Netflix Eliminating Profiles

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[LyricFox]

I know this is a very different topic from the usual, but Netflix notified its customers that it was doing away with multiple profiles under one account.

The posters at Hacking Netflix are not amused...and I can't say I am.

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2008/06/netflix-elimina/comments/page/1/#comments

[Starglade]

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2008/06/netflix-elimina/comments/page/1/#comments

We're very disappointed. Each of us (two adults, three kids) has a profile, with a queue we manage ourselves. The kids, even the 7yo, choose what they want and order things as they see fit. With this, we'll have to go back to having one HUGE queue, and jockey for position with one another to get what we want. Honestly, we're not sure it'll be worth the hassle. Having 5 DVDs at once is great, but mostly because we dont' have to think about it--the profile queues take care of themselves. Send one back, get a new one. It won't be that simple anymore. Ugh.

[RandallS]

We're very disappointed.

If they don't reverse themselves on this one, we'll drop down to the one disk, unlimited plan. Fewer movies but foregoing the hassle of trying to coordinate three disks with one queue.

[LyricFox]

We're very disappointed. Each of us (two adults, three kids) has a profile, with a queue we manage ourselves. The kids, even the 7yo, choose what they want and order things as they see fit. With this, we'll have to go back to having one HUGE queue, and jockey for position with one another to get what we want. Honestly, we're not sure it'll be worth the hassle. Having 5 DVDs at once is great, but mostly because we dont' have to think about it--the profile queues take care of themselves. Send one back, get a new one. It won't be that simple anymore. Ugh.

Same here. I've got three queues (movies, documentaries, tv shows). Right now, there's very little maintenance on my part...just the occasional order shuffle if I feel like I'm getting in the mood for a run of one sort of thing. That's going to end if they follow through with this. I also plan on downgrading to one out at a time. No way am I going to juggle several hundred DVD titles manually. I did that with Blockbuster and it was a prime reason I was happy to go to Netflix.

With any luck, they'll see what a FUBAR this is going to be and how many customers they'll lose, and change their minds.

[Star]

The posters at Hacking Netflix are not amused...and I can't say I am.

Neither am I.  I can't say I was using my profile that much--I'd get a disc and it would sit there for ages because I didn't have time to watch it--but even for my low usage it's going to be really annoying to have to integrate my queue with Hubby's.  I was so happy when they implemented it, and now it's being snatched back away from me again.  Most likely we'll drop one disc from our plan (i.e. the amount assigned to my profile) and I'll just ask Hubby to stick the occasional disc that I want in his queue when I know I'm going to have time to watch it. 

The best part is that they claim they're doing this so that they can make things better for everyone.  I hate it when perfectly useful, good functionality/services/etc. are removed with the excuse that it's to make things better.

[LyricFox]

The best part is that they claim they're doing this so that they can make things better for everyone.  I hate it when perfectly useful, good functionality/services/etc. are removed with the excuse that it's to make things better.

One of the main complaints that I'm seeing is that while they say they're doing this so they can make things better for everyone, they don't say exactly HOW that's going to be implemented. It could be something completely intangible for the majority of subscribers or they could be replacing the feature with something better.

If it's the former (and that seems to be the way it is), this is a serious problem because you don't replace the visible with an invisible that may only be for some people. If it's the second, then they fucked up in not saying something in that initial email. They'd forgo a whole lot of anger and upset (not to mention time spent by their CSRs) if they'd said, "We're replacing Profiles with a new and better system." Since they didn't say that, I'm under the assumption it's going away and not being replaced.

[LyricFox]

Petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/netflix0/petition.html

[yewberry]

The posters at Hacking Netflix are not amused...and I can't say I am.

We've been down to one disc at a time for quite a while now (kid's going to school and told us to "just get rid of" his queue).  If we were still getting three at a time like we used to, though, this would have been a PITA for us, even though we're a family of picky movie watchers and kept fairly modest-sized queues.

Brina

[LyricFox]

The Reason Netflix Is Dropping Profiles

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2008/06/the-reason-netf.html

[Star]

The Reason Netflix Is Dropping Profiles

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2008/06/the-reason-netf.html

OK, I still am not very happy about it, but if it's true that only 1% or so of their customers are using it and the code really is that much of a problem, I can at least understand the decision.  I'll admit I have problems understanding what people found so confusing about it, though, and I don't get the bit about logging in and logging out at all.  You don't have to log in/out to switch profiles.

[RandallS]

OK, I still am not very happy about it, but if it's true that only 1% or so of their customers are using it and the code really is that much of a problem, I can at least understand the decision. 

I still believe Deep Throat was correct when he said "Follow the money."  One percent of Netflix's membership is about 60,000 accounts. If they are forced to switch from a single 3-out account to 3 1 out accounts to get their three queues, that's an additional $600,000 or so a month for Netflix. (3-out account about 17/month. 3 1-out accounts, about 27/month.)  When a company cuts features for vague reasons but offers a more expensive workaround, I tend to believe that no matter what excuse they give, the actual reason is that they want to get people to pay them more money for the same service.

[Star]

I still believe Deep Throat was correct when he said "Follow the money."  One percent of Netflix's membership is about 60,000 accounts. If they are forced to switch from a single 3-out account to 3 1 out accounts to get their three queues, that's an additional $600,000 or so a month for Netflix. (3-out account about 17/month. 3 1-out accounts, about 27/month.)  When a company cuts features for vague reasons but offers a more expensive workaround, I tend to believe that no matter what excuse they give, the actual reason is that they want to get people to pay them more money for the same service.

I somehow doubt that this change is going to prompt all 60K profile-using customers to open multiple accounts just to keep their multiple queues, though.  Some will, I'm sure, but I doubt all or even most.  Personally, it never occurred to me to do so until you mentioned it.  Of course, this doesn't prevent Netflix from deluding themselves into thinking most people will do that, I suppose.  (And I may be wrong about how many people will do it, too.)

[LyricFox]

I still believe Deep Throat was correct when he said "Follow the money."  One percent of Netflix's membership is about 60,000 accounts. If they are forced to switch from a single 3-out account to 3 1 out accounts to get their three queues, that's an additional $600,000 or so a month for Netflix. (3-out account about 17/month. 3 1-out accounts, about 27/month.)  When a company cuts features for vague reasons but offers a more expensive workaround, I tend to believe that no matter what excuse they give, the actual reason is that they want to get people to pay them more money for the same service.

I think they're going to be sorely disappointed, then. Everything I'm reading leads me to believe that only 5-10% of the people affected will open another account(s).  Everyone else seems to be saying they're going to do what I'm going to do...drop down to the one-out plan so they don't have to hassle with it. A lot of them are discussing a move to Blockbuster if Netflix continues with this idea and nothing comes in at the same time (or shortly thereafter) to replace it.

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