Bad DVDs from Netflix

[Skibabe]

At least three times now I've had to send back a DVD because it was cracked or badly scratched.  One just kept freezing.  A couple others I didn't report but instead, played through the defective section, where it stuttered and kept freezing, in order to watch the movie.  Very annoying.  I think Netflix needs to check their DVDs more thoroughly before sending them out to the next customer.  I believe what that person said last year, that Netflix sent back the same defective DVD, is definitely possible.  They need better quality control.  Granted, I've been a member for about 3 years and 5 or 6 bad DVDs may not sound that bad, but it sure is annoying when you sit down to watch a movie and then can't watch it because it's got a crack in it.  How can they miss something like that!

[Knaldskalle]

They can miss the cracks (and sometimes they're pretty bad) because those particular damages occur while the disc is in the hands of the USPS. Netflix pays a surcharge for manual handling of the red envelopes, but some post offices will still run them through the machine readers - and those machine readers bend the letters and that's when the big cracks occur (the ones that go through the whole disc or even breaks it into 2 or more pieces). So that's pretty tough for Netflix to do anything about.

They could be better at addressing scratches, I agree. But again, we have to remember that some DVD players are extremely "picky" while others will play a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So some people may be reporting a disc as scratched and others will have no issue playing it, so it appears that Netflix has implemented a system where the first report gets ignored and only after more than one report (possibly even more than 2) will the disc in question be taken out, cleaned (or scraped or trashed, depending on how bad it is) and then brought back into circulation. They also have a machine system that "checks" the returned discs, but I have no idea how well it works (or even how).

FWIW, I've been a Netflix subscriber since 2006 and have received 13 damaged discs in that time plus a few have gone missing and a few have been mislabeled (wrong movie). I don't think that's all that bad.

[Janes'_kid]

Check each disk upon receipt to note if USPS has damaged it. When you get a bad DVD call Netflix immediately. You will have a replacement the to-be-shipped part of your queue withing a few hours. THEN return the damaged one. I put a post-it on the rare visually damaged disk I receive.

I have received six visually damaged since 2006.

[eviltimes]

Sorry about your bad discs, but it happens.  One reason is the mailer.  It's just not up to protecting the disc (especially Blu Rays, which are very fragile - Thanks, SONY...   I wand my HDVD...).  I have used other services and they all had much more substantial mailers.

Netflix uses us, the customer, to find the damaged discs (saves them money).  Don't worry about it.

I've forgotten how long I've used Netflix, but I've received plenty of completely broken (pieces!), cracked, business side spray painted black, scratched - even one with dried pizza sauce and identifiable pepperoni and cheese! discs over these many years.  You're not alone.

Just use the website to get a new one and never return the damaged one until the new disc arrives.

Good luck!

[Skibabe]

Thanks for your in-depth reply.  Very informative and I believe what you say makes sense.  I will say that "eviltimes" has a good point:  the envelopes should be more substantial.  I've had to call Netflix on a couple occasions wherein a movie was returned to Netflix without ever being received by me.  I knew by the emails I received saying that it was being returned.  I was told that some post offices run them through the machine, which rips off the front red cover, then the machine reads Netflix's bar code so it gets returned to them.  That right there tells me that the envelopes need to be more substantial.  From now on, I will take Jane's Kid's advise and open it to check it as soon as I get it, maybe even play the beginning of it to make sure it doesn't skip, stutter, or freeze on me!  Thanks everyone for your replies!

[Spindaddydad]

That right there tells me that the envelopes need to be more substantial.

GameFly uses envelopes with thick cardboard sleeves inside to protect the disc, but that makes the postage costs much, much higher, and guess who would pick up the cost of the more substantial Netflix mailer?

[Skibabe]

Yea, you're right.  And really, you can't beat Netflix's prices so there you go.

[Janes'_kid]

And really, you can't beat Netflix's prices

Did you see the news story about the dude who did enough instant watching that the got his movies for less than 4 cents each?

[eviltimes]

How fat was he when they cut through the walls to take him to the hospital?   ;)

[Skibabe]

LOL!  I was thinking the same thing, like wow, a real couch potato!

[Spindaddydad]

http://dogandponyshowwebsite.com/how-to-use-netflix-instant-to-watc...

[Skibabe]

OMG!  That was sooooo funny!  Thanks!  I had to stifle my laughing here at work.

[Ando]

uh hugh Princess Leia hugh hugh