Netflix is sending out an email alert to customers who have streaming plus DVD plans letting them know that things will change on September 1. The popular entertainment steaming company said that it plans to separate Disc-based DVD plans from its unlimited streaming plans. Netflix says that it is doing this to "better reflect the costs of each."
As an example, someone who has a $19.99 a month membership for unlimited streaming and 3-disc at a time will be split into 2 distinct plans:
Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 3 out at-a-time (no streaming) for $15.99 a month
The new price for these plans will be $23.98 a month ($7.99 + $15.99) plus any aplicable tax..
Other plans at a glance:
Unlimited Streaming + 1 DVD out at-a-time: $15.98 a month
Unlimited Streaming + 2 DVDs out at-a-time: $19.98 a month
Unlimited Streaming + 3 DVDs out at-a-time: $23.98 a month
Unlimited Streaming + 4 DVDs out at-a-time: $29.98 a month
Netflix offers what I consider the worst possible plan for $4.99 a month. It includes 1 DVD at a time - which you can only rent two times a month - and two hours of online streaming via a PC. You have no access to any Starz content, and you cannot use any other Netflix ready device.
Expect all these changes on September 1.
Comments
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
This will be the second price hike for Netflix this year. My current plan (Two-at-a-time with Unlimitesd streaming) will go up around five dollars as of September. When you add it up this is a significant increase in the rates. Netflix kept surging foward even after Redbox came along because they offered their best bang for the buck and with this move it might seal their fate just like Blockbuster. Also keep in mind that as customers we are not gonna get anything new and their current service has decayed greatly. And with this new increase and the fact that current customer are geting screwed I can see a long line of irate customers canceling Netflix and flocking to Redbox when it comes to DVDs.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
I'm not too bothered by the price change, as it always kind of surprised me that Netflix included unlimited streaming with the DVD plans in the first place. I am annoyed with the lack of notification, however. I've looked through my e-mail and can't find any record of being notified by them about this--I found out from a post on Facebook.
Were any of you other Netflix users notified? When I go to my Netflix account info and click either "Change Plan" or "Terms and Details", then I do see the information about the price changes, but that seems a long way to have to dig to find information that they should be giving their customers up front.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
We got e-mail, although seen online before that e-mail came in.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
Yeah, my family just ditched our DVD subscription and went with Plan 1 after getting the email yesterday. We rarely use anything other than the instant play as it is. If we decide we wanna watch something other than what's available on instant play, we'll probably just go to a local rental place to get something. It's so few and far between for us these days, it's not worth paying an extra $6 a month for something we rarely use.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
That is my thought too, though the problem of streaming content disappearing with no notice troubles me...
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
Does stuff disappear with no notice? At least on the 360 I see "expires on..." and don't recall anything going away. More often than not it seems that the expiration notice just goes away.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
OUCH! I left Gamefly because of their prices...they don't look half bad now.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
4 extra bucks a month.
O fucking noez. Help. Highway robbery. 1 less extra value meal a month.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
Actually, my price for 1 dvd a month and unlimited streaming will be going up $6 a month.
Granted this is still a really good deal compared to many of the other options out there. But it is kind of a crap move to dump it on existing customers with no real alternative.
I look forward to seeing what competing services pop up in the next few years.
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
i agree, it's lame of them to do this and not at least offer some kind of deal for people who are only getting DVD's for bluray - kind of screws the whole reason to have a bluray player since most will not purchase bluray discs over renting them. so my bluray player (ps3) won't be getting many movies anymore, I guess.
i also have a feeling that the 30days delay for new releases is making their physical dvd distribution service less profitable.
clearly they want out of the dvd game and they think they are following a consumer trend by focusing on streaming but the reality is that the pain of renting physical dvds/bluray discs was forced on consumers by publishers/studios being greedy and making back-alley deals with comcast, etc
gamefly should swoop in here and offer a bluray only disc addon for a few $ and steal all the bluray renters away from netflix. probably not cost effective but would be cool.
Re: Big Changes for Netflix Subscribers Sept. 1
Willign ot bet most will use plan 1