So I made this argument on the last netflix thread that came up, and it was refuted, and I thought maybe netflix had changed. My parents, however, have started to get netflix movies again and each one so far, without fail, has stopped at multiple points due to damage to the disk. Some we managed to get through by cleaning it a bit, some we skipped damaged parts, but it's annoying.
Does nobody else honestly have this issue with damaged disks?
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
Perhaps part of that problem could be alleviated by cleaning your DVD player.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
The last damaged disk i got from netflix was over 2 or 3 years ago.
Posted by maui babe (Member # 1894) on :
In 4 years of four-at-a-time membership, I've had maybe 3 discs that were unplayable for different reasons. I did have a lot of trouble with an older DVD player though, which I replaced recently. Do you have another way to play DVDs? Your computer drive perhaps. Then you can see if the problem is your player or the discs.
If your player is going, it will cost less to replace it than to repair it.
Posted by Liz B (Member # 8238) on :
In 2 years of 3 at a time, we've had one disc that skipped enough to be annoying and one that was too damaged to play.
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
I've been a member for 5+ years. I had one disc arrive cracked. I've had less than a dozen total that were scratched enough to skip or stop completely. I do routinely wipe down their discs before playing, mostly because I don't know where they've been. A friend who used to work there told me they spot check movies inbound and outbound, but I'm sure they aren't looking at every single one to see if they need further care.
I do also run a cleaner disc through my player every couple days because we do watch a lot of DVDs and the cleaners recommend use every 10-20 hours of play time.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I've had a membership since November and I've yet to have a damaged disc.
I'd try cleaning your DVD player, they make special discs you can get that'll clean the inside.
Posted by DevilDreamt (Member # 10242) on :
Yeah, I'm voting that netflix simply has a vendetta against you.
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
I haven't had any problems since I switched from Blockbuster in December.
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
It might depend on what distribution center you live near. I just started a few months ago and I have received one disk that was cracked in half, and one that was badly scratched.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We've had Netflix for about 4 years. We've recieved maybe 10 damaged/unplayable discs, and we are pretty heavy renters. And one we recieved smashed into pieces, but I'm pretty sure that was the evil post office.
Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
I've had Netflix for 4 or 5 years and never had a bad disk.
I think you need to clean your DVD player.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Netflix for at least four years, and not a single bad disk.
Fifths on the "clean your DVD player" recommendation.
Posted by Wendybird (Member # 84) on :
Definitely look at your DVD player. We thought it was the discs but when we played them on the other DVD player they played fine. A few didn't so we sent the disc back and got it replaced. Ours is good about replacing them quickly so I can't complain.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Has anybody suggested cleaning your DVD player?
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
I would suggest inspecting specifically how the disc is scratched. If you have perfect circular scratches then you know your player is to blame. I have to replace DVD nav units at work all the time for that very reason, it's pretty common. Posted by beatnix19 (Member # 5836) on :
I have been with both Netflix and blockbuster and had very few problems with either. I currently am a blockbuster user simply for the in store returns. I am a very heavy renter and it's nice to be able to take them back to the store around the corner. It also makes for quicker delivery of the next movies. I would also suggest you check your dvd player. I had a lot of trouble with movies from my own collection (which I am a freak about keeping clean) and since buying a new player haven't had any trouble.
Posted by Steev (Member # 6805) on :
I've been with Netflix since November and I've had one disk arive in peices and one disk that looked pristine but would not play. My DVD player is only 6 months old.
Posted by Starsnuffer (Member # 8116) on :
Hm. While the disks are not coming out with new scratches from the DVD player I grant it could be the player, and we haven't tried a given disk in multiple players. I'll try that next time we get one. And look into cleaning it.. I suppose... but it never has any issues with our own disks so obviously at SOME level the quality of the disks netflix is sending out are at fault.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
Don't rent popular movies. Instead rent movies that are brand new or really obscure that no one has heard of. Then the discs will be scratch free.
Posted by rollainm (Member # 8318) on :
Okay, Netflix just officially irked me. Apparently they're going to start charging more for blu-ray rentals soon. I just got my PS3. Honestly, now is when you decide to start doing this? Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
I've only gotten one or two damaged disks in the year-and-a-half or so we've used them. A few scratches or prints here and there, but nothing that couldn't be dealt with with a judicious use of glasses cleaner.
Posted by the_Somalian (Member # 6688) on :
quote:Originally posted by rollainm: Okay, Netflix just officially irked me. Apparently they're going to start charging more for blu-ray rentals soon. I just got my PS3. Honestly, now is when you decide to start doing this?
I would recommend ignoring blue ray all together until the prices come down. It's expensive because it requires all sorts of new machinery to churn them out. HD-dvds would have merely required a simple conversion of the technology used to produce regular DVDs. Thus, Netflix and the like have no choice but to pass it down to the consumer.
But really, was a next generation DVD really that necessary? The jump from VHS to DVD was extraordinary and customers flocked to the dvd. I don't even think most people out there know--or care to to know--what Blue-Ray is!
Posted by Marek (Member # 5404) on :
In over two years of membership we've had maybe two discs that were unplayable, one that got lost and never showed up, one that showed up a week after it's replacement, and one cracked clear through that actually played just fine.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
I had my first bad disc today.
I was in the middle of Across the Universe and it would not continue. I could have watched the end, but the middle refused to budge. I tried using three different players and cleaning the disc to no avail. To Netflix's credit, they're sending out a replacement disc immediately.
Frankly I think their customer service is what makes the whole thing really worth it. Whenever I've had a problem they've send me a new disc for whatever the problem was after profusely apologizing and even knocking some money off my monthly bill one time. Knowing I'll never really be inconvenienced for more than a day really makes me feel like I'm getting my money's worth.
Still, soooo frustrating, this movie rocks, and I REALLY want to know how it ends!
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
I got "Why did I get married?" from Netflix last week, and the first 20 minutes was pretty much unwatchable due to scratches. Strangely, it was only that portion of the disc. I was pretty incensed. I find it incredibly lame to scratch up a disk through carelessness, then send it back in like you didn't do anything. Oh well. I guess I'm going to have to get used to disappointment, because I'm definitely on the "careful with public or semi-public stuff and spaces" end of the spectrum. I consider Netflix sem-public, because it's so widely used, and it's so similar to a library.
Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :
3 damaged discs in 3-4 years. All speedily replaced.
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
Bumping this thread because I'm VERY irritated with Netflix. My dad rented some golf movie and sent in my blue ray Mission Impossible 3 in their sleeve. I called them thinking it was going to be simple, but they said there is no way of returning the disc, even though the sleeve and the disc are different.
He said he can give me a $10 dollar credit to my account for the movie, but that's it. I found that ridiculous. I asked to talk to a supervisor and got the same story but got the credit up to $15. I feel like they're taking my movie and giving me pennies. Jerks. I am SO mad at them right now. I'm opening an account with Blockbuster.
Does anybody else here see this as ridiculous?
Posted by Christine (Member # 8594) on :
Not really, no. And I don't see that Blockbuster would handle the situation any differently. They handle countless thousands of DVD's a day. How are they supposed to find yours? I think the $15 credit is appropriate and I would be pissed at my father for putting the wrong disc in.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Not really - I think you should try to collect from your dad.
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Actually, I don't think it's ridiculous at all. They didn't take your movie; you sent it to them and they don't have the ability - or it's not cost-effective - to return it to you. Now, it may be stupid on their part as far as customer service goes, but it's not their fault that they got the DVD.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
That does seem odd. Those things are bar coded, couldn't they just track down the disc at the distribution center?
However, it isn't their fault. I agree with the others, I'd be more mad at your dad. Does he get to keep the golf movie? And what was it?
I'd be even more mad if he lost your disc to protect something like the Legend of Bagger Vance. That'd just be rubbing salt in the wound.
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
I'm not saying I'm not mad at my dad for putting in my $30 dollar movie, I'll deal with him later, I just think it's ridiculous that they can't look at the sleeve(they aren't processed by machine after all) and see that the movie inside is different.
I don't think they're taking my movie, I'm just pissed off.
I think it's dumb since they lost a customer over this, it was preventable.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
I had that happen too--I sent in the wrong DVD in the right sleeve, and they said there was no way to return it. I wouldn't have thought it would even required a call. I'd assume that as soon as they saw the wrong disc in the sleeve, they'd check their records and see that I'd never rented that DVD and return it automatically. No such luck, though.
They did give me $15 to buy a new copy of the DVD from Amazon, but they'd never even have caught the error if I didn't call them and inform them. They credited me for returning the movie that was named on the sleeve, even though the DVD didn't match. I don't know how they keep their inventory straight with such a system.
On the bright side, it's very easy to make this idiocy turn in your favor. Rent the $45 Criterion Collection version of Seven Samurai, and return some straight-to-DVD Pierce Brosnan movie from Wal-Mart's $1 bin in the same sleeve. Maybe if that happens enough times they'll start to notice.
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
You know, the worst part is now I'll have to pay for shipping to send in their movie too.
Posted by scottneb (Member # 676) on :
Fight perceived dishonesty with absolute dishonesty?
edit: For Speed.
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
Huh?
Posted by Shigosei (Member # 3831) on :
Nick, you can send back two movies in the same sleeve if you lose one. I'm sure you can just have your dad send back the golf movie in the same sleeve as another one of his movies.
Posted by Speed (Member # 5162) on :
quote:Originally posted by scottneb: Fight perceived dishonesty with absolute dishonesty?
I never called them dishonest, and I've never enacted my little hypothetical situation.
My point is that they seem to have a policy that actively encourages people to rip them off. It doesn't seem so much dishonest as utterly idiotic.
[ September 18, 2008, 05:59 PM: Message edited by: Speed ]
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
Oh okay, thanks Shig.
I just got off the phone with my dad, and of course he said, "I don't know why you left it in the DVD player! As far as I know my movie was still in there!" He was trying to lay blame back on me.
I have to admit, now that I let my head clear a little, I'm not too upset anymore with Netflix, my anger was clouding my judgement. Offering $15 credit is fair considering I can buy the movie on Amazon for $17.95 on Blue-Ray. I'll just make sure my dad pays me $25 dollars, since that's what I paid for that movie. Especially considering I bought him the Blue-Ray player for his birthday present.
That being said, I still think it sucks that they won't send me back my movie. I could understand if they gave me an explanation as to why they couldn't, but he just said it's not possible. Once again, Hatrack was right, I was wrong, my dad is to blame.
EDIT: Dang, I have to pay to have it shipped back since I'm on a 1 disc plan, I don't have an envelope . . . As far as I can tell, Netflix says I have to mail it with my email address on the account enclosed in the proper shipping envelope. Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
It sounds to me like a disc you own was sent back in the wrong envelope, not that the wrong Netflix disc was returned.
Netflix has HUNDREDS of shipping centers. Depending on where you live, you may have a dozen in your immediate area. There's 10 in the Chicago Metro area. And even though the envelope says "nearest Netflix facility", there's no guarantee that it's going to actually go to Carol Stream, even if you live in the same town. So there is no way they can track down a single disc that's not in a sleeve. In reality, the disc will probably get tossed in a bin for sorting later, a new barcode assigned to it (because the assumption will be that it's one of theirs that got separated from its sleeve) and put into circulation. Hence the credit against your account.
As far as getting the disc back to them, can you report a problem with the golf disc, get them to ship you the next disc in queue, and send golf back at the same time?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
Am I the only one who uses "watch instantly" way more often than the mail service?
-pH
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I use Watch Instantly a lot, but probably watch about 1 movie on there for 2 I get in the mail.
That's personally, though.
My kids LOVE Watch Instantly, there's a great selection of kids' PBS shows, The Wiggles, and even classic cartoons (like the Pink Panther. My four year old ADORES The Pink Panther.)
It means I don't have to go for three months at a time with only 2 rentals at a time because my daughter got a disk she's in love with. Posted by Christine (Member # 8594) on :
quote:Originally posted by pH: Am I the only one who uses "watch instantly" way more often than the mail service?
-pH
Unfortunately, I have Linux so can't do this. My husband, who talked me into Linux, tells me it's possible, that he can do it on his computer (after hours of effort and years more computer know-how than I have), and that Microsoft is evil and we shouldn't be forced to have Windows on our computer to watch movies or browse half the bleeping internet sitse out there. Still doesn't change much for me.... Posted by Earendil18 (Member # 3180) on :
quote:Originally posted by Christine:
quote:Originally posted by pH: Am I the only one who uses "watch instantly" way more often than the mail service?
-pH
Unfortunately, I have Linux so can't do this. My husband, who talked me into Linux, tells me it's possible, that he can do it on his computer (after hours of effort and years more computer know-how than I have), and that Microsoft is evil and we shouldn't be forced to have Windows on our computer to watch movies or browse half the bleeping internet sitse out there. Still doesn't change much for me....
Dual booting isn't an option? I suppose there's always Mac...
Posted by Nick (Member # 4311) on :
quote:Originally posted by Earendil18: Dual booting isn't an option? I suppose there's always Mac...
Took the words out of my mouth. Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Hey, back to the cleaner DVD disc thing again - woudl this also work to help clean an XBOX 360?
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I use watch instantly mostly for tv shows...but I love it. I'm horrible about tv shows on dvd. Now i they would just put original Law and Order on there...
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I use watch instantly mostly for tv shows...but I love it. I'm horrible about tv shows on dvd. Now i they would just put original Law and Order on there...
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I use watch instantly mostly for tv shows...but I love it. I'm horrible about tv shows on dvd. Now i they would just put original Law and Order on there...
Posted by Sean Monahan (Member # 9334) on :
Holy crap, pH, how many Law and Order's do you want??
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
ALL OF THEM.
And then I want Sam Waterston shipped to my house via Netflix so that he can randomly burst into speeches about justice.
-pH
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
If you set up 2 computers next to the tv, you could be watching SVU and CI on the computers while you watch the original on TNT...
Posted by theCrowsWife (Member # 8302) on :
I would use the watch instantly feature, but I have Windows 2000 and it's not compatible.
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Jerks. I am SO mad at them right now. I'm opening an account with Blockbuster.![[Wall Bash]](graemlins/wallbash.gif)
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