"Very Long Wait", "Long Wait" - The New Release New Norm

How many others are getting caught in Netflix's cost cutting measures and seeing new releases with "Very Long Wait" and "Long Wait" as their status? Outside of 'Speed Racer' and 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' I haven't received any popular (subject to interpretation). Currently I have:

'Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian'
'Wanted'
'WALL-E'
'Kung Fu Panda'
'The Happening'
'Tropic Thunder'
'Hancock'

I have a friend I converted to a Netflix fan who has pushed his discs down to just one "for old movies" since he can't get new releases in a timely manner.

I called customer service about the issue and they said they suspect this is because they have closed their used disc store.

Netflix loses much of its appeal if you can't get the movies you want is a timely fashion. Should they not have enough copies to satisfy their customers within a month? ('Kung Fu Panda' & 'Tropic Thunder') Isn't two months too long? ('The Happening').

I've giving this until after the holidays before I found my friend - if I don't just suspend my account all together.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by thatboy on January 25, 2009 at 9:51am: Whoops! I was writing mine as you were posting yours. Looks like we're in agreement on this one!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by thatboy on January 25, 2009 at 9:49am: My queue is filled with workout videos and in the last 3 weeks I've gone from 2 or 3 waits to over 70 on wait status.

This can easily be explained by the fact that many make New Year's resolutions to lose weight and exercise. The same thing causes gym memberships to soar and gyms to get overcrowded during the first couple months of any year. Be patient. Most will lose their resolve and the DVD waits will lessen again.

When I called they explained to me that Netflix is trying to now localize its distribution instead of sending DVD's from other distribution centers when one doesn't have it... I'm not sure what prompted this new distribution method but so far it is VERY INEFFICIENT.

I can tell you exactly what prompted it: Other NF members who didn't like waiting the extra day or two for a disc to be shipped from another location. So now NF trying to mitigate their pet peeve has exacerbated your pet peeve. When a butterfly flaps its wings...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Suzanne on January 25, 2009 at 10:01am: Thanks Guys. You are probably right. Since I am a year round fitness freak, that NEVER even occurred to me. Oh well, I guess I can share my passion with a America for a few months. Hope it does us some good. :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kaotikitty on January 26, 2009 at 5:14pm: I would also think that people put those workout discs in their Q with the best intentions, then when the disc arrives at their home it sits around being avoided for a few weeks. Which means it can't get to you, the person who actually plans to do that workout and return the disc. I my friend did that with several discs before I they gave up and returned the disc. (Sorry!)

And for the person who mentioned Mirrors, I sent that piece of crap back the very next day, so I'm not at fault for that wait!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RonMc on January 25, 2009 at 10:12am: "Other NF members who didn't like waiting the extra day or two for a disc to be shipped from another location. So now NF trying to mitigate their pet peeve has exacerbated your pet peeve. When a butterfly flaps its wings..."
The other group a whiners and complainers who were mad cause they got sent disks from other distribution centers, and had to wait for their movies.
So it's better to wait 3-6 days for an "Available" disc, rather than getting the "Available" sent AND getting the next disc in your queue as a Bonus extra disc, besides. Yeah, that makes sense.

Suzanne's complaint is not having enough copies at NF(because of New Years Resolutions). The two comments by 2McAbre & thatboy above have little or NOTHING to do with Short & Long Waits.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by thatboy on January 25, 2009 at 11:24am: The two comments by 2McAbre & thatboy above have little or NOTHING to do with Short & Long Waits.

The first part of each of our replies specifically adressed Suzanne's concern about why more workout videos would recently have a wait status.

Then, Suzanne wrote:
When I called they explained to me that Netflix is trying to now localize its distribution instead of sending DVD's from other distribution centers when one doesn't have it... I'm not sure what prompted this new distribution method but so far it is VERY INEFFICIENT

So the second part of our replies addressed that concern of hers. NF's new policy on localized shipping may be working out great for you, but doesn't seem to meet Suzanne's needs. As I said, NF trying to satisfy you has dissatisfied her. I made no judgment about which shipping policy was better overall.

Having a little problem with reading comprehension there, buddy?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RonMc on January 25, 2009 at 6:19pm: Having a little problem with reading comprehension there, buddy?
Long Waits have NOTHING to do with the new shipping program(other than having more DVDs in transit). They are two totally different problems since the New policy doesn't kick in on Waits or Saves.

Having a little problem with understanding the new shipping policy there, buddy?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by thatboy on January 25, 2009 at 6:45pm: What do Long Waits have ANYTHING to do with the new shipping program?

Again, we were answering a question Suzanne had about the new distribution policy because when she called, Netflix told her the increased waits were caused due to "trying to now localize its distribution instead of sending DVD's from other distribution centers when one doesn't have it." So, Netflix seems to think they aren't two totally different problems.

And as ColdOne suggested a little further down:
It makes sense if you consider Netflix's new policy of shipping a bonus disc when they ship from a non-local DC. Considering the extra cost of this bonus it makes sense that they would change their shipping policies to try a little longer to get that disc from a local DC.

You go ahead and read it all again, sweetie. Slowly. Moving your lips if you have to. We'll wait...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ColdOne on January 25, 2009 at 7:12pm: This part of the discussion is pointless, because it's clear from this thread Shipping out-of-local-stock discs from across the country that Ron has little clue on how this new shipping process works.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by RonMc on January 26, 2009 at 8:26am: "Ron has little clue on how this new shipping process works."
That's because I don't pay for "Premium Service". Remember? The service that NO ONE knows about, except you.

I took my info from the link from Netflix posted on Dec 28, rather than making it up as I go along, like ColdOne-
http://blog.netflix.com/2008/12/new-dvd-shipping-process.html#links

Most people who understand the new system seem to like it.

Permalink Reply by ColdOne on January 26, 2009 at 10:07am: Of course, most people don't need to have it explained to them repeatedly. Do you want Spin to walk you through it one more time so you're up to speed with the rest of us?

But it actually remains to be seen whether most people are better off with the new system or not. Superficially (the only level at which your brain seems to work, if at all) it's great. But Netflix might be paying for this by changing other processes (causing longer waits for some titles) or by rolling it into a price increase.

Obviously Netflix believes that people will perceive this as an improvement, but that may just be marketing magic appealing to human psychology. In general, people will suffer many tiny (and almost imperceptible) issues to avoid a major one, even when there is a net loss on the equation.

Permalink Reply by RonMc on January 26, 2009 at 11:42am: Why do you have an issue with someone qualifying the certainty of their knowledge?
Your answer always contradicts another answer that you gave earlier('The answer could be Yes. On the other hand, the answer could be No'). That way, you have Plausible Deniability for anything you say.

even when there is a net loss on the equation.
Let's see, under the new Shipping Policy, you get the #1 Available queue disc sent from a Nonlocal DC, AND the next one in your queue available from your Local DC as a Bonus disc. Where's the "Net Loss" of which you speak? Where do you get your info, or do you just make it up?

You must be a John Kerry("I was FOR the war, before I was against it") & Barney Frank supporter, because he blames everyone else for his mistakes(Freddy Mac & Fannie Mae-"It's not a good investment". Then, "Going forward, it is a sound investment"- July 2008. Then, "I said it was a bad investment. It was the Republicans fault in 1994"- Nov. 2008)(but he got the most campaign contributions from FM after his appointment to the Finance Committee in 2006-when the Dems took over Congress. 2nd most campaign contributions from FM: Obama).