The problem with Netflix

A few months ago, I decided to give a two-week free trial run with Netflix. For those who don’t know what Netflix is, or what they do, please let me explain.

Netflix is a website where you can rent DVD’s, which are mailed to you with a return shipping envelope, postage paid. For $19.99, Netflix will send you three DVD’s at a time. There is no late fee, and you can create a queue online at Netflix so that when you send in a DVD, the next movie you want will be on its way.

I was addicted at first. Netflix lets you rate each movie (1-5 stars) and the system will use that data to make future recommendations. As of this writing, I have rated 855 movies. I also have 39 movies in my queue.

Sounds great so far? In some respects, it is. Very simple to use, decent searchability, and a really great third-party Mac-Only software I enjoy using called Netflix Fanatic. I usually receive my next movie within three days, which is not too bad a turn-around. And if you watch a lot of movies, you will save a lot of money than you will had you rented all of them from your local video store. A lot more money.

Here, though, is what I see as the huge flaws with Netflix, and why I think I may just cancel my subscription.

First, there is often times when I want to make sure that a movie I really want to see soon is shipped next. The problem? Netflix makes no effort into identifying which movies will be popular, and thus the “hot” new movie I want to see is not in. I have to wait. And wait. And wait. How long? Let’s take a peek at my Queue window using Netflix Fanatic.

Okay, the movie I really want to see soon in that list is League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Sure, I know if won’t be as good as I hope it will be, but I still want to see it. But right now, there is a two-week wait to get it to me? I can drive two miles and rent it right now.

Next, Seabiscuit looks fantastic to me. But there is a 30-day wait for it. Seabiscuit was all the talk, and it appears Netflix has enough copies for three subscribers.

Last, Freaky Friday is a movie my two older daughters (eight and nine years old) want to see. It is on sale at WalMart right now for $9.99 on DVD. If I wait for Netflix, according to my queue, they will be able to see it sometime in April.

These are huge problems. If using Netflix means I cannot watch what I want, or expect the movies at the top of my queue to ship next, why bother? What is my savings? Where is the convenience?

The other major, potentially larger, problem with Netflix is that their “new releases” page is the worst of its kind of all time. They show everything! Movies from 2002 are in there, at the top, for crying out loud! Yes, I know they are “new to DVD” which is why they are listed there. But I want to see which NEW movies are coming out, say, next week, or were just released. There is absolutely NO WAY to see either of those lists at Netflix! No way to view which DVD’s will be released NEXT WEEK!

Hello? Is anyone home? Who designed the Netflix page, anyhow? A freaking brain-dead moron, I think.

A great concept, renting DVD”s online. Is someone could back me with, say, $500,000, I could start my own online DVD rental store and put Netflix out of business within a month, simply by correcting the problems above.

Netflix; great concept, piss-poor execution. And hey, it has been months and month and months now, don’t you people at Netflix feel it is about time you hire someone who knows styling for your website, and perhaps a way to LISTEN to customers who complain and make suggestions? I have done both, and been ignored all five times I tried to contact you.