This past summer I wanted to rejoin Netflix again, but the only plan they offered was a streaming video option that you could then add DVD’s by mail to. I wasn’t really interested in streaming, but I know that Netflix has a hard time making money by mailing DVD’s in red envelopes. Their streaming plan is pretty successful, though, with one estimate saying that 25% of web traffic is Netflix streaming video (not sure I believe that).
I went to Netflix to see if I could get a DVD only plan, but I still couldn’t see any way to do it, even though the Netflix website sort of made it sound possible. The only thing I could do was sign up for streaming.
So I went looking for alternatives. I knew Blockbuster had a mail service. I found one review that said it wasn’t in the same league as Netflix where they will mail you your next DVD the same day they get one from you. Those days really make a big difference in the number of movies you can get in a month.
Then I found a YouTube video where a guy explains how you can join, then switch from streaming to DVD only. So I thought I’d try it out, but it means signing up first and giving my credit card number. I did it anyway, hoping for the best. Once I got an account, there was no way to drop streaming. When I tried to get DVD only, the link was broken! I was so frustrated. I went ahead and cancelled right away, but they said it wouldn’t be effective until next month and I could enjoy streaming until then. Grrrrrrr. I found a phone number, but this was around midnight on Saturday, so I wasn’t expecting it to work. To my surprise I got in contact with a real person almost right away. She transferred me to a DVD guy who switched my account and said that if they charged me for the first month of streaming anyway, he would give my account a credit.
So, back to Netflix again!