Just lowered their prices - effective automatically on Nov. 1. $17.99 for 3 at a time.

By Boxzgrl on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 08:27 pm:

So do current members get the new rate?

By Kathy on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 09:03 pm:

Yes! I got an email the other day and it said that they were lowering their prices! I just love Netflix. I'm out in the boonies and there aren't any Blockbusters out here. Plus I don't have to worry about late fees, etc.

By Tink on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 09:12 pm:

Can someone explain Netflix to me? I know the basic idea but do you just request the movies you want and keep them for any length of time? How do they make any money if you keep a movie for a month or two? I love the idea but I'm always afraid that I'll sign up and end up being charged a fortune for some unknown reason.

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 09:25 pm:

Yes, you select movies and they go into your queue. If you sign up for the 3 at a time plan, you can keep 3 out all the time. I've been using Netflix for a while - I love it!

They have a lot of titles and you don't have to go to the video store, they send you the envelopes postage paid to return the DVD's in. You can bump movies up or down in your queue.

They bill your credit card or account you use each month. So they are getting their money up front. Doesn't matter if you get 3 movies that month or 12 movies that month, they've got your money. So if you keep the movie for a month, that's just one less new one you could be watching.

DH said they lowered their rates because Amazon is now offering the same service, and he suspects they will eventually buy Netflix.

And yes, current members get the new rate. :-)

By Kathy on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 09:26 pm:

OK...you basically go to netflix.com and sign up. Give them your info, etc. Then you start adding movies to your list (called the queue.) Within a few days, the first movies in your queue will be mailed to you. When you are finished with them, you send them back via the mail. They provide pre-paid envelopes to send them back in. For me, I have no reason to keep a movie for a month or two. I guess I am too anxious to get the rest of the movies on my list.

By Nicosmom on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 10:59 pm:

Cori Netflix is SO cool, the movies come so fast and they pay for the shipping! We had it about 2 years ago. DH has been wanting it back especially when I told him about the $17.99. I just rented from Hollywood Video the other day. We had a late fee and of course, this movie is late! You can't beat Netflix!

By Kate on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 11:06 pm:

Hmmm...I received no such email saying my rates had been lowered! Thanks for the heads up; I shall investigate!

By Missmudd on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 11:26 pm:

So is it 17.99 a month, or by the 3 movies?

By Karen~moderator on Wednesday, October 27, 2004 - 11:35 pm:

It's 17.99 a month, you can have 3 movies out all the time. Once you start putting movies in your queue, they will keep coming each time they receive a movie back from you.

I've got almost 300 movies in my queue right now. LOL We went to the 5 movie plan because we were watching so many for a while, now I'm thinking about going back to the 3 movie plan.

Once you join, they'll start mailing your rentals to you. Say you have 3 @ home. You watch 2 and send them back the next day. You still have 1 at home. As soon as they receive the 2 you mailed back, they will send the next 2 out to you.

I get email confirmations when they have received a movie I sent back, and when they are mailing new ones out.

By Annie2 on Thursday, October 28, 2004 - 12:33 am:

What happens if you lose a movie or it gets lost in the mail?

By Colette on Thursday, October 28, 2004 - 05:47 am:

Nothing, you just tell them and they send you the next one. I've had a couple never show up and you just email them. I imagine if it becomes a regular thing they might terminate your account.

Walmart and Blockbuster are offering the same kind of program so maybe it was competition that made them lower their rates, or maybe it was customer complaints because they had recently raised them.

By Karen~moderator on Thursday, October 28, 2004 - 07:38 am:

Ditto Colette - Once we didn't receive one of ours, I emailed them, they mailed another one out and they then both arrived on the same date! LOL If you begin to have a history of *lost* movies, they will charge you for it or terminate your account.

Netflix did raise their prices in the last 6 months or so, and they *do* have competition now.

I personally LOVE being able to get movies through the mail.

They have a *save* queue for you too, so you can save movies that are not yet released in that queue. As soon as they are released they bump up into your *regular* queue. I check mine every few days, change the order around, etc. Whenever a new movie is bumped into my regular queue, if I want to see it right away I just re-order my queue.

Also, your queue tells you if the movie is available for rental now, short wait or long wait.