"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 26, 2009 at 12:10pm: You must be a John Kerry("I was FOR the war, before I was against it") & Barney Frank supporter...

Politics has NOTHING to do with Short & Long Waits. They are two totally different problems. This has NOTHING to do with what we're discussing.

Permalink Reply by ColdOne on January 26, 2009 at 12:36pm: Your answer always contradicts another answer that you gave earlier('The answer could be Yes. On the other hand, the answer could be No').

The hypocrisy of this will be totally lost on you, I'm sure. If you are referring to the two quotes you cut from posts, then it is no wonder you are confused because those are referring to different questions. If the answer to one question is "Yes" and the answer to another is "No" it doesn't make you a waffler.

That way, you have Plausible Deniability for anything you say.

Well, duh. Your genius and insight has cracked the code about why I am almost never wrong. I don't state something as a certainty unless I am actually pretty certain about it - a novel concept, I'm sure. Since I don't have inside information about Netflix practices I usually state my opinions as logical possibilities or probabilities. For example, I don't know for certain that this perceived shipping delay has anything to do their new policy, but it is certainly plausible and a possibility worth considering. Twist that into whatever perverted form makes you happy.

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?

If you didn't bother to read it the first time I commented on it, why would I repeat it for you? And someday you might grow up and learn to think for yourself.

You must be a John Kerry & Barney Frank supporter

Damn, I must have nailed it on my first try. I can see you're the type of strong-minded individual who sticks to his position no matter what new facts come to light.

Permalink Reply by RonMc on January 26, 2009 at 4:18am: "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."

And then ColdOne says this:

"I don't think there is much evidence to support that Netflix systematically understates the lack of availability. "

So which is ColdOne's correct GUESS that you take as the REAL truth? We'll wait.

Knaldskalle said "I have around 375 in my queue". This has NOTHING to do with what we're discussing, but I'm sure you'll be able to connect the dots somehow.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ColdOne on January 26, 2009 at 10:19am: So which is ColdOne's correct GUESS that you take as the REAL truth? We'll wait.

Ron, I get almost giddy every time I see that you've made a post. I wonder what ridiculously stupid thing you'll say that will brighten my day with a little humor.

Why do you have an issue with someone qualifying the certainty of their knowledge? You would rather I just state every possibility, speculation or idle thought as an absolute certainty (as you seem to do)? I have to assume you must been a big George W. supporter because that's the kind of decisiveness and unambiguity that keeps your brain from becoming too strained.

Knaldskalle said "I have around 375 in my queue". This has NOTHING to do with what we're discussing, but I'm sure you'll be able to connect the dots somehow.

Seriously, that's what you've got? It's mind-boggling the way your mind works (or in most cases, doesn't).

Permalink Reply by Knaldskalle on January 26, 2009 at 12:31pm: Knaldskalle said "I have around 375 in my queue". This has NOTHING to do with what we're discussing, but I'm sure you'll be able to connect the dots somehow.

That's right. Or not. :-)

HouPerson wrote: We now have 62 movies in our queue, and 29 of those are on wait. So it looks like they all will be on "wait" by the first week of February.

to which I wrote: Add more movie to your queue. I have around 375 in my queue and I hardly ever experience a wait, even for new stuff, because I also watch old stuff in between.

To elaborate: By adding more movies to one's queue one can avoid having them all on wait.

And bearing the Netflix ToU in mind (see below) I thought it would be beneficial for HouPerson to know that exclusively watching new releases might have a negative impact on the availability he/she experiences. I occasionally watch some new stuff and in between I watch some old stuff, and I hardly ever experience a wait (I think I had a brief wait 6 months ago, maybe longer). Take my personal experiences for what they are, nothing more.

So yes, RonMc, it has nothing to do with the discussion you're having with ColdOne, but it does have something to do with what HouPerson was writing about.

Excerpt from Netflix ToU: "In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we may utilize many different factors, including the number and type of DVDs you rent through our service, the membership plan you select, as well as other uses of our service by you." (my highlights)

Permalink Reply by ewd76 on January 25, 2009 at 10:57am: 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.

So, if your local distribution center doesn't have it, you don't get it?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Cheryl on January 25, 2009 at 11:04am: This makes no sense at all. I mean about not getting stuff from other DCs, not what ewd76 said.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ColdOne on January 25, 2009 at 11:23am: 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.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ColdOne on January 25, 2009 at 11:16am: 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.

What this apparently means for me is that since I live in 19th FATTEST state in country, the supply of fitness DVD's here does not meet MY demand and I am just out of luck.

I'm not sure how much weight I would give that statement from the customer service rep. Netflix has always been tweaking its distribution methods and constantly rebalances the quantity of each disc stored in local distribution centers.

In theory the relative obesity of the people in your region shouldn't matter too much as the quantity in your DC should be balanced to the typical demand. You've already been given the explanation regarding the new year, but also keep in mind that low volume discs (such as your fitness discs presumably) are going to be in relatively short supply and will see more wild fluctuations in demand vs. supply.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Knaldskalle on January 25, 2009 at 1:54pm: With nearly 500 films in my queue at any given time, there is always something to watch.

That's just the right approach to have to all this! There are tons of great movies out there (just to plug myself a little, here's a list of 1001 movies "you must see before you die") and a good movie doesn't become bad just because it's been out for more than 3 months. A bad one, however, does become worse. :-); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Karp on January 25, 2009 at 12:07pm: I had very few issues prior to to the past two months. Since then, I have only received two movies in the top 10 or 12 in my queue. I think that NetFlix failed to anticipate that movie lovers bought Blu-Ray players during the Holiday sales and are now failing miserably in getting out new Blu-Ray releases in a timely manner. I watch about 2 movies a week and have been a member since 2002 and have never seen it this bad. I prefer to watch a new movie before considering purchasing it and if this continues for much longer, I will consider cancelling my membership and using RedBox and On Demand movies instead.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Spindaddydad on January 25, 2009 at 12:27pm: I think that NetFlix failed to anticipate that movie lovers bought Blu-Ray players during the Holiday sales and are now failing miserably in getting out new Blu-Ray releases in a timely manner.
I have never had a Blu-ray title skipped over in my queue so that may not really be the case.

I prefer to watch a new movie before considering purchasing it and if this continues for much longer, I will consider cancelling my membership and using RedBox and On Demand movies instead.

If you're trying to get new releases, then Redbox or OnDemand will definitely be a better option for you.; ▶ Reply to This