Every time I go to washingtonpost.com, I get a Netflix pop-up ad.
"Netflix Delivers DVD Rentals
Only $X.99 a month
> No Late Fees
> Over 55,000 Titles
> Free Shipping
Try Netflix for FREE!"
The value of ‘X’ changes from one pop-up to the next. Right now I’ve got pop-up windows on my screen for $9.99, $6.99, and $5.99/month.
When you click on them, you get taken to this Netflix page, which tells you that “plans start at only $9.99 a month!” And try as you might, there’s no evidence of any deal at a rate below $9.99 a month, no matter which pop-up I click to get there.
So I called Netflix. The person answering the phone told me that when I click on the pop-up, I should automatically be taken to a page offering the deal shown in the pop-up. I explained to her that this wasn’t happening, and she said that if it wasn’t, then there was nothing she could do about it. Could I speak to her boss? No, I couldn’t. I should go ahead and sign up for Netflix, then request the advertised special once I was signed up.
However, she said she didn’t know what the advertised special actually WAS - the $5.99 rate might be for as little as one month. I pointed out that since I didn’t even know what the deal was that I was supposedly eligible for, it hardly made sense for me to commit myself to a higher rate upfront.
Then I started tossing around phrases like “bait and switch,” and the conversation didn’t go much further from there.
I’m not a Netflix member, but at $5.99 or $6.99 a month for more than just one or two months, I’d be tempted to give it a try. (Kinda silly to offer a cheap rate for just a month or two, since all their plans offer free trials.) But I’d sure like to know what the deal is I’m signing up for, before I sign up.
