Netflix wants to charge you less
I’m cancelling my Netflix account. My gripes:
- I keep getting broken DVDs in the mail
- The selection sucks
- I’d rather support local businesses
Instead, I’ll be going with Greencine, a San Francisco-based mail-based movie rental company that specializes in indie films. They do the blockbusters, too, but indie films are the heart of their business. They also have a fantastic business attitude, as represented by the wording of their FAQ, and the strong sense of community represented on the forums.
That said, if there is still anyone with a Netflix account who does not want to switch to Greencine, try to cancel your Netflix account anyway. I’m not kidding. Don’t actually cancel, but try to do so. You’ll probably get a message like this one:
Get a Great Deal on your monthly subscription price by staying with us for six more months. Here’s how it works:
* Remain a Netflix customer for the next six months.
* At the end of six months, your Netflix subscription will return to the regular price.
* If you cancel before the six months are over, you will be charged the difference between your regular subscription price and the discounted rate, but only for the number of months you’ve enjoyed the discount.Get your next six months of Netflix Service for just $18.99/month. Save $18.00!
If you’re going to keep your Netflix service, you might as well pay less for it. Notice that this doesn’t lock you into any sort of contract which has cancellation penalties. You just pay less if you do stick around.
Arlan, 
tim A, and 
Arlan are discussing.
Arlan 8:40 pm on Sunday, December 12, 2004 Permalink
Try http://www.rent-a-flic.com, they are smaller, so your subscription means more to them. I’ve been with them for 4 months. If I have aproblem, I email them, and receive a personal email back within the hour. The service is incredible. They are cheaper than the competitors, and selection is decent, and more movies are in stock more often.
tim A 1:22 pm on Monday, December 20, 2004 Permalink
Arlan,
netflix has a 2 at a time, 4 total in a month deal for 11.99
Convince me that rent-a-flic.com, with no 1-800# to dial, is better.
Can I get 4 movies in a month from rent-a-flic, if it takes time to mail back each selection after mailing it in.
If I Watch Saturday, Mail Monday, will I get a new movie back by the following Saturday?
Tim
tim A 1:23 pm on Monday, December 20, 2004 Permalink
I forgot to mention I am looking at rent-a-flic’s 9.99 offer of only 1 movie out at a time
Arlan 9:16 pm on Sunday, January 2, 2005 Permalink
Tim-
They have what they refer to as the Returning feature. Once you are done watching the movie, you simply place it into a “Returning” status, and they immediately ship out your next queued movie. This way they cross in the mail and you don’t have to wait for the movies to reach their offices. I would think you should be able to get at least 6 movies in a month on their 1 plan, however I have no idea what part of the country you live in, or any experience with their 1 plan. I would just try it while you have Netflix still, it’s only $10 and that way you could compare the two.
-Arlan