Netflix Lost Discs (1 Viewer)

[Don_Houle]

Has anyone ever had a problem with their returned Netflix discs getting lost in the mail? Over the past 9 months or so, I've reported about 6 or 8 discs lost in the mail. Some were discs that I never received, but most were discs that I sent back.

On Friday, I reported a disc that I sent back almost three weeks ago as lost. Right after I did that, I checked out my rental queue and saw that I had an "Account Problem" notification. I emailed Netflix customer support and they responded saying that I needed to contact the Postal Service Customer Service number and report the problem. Then, when I've received a case number from the USPS, I need to report that to Netflix and they'll do research to try to figure out what's going on.

Is this just me, or shouldn't Netflix be contacting the Postal Service? They have as much information about the problem as I do (I don't write down the dates that I sent back the DVDs)!

I've always wondered about the viability of sending DVDs through the mail in those flimsy paper envelopes. I wonder how many get "eaten" by the USPS sorting machines?

 

[Lee L]

I have had maybe 4 or 5 lost in the last few months. Sometimes they will just show up a few weeks later and sometimes they are gone. Maybe someone at the post office is watching some free DVD's. Oops, I forgot, no one in the post office would ever do such a thing. We have not gotten the account problem note though. I'm pretty sure the sender needs to report problems with packages. So I guess if you sent it back, you should report it and Netflix should report losses that never got to you. I guess they figure if they can get the customer to do it for them, why not try.
I always wondered if the post office was fully on board with the way Netflix sends DVD's but I guess these days they can't complain about anyone who uses the mail since they can't seem to make any money.

 

[Tommy Ceez]

When my credit card number changed Netflix tried to close my account thinking I hadf canceled the card. They then offered to "settle" my account in reference to a disk I had reported lost in the mail 2 years ago. Is it the netflix policy to make me buy this disk whenever I do cancel?

 

[Don_Houle]

I just spoke with Netflix customer service (excellent customer service rep, BTW).

I explained the problem and the fact that I just moved, so they released the hold on my account. They did request that I contact the USPS though. I was told that Netflix is (obviously) a huge customer of the postal service and that the problem with lost discs has been growing in recent months. I think NF has a great service and a very interesting business model (Walmart [or was it K-Mart?] picked up on it, too!) So, I'll call in order to help them out.

I think the combination of cheap packaging and the allure of free DVDs is too much for the "machines" at the post office. We'll see what the USPS says when I report the problem.

 

[Rich Malloy]

I've had four discs supposedly lost in the mail (en route to me) in the past three weeks, and about 8 over the last several months. But all my other packages (of which there are many) have arrived and usually do so right-on-time. The problem, as far as I can tell, is with Netflix's distribution center and not the Post Office. In other words, I doubt most of these discs were ever actually mailed out. After all, wouldn't they eventually arrive if they were? Most of them anyway?

 

[Dmitry]

I've had a stretch when discs would disappear on their way back to Netflix at an alarming rate — almost once a month. I switched to a different drop-off location and that problem seems to have gone away.

 

[MikeAlletto]

I would blame the post office. You can go and talk to the postmaster for your area and express your frustration. Don't just say it was netflix movies, say you are having problems getting your mail. They will go into their computers and flag your name and address. They did that to me when I was having mail problems with a new address and it cleared up right away. I've only had about 4 or 5 missing dvd's total since 99. If you have too many missing over to short period of a time netflix will try and make you pay for them. Afterall what else are they supposed to do if a ton start going missing? They think you are stealing them. I don't know what their policy is if you cancel. I think you are supposed to return all movies you have within 2 weeks or so or else they will bill you.

 

[mike martin]

Well, I can say this, a similar problem happened to me and forced me to terminate my membership. I was convinced that I had solved the problem myself. Automated mailing systems were smudging my address on the mailers. This was clearly happening and a number of badly smudged mailers did arrive eventually and it was clear by all the stamps on the mailer that the disk had taken a very long route to my house. My name could barely be read an the bar codes were all but nonexistant. Netflix never bought into it and kept blaming my postal delivery person and my address. They said that clearly they don't know that I live at that address and refuse to put the disk in my box. I hope that can get your problem straitend out, they certainly couldn't for me.