# Netflix "hogs" throttled- Is this fair? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007 "2006-02-11T17:28:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/1 "2006-02-11T17:28:50Z")
Per the article is it fair to “throttle” (ie slow deliveries to) very heavy Netflix users? Frequent Netflix renters sent to back of the line The more you use, the slower the service, some customers realize > [@](#): > > SAN FRANCISCO - Manuel Villanueva realizes he has been getting a pretty good deal since he signed up for Netflix Inc.'s online DVD rental service 2 1/2 years ago, but he still feels shortchanged. > > That’s because the $17.99 monthly fee that he pays to rent up to three DVDs at a time would amount to an even bigger bargain if the company didn’t penalize him for returning his movies so quickly. > > Netflix typically sends about 13 movies per month to Villanueva’s home in Warren, Mich. — down from the 18 to 22 DVDs he once received before the company’s automated system identified him as a heavy renter and began delaying his shipments to protect its profits ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/2 "2006-02-11T17:33:31Z")
The link’s busted, so I can’t see if Netflix is really doing this, or if it’s just some customers’ perceptions. If they are, and it’s spelled out in their rental agreement, then yes, it’s completely fair. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/3 "2006-02-11T17:38:14Z")
The problem was that it initially was not spelled out in their renter’s agreement. Only after it came to light did they change the agreement. > **[Netflix Settlement Gets Poor Reviews](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-feb-11-fi-netflix11-story.html)** > > Hell hath no fury like a movie junkie scorned. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/4 "2006-02-11T17:43:33Z")
Sure it’s fair. It just now isn’t as good a deal for high-volume renters. In which case, they should all cancel their subscriptions. If the economic impact of that is great enough, then Netflix will amend their practices again. If not, too bad for the renters. I like the idea of Netflix, but honestly, I don’t get around to watching even 2 DVDs a month. Netflix isn’t geared up to meet my needs. Neither is it geared up to meet the needs of these renters. Here’s a thought: Offer a third tier of service, so you could keep FOUR videos at a time, for a higher monthly fee. Problem solved. Netflix already tried to appeal to people who didn’t want to spend the full amount monthly with their two-DVDs-at-a-time service. Now they have an opportunity to offer a more expensive service to that niche of voracious renters. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/5 "2006-02-11T17:48:48Z")
> [@NurseCarmen](#): > > The problem was that it initially was not spelled out in their renter’s agreement. Only after it came to light did they change the agreement. Ah. Then yes, that’s hardly sporting. Makes perfect sense, though. > [@toadspittle](#): > > Here’s a thought: Offer a third tier of service, so you could keep FOUR videos at a time, for a higher monthly fee. Netflix already has plans that go up to 8 DVDs at a time. That doesn’t necessarily help with throttling back people who are frequent renters, although the pricing scale makes me think that they could afford to send DVDs at normal speed to the higher-paying members. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/6 "2006-02-11T17:50:13Z")
Looks like [this is the link](http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/13841259.htm) the OP intended to make. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/7 "2006-02-11T18:08:14Z")
Besides the fact that they didn’t acknowledge the practice originally, the problem is that they still advertise “unlimited” rentals, which really isn’t true. They’re still trying to keep their throttling practice kind of buried and hidden. If they’d be more upfront about it, I think they’d get less negative reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2006, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/8 "2006-02-11T19:03:01Z")
I’ve actually written to Netflix, complaining that they no longer send a DVD on the same day that they receive one, which was the case until about 6 months ago (I’ve been a subscriber for 2 years). I would have respected it if they told me that it was not their policy to indulge the voracity of high-volume renters, but instead I got a song and dance about the next DVD on my queue not being available immediately. Like season one disk two of Hogan’s Heroes is in enormously high demand. But… I still get more bang for my buck than I would renting from a store in town, so I’m not willing to give up my subscription. Plus, when I was getting 5 at a time at instant turnaround I watched pretty much everything I could think of, and now my queue is mostly new releases and weirdo obscurities that I never get around to watching anyway, like **Calamari Wrestlers**. ZJ ---
**Author:** ![35340](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/8baadc/32.png) [@35340](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/35340)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/9 "2006-02-13T16:03:37Z")
Have they changed their practice of not making movies available to ‘fast renters’ that are available to ‘new renters’? That’s one of the reasons I no longer hold a subscription. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingCowOfDoom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyingcowofdoom/32/21776_2.png) [@FlyingCowOfDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingCowOfDoom)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/10 "2006-02-13T16:20:25Z")
I would bet good money that they’re throttling people because of piracy. Here’s an example: Get three DVDs from Netflix, which you copy immediately (takes 2-3 hours, max). Send the DVDs back and get 3 more in 3-4 days. Repeat. I don’t blame them for throttling people back. –FCOD ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/11 "2006-02-13T16:28:40Z")
> [@FlyingCowOfDoom](#): > > I would bet good money that they’re throttling people because of piracy. Here’s an example: Get three DVDs from Netflix, which you copy immediately (takes 2-3 hours, max). Send the DVDs back and get 3 more in 3-4 days. Repeat. > > I don’t blame them for throttling people back. > > –FCOD I think your on the money with this. The only people I know who actually subscribe to Netflix are people with DVD burners who decided this is the cheapest way to create a DVD library. Otherwise who else does nothing all day but watch movies day in and day out. ---
**Author:** ![Stonebow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Stonebow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stonebow)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/12 "2006-02-13T16:30:07Z")
> [@FlyingCowOfDoom](#): > > I would bet good money that they’re throttling people because of piracy. Here’s an example: Get three DVDs from Netflix, which you copy immediately (takes 2-3 hours, max). Send the DVDs back and get 3 more in 3-4 days. Repeat. > –FCOD But how do they differentiate between pirates and people like myself, who, in trying to get the most bang out of my subscription, actually watch the movies as soon as I get them (4-5 hours, max) and send them back? They don’t, apparently. That’s why I no longer hold a subscription either. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/13 "2006-02-13T16:38:38Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > …snip… > Here’s a thought: Offer a third tier of service, so you could keep FOUR videos at a time, for a higher monthly fee. Problem solved. Netflix already tried to appeal to people who didn’t want to spend the full amount monthly with their two-DVDs-at-a-time service. Now they have an opportunity to offer a more expensive service to that niche of voracious renters. They have subscriptions up to 6 at a time if I remember correctly. They go as low as 1 at a time. 1 at a time is only $9.99 per month. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/14 "2006-02-13T16:41:02Z")
The Canadian counterpart [zip.ca](http://www.zip.ca) has just started a “free shipping threshold.” Details vary, but with my plan after 11 DVDs in a month it will cost $2.49 shipping per DVD. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingCowOfDoom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyingcowofdoom/32/21776_2.png) [@FlyingCowOfDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingCowOfDoom)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/15 "2006-02-13T16:46:24Z")
> [@](#): > > But how do they differentiate between pirates and people like myself, who, in trying to get the most bang out of my subscription, actually watch the movies as soon as I get them (4-5 hours, max) and send them back? Obviously there is no way to do this. They’re just taking the bet that most people won’t actually watch the movies immediately and send them back the next day. –FCOD ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/16 "2006-02-13T16:49:55Z")
I was sort of coming to the conclusion that they were doing this. When I first signed up I lived in KC this was the time frame of disks sent: Monday- Email “Your movie is sent out, expected arrival: Wed” Tuesday- Movie is in the mail. Wednesday- Put movie in mail to send back Thursday- Recieved movie notice in email Friday- New movie shipped Saturday- recieved new movie When I moved to Columbia, Mo, It initiall went like this: Monday- Sent out movie, expected arrival- Wed Thursday- Movie recieved Friday- Returned movie Monday- Recieved movie notice in email Tuesday- New movie shipped Friday- Recieved new movie I complained and suddenly it was back to normal. Somehow they fixed the delayed shipping problem, and it was looking like before. One day to recieve it, one day to ship it. Now, however, it looks like this: Monday- Sent Movie Notice- estimated arrival- Wed. Tuesday- Recieved movie Wed- Sent movie back Saturday- Recieved movie, sending next movie today Monday- Recieved movie. Somehow, they get the movie to me in one day, but it takes them 3 days to process the movie once it is recieved. I am about ready to complain about it again, but if it is a policy now, there probably isn’t a point to complaining. ---
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/17 "2006-02-13T17:02:55Z")
My understanding is that it costs netflix $0.78 for each movie to be mailed to and from a customer. If this is true then once a person (under the $17.99 plan) has ordered their 24th movie, netflix is taking a loss. You don’t stay in business too long by taking losses. I think it is perfectly reasonable for them to slow down service when their profit is at risk. I generally rent 12-15 movies a month and have never experienced any slowdown in service. Considering what Blockbuster charges, not including late fees and their crap selection, I still think Netflix is a great deal. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/18 "2006-02-13T17:05:25Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I think your on the money with this. The only people I know who actually subscribe to Netflix are people with DVD burners who decided this is the cheapest way to create a DVD library. Otherwise who else does nothing all day but watch movies day in and day out. I agree with this observation, as well. > [@Stonebow](#): > > But how do they differentiate between pirates and people like myself, who, in trying to get the most bang out of my subscription, actually watch the movies as soon as I get them (4-5 hours, max) and send them back? Easy. Computer modeling. If you have a good understanding of the data you’re looking at, it’s not hard to interpret it. Of course, it’s not 100% accurate, but I’ll bet this is what they do, and their accruacy rate is pretty damn good. If Agent 99 has a 3-at-a-time sub, and turns them around in less than a day, all at once, every time, there’s a pretty good chance he’s copying them. From there you extrapolate. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/19 "2006-02-13T17:08:39Z")
\*\*Netflix “hogs” throttled- Is this fair? \*\* Fair? From a business standpoint: Yes. From a renter standpoint? It’s akin to Credit Card companies raising your interest rate, so: Yes. Is it legal? Sure. Does it suck? You bet. What can you do about it? Well, there’s always Blockbuster Online. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007/20 "2006-02-13T17:12:40Z")
> [@Winston Smith](#): > > …snip… > If \*\*Agent 99 \*\* has a 3-at-a-time sub, and turns them around in less than a day, all at once, every time, there’s a pretty good chance **he’s** copying them. From there you extrapolate. Dude, you need to get “Get Smart” high on your Queue. Agent 99 was definitely not a he. 😉 Jim {unfortunately Get Smart is not available on NetFlix yet} [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/netflix-hogs-throttled-is-this-fair/344007.md?page=2)