Open Letter To Netflix…. It is Over

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I posted this yesterday but due to an overwhelming response I am posting it again!

Budget Savvy Diva’s Open Letter to Netflix

Oh Netflix…. Is this a nice way of getting out of our 4 year relationship?

Everything started out oh so wonderful. Everything was new and exciting – I splurged  on 2 dvd’s at a time + streaming ( I would not spend so much on the other jocks like Blockbuster) but I did for you because I thought we had something. I remember being excited when you would send me those presents in red envelopes ( some not so great as others – but that was okay I knew that there were more to come). And remember the time when I completely ruined a copy of Waterworld ( I know you were thanking me a little for that one) and you forgave me and sent me a new film to enjoy. You helped me through college  and workouts.

But… the last year has been difficult for us I know…

Could it be the “lack” of excitement in the streaming film selection or me falling to the temptation of Redbox ( damn them for those free codes ) – it just seems like we were slipping not communicating  – but I thought things were going to get better after a certain chain  filed for bankruptcy and I thought everything would get better….

Well I was wrong.

I woke up this morning to a cold email from you – announcing  you would no longer be offering a combined DVD and streaming plan and would instead separate the services. I quickly enter into our account and sure enough you left a note simply stating that if I wanted to keep you that would charge me 20% more monthly. No warning – no nothing… As I sit here eating my third pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and wondering what hair cut I should get I cannot help but think that this was your plan all along – entice me with your reasonable price and to wait out the competition.

Well it is over – yes it has been nice but I think it is best if we parted ways. If you need me I will be watching Masterchef on Hulu.

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  • Stephanie Shields

    Although the jacked up prices SUCK!! This is a very cute letter lol and I honestly think you need to mail them a copy!!

  • april yedinak

    haha, I thought it was a slap in the face too for them to hike the prices, especially since I have been less than enchanted with the stream content

  • RN

    you really read my mind and wrote everything i had to say to netflix. i’ve been a subscriber since early 2009 with 3 dvds but now …. i think i’ll have to goodbye to netflix!

  • Cherie Mercer

    Okay, I am new to Netflix…just finished my one month free trial. Is it worth keeping? We mainly used the streaming with our Wii, but how are the movie selections? Do they change often? Trying to decide if I should cancel or not??????

    • lauri

      Cherie, that is how we use it. It all depends on your viewing habits. The movie selection is not that great. I do Redbox which is right down the block and my kids can walk to it to return them. The TV shows are another story. Lots of them…In fact, I have the Silver Package on my Cable (which is includes 11 HBO’s, STARS and ENCORE, among others) and Netflix is watched more often by my kids.

      I would suggest that you spring for one more month, but make it a habit to spend a little time looking to see what is there.

  • Andi

    I too was very upset when my husband let me know that they were raising our prices. I love your letter and I think I will follow suit. A “nice” letter and then give them the boot!

  • lauri

    I really do hope you mailed that letter. These budget/Mommy/Freebie/Coupon (you get the picture) blogs are a lot more powerful then we can ever imagine…just because the fan base might not show thousands of fans, it doesn’t mean the posts are not spread far and wide.

    While I do not have the service that does both the DVD’s and streaming, I still had to roll my eyes when I read about this increase this morning. Netflix has the worst selection of movies ever, and they are by no means current. In fact, they just released a movie I saw 20 years ago…as NEW! I just signed up and am only on my third month. My kids watch it to catch reruns of TV shows like Meercat Manor, and stuff like that. I will gladly pay $7.99 for that, at least for now. If I did have the package that increased, there is no way I would keep it.

  • coco

    very nicely put ! mine was not so nice, what are they thinking ??? they are the LAST company to get new releases, I get new releases from the libray (FREE) redbox, and blockbuster kiosk’s 1.00 or free, and then have to delete them from my netflix Q, there selection is horrible. come september I’m done as well !

  • Qtpies7

    We have the lowest package, the streaming only, for $8, and it hasn’t changed. We used it constantly! I am sure that $100 a month would be about the usage we get out of it! Between the teens and the preschoolers, we more than get our money’s worth. And if we were charged more, I’d pay it. But we don’t do the movies shipped to us because we lose everything, lol. We just rent local and get it back FAST. There is nothing better than turning on a cartoon on netflix on the iPhone for the kids to avoid that horrid “Are we there yet?” They are not losing us. 🙂

    • Karen

      That’s fab for an iPhone. Android users were stuck with a laptop and data limits. I’m angry at Netflix about that, as well.

      Just found out they made streaming available to Android – today.

      ISN’T THAT CONVENIENT!

  • Jennifer Cole-Regis

    Cute. We stopped using Netflix years ago for the exact reason there is a lawsuit on them: no captioning on streaming videos. I was very sad that they kept putting it off and didn’t get around to captioning–can’t watch movies streamed like anyone else. We are a Redbox family.

  • Christina

    Netflix is raising their prices, because they are adding more movies to instant streaming. They are hoping by Dec. of this year that they will only have instant streaming and no longer a DVD service. I love Netflix and even though the prices are going up there is no way I could ever get rid of it.

  • Megan G

    Fantastic letter. Their unexpected price raise is rude, ridiculous, and will come back to kick them in the ass.

  • dee plair

    Check out #Dear Netflix on Twitter. It’s hilarious. That being said, most of what I streamed was old TV shows and obscure foreign stuff. Netflix can’t be beat for that. But now they don’t support streaming on my EVO and you can’t stream Netflix on Linux (my laptop), so this price hike is just another reason to eliminate that expense. I’ll miss all the anime.

  • Leigh Anne Borders

    Great letter…funny enough to want to share with others :p You are quite good at making others smile and laugh while getting your point across! Well done!!!!!

  • Melissa

    We’ve had Netflix for years! With the price hike, we don’t watch to many movies, so I’ll just start using Redbox for $1 a movie and then use Hulu services for $7.99 for Tv shows plus their free movies.

  • Zach Crumpler

    It’s just like the 99¢ chicken burrito at Taco Bell. It was popular so they suddenly jacked the price to nearly $2! Taco Bell and Netflix (and any number of money-hungry corporations) are completely missing the point. You are not selling your product because we the consumers are that impressed with your product. We buy it because it’s cheap. Period. In case you forgot, Netflix was the cheaper alternative to Blockbuster – and you see how that worked out for them. Now, all we need is a cheaper alternative to Netflix and they will follow down the same downward spiral as their predecessors. I, too, will be ending my relationship with Netflix and jumping over to another service that offers the SAME product for less. There is no loyalty in this economy, Netflix, get over yourselves.

  • BRANDI

    I too love the letter! And I was slightly steamy when I got that email from them about the price hike but… even when they do go up it will be more than worth what I am paying for it just for the kids to watch on the wii alone. I can take or leave the 1 dvd at a time (which we also currently have) but the ease of turning on a Spongebob rerun at will without looking for the scratched dvds that probably won’t play now anyway, lol, is unsurpassable. (And if my husband didn’t have all those old TV show reruns to watch we might end up divorced!) Now that someone above says they will be offering better streaming in December just fuels me to stay, at least on a streaming plan. I have been a loyal customer since the beginning and while I do think the new prices are a real downer, I will have to stay a customer. I hope you sent the letter though! ;c)

  • Tonja

    Great job on this letter/rant, BSD!! Love your style! Very witty and straight to the point!! I, too was NOT happy when I received the email from them! We barely watch 1 DVD per month, so we’ll drop the DVD’s and keep the streaming since we think it’s very handy through our Wii, Laptop, PC & iPhone!!! 😉

  • taz

    I have never used Netflix. I watch the free movies that our cable company has for us on Video On Demand. The listing changes every month. I can always find something there that is worth watching. Plus we have the free VOD on other channels on the cable too.

  • Tammy Dalton

    I am so disgusted with Netflix but I don’t have much of a choice because I don’t pay for my own cable (my landlord pays for all but the movie channels I have to pay for) and I don’t have reliable transportation, so I’m stuck. So I was forced to make a choice and since I want to see the newer movies I will drop the streaming. If anyone knows of a better company that delivers and streams just let me know!!
    I love your letter!! If I could I would borrow it but I need some way to watch movies, I don’t go to the movies anymore!! Good luck in finding a new love soon!! 🙂

  • lisa

    Such a great letter, very funny. I quite them a year ago when they upped the price $1/mo. Redbox is the way to go.

  • Sarina

    Good to know since I was thinking of switching to Netflix since it’s cheaper than Blockbuster. At least Blockbuster was nicer to me though…when they changed their “monthly plans” from 3 mailed DVDs and unlimited number of in-store exchanges to 1 mailed and a limited amount of exchanges for the same price, they let me have the same original plan since I was a “valued customer” (and it has been a couple years since this has happened).

  • Betty

    Wow, love, love, love it!!! Very cute letter, but conveyed my thoughts too 🙂 I have been a subscriber for two years but may have to part ways now 🙁

  • Tara

    Our XBox just died a few days ago so this seemed like perfect timing…we can’t stream anything anyway now since our XBox went kaput. I switched my account to the 1 DVD at a time with no streaming. It was nice to be able to sit down on a Friday night & watch streaming movies with my 8 year old son but since the XBox is broken, we can’t do it now. Sure we could still use the Wii or computer but the Wii is in my son’s playroom (it’s not allowed in the living room) & the computer is not a comfortable place to watch movies. There’s always my iPhone but who really wants to gather around a cell phone to watch a movie? Netflix just upped their prices at the beginning of the year…I can’t believe that they are raising their prices again.

  • Karen

    I also wrote a letter to Netflix, after I invested in CSTR. Redbox, here I come.

    I’m mostly pissed to be told I have 7 days to return dvd’s, before they charge me $14 each. So much for unlimited!

    Here’s my letter:

    Dear Netflix,

    I’m sorry, this just isn’t working out and I think we should see other people.
    When I first noticed you in 1999, I held back because I didn’t know if you would be there for me. I heard everyone sing your praises and I was interested, but I wanted you to want me, as well.
    I flirted with you for years, then I took the plunge and gave you my money. You won my heart, took my money and then you treated me badly. It was always about the money!
    Starting today, you are no longer important to me. Go find someone else. I’m not your personal ATM.
    You will receive your dvd’s shortly.
    By the way, if you want more money – work for it!
    I’ve started seeing Redbox and they are getting my money. While it’s always about the money, it’s also about what is fair. Redbox never gets 40 dollars a month from me. I’m in control of how much Redbox gets. I also bought stock because I thought I would get my money back from you!
    Keep your dvd’s and keep your stock. We’re almost finished. I’ll keep the streaming with you, because I want to be friends. Otherwise, I’ll keep my money. Or give it to Redbox.

    Sincerely,

    Customer

  • Kelly

    we kept the streaming only and that is just for my kids to play X Box Live. I do enjoy some of the good old movies from the 70’s and 80’s (i.e. Burnt Offerings, Sleeping With The Enemy) when my daughter is kind enough to set it up for me! Oh how I enjoy her comfy bed and large flat screen tv (way better then the 13 inch in my room…lol). With all the free movie codes for Blockbuster, who needs the extra bill?