So have you heard the news? Netflix is raising their rates- or changing them, depending on how you use your Netflix.
Gone are the days of $9.99 monthly unlimited DVD-rental and streaming combination plan. We all knew it was too good to last.
Now if you want to stream unlimited it will cost you $7.99 a month. And if you want to check out one DVD at a time and have it mailed to your house, it’s another $7.99 a month.
I was paying $9.99 to stream so my bill is now going down $2 a month.
If you want both streaming and DVD it’s going to cost you an extra $6 a month. In some cases if you want unlimited DVDs 2 at a time your rate will go up a little bit more.
It stinks, don’t get me wrong.
But before you call and cancel let’s look at your other options:
1- Redbox. Yes there are lots of free codes. If you don’t want that brand new movie as soon as it comes out on DVD they will work great. Awesome if you are just looking for something to fill a Friday night- not so great if you are looking to see the hottest new release.
2- Video Rental. So instead of Netflix you can just run down the street and grab a video. Oh wait… nice job Netflix. These stores aren’t nearly as easy to come by as they used to.
3- Hulu- You can watch TV shows on Hulu for free… oh wait, you can’t do that anymore really either. As Hulu continues to try to compete with Netflix they have been moving more and more of their shows to the paid version only.
4- Expand Your Cable Programs- don’t even get me started on the price of cable. $16 a month can’t even scratch the surface of the cost of expanded cable.
So if you aren’t using Netflix that much- cancel it. You won’t miss it that much. For some of you that is absolutely the best option- you will be very happy with the free Redbox and Blockbuster codes!
If you are using Netflix an extra $6 a month means one less coffee or take out meal.
Do I hate that they raised rates? Yes.
If enough people don’t cancel does it mean they will do it again? Yep.
And until they have a legitimate competitor will they continue to be able to do so? Yep.
So let me know… what are you doing about the new rates?
We had the 2 DVD’s at a time plan and dropped to 1, which still increased our rates by $2 a month. We don’t hardly watch movies, but when we do, it is so convenient and we aren’t in a hurry to watch the new movies as they come out. At this point we will continue but I agree, it stinks because they are taking advantage of the fact that they don’t have real competitors. And right now the economy is such turmoil still that I resent them raising the rates to make money off of us.
Rent your DVD’s from the Library. They have new releases and you get to keep them for a week. Price? FREE!
I am canceling we don’t watch that many movies anyway. And on the rare occasion we do.. it’s Redbox.
I heard several months ago that Netflix was trying to promote their streaming only plan and would eventually do away with the DVD option. It looks like this is the start of that attempt. Along with that, I also heard that they would be expanding their streaming selection. As of right now, their streaming selection is awful and if it doesn’t expand by the end of August, we’ll be cancelling all together. Even the DVD option isn’t great, you have to wait several weeks before a new release hits Netflix. I think we’re going to try Redbox for a while.
I will be going to streaming only I am only keeping that because we use it for home school if we read a book and it is in live streaming we will watch it and my daughter loves watching disney shows on it
we have been watching more redbox movies anyway
I’ll be dropping my DVD part and keeping the streaming. Some months I only use one DVD, some I go through 12 but for $8 I will wait until it comes out on streaming! I love not having cable and being able to watch shows whenever I want. But I am NOT paying $16 for it. I’ll keep it at $8, hope enough people follow suit, and wait for the shows I want or for Netflix to lower their rates back down. It stinks, as you said, but I understand they are a business and not a public service. 😛
ugh Idk what I’m going to do yet…right now all the streaming stuff is SUPER OLD or just old TV shows I’ve seen a million times…and everytime I go to the Redbox or Blockbuster Kiosk what I want isn’t even there but then again with Netflix you have to wait almost a month sometimes to get the new releases that you want…so I don’t even know what the answer is right now I got a few weeks to decide I guess…
We are going down to just streaming, I think. The last two DVDs we have gotten were scratched and skipped in the middle. If we want something a little more up to date, we will go to Redbox…
going to cancel end of August
We cancled our a couple of months ago. I still think Redbox is the best way to go anyway. Netflix didn’t get the latest movies until about a month later anyway, so whats the big deal about waiting to go to Redbox.
I’m going to cancel. Most of what they have available for “unlimited” streaming is crap (B movies, unpopular TV shows, or older stuff you can get on redbox anyway) or so obscure I’ve never even heard of it. All their good things are on DVD. They do that to get people to pay even more to have the DVD’s mailed – and now that they’re raising rates too I think it’s time for me to go elsewhere. It’s silly and I’m tired of playing that game (and paying for it too).
I’ll be dropping them. I can’t stand when companies start to raise prices….and this is just the start for Netflix. The streaming selection doesn’t impress me all that much and they are losing more and more movies. I’m not willing to pay more and get less.
I think it is time to cancel
I just cancelled. I don’t see all that many things that I want to watch that I haven’t already seen. If there is a movie that I can’t wait for it to come out in redbox, then I probably will go see it at the theater. I haven’t been streaming because I just haven’t made time to run the internet cables over by the TV. They might not know this but a lot of places in the country (if they can get it) are paying for broadband and it is still pretty slow.
mine is going up less than $5 a month, for the streaming and 3 dvds at a time. This plan works well for us and has for 3 years, we don’t rent outside anywhere and look for codes to order through our satellite provider. Plus, we have a dvd player that we can stream through….definitely worth it for us to keep it.
I will definitely be re-evaluating membership after my annual subscription expires. I currently use both services.
I have had Netflix since 2005 and have loved the freedom of changing plans when needed, and no contractual obligation. But the last rate increase prompted me to reduce my plan, now this rate increase will prompt me to change it to streaming only and give that a try for awhile. Of course as our lives have gotten busier, I’ve had the same DVD sitting on my mantel for 2 months! I could have bought the DVD at target for what I paid netflix 2 months! I’m angry that this is the 2nd hike in less than a year! I understand the point of no getting new releases on Red Box, but New Releases aren’t always available on Netflix either!
Like you, my bill is going to go down $2 since I don’t use the streaming option. I prefer to pop a DVD in when I have the time to watch.