M. Keefe
Ex Netflix Customer
* One note, i’m not saying I can’t pay 60{9eb845e9932a4c0558a0305a78bf1c2d5042d8a06323e6cdeacdb9c8597fbf65} more, I just don’t think anyone should have to.
Prescott Perez-Fox
August 30, 2011 5:06 pmI’m gonna go to streaming-only and see how I feel about it. I like the hi-definition tv series that are available, but I hate the fact that many movies and tv shows are not available on streaming at all. If I run out of things to watch on streaming, I’ll cut the cord without hesitation. (and spend a lot more time on torrent sites.)