The Dark Side of Netflix

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11/24/2010

Netflix Pride Flag



Introducing the Netflix Pride Flag. With millions of subscribers welcoming all kinds of abuse and paying for it, Netflix's customer base has become the largest organized fetish group in North America. A group this large, dedicated, and submissive deserves a symbol.

If you are one of the millions who pay Netflix for continued abuses like throttling, artificial new release delays, mysterious billing errors, dismissive customer service, unjustified fee increases, etc., please display this flag with pride, and let everyone know about your tougher-than-leather, undying love for Netflix. Because, sometimes, love hurts.

11/23/2010

Netflix Raising Prices - You're Going to Take It and Like It

I Heart Netflix

Surprise! Netflix is raising prices. Isn't it odd that a company gets bigger and then raises prices? One of the core benefits of a business getting bigger is that it can offer superior service for lower prices than the competition. In theory, (barring a monopoly or trust) as a company expands, the overall value of its goods and services should continue to become more attractive to customers.

In Netflix's case, however, customers seem to often get less service for the same price or the same service for a higher price. This is not always the case with each pricing change at Netflix, but it certainly is a common occurrence. Think about this. Whenever Netflix makes one of its sleazy deals with the movie studios, do your subscription prices go down, or does Netflix keep making you pay the full price and keep all of the profits for itself?

With such a large market share, Netflix must be getting cocky. Perhaps, Netflix knows--from experience--that its customers will accept all sorts of abuse, provided that abuse is doled out quietly in small amounts.

"Small amounts" might be a slight understatement here.  If you are on the two-out plan, you are going to take a hit of just over 7% on your monthly subscription fee.  If you are on a three-out plan, however, your prices are going up nearly 18%.  In how many areas of your personal finances would you be willing to accept an 18% increase to a luxury expense?

So, if you remain a Netflix subscriber, you will soon be paying more for the same level of service or worse. Are you going to cancel your service, or will you just take the abuse?

Aww, c'mon.  We all know you're going to submit and take the new abuse. Much like Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary, you masochists just can't get enough of your cruel red lover. Hey, when you create a new account with Netflix these days, do they make you select a safety word in case things get a little too rough?