Netflix just raised their prices again... there goes my budget!

[Truelovernr1122]

I'm a fan of Netflix on Facebook and in their status update, they posted a "cheerful" decision to split unlimited DVD rentals from their unlimited streaming plan. So...essentially, if I want both (like I have now for $14) I have to pay full price for each one. I'll now be paying $20 a month!!

I know movies aren't a necessity, but I save where I can so my husband and I can afford things like that. Although I used to think Netflix was a great deal, I'm feeling really upset by this! Every Blockbuster and Hollywood Video was forced out of business in my area and the only way to rent a movie is through them or one of those Redbox movie rental stands.

Should I just drop them? $6 extra dollars a month really adds up! Maybe I'll contact them first and tell them how disgusted I am with their raising prices during an economically hard time. Do you think if they receive enough bad feedback about this, they'll lower their prices or change their minds? Ugh!!

 

[Truelovernr1122]

Here's a link to the article they posted in their status: http://blog.netflix.com/2011/07/netflix-introduces-new-plans-and.html

Just so you all can see the price changes firsthand.

 

[momto2inKC]

If you don't want to pay the new fee, i'd just pick 1 plan or the other. We just do the $7.99 instant streaming and have no complaints. I'm honestly surprised they waited this long to charge more to use both plans.

 

[MagiKitty]

I just heard about this also and I feel that they're charging more money for even less service. I currently have the one DVD out, unlimited streaming and with the changes, we have to seriously consider which to drop as I refuse to pay for both.

Streaming is nice on an impromptu basis, but too many of the items I want to watch aren't available. DVD is nice, but you have to wait a day or two to get it. For us current customers, the changes take effect on September 1, so I have a while to consider what to do. But I may end up dropping Netflix altogether. I just go a good deal on premium channels on my television service, so I may just watch those and use Redbox once in a while.

 

[budbeerlady]

I will be the odd one out and say I am happy for the change. Our plan of 3 movies at a time went down to $16, we never stream movies so I will be saving $. I was thinking of dropping it but now I guess we will keep it a while longer.

 

[NotUrsula]

Maybe I'll contact them first and tell them how disgusted I am with their raising prices during an economically hard time. Do you think if they receive enough bad feedback about this, they'll lower their prices or change their minds? Ugh!!

Not a chance, and here's why: http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/08/technology/netflix_starz_contract/?iref=NS1

 

[katrina1122]

We only pay for streaming now, we dropped dvd when they added the extra $1 per month, but doubling it? That's crazy.

 

[pigletgirl]

wow! i might need to reconsider my subscription!

 

[Truelovernr1122]

I will be the odd one out and say I am happy for the change. Our plan of 3 movies at a time went down to $16, we never stream movies so I will be saving $. I was thinking of dropping it but now I guess we will keep it a while longer.

I can see how this would be a good deal for you and your family. Your prices went down since you didn't use streaming anyway. We specifically bought a blu-ray player in the past so we could stream instant videos on days our netflix DVDs were in the mail.

Now it just seems like they want to charge more and not even improve their service! The unlimited streaming doesn't offer every movie, so now I have to pick one or the other. Delay on watching movies or not be given the option to see every movie I would like

So sad!!

 

[Straitlover]

Did I read the blogpost incorrectly? How did the OP come up with a new price of $20. The way I read it, it would be $15.98 per the second to last paragraph:

"Now we offer a choice: Unlimited Streaming for $7.99 a month, Unlimited DVDs for $7.99 a month, or both for $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). We think $7.99 is a terrific value for our unlimited streaming plan and $7.99 a terrific value for our unlimited DVD plan."

 

[Truelovernr1122]

I checked my Netflix account information and on my account page it gives all the new options to choose from. In order to keep 2 DVDs at a time + unlimited streaming, it will be $19.98

They have severely underestimated in the blog, as my Netflix account reads differently! Grrr... they lie to the public!

Did I read the blogpost incorrectly? How did the OP come up with a new price of $20. The way I read it, it would be $15.98 per the second to last paragraph:

"Now we offer a choice: Unlimited Streaming for $7.99 a month, Unlimited DVDs for $7.99 a month, or both for $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). We think $7.99 is a terrific value for our unlimited streaming plan and $7.99 a terrific value for our unlimited DVD plan."

 

[Disneefun]

Adios netflix. We watch a little of both. A little streaming and the one DVD plan. But we're heavy users of neither. I refuse to pay double per month for the little we use. Add to that there's very little being made these days I want to see at all and it's adios netflix. If there's just something I have to see I'll buy it on sale and then sell it back to secondspin or someplace.

 

[NotUrsula]

Now it just seems like they want to charge more and not even improve their service! The unlimited streaming doesn't offer every movie, so now I have to pick one or the other. Delay on watching movies or not be given the option to see every movie I would like

It's not that they are getting greedy, it is that they have no choice but to raise prices if they want to keep the titles available at all. If you read the article that I linked, you'll find that it is because the movie studios have MASSIVELY raised the licensing fees that Netflix has to pay them, and in some cases the studio is capping the number of times that a catalogue can be accessed via streaming. Last year Netflix paid $180 million for their streaming rights; the prediction is that 2012 is going to cost them $1.98 billion.

It was great while it lasted, but now that the initial contracts that they set up when the company was founded are beginning to expire, the major studios want a piece of the profit, and they are in a position to see that they get it. If they don't, Netflix will die very quickly, because if they don't pay up, all they will be offering is old TV shows and independent films.

 

[vicki_c]

Sounds like a ripoff to me. I guess we will cancel our DVD by mail part at a minimum. We often only get 2 movies a month by mail - it's not worth $8. We'll use Redbox.

Their blog post on Netflix is ridiculous though. It sounds like Disney-speak, in fact. Like Disney takes things away "to improve the guest experience ..." and "in response to guest feedback"! Yeah, right.

 

[Panna]

I watch their streaming all of the time and I enjoy it, but as noted, not all movies or TV shows are available that way, or only for a limited time. I am okay with paying a bit more for a 1 dvd at a time and unlimited streaming, but to pay $15.98 plus tax is ridiculous. I'll most likely end up dropping the dvd portion if not both.

 

[vicki_c]

I checked my Netflix account information and on my account page it gives all the new options to choose from. In order to keep 2 DVDs at a time + unlimited streaming, it will be $19.98

They have severely underestimated in the blog, as my Netflix account reads differently! Grrr... they lie to the public!

I think $7.99 is for the 1 DVD by mail at a time plan. You have the 2 DVDs plan, so maybe that's why.

 

[SondraC]

Did I read the blogpost incorrectly? How did the OP come up with a new price of $20. The way I read it, it would be $15.98 per the second to last paragraph:

"Now we offer a choice: Unlimited Streaming for $7.99 a month, Unlimited DVDs for $7.99 a month, or both for $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). We think $7.99 is a terrific value for our unlimited streaming plan and $7.99 a terrific value for our unlimited DVD plan."

The OP probably has the same plan I do right now, which is 2 dvds & unlimited streaming for $16 (that includes the taxes)
I think I will be making a change or just canceling all together.

 

[runskyhy]

wow! i might need to reconsider my subscription!

Ditto.

 

[hopemax]

We dropped from 3 DVDs to 2 with the last price increase. With this we will be dropping the streaming. May or may not go back up to 3 disks. I don't like watching stuff on the computer vs the tv, and while we have a Wii, we prefer HD to standard def. So we don't stream. So while our bill will be cheaper, I'm still annoyed and these changes are making easier to just consider dropping it altogether.

 

[VirataMama4]

Our plan will be going to the $17.98, as we pay the extra $2 for blu-ray... We'll be dropping the dvd/blu-ray with the new price increase, which will save us $10 a month once the increase goes into affect. We're just to busy to watch movies and our last blu-ray rental sat for almost a month before we watched it. I guess we'll try out redbox with the next free rental code that comes out.