Sunday, February 19, 2006
Two Netflix-related news items:
First, I always suspected this to be true despite me never seeing any evidence of it. I even suggested this to Tiff three years ago. Well, actually, I never thought much about them intentionally delaying shipping to the busy customers, but I always mentioned that they probably give cd preference to those who keep a dvd for an entire month over someone who watches and returns a movie the next day.
Second, I actually read another article that was longer and more detailed but I didn't save the link, so this is the best I could find. Basically, postal workers would take Netflix dvds home. Some would keep them, outright stealing them. Others would watch them, then reseal and put them back in the mail. And if they return them, it would be hard to detect, especially if they "borrow" them on the return-to-netflix trip. Let's face it. You can tell when Netflix sends them and when you get them, but unless you remember when you stuck the dvd in the mail and then look at the return date, you might not notice an extra day or two stuck on the trip. This might even have happened to me. It always seemed that when I stuck DVDs in one particular mailbox back in Pittsburgh, it took longer to return that if I put it in any other mailbox.
First, I always suspected this to be true despite me never seeing any evidence of it. I even suggested this to Tiff three years ago. Well, actually, I never thought much about them intentionally delaying shipping to the busy customers, but I always mentioned that they probably give cd preference to those who keep a dvd for an entire month over someone who watches and returns a movie the next day.
Second, I actually read another article that was longer and more detailed but I didn't save the link, so this is the best I could find. Basically, postal workers would take Netflix dvds home. Some would keep them, outright stealing them. Others would watch them, then reseal and put them back in the mail. And if they return them, it would be hard to detect, especially if they "borrow" them on the return-to-netflix trip. Let's face it. You can tell when Netflix sends them and when you get them, but unless you remember when you stuck the dvd in the mail and then look at the return date, you might not notice an extra day or two stuck on the trip. This might even have happened to me. It always seemed that when I stuck DVDs in one particular mailbox back in Pittsburgh, it took longer to return that if I put it in any other mailbox.
Comments:
I've often marveled at the implicit trust you have to place in the US Post Office as a Netflix customer. Sometimes I leave my returns in the "US Mail" box at work, and I wonder if the mail man won't just take it home with him. So far, I haven't noticed any movies getting to Netflix later than I anticipated, but it still makes me wary.
That other story was just disturbing. In the summer time I watch and return my movies right away to get the most for my money. I don't want to be targeted for late shipment. That stinks.
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That other story was just disturbing. In the summer time I watch and return my movies right away to get the most for my money. I don't want to be targeted for late shipment. That stinks.
